An ultra rare Jin-Ichiro Matsunaga No 30 Handmade Concert Classical Guitar.
A true gem for a professional musician or collector.
The guitar is in excellent showroom condition which is hard to believe considering it's 45 years old. The craftsmanship and attention to detail here are absolutely top notch as well as the tonewoods used to build this guitar.
Jin-Ichiro Matsunaga began his luthier career in the late 1960s. He was based in Amagasaki City, Okayama Prefecture. For whatever reason this talented luthier wasn't as famous as his counterparts but his work is truly remarkable. Matsunaga guitars are very highly regarded in Japan but virtually unknown in Europe and the US. Jin-Ichiro produced only a handful of guitars a year. Hence the rarity. This particular model was the top of the line. The 30 in the model name means it was priced at 300,000 yen back then. Same as the top of the line Yamaha GC-30A/B. The GC-30A was priced at $3440 in 1974. Adjusted to inflation the equivalent amount today is approximately $18,500
In terms of tone this guitar will easily put to shame most top of the line modern builds. The basses are rich, powerfull and transparent at the same time. The midrange and trebles are punchy with lots of beautiful harmonics. Very well balanced tone across the entire frequency range. It's a pure joy to play this guitar.
Condition
Despite being over 45 years old, the guitar remains in excellent condition. The top has two small, barely noticeable dings. The back and sides look clean with only a couple of light superficial scratches, nothing deep through the finish. The speckles that you see on the back and sides is not damage, it's the texture of Brazilian rosewood. The neck and headstock are very clean, no visible fret wear.
Specs.
Top High Grade Solid Spruce
Back / Sides High Grade Solid Brazilian Rosewood
Finish Shellac
Neck Mahogany, Natural Bone Nut
Fingerboard Ebony
Bridge Rosewood, Natural Bone Saddle
String Length 650 mm
Nut width 52 mm
Action at 12 fret (1st): 2.75 mm
Action at 12 fret (6th): 3.25 mm
Comes with original hard case
History of Japanese Classical Guitar Making
From the late 1960s Japanese luthiers produced guitars of exceptional quality. These skilled craftsmen typically ran small shops, employing a handful of master builders who were often trained in Spain or under Spanish master builders in Japan. During this period, bans on certain types of wood were not yet in place, allowing luthiers to source high-quality wood for their creations. Although these guitars are considered a bargain in today's market, finding top-quality Japanese classical guitars from this era can be challenging, and restrictions on exporting certain types of wood make them even more difficult to obtain. Similar guitars built with comparable materials today would cost significantly more due to the scarcity or complete bans on certain types of wood. Most of those talented luthiers from the 70s and 80s are now retired or have passed away.
