Another for TTony!

guitargeek62

@TTony - I presume you've already seen this beauty?! Best Kawai yet imo...

DrBob

Si, how do you do that thing where you make the internet link a word like 'this' as you've done as opposed to a long address ?

Always wondered that..

guitargeek62

On the desktop view there 's the little chain-like icon (get it? ) to the right of the picture of a tree. Highlight where you want the link to go, and then click that and paste it in. Job done.

DrBob

Oohhhh, okay, thanks mate

I feel old & irrelevant..

usedtobe

You're not old..!

DrBob

Right,

a Wisdom for @guitargeek62 for the tech tip
a LOL for @usedtobe for mugging me off in a way that serves to highlight quite how blunt my pencil has become because I initially thought he was being nice about my age ! :-)

longi

Wow!  Not seen one of those for years, quite pleasing on the eye. Any idea what they play like?

Flanging_Fred

< nostalgia >
My first guitar was one of these back in 1987. Mine had 3 humbuckers rather than single coils though. Same colour as that too. An Aquarius AQ555 it was.

It was a pretty decent starter guitar but the body wood was a bit soft and eventually the trem claw screws stripped. At the time I didn't know how to fix that sort of thing and eventually sold it when I bought my Charvel.

I'd love to know what happened to it. The kid who bought it was nuts. I wouldn't be surprised if it got destroyed at some point.

TTony

guitargeek62 said:

@TTony - I presume you've already seen this beauty

Thanks Si @guitargeek62 - my eBay search update emails don't arrive until mid-morning, so I hadn't seen it (yet).  Good to have the forum eyes out there watching out for Kawai guitars for me!

Interestingly, I remember the eBay name (potent_banana), so I've either had dealings with him/her before, or they've advertised guitars that have caught my eye in a semi-serious way before.

Flanging_Fred said:

My first guitar was one of these back in 1987. Mine had 3 humbuckers rather than single coils though.

You mean like this chap??

I recenrtly got a set of Oil City Stone Tones and I'm midway through replacing the scratchplate & p'ups above with a new plate and the Stone Tones.

longi said:

Wow!  Not seen one of those for years, quite pleasing on the eye. Any idea what they play like?

Given that it's a 30yo guitar, you really couldn't say what it would be like today.  The body should be Ash or Alder - the ones I've had (and still have) are pretty light.

It  would depend on how it's been treated through those 30 years.  The underlying guitars were OK, but not as good as the preceding "KS" or "F" ranges.  Basic bolt-on neck guitars with a variety of p'up configurations.  They're nice enough examples of MIJ guitars from the era (early/mid 80s), but not the excellent stuff that they were producing in the late 70s.

impmann

Have you clocked the 12 string on eBay, Tony?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kawai-Aquarius-12-String-Electric-Guitar-/221364081072?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item338a53d1b0

I'd love another 12 string, and did consider it briefly but can't really afford it at the moment.

TTony

impmann said:

Have you clocked the 12 string on eBay, Tony?

Yes - I had seen that one.

It's been stripped and re-finished (Kawai didn't do a non-finish finish) and it's over-priced at £395.  Oh, and I had one already that I sold on a year or so ago ...

Interesting though, there have been a few Kawais, mainly Aquarius models, popping up in the last few months.

Flanging_Fred

@ttony yep that was like mine except in that Turquoise colour. If you ever spot one for sale shout, I'd like to see it again.

JookyChap

Keep meaning to ask this @TTony, how many Kawai have you actually got..?

TTony

JookyChap said:

Keep meaning to ask this @TTony, how many Kawai have you actually got..?

Please ....

That's not the sort of question that one guitarist asks another, surely???

I come here to feel safe amongst fellow sufferers.

JookyChap

I do apologise

I was expecting algebra to be involved in the answer anyway...

ThePrettyDamned

@Ttony, what are these Kawai guitars like? They've often caught my eye, and some models are quite cheap (some seem to be quite collectable - I remember your moon one!).  

They seem to have everything, from thru necks to bolt on super strats.  And they mostly look proper cool!

TTony

ThePrettyDamned said:

@Ttony, what are these Kawai guitars like? They've often caught my eye, and some models are quite cheap (some seem to be quite collectable - I remember your moon one!).  

 

You'll regret asking that question ...

 

 

Firstly, let's be honest, Kawai made a load of crap during the 60's and early 70's - as did most of the Japanese makers.  So, there were lots of cheap guitars with lots of pickups and multiple switches.  OK if you like that sort of thing (crap), but if you do, you've got a wide choice from lots of different brands of the era.  They do nothing for me.

Kawai got properly good with the KS range in the late 70's.  That's the same period as the original Yam SG1000/2000, the Ibanez Artists, et al.   By this time, the Japanese had got build / production quality standards well sussed, and had started to develop their own model designs rather than just showing Gibbo how to build a proper LP.

The KS range were generally 3-piece mahog necks set into a mahog body, some with a carved maple cap.  Twin HBs. 

The outer ones are the carved top models, the one in the middle is the runt of the range.  The brown one, second left, was my first "real" guitar, bought new c1979/80.

This is probably my favourite;

They're pretty uncommon, but you might find one popping up on eBay every year or so.  No more than that.  And not necessarily eBay UK! 

They are total quality guitars.  Rock solid build, quality materials and with the sort of sound you'd expect from that construction.  The body/neck join is rather tasty too ...

 

 

The 80's brought the "F" range, and the Aquarius.  Both ranges had bass models. 

The F-range were thru neck, with more and more fancy electronics on them as go up the spec range.  This shows the two extremes of the range;

The necks are quite slim - definitely thinner than the KS range.  Ridiculously complex construction too - as well as the 5 piece thru neck, the body wings can be 3-piece.  And the on-board electronics can get a bit OTT;

When I bought this one, the wiring had pretty much disintegrated - having spent the previous 10 years in a garden shed.  I had to work out the wiring from first principles, and then re-wire it all.  It was filthy too, but with a bit of TLC, it's now a great player.

 

The Aquarius were simpler, bolt-on designs, but with plenty of options again (single, twin or three p'up designs, either HBs or single coils).  Nicely rounded, and quite light.

There are various other models.  The Moonsault that you mention is a collectible rather than a real playing instrument.  Quality instrument but you'll do well to find an original (they were re-issued a few years later) for <£2k.  The Rock'n'Roll star was another real oddity ... (Ash has this one now);

 

Kawai had produced keyboards for years.  I think they tried to diversify into the guitar market, and found it too hard.  Tried with a few different designs to see if anything really "clicked", but after a decade or so, decided to stick with the pianos.

 

There you go.

 

Just remember, you did ask.

 

 

 

ThePrettyDamned

That's awesome man.  

I love that semi that Ash now has, and it had an original Dimarzio SD in it too!

The ones I was thinking of that I've seen are those crazy neck thru ones with mental switches everywhere.  I kinda wanna try one as a curio...