MASAJI NOBE No20 1972 - WORLD HIGHEST CLASS CLASSICAL CONCERT GUITAR - SPRUCE/BRAZILIAN ROSEWOOD

YOU ARE LOOKING AT A WORLD CLASS INSTRUMENT PRICED AT THE BARGAIN LEVEL. CURRENTLY MADE IN JAPAN BRAND NEW GUITARS OF THIS CLASS MADE WITH FIGURED OLD GROWTH BRAZILIAN ROSEWOOD ARE PRICED MINIMUM $18000USD. DISCONTINUED IN 2025 YAMAHA GC70 WAS PRICED AT THAT LEVEL.

This marvelous instrument was made in 1972 by Masaji Shoji Nobe, a Japanese luthier legend in his own right.

While relatively well known in the West, Masaji Shoji Nobe is very highly regarded in his own country. Many older Japanese guitarists consider him as one of the best 3 domestic luthiers, along with Masaru Kohno and Sakazo Nakade. During most of his career Masaji was working primarily all by himself, selling a rather limited number of guitars each year. I am not sure if he is still making guitars but certainly was just a few years ago.

In Japan Masaji had the same charisma as Masaru Kohno, hence his pricing was no different. In 1972 models 20 (priced 200 000 yen) were the top of the line for both makers. Very few other makers (like Sakazo Nakade, Seiji Inaba, Mitsuru Tamura, Hiroshi Tamura and Yamaha) had 200 000 yen models in 1972. Soon after in 1973 Kohno introduced his model 30, other elite luthiers did the same. Yamaha introduced their models GC30A and GC30B in 1974.

This guitar was priced 200 000 yen in 1972, which translates to a US retail price of at least $2000 back in a day.

If today, you wanted to order a brand-new guitar with solid Brazilian Rosewood b/s made by Japanese luthier it would cost you at least $15000. If you would like to place the same order with a leading Japanese luthier, the price would be at least $18000 just as the very top Yamaha model GC70 was priced (discontinued in early 2025). Yet this Yamaha GC70 wasn't the highest priced guitar on the market. Some luthiers charge even more for their highest models.

This guitar offers everything that devoted player can ask for: fantastic response, immense volume, and breathtaking tonality, combined with superb note clarity and separation, clear piano-like trebles, deep and rich, cello-like basses, all well balanced and magnified by very extended sustain.  

The overall condition of this guitar can be described as excellent for its age. Besides a few very minor marks within its shellac finish (with the most conspicuous one located couple inches below the bridge) the body of this guitar doesn't bear any significant cosmetic flaws. There is a linear section on the lower part of the back of the neck that doesn’t feel perfectly smooth. If flipped against the light it appears as a network of light fingernail marks. This won’t cause any discomfort for any player.  

Guitar doesn't have any structural issues. 

Although one can’t be sure about that, this guitar might have undergone a minor repair of the seams running along the bottom center and binding seams. While it is rather hard to see, touching this area reveals slight ridges of (what looks like) a solidified glue. Yet it may very well be an original glue that aged over time. Should this imperfection worry you, you can simply turn to American luthiers and with some luck you may get similar class instrument for below $25000.          

Specifications:

Top: Very Fine Solid Spruce/7 braces fan/shellac

Back & Sides: Solid Figured Brazilian Rosewood/ shellac

Neck: Mahogany 

Fingerboard: Ebony

Scale: 660 mm

Nut width: 51 mm

Strings Savarez Cantiga Alliance Tension Forte

The action is currently set to 3.30 mm under E6 and 2.80 mm under E1 just because it was possible. Original saddle sets this action much higher. You can use either one or adjust the action your way.   

This guitar will be shipped in used original Hard Shell Case in good condition. 

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.     

WHEN YOU BUY ANY GUITAR, YOU MUST ANTICIPATE TAKING IT TO YOUR LOCAL GUITAR SHOP FOR FINAL ADJUSTMENTS CALLED “SETUP”. DEPENIDNG ON YOUR PLAYING TECHNIQUE, THIS SETUP ON USED GUITARS MAY INCLUDE NEW CUSTOM-MADE NUT AND SADDLE. IF YOU HEAR STRING BUZZ IT DOESN’T MEAN THAT GUITAR IS DEFECTIVE. IF YOU PLAY HARD ENOUGH ALL BASS STRINGS WILL BUZZ OVER THE FRETS, UNLESS THEY ARE SUSPENDED VERY FAR FROM THE FINGERBOARD. UNLESS YOU PLAY QUITE GENTLY, YOU CAN’T HAVE LOW ACTION AND NO BUZZES. KEEP IN MIND THAT CELLO-LIKE BASSES ON HIGH GRADE CLASSICAL GUITARS HAVE THEIR NATURAL “BUZZ”. 

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 highest end classical guitar models are priced at $20000 level.