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If you'd like to see pictures of over 500 classical & flamenco guitars that I've sold in the past, please visit "Victor's Guitar Gallery" on Facebook

Cost of shipping to Australia via USPS International Priority Mail is $150, but packages can't be taller than 42 inches and their overall size is very restricted. Most guitar cases are simply too large to meet this requirement. If package is taller than 42 inches and exceeds IPM size restrictions, it has to be shipped via USPS Global Express Guaranteed at the cost of $350. If you want to pay less for shipping, you have to accept my choice of the case I will ship the guitar in.  



          Shinano GS250 in mint(y) condition.

This guitar was made in very early 1970s. It remains in perfect working and near mint cosmetic perfection. It has only one tiny dent within the finish on the soundboard and two stripe shaped discolorations within the finish on its headstock.

Mr.Seizo Shinano was a very skilled Master Luthier and founded Shinano Guitar Factory in mid1960s. He has earned my deepest respect for his guitars. Since my first encounter with my first Shinano (SC30) guitar I am constantly on the hunt for these guitars. To be precise for (GS) Grand Shinano and SC series, beyond any doubt very high grade guitars. Models made by this factory in 1960s were from introductory (models 13 to 43) through intermediate (53 to 63) and high end (73 through 93). Models Shinano 73(all solid woods Spruce/Indian Rosewood b/s), Shinano 83 (solid Spruce top, solid Brazilian Rosewood Back, laminated BR sides) and Shinano 93 (all solid woods with Spruce/BR) are greatly respected by Japanese players and considered as concert guitars.

By early 1970s the labelling system of Shinano guitars changed to SC (Shinano Concert) and GS models.

This Shinano GS250 model is an absolutely high grade full size classical guitar, producing well balanced sweet and clean high notes with resonating basses, at very impressive volume, all well balanced and with fantastic sustain. This guitar absolutely deserves to be called “concert guitar”. It can easily beat any brand new $4000 guitar available on US market.

Its price in 1971 was 25 000 yen, an equivelent of 1/2 of average yearly salary of Japanese college graduate.

Specifications:

Top: Solid Spruce wit 7 braces fan

When looking at the edge of the soundboard through the sound hole what you see is "a sandwich of 2 layers of wood". I bet that to all "self-proclaimed experts" it would mean that soundboard is laminated. In fact it high grade solid wood with a reinforcing ring of wood glued underneath the sound hole. It is very unfortunate that after such "inspection" so many "geniuses" would disregard this great guitar.

Back and sides:  Straight Grain Brazilian Rosewood Doubleplate

Calling this construction "laminates" would actually be very incorrect and quite misleading. This genuine Japanese invention has really nothing in common with modern era cheap particle-board laminates. This construction is nothing but 2 solid wood plates glued together, hence in fact nothing but reinforced solid woods. Such plates perform no different from solid woods, while don't crack as easily, are much easier to work with, and allow for much lower prices of these instruments. Such guitars have always been and still are a true blessing for all guitar enthusiasts with limited funds.


Neck: Mahogany with Rosewood reinforcement

Fingerboard: Well ebonized Indian Rosewood

Scale: 650 mm

Nut width: 51 mm

The action is set to 3.50 mm under E6 and 3.00 mm under E1mm, with plenty of extra room on the saddle.

This guitar will be shipped in lightly used thick-padded gig bag, bubble-wrapped and boxed.


 

Some info about Shinano guitars:

Instruments previously produced in Japan during the 1960s and 1970s.
Shinano was a trademark and possibly the name of a luthier who built classical guitars in Japan during the 1960s and 1970s. It is reported that Shinano guitars were distributed by Daion, but it is unknown if Shinano guitars were distributed in the U.S. by Daion's distributor MCI, Inc. in Waco, TX. Shinano guitars appear to built of mid- to high quality, but it is unknown if they were factory or hand-built. Any further information on Shinano can be submitted directly to Blue Book Publications.

The complex story of Yamaki guitars is entwined with the histories of a number of other Japanese companies. In the late 1940s, brothers Yasuyuki and Kazuyuki Teradaira started working for Tatsuno Mokko, an instrument-building firm that later split into two different companies, one of which was called Hayashi Gakki. In 1954 Hayashi Gakki was bought out by Zenon, a large music distributor. In 1962 Yasuyuki left Zenon to start an instrument distributor he called Daion, which means “big sound” in Japanese. In 1967 Kazuyuki left Zenon to produce classical guitars under the name Yamaki, an auspicious Japanese word meaning “happy trees on the mountain.” By the early 1970s, Kazuyuki expanded the Yamaki line to include a large number of steel-string guitars, many of which were based on C.F. Martin and Co.’s designs and were distributed exclusively through Daion. Along with Yamaki guitars, Daion sold instruments from Shinano, Mitsura Tamura, Chaki, and Hamox, some of which were built by Yamaki at various times, and Harptone guitars, which they imported from the US.

Sometime in the late 1960s, Daion began exporting Yamaki guitars to America, where they were well received. By the early 1980s, however, Daion felt that the Yamaki Martin-style guitars were getting lost among similar instruments from other Japanese builders like Takamine, Yasuma, and C.F. Mountain, so they redesigned the entire acoustic line and started building acoustic-electrics and solid-body electrics as well as oddities like double-neck acoustics. They dropped the Yamaki name and rebranded their instruments as Daion guitars. Daion began an extensive advertising campaign to introduce the new line around 1982, but this was a time when musicians were more interested in the new MIDI-equipped synthesizers than in guitars. In 1984 Daion stopped importing guitars to America and soon went out of business. Yamaki, on the other hand, survived the downturn of the 1980s and now makes parts for other Japanese guitar companies.

Real Value of Japanese Vintage Guitars

The key to understand value of vintage Japanese guitars is to acknowledge galloping devaluation of Japanese yen in 1960s & 1970s. This devaluation was somewhat slower in 1980s. The best measure of this devaluation is Starting Yearly Salary of Japanese College Graduate (SYSJCG).

SYSJCG in in 1965 was 19 600 yen, in 1969 – 34 600 yen, in 1970 39 200 yen, in 1972 – 62 300 yen, in 1975 79 200 yen, in 1977 121 200 yen and in 1980 - 163 000 yen.

During 1960s and most of 1970s model numbers of Japanese guitars were strictly interconnected with their prices in Japanese yen. In late 1970s and during following decades model numbers were no longer strictly associated with their prices. Many Japanese guitar makers introduced model names instead of model numbers. Others were still using model numbers with addition of letter abbreviations or other symbols.  

The best and only logical approach while evaluating real value (real grade) of vintage Japanese guitar is to compare its price in Japanese yen with SYSJCG during the year guitar was made.

Any guitar priced 100 000 in 1970 (labelled usually as No10) would be priced 200 000 yen in 1975 (relabeled to No20 or 2000), 300 000 yen in 1977 (labelled as No3, No30 or 3000). Starting in 1977 Masaru Kohno introduced his model No50 priced at 500 000 (skipping theoretical model 40). Soon other famous Japanese luthiers did the same. By 1983 Kohno started using model names instead numbers and was raising their prices as he was pleased. Naturally soon other Master luthiers did the same.

Knowing all of that, you can bet on that Masaru Kohno No50 made in 1982 is practically the same quality as Kohno No15 made in 1972, or Kohno no20 made in 1975 or Kohno No30 made in 1977. I know it for a fact.

The lowest grade models currently made by Matsuoka workshop are M75 and MH75. They are commonly considered as “beginner guitars”. Matsuoka model M30 made in 1973 is simply far, far better instrument. It is naturally better than model M50 made in 1977, model 80 made in 1982 or model M100 made in 1990. At present, the highest grade Matsuoka models are M300 and MH300. They absolutely stand no chance in competition with model M150 made in 1975… or model M200 made in 1977.

It is very important to mention that if modern era luthiers are using 40 years old woods to make a classical guitar, its price is at least $8000.

Returns

If you are not happy with your purchase you may return the guitar for a full refund less any shipping charges.

All you need to do is to:

1.    Notify me within 2 days after delivery

2.    Pack guitar the same way I do it, using the same box and materials

3.    Ship it back to me no later than on 3rd day after delivery

     

Another words I expect this “trail” period to occur within +/- 3 days. Naturally if you expect to receive a full refund, guitar has to be returned in the same condition as I ship it to you.

Victor


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Listed7 years ago
ConditionExcellent (Used)
Excellent items are almost entirely free from blemishes and other visual defects and have been played or used with the utmost care.Learn more
Brand
Model
  • GS250
Finish
  • Natural
Categories
Year
  • 1972
Made In
  • Japan
Body Shape
  • Classical

Victor's Guitar Gallery

Milton, GA, United States
Sales:381
Joined Reverb:2015

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