Matsumoku Timeline

This Timeline is based on the best available information, but not every source and every point can be guaranteed for accuracy. The effort is as objective as possible, and best judgement has been used to interpret dating anomalies and translations, and to avoid embellished facts. The focus is on key time step events, important people, major guitar design junctures, business moves, and what appears to be reasonable empirical data.

1951

• Feb. - Matsumoto Mokkō (or Mokkou) Co. is established as a shop making primarily sewing machine cabinets for Singer (joint venture under Nippon Steel). Mokkō translates as 'Woodworking'. [1, 3, 4]

• Tsukada Satomi, founder. Original location noted as Sakaemachi (which as translated likely means 'the heart of' or 'flourishing area' of Matsumoto City). [3, 4] 

• May - Norikatsu Harayama joins the company; appointed as Assembly Manager within 3 years. [3, 4]

• Time approximate 1950s; suggested number of employees at ~50. [3]

1960

• March - New factory constructed in Matsumoto City. 4 ha site / 1.4 ha building / ~400 woodworking machines with 1.3 km conveyor, which as translated could simply mean assembly line length. [1, 4]

(note: 400 machines, and subsequent references in 1975 and '81 to 380 and 500 machines, is assumed to include a reasonable percentage of small units, or simply power tool stations, based on visualizing the scale and available space within the factory building layout as seen in air photos)  

• Tsukada Satomi, Managing Director. [4]

1962

• Kuniichiro Momose, Executive Director; also referred to as Section Chief, responsible with Norikatsu Harayama, under him, for the First Manufacturing Section (of two). [3, 11]

• Anthony George, owner of 5 music stores in New York state and Hollywood CA, visits both Fujigen and Matsumoku, supplies guidance on guitar making and leaves orders with Fujigen. [2, 11, 13]

1963

• April - Wood drying, and guitar body and guitar neck fabrication begins as OEM for Fujigen. [1, 2, 11]

• Parts to Fujigen are ~500 units per month, but increase rapidly going forward. [2, 4]

• Shiro Arai establishes relationship with Matsumoku factory. [4, 6, 25] See separate Aria Timeline for integration.

• Nobuaki Hayashi (pseudonym H. Noble) hired and learns woodworking from Norikatsu Harayama, later becomes Chief Designer. [4, 13]

1964

• Matsumoku suggested as using a two year wood drying program. [25]

1965

• Norikatsu Harayama, Manufacturing Manager, resigns in 1965 and leaves to create Harayama Guitar but continues part-time consultation, and some subcontracted neck making, for an unknown period. [3]

• OEM parts to Fujigen max out going through 1965 into '66 and then decrease; estimated peak of 5000 units per month. [2, 4, 11]

• First independent production of badge names for Victor (or Nivico per Nippon Victor) and Columbia (references also imply possibly 1964). [2, 3, 11, 13, 21]

• Suggested number of employees specifically working on guitars ~40. [3]

1966

• Early pickups supplied by Keiyo, and subsequently from the '60s into the '70s also by Gotoh Pickups, Nisshin Onpa, and Tokiwa. It's also suggested that some early "...pickups were in-house jobbies...", but this is unconfirmed. Nisshin Onpa pickups were specifically not used on designs by Nobuaki Hayashi (aka H. Noble), based on his own testimonial. [4, 10, 19, 64]

• Metal parts by Shinetsu Byora, and later into the '70s also by Hanaoka and Gotoh. [4, 10]

(note: Gotoh Pickups and Gotoh [or more correctly Gotoh Gut] are mutually exclusive company names; exact, if any, corporate/family relationship is unknown.)

• Aug. - Fujigen builds and opens a new factory ~1 km south of Matsumoku. [4, 11]

• Time approximate; electronic components supplied by Komori Electric. [2]

1967

• One way parts supply to Fujigen transitions to a two way full and/or partial build relationship between the two factories. [2]

1968

• Univox High Flier (Phase One), as made by Matsumoku, first documentation (maybe launched in '67?). [28]

1969

• Factory expands with new assembly building and office. [4]

• Contract badge manufacturing accelerates and dozens of names are attached to both in-house design and copy models from the end of the '60s into the '70s. Other than Aria, Greco badged guitars are likely best known collaborative effort with Fujigen; some models until 1976.

• Early Univox Les Paul copy seen in 1969 footage of Earl Hooker and Magic Sam, probable Nobuaki Hayashi design (from a photograph supplied by Unicord) and Matsumoku made guitar, and appearing to be early version of the U1982 ‘Rhythm & Blues’ model (subsequently the ‘Mother’) and the Aria 5522, documented as of Nov. 1969 and 1971, respectively. Probable match badged Shaftesbury 3400 is also known as of Aug. 1969. (See separate 'Early Matsumoku Les Paul Customs' poster, linked from the Home page) [4, 48, 52, 53, 66, 75]

1970

• Matsumoku helps resurrect the Epiphone name with start of multi-year production of key electric models for Norlin (acoustics began a year earlier). [4, 23, 24]

1971

• March - Name change to Matsumoku Kogyo Co. Ltd. Kogyo translates as 'Industrial'. [1]

• ~320 employees, which would be significant growth from earlier staffing estimates. [5]

1972

• Acoustic guitars allegedly account for ~70% of sales, but electrics are increasing. [4]

• ~400 employees. [4]

• Still some sewing cabinet production suggested at this time but references get vague; some suggest sewing cabinet specific production ended in the '60s concurrent to the shift to guitar making. [2, 4, 19]

• Toshio Toshi Owa joins Matsumoku; advances to executive & artist relations roles, Head of Design in 1983, R&D Section Manager in 1986/87. Specifically seconded to work with Aria, and also worked on Westone. [4, 15, 20]

1973

• ~490 employees. [5]

1974

• Jan. - At this time point, suggested to also be making Victron electronic organs for Nippon Victor. [1, 4]

• From inception up to early '80s, other than the period of making sewing machine cabinets, Matsumoku also suggested to be concurrent maker of speaker/audio/television cabinets, Buddhist altars (late '70s), "furniture and room decorations", but details are vague. One reference implies that more diversification away from guitar exports was an objective. [1, 4, 15, 18, 22]

1975

• ~490 employees; 330 men and 160 women, average age 31.5 years old. Basic salary for both men/women 59,000 yen, plus benefits / for High School graduates, 63,000 yen / average of all employees, 89,200 yen. [1]

• ~380 machines. [1]

• Tsukada Satomi, President and CEO. [1]

• Matsumoku acquires the dormant Westone name as an in-house brand and initially makes acoustics under this badge; distributed by Kanda Shokai. Suggested to be 74% of guitar sales, which is presumed to mean acoustics specifically (but this might be overstated). [4]

• Time approximate, mid '70s; Nobuaki Hayashi (aka H. Noble) meets Leo Fender at Frankfurt Musikmesse. [4] 

1976

• Electric guitar production jumps and exports alone allegedly represent 88% of sales. [4]

• Contract multi badge manufacturing has likely peaked, and declines going forward. Many low profile badge names have left the market by this time point.

1977

• Nobuaki Hayashi (aka H. Noble) leaves Matsumoku and Eiji Furuya appointed head of the PE project team for Aria (previously Painting Manager). [3, 4, 49] (see discussion in Aria Timeline for more detail)

• Three primary production lines in operation, one acoustic and two electric, plus one smaller line for handmade work. [4]

• ~350 employees. [5]

• Peak monthly production around this time point suggested as ~10,000. [10]

1978

• Factory production seems largely dominated by Aria Pro II volume. Univox guitar production ends while only a couple other key names, including Westone, are important going forward; Vantage (first production 1979), Westbury (first production 1976), and to a decreasing degree Epiphone. Likely earliest date when in-house pickup production began (see separate 'Aria Pro II Six String Electric Guitar Pickups 1976-1986' poster, linked from the Home page).  

1979

• Matsumoku formalizes in-house Westone brand development for electric guitars. [15]

• Based on serial number evidence, some undocumented Westone guitars appear in 1979 and '80.

1980

• Matsumoku launches promotion and takes orders for Westone at Frankfurt Musikmesse and NAMM shows. [15]

1981

• Monthly guitar production ~6000, so 300 per work day or annually ~72,000. [4]

• Time approximate; Kanda Shokai approaches both Matsumoku and Fujigen to make Fender Japan line; Matsumoku declines given Gibson Japan relationship already exists with Arai Trading. [4]

• ~250 employees; 190 in production and 60 in research, development, marketing, inspection, purchasing, and finance. [5, 15]

• 30 employees noted specifically for R&D. [18]

• R&D annually produces ~350 prototypes of ~150 models, adding ~50 to production for ~150 styles, up to this time point. [18] 

(note: models were also of course dropped regularly, as balance, and the reference numbers are possibly overstated) 

• Matsumoku factory has over 500 machines, with responsibility assigned to 30 engineers including new machine design. [18]

• Akira Takei, noted as Marketing Director at this time point (Sales Manager in the '70s). K. Asahi, noted as President. [4, 15, 18]

• June - Westone electrics are officially in distributors and then retailers' hands. [15, 17]

1982

• Westone market share growth with multiple distributors: FCN, BMI, Mayer, MUSIC ENGRO, Music Technology Inc. followed by St. Louis Music (SLM) in the U.S.A., Erickson Music in Canada and Active Music Products Ltd. in Canada as of 1985. [4, 43]

• Akira Takei and Toshio Toshi Owa partner with Gene Kornblum, St. Louis Music (SLM) Owner, and Tom Presley, SLM Product Manager, for some U.S.A. market model design and integration with the Electra badge, with design royalties for these models in other markets. Model confirmation doesn’t seem to appear until 1984 advertising. [4, 16, 43, 58]

• Westbury production ends.

1983

• Allegedly the start of some Fernandes production (and anecdotally, Burny) through to the factory closing, but references are vague. Some Fernandes production confirmed for last production in early 1987. [4, 20]

(note: A photograph of one of the last shipments to leave the factory shows a Fernandes bass [4], but otherwise it's not clear if any original document source from this time point, i.e. catalog or advertising, identifies Matsumoku as a maker of certain models)

• Akira Takei notes that Matsumoku fabrication is still up to 60% hands on, for fretting, sanding, painting, buffing, and assembly, but otherwise CNC machining is also confirmed at this time point. [15]

(note: period references/discussion in general seems to mix NC and CNC terms, but CNC is likely correct here based on this time point, and NC machinery could have certainly been used earlier and concurrently) 

• Wood drying operations reportedly include air dried for 100 days and kiln dried for 20 days. [10, 15]

(note: air dried assumed to be an indoors hot room used after long term outside storage/drying, and kiln dried would typically mean an indoors forced air system)

• In-house research, development, and manufacture of pickups and circuitry confirmed. [15, 56, 70]

• Most, but not all, Epiphone production ends. High end models continue. [24]

• Reported loss of 200 million yen when a client (who?) went bankrupt. [4]

1984

• Strengthening yen is impacting business and ~0.7 ha of land sold for 437 million yen to Matsumoto City. Factory staff reduced by ~50 through voluntary retirement. [4]

• Akira Takei quoted at the Frankfurt Musikmesse: "Westone the brand name is owned 100% by Matsumoku." [17]

• Some evidence of Vantage production/parts collaboration with Chushin, but details are vague.

1985

• Oct. - New electrostatic coating machines added to the factory. [4] 

• Yen is significantly strengthening, making exports very expensive and non competitive. Tariffs also circumstantially an issue at this time. [4]

(note: Tariffs on Japanese guitars shipped to the U.S.A. were 17%, as of the early '70s until 1987, which seems high, but by comparison they were even higher up to the late 60s with a rate of 34% until 1967. They dropped in 1989 to a range of ~5-8% based on value) [46] 

• Annual guitar production suggested as ~32,000, which would be less than half of the 1981 estimate. [4]

1986

• Feb. - More new equipment added: automatic polishing machines including fingerboard specific, and 6-axis CNC routers. [4]

• Monthly production peaks to ~7500 based on final rush orders; allegedly a year prior, vendors were pre-emptively notified of financial problems. [4]

• July - Profits on 50-60% range export market nosedive (largely re USA and Canada) and by July positive revenue is gone and the factory is in the red. Labor costs and aging staff also noted as internal issues. Bankruptcy looms. [4]

1987

• Feb. - Matsumoku is dissolved. ~8000 orders are left (unclear what number of orders shifted to Samick in Korea). [4, 20]

• Debt is approximately one billion yen plus staff severance. Factory land value is high enough to cover/exceed debt, and the property and facilities are sold to Matsumoto City. [4, 16]

• Akira Takei given the rights to the Westone name. [16]

Postscript

• Machinery was dispersed, some employees found work with other guitar makers, and the buildings were demolished within a couple years of closing. The property was landscaped into a public park, named Nanbu Park (Nanbu meaning Southern). A guitar shaped black marble monument was erected in March 1991 to honour the legacy of the factory.