Asturias Wataru Tsuji S-1 1987

1987 Wataru Tsuji S-1

This Wataru Tsuji (辻 渡) S-1 is handmade in the acclaimed Asturias workshop by Wataru Tsuji, one of Japan’s top classical guitar luthiers. This line of instruments is an in-house label of the Asturias brand. This guitar features a Cedar top and Indian rosewood back and sides. The materials used are excellent. The grain of the top is very close and the color is very uniform. The backs and sides are nicely figured. Projection is good, the voicing is very lyrical with excellent balance and good separation. She produces a warm and romantic sound.

To collectors of Asturias instruments, which would include me, this instrument has a timbre that combines the warmth of the Asturias Standard with the clarity, presence, bold basses and evenness of the Asturias Custom (the successor to the John Mills Model). It has the best of both worlds and it is an exceptional value for a concert guitar. As expected of Tsuji's guitars, the playability is excellent and the fretboard is fast and easy to play.

This instrument has some playing wear but is in otherwise excellent condition. There is small mark on the lower back  part of the guitar, picture 12. It doesn't pierce the wood and could probably be rubbed out if you are so inclined.

It comes with a hard shell case in very good condition. The label is signed by Wataru Tsuji. The instrument is in excellent condition for a guitar its age. The neck is straight to my eye and there have been no cracks or repairs. This instrument is from my personal collection.

The guitar was built in the Hauser-style, but is not a strict copy. Tsuji’s line of guitar offers great value for exceptionally well-made guitars. Due to high domestic demand, these instruments rarely make their way out of Japan. It is rare for one to appear on the used market. Guitars from the Asturias and Tsuji label are quite popular in Japan and enjoy a strong fan-base there. Asturias guitars were also highly rated in for sound quality and playability, but didn’t really take off due to distribution issues. It is worth mentioning that Asturias also made guitars for noted luthier R.E Brune. John Mills has owned and performed extensively on Asturias guitars.

Specifications 

                                                                                                     
Soundboard: Cedar                                                                                                 
Back/Sides: Indian Rosewood (Doubleplate)

Calling this construction "laminate" would actually be inaccurate. In the 1970s, the Japanese developed a process of gluing two solid pieces of wood together, thus reinforcing the back and sides to prevent cracking of the wood due to temperature and climate changes. These guitars perform no different from all solid wood guitars. This innovation in Japanese luthiery has allowed for these gems to survive intact over the decades. 

Scale length: 650
Width at nut:52mm 
Finish: Lacquer
Original Gold hardware

This guitar will be shipped in a case that's in very good condition. I pack all of my guitars extremely well to ensure there are no issues during shipping.

Guitars from this era are superior in quality in almost all respects to the guitars being produced today.

Japanese luthier built guitars from the late 1960s to the mid 1980s were of exceptional quality. Many of these luthiers operated small shops with anywhere from one or two master builders to perhaps 15-20 master craftsmen. Bans on certain types of wood were not yet in place, thus allowing these craftsmen to source incredibly high quality wood to build their creations. Additionally, many of the top names in Japanese guitar building were trained either in Spain or under Spanish master builders in Japan. There is no doubt that these guitars are a bargain in today's market, but locating top quality Japanese classical guitars from this era is not always easy. I do my best to make some of these guitars available at a reasonable price. Guitars built using similar materials in today's market will cost you far more than what you pay for a guitar from the golden era of Japanese classical guitars due to the scarcity or complete bans on certain types of wood. Please have a look at what I have to offer and feel free to contact me if you would like additional information about any of these guitars.