History HS-JS2 - Gibson "Re Grande"

[h1pst3r88]

Hey folks,

Even though I recently acquired a Ibanez SJ500 that I am quite pleased with, I have a chance to get a 1990's Terada-built jazzbox that is a copy of a Gibson Le Grande -- it's the History HS-JS2. It allegedly has a carved spruce top, flamed laminate maple sides and back, three-piece maple neck with a rosewood fretboard, and is finished in thin nitro lacquer.

Does anyone have any experience with this guitar? I would love to know anything about this big jazzbox. Here is the original ad:

Up for sale is a Very Well made Japanese Replica of Gibson's “Le Grande” model (Google it!), a famed TERADA Factory Made Full Acoustic Guitar “History”. TERADA is a main factory for Gretsch, D'aquisto, Sadowsky, Tokai, Epiphone Elitist. They make lots of Higher grade models of archtop guitars.

This one is entirely handbuilt by master craftsmen in their factory in the mid of 1990s. It's in Vintage Sunburst with Very Thin Nitrocellulose Lacquer finish (from the base coat to the finish). Around 25 years passed since new but it's very comfortable to play with VERY Low-action. The neck is almost deadly straight. The truss rod works properly. The frets are around 70% and in good shape with no deep grooves. Sounds and plays great.

The body has tiny dings and many surface scratches, because the nitro finish is so delicate (not deep scratches). No chips or major dings at the body. The white bindings turn to yellow nicely. The neck has a small chip at the edge of the headstock, minor dings and very thin clearcoat peelings on the backside (around the 10th to 12th fret). Back of the neck smooth.

The weight of the guitar is about 3.2kg (7.05lbs). It comes with the original hard shell case.

Specifications:

Body size at lower bout: 17" (431mm), Body depth: 3.23" (82mm) Scale length: 25.5" (647.7mm), Nut width: 11/16th". (43mm).

• Hand Carved Spruce Top
• Curly Maple Side & Back
• 3-piece Maple Neck (Scale length: 25.5"/ 647.7mm)
• Rosewood Fretboard with Super 400 style split block fingerboard inlay
• Gold adjustable Gold Finger Tailpiece
• Solid ebony bridge with pearl inlay in base
• Factory installed Gold Floating Pickups with Volumes and Output jack
• Quintuple-bound Tortoise Pickguard

---------------------------------------
And here are some pics:



Thanks!!

-Chris

[waltf]

Oh wow. I never played one but History guitars are supposed to be very nice guitars. I would have jumped on that too if I had seen it.
Congrats!

[waltf]

Here is the catalogue. Originally 125000 yen (in 1996).
https://www.shimamura.co.jp/original...d_history2.pdf

[h1pst3r88]

Hi Walt,

Yes I found that catalog but I can't read Japanese so the description doesn't help me. Anyone who can read Japanese in the room?

Thanks!

-Chris

[Crm114]

Very nice
indeed !!!

[Midnight Blues]

Sorry Chris, I don't know anything about them, but this one looks sweet!

I thought I had recently seen someone playing one on YouTube? I was thinking it was Alessio Menconi, but I just took a look again and I can't find it?


Good luck nonetheless!
MB

[ThatRhythmMan]

I remember seeing one of those, maybe that one, on Reverb. Seems like a man awfully low original price for a carved top, doesn’t it? Maybe not, but it feels like it to me. It looks very nice though.

[h1pst3r88]

I remember seeing one of those, maybe that one, on Reverb. Seems like a man awfully low original price for a carved top, doesn’t it? Maybe not, but it feels like it to me. It looks very nice though.

Agreed -- that's $1200USD in 1996, and according to an inflation calculator, still only about $2000 in today's dollars. I just don't see a solid carved top jazzbox going for that price.

I think I may be backing out of this one.

-Chris

[thelostboss]

Hi Walt,

Yes I found that catalog but I can't read Japanese so the description doesn't help me. Anyone who can read Japanese in the room?

Thanks!

-Chris

The translation of the catalogue page does not help, but this is "fun".

Google Translate

Cheers

[travisty]

Hi Walt,

Yes I found that catalog but I can't read Japanese so the description doesn't help me. Anyone who can read Japanese in the room?

Thanks!

-Chris

Yeah. It says (for the HS-J2) "Excellent for standard and modern jazz. The curly maple back, finger tailpiece, and mini humbucker allow for the perfect soft jazz sound.

Top: spruce
Back: curly maple
Sides: curly maple
Neck: Maple
Fingerboard: rosewood

Two small humbuckers (floating), finger tailpiece, History Vintage Lacquer

[comes in Violin Sunburst (VS) and Natural (AN)

The JS-1 is for single humbucker (JPY 115,000)
The SV is for built-in double humbuckers. (JPY 120,000)

[BickertRules]

Here is the catalogue. Originally 125000 yen (in 1996).
https://www.shimamura.co.jp/original...d_history2.pdf

Nice looking guitars in there - then I saw this - what the...?

[travisty]

Nice looking guitars in there - then I saw this - what the...?

In the 80s and 90s, Japanese electric guitar makers played around with limited editions for the domestic market, many of which were either "pretty" versions of existing guitars (like the SG T1, T2, T25S, Yamaha SG3000 Gold, etc, or had special construction designed to make them "super guitars".

In this case, 100% aluminum body to increase sustain and sharpness of attack (people had that idea back then)
It also had active pickups.

Other mfrs played with solid bodies of other materials. Yamaha with wood combos, Ibanez with polymer/acrylic IIRC.

Reminder that Yamaha did active pickups in a couple of special editions, then in some more regular or slightly special models like the SG1802A (where the "A" was for active pickups).