Return with us now to ancient Japan, when mighty Shogun warriors roamed the countryside like Medieval knights righting wrongs by wielding sacred iron battle axes… Oh, wait; this is about guitars, isn’t it? Still, when you gaze on this 1968 Kawai Concert, you’re looking at a remarkable example of early, idiosyncratic Japanese guitar design that, in a way, has more to do with being Japanese than with the demands of export marketing. Maybe this was because by 1968 the market was pretty soft, so it didn’t matter if they turned the designers loose. Or maybe it was an expression of pride. Or something in the water. Whatever the reason, in 1968 there was this whole batch of bizarre Japanese guitars that were unique and strange, many of them employing what seemed to be Asian aesthetics, most, though not all, from Kawai and its subsidiary Teisco.
Kawai was founded in 1927 by Koichi Kawai in Hamamatsu, Japan. Mr. Kawai’s vision was to create top-quality pianos, a quest in which he certainly succeeded! Kawai added guitars to its repertoire in around 1954 and eventually became a player in the ’60s Guitar Boom. Like many Japanese electric guitars, most early Kawai guitars were slightly frumpy, although my impression is that their electronics were a little better than some contemporaries. Probably the most prominent brand names in the U.S. manufactured by Kawai were TeleStar, whose sparkle models have a small but devoted following, and Domino.
I have my mother's Kawai (serial # ***** made in 1969) 5'10' deep ebony piano. Says 'made specially for Baldwin' but says 'Howard' on cabinet above keyboard. The model plate says 'No. The model and serial number is printed on your warranty card, and may also be printed on the receipt you got from the Kawai retailer when you bought the piano. They are also marked on the piano itself: on an acoustic piano, the model number and serial number are stamped on the frame of the piano. Serial Number Lookup. Kawai Serial Numbers. Japan Production. *Note about Yamaha Serial Numbers that contain letters, such as 'H', before the serial number*. Yamaha Serial Numbers. Yamaha Pianos with serial numbers preceded by the letter T are made at the Thomaston, Georgia factory. In 1986 Yamaha started with 504050 and then changed to 100,000 numbers. The serial numbers listed below do not apply to KX Series pianos (KX10, KX15, KX21) which are sold exclusively in Canada. To verify a KX model serial number please contact Kawai Technical Support at 800-421-2177, ext. The serial numbers listed below are the approximate first number for each year. Serial numbers for different models are not always sequential, so actual date could vary. The serial numbers listed below do not apply to KX Series pianos (KX10, KX15, KX21) which are sold exclusively in Canada.
Piano Prices By Serial Number
1967 Kawai Concert Electric Guitar
In January of 1967 Kawai purchased the Teisco guitar company, but they appear to have operated the two companies pretty much separately. Both lines featured exclusive designs and different pickups. Teisco continued the vector of evolution it had taken, ending up with the Spectrums and finally the mini-Strats, before becoming the Kay brand in the U.S.
Kawai Serial Number Buyer
But in 1968, both Kawai and Teisco freaked out. Kawai produced models such as the axe-shaped Concert, plus a variety of unusual VS violin-bodied guitars (including one with 16 strings and its own pickup mounted parallel to the strings, whether sympathetic or strummed, who knows?), the Splender, shaped like a banjo, and another model shaped like a sitar. For Teisco, ’68 was the year that gave us the famous artist-palette-shaped May Queen, wildly flared, asymmetrical Fire Bird, and long-horn Phantom. One other company, Firstman (unrelated to Kawai), produced a model similar to the Concert called the Liverpool.
Kawai Serial Number Year
Like the Concert shown here, all of these oddballs were hollow, some like the Fire Bird in a traditional sense, others like the Concert consisting of two hollow halves glued together. The result is a cool, easy-to-carry guitar. The scrolled neck on this model was made of many multiple thin maple laminations, similar to the trademark designs of Framus. The big chunky pickups can have a pretty decent output, though it’s somewhat mitigated by the lightweight body. In addition to this black finish, there was also a sunburst, at least.
Yamaha Serial Number
Look, these are really, really cool guitars. It’s not known whether these are particularly rare or not, but they were only made in 1968. Neither is it known if they were ever exported out of Japan. You sure don’t see many of them. Which is funny, because, let’s be honest, guitars like this are more about being seen than being played! Though the axe effect could come in handy if your fans decided to attack!…