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Question Japanese Classical Guitar (Lable Translation)

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rjantunes

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Hi,

Thank you for accepting me into the forum, I hope everything is well with you, family and friends.

I would like to ask for help to translate a Japanese guitar label that was given to me as a present. Could you help me with this issue?

Hope to hear from you soon and best regards from Portugal
Ricardo Antunes
 

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阿部ガット手工品

製作者
全音ギター製作所
穂川利彦

昭和四二年七月之を監製す

阿部保夫

Abe Gut Handicraft

Manufacturer
Zen-on Guitar Factory
Hokawa Toshihiko

supervised this (guitar) in July 1967

Abe Yasuo
 
It's a "factory" guitar, not something hand/custom made by a luthier.

(That said, most Ramirez guitars, for example, except for the top echelon, are outsourced to spanish factories.)
 
Seems like 阿部ガット手工品 was a brand for hand-made guitars. 阿部保夫 Abe Yasuo was a famous guitarist and the supervisor of the guitars, 穂川利彦 Hokawa Toshihiko was a guitar manufacturer, and 全音ギター製作所 Zen-on Guitar Factory was the factory he belonged to.

阿部ガットギターの中に阿部手工ギターというクラスが有りますが これは昭和40年代後半期 当時有名であったギタリストの阿部保夫が監製して、当時のギター製作家が製作したモデルのことです。
行田剛久、稲川明、田村広、植松昭紀、中島登,柳沢省一等の職人が居る訳ですが 穂川利彦もその中の一人です。

阿部手工ギターは阿部保夫監製のもと、当時の製作家(田村廣・柳沢省一など)が作成したギターとなります。このギターは昭和４４年（１９６９年７月）に製作された穂川利彦の作品となります。阿部手工ギターでは比較的初期の作品で、良い材料で丁寧なつくりから当時では高級手工ギターではではないでしょうか。

阿部手工ギター/昭和44年・穂川利彦作(田村廣他... - ヤフオク!

☆阿部手工ギター/穂川利彦作(田村廣他)ビンテージ・弦長６３０ミリのショートスケール・セラック塗装商品説明＊弦長：６３０ミリ＊ナット幅：５０ミリ＊表板：松系の単板＊表裏：ローズウッドの合板＊指板：黒檀(エボニー)＊弦高：１２Fで１弦　3.5ミリ・６弦　　4ミリ☆阿部手工ギターは阿部保夫監製のもと、当時の製作家(田村廣・柳沢省一など)が作成したギターとなります。このギターは昭和４４年（１９６９年７月）に製作された穂川利彦の作品となります。阿部手工ギターでは比較的初期の作品で、良い材料で丁寧なつくりから当時では
page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp

名工・穂川利彦の純手工！（阿部保夫監修）

エラー｜DEJAPAN - 手数料０円で日本の商品を購買代行/落札代行

Error - Bid & Buy from Japan online stores with DEJAPAN. No commission, no service free – just the items you want, with international delivery.
www.dejapan.com

There seems to be another brand 阿部ガット準手工品 for semi-hand-made guitars.
 
As an aside: "Gut" would probably be translated as strings in this case.
Abe Handmade (Guitar) Strings

"Gut" comes from the English word for entrails (guts) and is a carry-over from the times when musical strings and tennis racket strings were made from the intestines (guts) of animals, rather than nylon. I guess the Abe company branched out from just making strings, to manufacturing the entire guitar.

Same for tennis racquet strings. Japan still uses the word ガット (gut) for racquet strings.
 
Sure, gut strings were once made of guts, are now exclusively nylon/composite (except for some purists).

Here, 'gut' contrasts with steel string (often called acoustic) guitar.

That this term is included on the label is like a bright flashing light indicating that this is a factory made guitar. (Well, also that it includes the name of the manufacturing company...!) Foreigners are in the dark as to what labels in japanese really mean, or reveal. I've had some inquiries before.

Take a look at this site for some trivia about ramirez guitars in the US, and the labeling trickery that's kind of famous. A couple of the posts are by known luthiers (Aaron Green, Richard Jernigan). I still own a C. Vega classical, tho it's been sitting on consignment in the US for years now. So what is the mythology about Sherry Brenner?
 
I found the definition of 手工品 (and 量産品).

量産品
表板は単板で、横、裏板は合板。

国産手工品
個人の製作家が工房もしくは工場で製作しているギターで、表、横、裏板すべて「単板」で製作されております。

山野楽器 | CD・楽器の店舗販売、通販サイト、音楽教室の山野楽器

楽器、音楽CD・DVD、音楽教室やカルチャーレッスンの銀座山野楽器による音楽情報・通販サイト。店舗で取り扱っている楽器、人気のCD・DVDの新譜や定盤がオンラインでご予約・ご購入いただけるWEBショッピングサイトです。各店舗のお得なキャンペーン、ニューリリース情報やランキング、お得な楽器セールなど、音楽情報も満載です。
www.yamano-music.co.jp

So, it's not a fully-hand-made guitar, but not something like machine-made mass-produced products, either. Also, it seems like the material things, too.
 
Hello,
thank you for all the replies regarding this topic. It was very useful to create the context for this guitar.
What I can add is that it's definitely a factory production guitar although is extremely well made and its all solid wood construction.
Most importantly for me is that it sounds great, specially playing Bossanova and Jazz, as very warm and smooth bass and mid but with a very defined high end.

Best Regards
Ricardo Antunes
 
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