Kawai. Probably the best ...

KevS

The Body looks similar to my Westbury Standard too..Great guitar,but I Dwarf it...

grungebob

These look cool as. 

My first two “proper” guitars I bought where a 78 Washburn falcon and a 83 westone prestige 250. 

I really want the 250 back. 

The dude who used to run my areas only guitar shop (RIP Pete) used to play some Aquarius strat style guitar, he would never sell me it. 

TTony

grungebob said:

My first two “proper” guitars I bought where a 78 Washburn falcon and a 83 westone prestige 250. 

I remember the Washburn "wing" series too @grungebob - never had one, but always fancied one. 

The DC shape is still my favourite even today.

grungebob

TTony said:

grungebob said:

My first two “proper” guitars I bought where a 78 Washburn falcon and a 83 westone prestige 250. 

I remember the Washburn "wing" series too @grungebob - never had one, but always fancied one. 

The DC shape is still my favourite even today.

They weighed a metric tonne Tony, well at least my rosewood one did. All that brass too. 
Sustain for days though. 

DC all the way. 

Funkfingers

Strangefan said:

The rock and roll star blue is the guitar I have always wanted to own. And never will

You are Noel Gallagher and I claim my five Guineas. 

guitars4you

KevS said:

The Body looks similar to my Westbury Standard too..Great guitar,but I Dwarf it...

grungebob said:

These look cool as. 

My first two “proper” guitars I bought where a 78 Washburn falcon and a 83 westone prestige 250. 

I really want the 250 back. 

The dude who used to run my areas only guitar shop (RIP Pete) used to play some Aquarius strat style guitar, he would never sell me it. 

at the time factories in Japan like Matsumoku made for many guitar companies - strange as it seems this guitar company was  a subsidiary of Singer - Remember them, the sewing machine company

Philly_Q

TTony said:

Kawai.  Probably the best... MiJ guitars from the 70s & 80s that almost nobody has ever heard of

Yeah we have heard of them.  Mostly because of you.

Although I do remember entering a prize draw to win one of these.  I wonder if the winner still has it?

Sarge

guitars4you said:

KevS said:

The Body looks similar to my Westbury Standard too..Great guitar,but I Dwarf it...

grungebob said:

These look cool as. 

My first two “proper” guitars I bought where a 78 Washburn falcon and a 83 westone prestige 250. 

I really want the 250 back. 

The dude who used to run my areas only guitar shop (RIP Pete) used to play some Aquarius strat style guitar, he would never sell me it. 

at the time factories in Japan like Matsumoku made for many guitar companies - strange as it seems this guitar company was  a subsidiary of Singer - Remember them, the sewing machine company

Yep, I've got a Mats singer sewing machine box/case/mount thing in the loft, as far as I remember they only made the machine's furniture, not the machines themselves. 

TTony

Philly_Q said:

TTony said:

Kawai.  Probably the best... MiJ guitars from the 70s & 80s that almost nobody has ever heard of

Yeah we have heard of them.  Mostly because of you.

Although I do remember entering a prize draw to win one of these.  I wonder if the winner still has it?

Ahhhhh ... the Moonsault.

I've actually got one of those (OK, no big surprise) but it's not here, so I couldn't include it in the pics.    Fetching it probably wouldn't quite count as "essential" travel.

Absolutely mad thing, and just about impossible to play sitting down.  

Everyone remembers it though!

Fez

I like those KS ones and as @guitars4you says they are very like the Washburn Hawks which I really liked but never owned one.

Philly_Q

TTony said:
Ahhhh ... the Moonsault.

I've actually got one of those (OK, no big surprise) but it's not here, so I couldn't include it in the pics.    Fetching it probably wouldn't quite count as "essential" travel.

Absolutely mad thing, and just about impossible to play sitting down.  

Everyone remembers it though!

It's a crazy design but I really do like the look.  And I still think the phases of the moon inlays are great.

guitars4you

Sarge said:

guitars4you said:

KevS said:

The Body looks similar to my Westbury Standard too..Great guitar,but I Dwarf it...

grungebob said:

These look cool as. 

My first two “proper” guitars I bought where a 78 Washburn falcon and a 83 westone prestige 250. 

I really want the 250 back. 

The dude who used to run my areas only guitar shop (RIP Pete) used to play some Aquarius strat style guitar, he would never sell me it. 

at the time factories in Japan like Matsumoku made for many guitar companies - strange as it seems this guitar company was  a subsidiary of Singer - Remember them, the sewing machine company

Yep, I've got a Mats singer sewing machine box/case/mount thing in the loft, as far as I remember they only made the machine's furniture, not the machines themselves. 

I think you are right in that they were a wood work company - My error for implying otherwise

guitars4you

Philly_Q said:

TTony said:

Kawai.  Probably the best... MiJ guitars from the 70s & 80s that almost nobody has ever heard of

Yeah we have heard of them.  Mostly because of you.

Although I do remember entering a prize draw to win one of these.  I wonder if the winner still has it?

I bet you are glad you didn't win ??????????????????

Sarge

https://www.hounddogmusic.co.uk/electric-guitars/

There's a later model Aquarius up here in Whitley Bay, he also has a moonsault hanging in the window as a display piece sun bleached to buggery. 

Philly_Q

guitars4you said:

Philly_Q said:

TTony said:

Kawai.  Probably the best... MiJ guitars from the 70s & 80s that almost nobody has ever heard of

Yeah we have heard of them.  Mostly because of you.

Although I do remember entering a prize draw to win one of these.  I wonder if the winner still has it?

I bet you are glad you didn't win ??????????????????

No, at the time I desperately wanted to win it!

It was in either Kerrang! or its short-lived Guitar Heroes spin-off magazine, and there was a picture of Paul Samson with the guitar.  I don't know if he actually owned it...

Ah, here we go!  Isn't the internet an amazing thing?

TTony

Philly_Q said

Ah, here we go!  Isn't the internet an amazing thing?

So’s your memory!!

Sarge said:

There's a later model Aquarius up here in Whitley Bay, he also has a moonsault hanging in the window as a display piece sun bleached to buggery. 

The Aquarius (I’ve a couple of those too) wasn’t up to the same quality as the KS & F ranges.  But that’s a fair price for one in good condition.  Almost tempting!!

Sarge

TTony said:

Philly_Q said

Ah, here we go!  Isn't the internet an amazing thing?

So’s your memory!!

Sarge said:

There's a later model Aquarius up here in Whitley Bay, he also has a moonsault hanging in the window as a display piece sun bleached to buggery. 

The Aquarius (I’ve a couple of those too) wasn’t up to the same quality as the KS & F ranges.  But that’s a fair price for one in good condition.  Almost tempting!!

Don't know if you remember this one of mine a few years back,  good solid guitar but the 7.25 radius was a no go for me. 

 

TTony

Yes, I remember that @Sarge.  Lovely colour.  I’ve got one of the 3 HB models - but it’s a battered old thing.

lasermonkey

My first guitar (which I still have) was a Kawai S170 which may build somewhere between 1963 and 1967. The neck is like a baseball bat and the frets are the height of a gnat's nadger, but it sounds great!

I had an AQ250 a while back which I bought for £45 at a car boot sale. It was a pretty good guitar actually, and I kinda regret selling it. I seem to remember it being very versatile, with a nice-sounding coil split.

Incidentally, Robin Guthrie used a KS11XL in the early days of the Cocteau Twins.

Flanging_Fred

My first guitar was an Aquarius and now I have another in exactly the same colour and model. Jon @FelineGuitars  did a fret dress and setup for me last year and it’s very slinky to play now.