HAND MADE IN EARLY 1970s - WONDERFUL SHINANO GS300 - CLASSICAL CONCERT GUITAR

Description

Please read my 3 days return policy at the bottom of the page.
Shinano GS300 1970
This guitar was made in early 1970s. It was one of the higher end models within Shinano’s GS series (also sold in USA at that time).
Mr. Seiji (Seizo) Shinano was a very skilled Master Luthier who since early 1960s was making wonderful guitars. His instruments could easily compete with guitars made by other top Japanese luthiers of that era (Sakazo & Rokutaro Nakade, Masaru Kohno, Hiroshi & Mitsuru Tamura, Seiji Inaba, Masaji Nobe, Tsunesaburo Kurosawa, Sadao Yairi). I have had a pleasure to experience his wonderful K3 guitar made in 1963. This is absolutely the best Japanese guitar I have ever had in my hands.
In 1967 Mr. Shinano hired few younger luthiers and opened his Shinano Musical Instrument Co. Besides classical, his factory was making superb steel string acoustic guitars. There were at least few series of Shinano classical guitars released in late 1960s. These series included introductory to high end models. They were labeled simply as Shinano XY (where X was any single digit, while Y was either 1,3 or 5). Model Shinano 95 was the top model of that era (according to some Japanese experts it was made with solid Spruce top & solid Brazilian Rosewood b/s). During the same late 1960s Shinano MI Co. released  Shinano Diamond and Shinano Duo series (which were continued through mid1970s).
In very early 1970s Grand Shinano series was launched. This series included models GS100, GS150, GS180, GS200, GS250, GS300, GS400 and GS500. In mid 1970s Shinano Co. launched its SC (Shinano Concert) series starting from SC20 and ending with model SC50. Within GS and SC series there were also 630mm scale and 540mm scale (requinto) models.
All these Shinano guitars have always offered incredible value for the money.
This Shinano GS300 is an absolutely very high grade, full size classical guitar, producing well balanced sweet and clean high notes, full of overtones resonating basses, all at very impressive volume, well balanced and with simply fantastic sustain.
This guitar absolutely deserves to be called “concert guitar”. It can easily beat any brand new 00 guitar available on US market.
This guitar being priced 30 000 yen in 1971 was an expensive instrument. Exactly the same grade instrument by 1974 would be priced at least 50 000yen and by 1978 would be priced no less than 80 000yen.
Guitar remains in perfect working and at least very good cosmetic condition. While it doesn’t have any visible scratches or dents, one can find few very minor imperfections on its body, like attrition/blemish on the headstock (this feels like in is all within the finish), tiny bubble with the finish near the rosette etc.
Specifications
:
Top: Solid Spruce with 7 braces fan
When looking at the edge of the soundboard through the sound hole you may see 2 layers of wood. It is nothing but solid wood soundboard with reinforcing ring of wood glued underneath the sound hole.
Back and sides:  High Grade Latin America Rosewood Doubleplate
“Laminated” is quite unfortunate term regarding Japanese made guitars. These "laminates" were made from 2 layers of solid wood glued together with natural resins. They were made so well that they performed as good as solid woods while being far less expensive in guitar production and far more resistant to cracking in regular use.
Neck: Mahogany with Rosewood reinforcement
Fingerboard: Well ebonized Indian Rosewood
Scale: 650 mm
Nut width: 51 mm
The action is set to 3.50 mm under E6 and 3.00 mm under E1mm, with still extra room on the saddle.
This guitar will be shipped in old used hard shell case in still very usable condition.
Real Value of Japanese Vintage Guitars
The key to understand value of vintage Japanese guitars is to acknowledge galloping price inflation (devaluation of Japanese yen) during 1960s & 1970s. This inflation slowed down in 1980s.
During 1960s and most of 1970s model numbers of Japanese guitars were strictly interconnected with their prices in Japanese yen. By early 1980s and during following decades model numbers were no longer strictly associated with their prices. Some Japanese guitar makers introduced model names instead of model numbers. Others were still using model numbers with addition of letters and/or other symbols.
It is then important to understand that two Yamaha GC10 guitars made 10 years apart are two instruments of totally different class. The same applies to any other Japanese maker/brand.
The best way to estimate the true class of any given Japanese made instrument is to compare its price with the average annual salary of wage workers in Japanese private sectors. This salary was 450 600 yen in 1965; 825 900 yen in 1970; 1 868 300 yen in 1975; 2 689 000 yen in 1980; 3 163 000 yen in 1985; 3 761 000 yen in 1990; 4 107 000 yen in 1995; 4 082 000 yen in 2000.
Any guitar priced 100 000 yen in 1970 (labelled usually as No10) would be priced 200 000 yen in 1975 (relabeled to No20 or 2000), 300 000 yen in 1977 (labelled as No3, No30 or 3000) and 500 000 yen by 1985 (labelled as No50 or 5000).
Starting in 1977 Masaru Kohno introduced his new models No40 priced 400 000 yen and No50 priced 500 000 yen. By 1984 Kohno started using model names instead numbers and was raising their prices as he was pleased. The very top model 50 became model “Special”, and a decade later it became model “Maestro”. Naturally, all other Japanese guitar makers were doing similar pricing (labelling) upgrades.
Knowing all of that, you can bet on that Masaru Kohno No50 made in 1982 is practically the same grade instrument as Kohno No20 made in 1972, or Kohno no 30 made in 1975.
In early 1970s the lowest Ryoji Matsuoka (all plywood) model was 10, followed by (solid top) models 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 80 and (all solid woods) models 100 and 150. Models 50, 60 and 80 were made with non-solid figured Brazilian Rosewood (double) back and sides and top model 150 was the only one made with solid figured Brazilian Rosewood b/s.
In 1980 the lowest Matsuoka model was (all plywood) 20, followed by (solid top) models 30,40,50, 60 and all solid woods models 80,100,150 and 200. By 1990 the lowest Matsuoka model was M40 and the highest was M300. By 2010 the lowest Matsuoka model was M50 and the top model was M270.
You can bet that Ryoji Matsuoka model 50 from 1980 is of the same grade as model M100 from 2000, model 100 from 1980 is of the same grade as model M150 from 2000, model 150 from 1980 is of the same grade as M200 from 2000 and model 200 from 1980 is of the same grade as model M300 from 2000.
It is important to mention that if modern era luthiers are using 40+ years old woods to make an “all solid” wood classical guitar, its price is minimum 00.
All vintage guitars made with Brazilian Rosewood are especially precious, including those made straight grain varieties and those with non-solid b/s.
Because response and tonal properties of Spruce soundboards are improving over time, long seasoned Spruces are far more precious than long seasoned Cedars.
It is not very difficult to find out what are current prices of such guitars made by world’s leading luthiers.
Returns
If you are not happy with your purchase you may return the guitar for a full refund of original payment less any shipping charges.
All you need to do is:
1.
Notify me within 48 hours after receiving the guitar.
2.
Pack guitar the same way I do it, using the same box and materials and s
hip it back to me within 24 hours after "return notification".
Naturally if you expect to receive a full refund, guitar has to be returned in the same condition as I ship it to you.
P.s. If you'd like to check my "modest" playing skills click on the links below:
http://youtu.be/ExVwfhLy1gQ
http://youtu.be/XNdeSWxb2nU
http://youtu.be/mecVgriaKJ0
http://youtu.be/O9ErnhZhDxw
http://youtu.be/ceVTybPnq7c
http://youtu.be/Zyz8eZeTSRQ
http://youtu.be/T8bkPi4jhss
http://youtu.be/W1FaCjodgZM