TOP OF THE LINE - CANYON W70 1977 - MAJESTIC MARTIN D41 STYLE - ACOUSTIC GUITAR

Canyon W70 1977

This terrific guitar was made sometime in mid/late 1970s most likely by Kiso Suzuki Violin co. being top model within the series sold in Japan since mid1970s through very early 1980s by Nikkoh company. Nikkoh's 1977 catalog shows W70 as a top-of-the-line model. Nikkoh co. was also distributing guitars under different brand names like Thomson & Thomas. All these guitars were available only by “mail order” with monthly installment plan available to every buyer.    

All these Nikkoh's guitars were made by Yamaki co. and Kiso Suzuki Violin co. Those made by Yamaki had “made by Yamaki” stamp on back’s center brace. This guitar doesn’t have that Yamaki stamp and looks identical to guitars sold by Kiso Suzuki Violin under their own brand name.

This guitar being priced 70 000 yen in the late 1970s was quite expensive instrument.  

It was priced 40% higher and sounds much better than (made for export) C.F. Mountain W500D 1977:

https://reverb.com/item/85422725-made-in-japan-1977-c-f-mountain-w500d-superb-martin-d45-style-acoustic-guitar

In Japan of late 1970s one could find solid top/solid back acoustic guitar for 80000 yen (e.g. Yamaha L8, Cat’s Eyes CE800) while solid top model for 40000 yen (e.g. Cat’s Eyes CE400CF, Morris W39M). “All solid woods” models were priced from 100000 yen up. The great majority of 50 000 - 80 000 yen guitars were made with solid top and non-solid Rosewood b/s.

When you look at the edge of the sound hole towards the neck you may conclude that the top is laminated. When, however, you look towards the bridge you may conclude that the top is solid. With amber colored finish hanging over the edge it is hard to be sure. Because the top is quite thin it is likely reinforced by the wood ring glued underneath, which makes it look like laminate. 

Because the lower Canyon models W60 and W50 both had solid tops, it is rather unlikely that W70 was made with laminated top. 

What you will certainly experience is the very solid sound of this guitar.  

This guitar surely deserves “Grand Concert” title. It offers super volume and very deep & rich tonality, hitting you with its “wall of sound” soon after you hit its strings. The harder you play the more immense is that “wall of sound”. In this regard, its brand name “Canyon” is a pretty good fit, although “Canon” would be an even better choice.  

Yet, even with all its majestic volume, its notes are very clean and well separated. The sustain is very impressive as well. It is hard to find any inferiority of this guitar if compared with solid top models of that era.

Despite very few small marks on its back, an abrasion on the tip of the headstock and very minor wear on the top of fingerboard, overall condition of this guitar can be described as “at least very good for its age”. Its body doesn’t show any conspicuous dents or scratches. The most noticeable “imperfections” are discolorations of originally creamy white bindings and changes within its original finish. This very thin coat of finish is no longer crystal clear nor perfectly smooth (on the back plates one can see multitude of very tiny bubbles right on the top of pores within the wood). Most importantly its neck is straight, while fingerboard and frets in still very good condition, hence guitar can be played for many years to come without visiting any repair shop.  

Specifications:

Top: Spruce/ Martin style bracing

3 piece Back & Sides: Rosewood or Mahogany whith Chestnut centerpiece

Fingerboard: Rosewood

Neck: Mahogany

Scale 645 mm

Width at Nut: 43 mm

Current action is set to 3.00 mm under E6 and 2.20 mm under E1 with no extra room on the saddle.

This guitar will be shipped in used original hard-shell case in usable condition but with serious deterioration on the outside.

THE ONLY PURPOSE OF THIS CASE IS TO PROTECT THE GUITAR DURING SHIPMENT. I WILL NOT PROVIDE ITS DETAILED DESCRIPTION OR MAKE ADDITIONAL PICTURES, NOR I WILL ACCEPT ANY COMPLAINTS. IF YOU DON’T LIKE THIS CASE YOU WILL NEED TO BUY A DIFFERENT ONE.      

IF YOU BUY A GUITAR, YOU MUST ANTICIPATE TAKING IT TO YOUR LOCAL GUITAR SHOP FOR FINAL ADJUSTMENTS CALLED “SETUP”. STRING BUZZ DOESN’T MEAN THAT GUITAR IS DEFECTIVE.

My posted for sale guitars are stored in climate-controlled vault already packed into shipping boxes, with loosen strings. Because the strings are loosened, they don’t pull the neck or soundboard, and the neck may relax (straighten more) and the soundboard flatten a bit, which may result with the string action being lower than my it was with my original settings and lead to buzzes and/or dead notes after guitar arrives to you. Such a change in neck curvature can also happen just because of vibrations during the shipment and/or temperature fluctuations. Therefore, you must be ready to make final action adjustment yourself and or have it done by professional. All that really needs to be done is the simple neck adjustment by using the truss rod (turning the truss rod counterclockwise will relief the neck and strings will move away from the frets).

THAT IS WHY TRUSS RODS ARE INSTALLED IN THE NECKS OF ACOUSTIC GUITARS!!!   

Real Value of Japanese Vintage Guitars

The key to understand value of vintage Japanese guitars is to acknowledge galloping price inflation throughout the late 1960s and 1970s with its peak of 25% in 1974.

During 1960s and most of 1970s model numbers of Japanese guitars were strictly connected with their prices in Japanese yen.

The same class guitar sold in 1970 for 100 000 yen (labelled as model 10), would be sold for 150 000 yen in 1972 (labelled as model 15), 200 000 yen in 1974 (labelled as model 20) and 300 000 yen in 1978 (labelled as model 30). Therefore, you shouldn’t be surprised that two Yamaha GC10 guitars made 10 years apart are two instruments of totally different class. The same rule applies to all guitar models made by all other Japanese makers.

Japanese inflation slowed down in the 1980s. By the early 1980s and during following decades model numbers were no longer strictly associated with their prices. Some Japanese guitar makers introduced model names instead of model numbers. For several economic reasons, since 1980s Japanese made guitars were becoming more and more expensive, while their exports slowing down. Today (2025) Japanese high end classical guitar models are priced at $20000USD level.