Matsumoku Barney Kessel

[arielcee]

Just picked it up from the post office this evening. Plugged it into the HRD and sounds pretty good right off! Nice acoustically too.
I am guessing it's name plate read Conrad or Univox, or Ventura (I don't know as much about these as I probably should). There are two peg type things just above the G and D machines.
For certain going to replace the pots and probably pickups as well. The pups look somewhere between standard and mini humbucker size, so leaning toward some p90s.

[blille]

I almost bought a Ventura like that. Very nice.

Edit: the Ventura has a note on the headstock.

[Woody Sound]

Hmmm, those two little peg marks are not evenly spaced. Wonder what they were?

[citizenk74]

Hmmm, those two little peg marks are not evenly spaced. Wonder what they were?

My guess would be nameplate-holder-oners.

In any case, that's one very cool guitar. Congratulations, and play it in good health!

[blille]

My guess would be nameplate-holder-oners.

Yup.

Looks like the holes from a Conrad nameplate:

[LtKojak]

Nothing of what I see says "Matsumoku" to me, I'm afraid.

If you ask me, I'd guess a Korean factory like Peerless (before becoming Peerless, that is) is more likely to be the source, but I couldn't be 100% sure without inspecting the instrument in person. The kerfing would say a lot. Those tuners are not originals, but I'm sure are a lot better than the originals. The missing nameplate is most probably Conrad.

Hofner Quality

Those p'ups look a lot like these vintage Höfner, isn't it?

Is the neck a three-piece laminated?

Inquiring minds would like to know.

For the record, I, for one, am a rabid fanboi of late 70s, early '80s MIJ instruments, being Matsumoku and Terada my personal favorite factories. I've serviced, repaired and modded quite a few of those, mostly solid bodies, with at least a couple dozen semi-hollows and a dozen full-hollows.

[rmpmcdermott]

Nothing of what I see says "Matsumoku" to me, I'm afraid.

If you ask me, I'd guess a Korean factory like Peerless (before becoming Peerless, that is) is more likely to be the source, but I couldn't be 100% sure without inspecting the instrument in person. The kerfing would say a lot. Those tuners are not originals, but I'm sure are a lot better than the originals. The missing nameplate is most probably Conrad.

Hofner Quality

Those p'ups look a lot like these vintage Höfner, isn't it?

Is the neck a three-piece laminated?

Inquiring minds would like to know.

For the record, I, for one, am a rabid fanboi of late 70s, early '80s MIJ instruments, being Matsumoku and Terada my personal favorite factories. I've serviced, repaired and modded quite a few of those, mostly solid bodies, with at least a couple dozen semi-hollows and a dozen full-hollows.

Not to hijack the thread, but is this one from Matsumoku factory? Coincidentally I was looking at a lawsuit Kessel as well.

Ventura Barney Kessel Electric guitar - musical instruments - by owner - sale

[arielcee]

Is the neck a three-piece laminated?

Inquiring minds would like to know.

It is

[Greentone]

Yep. Early 70s...1970-71...Conrad, I would bet. Certainly it would have been made by Matsumoku in that case.

I am also a fan boy of the guitars of Matsumoku. In the Ventura/period, this is what their workmanship looked like. Three or four years later, they were really getting great with G-design guitars.

[BigMikeinNJ]

Billie took the words right out of my mouth. Decades ago I almost bought one from FatDog at Subway guitars in Beserkeley. Super fast neck. And I've seen many Guitarorgans built on these bodies. Neat guitar.

Big

I almost bought a Ventura like that. Very nice.

Edit: the Ventura has a note on the headstock.

[Ol' Fret]

The Conrad 40185 Barney Kessel models were probably made by Kasuga International in Japan and subsequently distributed in the US by David Wexler & Co. in Chicago. If I'm not mistaken they were advertized as the flagship electric hollowbody guitars in the Conrad catalogs during the 1960s and 1970s.

Like the originals these are quite versatile and good sounding electric guitars. At least, this is what I think of my 40185 (see post #16 - Just got my '65 Kessel back from being "repaired" ).

"Acoustically nice"? Um, come on, guys … there's another league - design- and construction-related!

[LtKojak]

The Conrad 40185 Barney Kessel models were probably made by Kasuga International in Japan and subsequently distributed in the US by David Wexler & Co. in Chicago

http://www.geocities.jp/guitarofworl...matsumoku.html

If you scroll down, you can see several Matsumoku-produced guitar catalogs, and in 1972, the Conrad brand has a Barney Kessel model in the catalog that look just like the OP's, so I stand corrected: it IS a Matsumoku-made one, although to my defense, the oldest uncle Mat I've seen it was a 1978, and the standards of manufacturing changed a lot from early years, hence my not seen the details I've seen in all the newer uncle Mat's.

Hope this helps,

[Greentone]

Kojak,

I've seen about three different Kessel models that I believe came out of Matsumoku in the late-60s/early-70s. The Conrad model, as you note, looks just like the one above--smaller headstock/block inlays.

The two others I've seen--both Venturas--more or less conformed to the two Gibson versions. One had twin parallelogram inlays; the other had bow ties. Both had the larger headstock. The bow tie model had the note inlay on the headstock.

I have also seen a Ventura version that looks just like the Conrad.

As you point out, the level of craftsmanship is a notch below what Matsumoku was doing by 1974-1978. At that point, they were really bringing their "A-game" to the match. Play an Aria Pro-II L-1000 sometime.

[Stuart Elliott]

I have a Conrad BK that looks just like yours, though with the nameplate. I'd be interested in learning about any upgrades you make to it.