The "forgotten" models 58, 60 and 62 in the Juan Orozco Range

 The slanted short sides are on both the model 60 and 62 not 
present. The headform also differs from the models 8, 10 and 15 
though their headstock also changed over time. I think it is a wise 
decision to put an extra story around the higher models of that range 
(58, 60 and 62) here.The models 60 and  62 also are equipped with 
superior tuners.

As the model 60 and 62 haven’t been mentioned on the Dutch 

pricelist further in this Blog it is likely also because of remarkable 

structural differences showing that they are not from the Tama / 

Ibanez factories but made somewhere else. That also makes it 

harder to place them on the so called “quality ladder”. The model 

62 here beyond has been equipped with Brasilian rosewood 

sides. No ebony reinforcement lines in the neck and other tuners 

as well. And even the slots for the rollers are certainly executed 

otherwise but anyway different from the models 8, 10 and 15.

The later "Artesano" branded guitars will be discussed here

as well but hey are in no way equal in quality to the guitars

equipped with a Juan Orozco label. Thanks to the different

persons that shared their instruments with me in order to be

able to tell the readers more about this brand.

MODEL 58. (1972)

This model 58 has been made by Juan Orozco II and

is an entirely different instrument compared to the later 

Japanese guitars, also made by different luthiers. 

About that later here. Cheaper woods so to see.

The back shows us also not the later widely used

rosewood but possibly related to rosewood.

What makes everything clear in this case is the 

label used for this guitar. Made by the father of

Juan Orozco III

A nice carved headstock indeed but poor tuners as

the axe holders are not clinched on to the base plate

but bowed out of the plate.

And definitely not an ebony fingerboard

Also a different bridge. The short slanted sides aren't

there and most likely even painted black?

MODEL 58. (1981)

This later 58 model bears the marks of the later 

models 60 and 62 presented here though not the

well known Cashew nut finish used by Ibanez /

Tama.  The name is derived from the color these

finishes are showing. More luthiers did this.

The later headform with the rather square ending

slots for the rollers.

These axe holders are clinched to the plate. Better quality!

No short slanted sides on this bridge so definitely 

not from the Ibanez / Tama luthiers.

MODEL 60

 

A model 60 Juan Orozco guitar with a genuine label.

Comparable with the model 10 by Hoshino Gakki 

(Ibanez / Tama) but made somewhere else. 

Apart from differences Juan Orozco was using the same label.

Sometimes metal and sometimes "golden"

tuners but even between earlier and later models 

of the same number and same luthier differences

simply are there. 

The bridge with the the two white stripes which

could stand for a certain luthier, but who???

MODEL 60 (1990)

Though stamped by Juan Orozco, presented here is a later

Artesano guitar. The headform is also there but according

to the label: Made in Spain.

Good tuners as they are clinched.

In fact made after the golden Era of the

Japanese made guitars around 1980

Probaly Juan Orozco has sended some designs

to the company who made these guitars.

Among them the parallel sound braces.

The rosette can be studied here.

And a bridge design as is common.

I doubt the use of real ebony for the finger-

board as it looks a lot like rosewood to me.

MODEL 62 (1977)

Presented here a model 62 from 1977 luxury in

every detail.

Provided with the well known Orozco label.

The model 62 equipped with Brasilian rosewood sides 

and back. A luxury guitar in every aspect and comparable

with the model 15 made by the Tama / Ibanez workshops.

Beautifully purfled headstock covering.

And the same counts for the rosette in all its' details.

MORE INFORMATION:

According to Juan Orozco’s published statements, he cooperated with several Japanese makers since 1969 through early 1980s. He mentioned names Tamura, Matsuoka, Yairi and workshops Takamine and Hoshino Gakki. Hoshino Gakki and Takamine Gakki were closely cooperating with Masaru Kohno workshop. Some Juan Orozco models made by Hoshino Gakki luthiers were exact copies of Kohno guitars. The parallel sound bars on the top are one of the things you are able to compare.

The 58, 60 and 62 numbered guitar are certainly not copies of Kohno guitars. Their scale, cedar top, construction method and material selection suggest that it was most likely made by Hiroshi Tamura. Hiroshi has mastered “double back” construction and used it to make his P80 and P100 models (sold in early/mid1970s). A comparison between these guitars can always be done.

Juan Orozco III (born on April 14th, 1937 and died February 15th 2020) was a Spanish luthier and guitar impresario who lived in New York from 1965 to 1995, where he had a famous guitar shop at 56th Street (in the vicinity of Carnegie Hall). This address was actually the third location of Juan’s guitar shop. Since 1960s his shop was moved twice to new locations. Juan was also known as the maker of Aranjuez guitar strings and guitar cases. He was also known as organizer of guitar concerts. He befriended many other luthiers and guitar virtuosos.

Juan was the third generation in family of guitar makers. Juan’s father (Juan Orozco II) built guitars in Spain, Uruguay and Brazil and his son was also actively involved in these workshops.

Between 1969 and 1983 Juan Orozco closely cooperated with several famous Japanese luthiers (Ryoji Matsuoka, Hiroshi Tamura, Sadao Yairi, Masaru Kohno, Masaki Sakurai, Takamine Gakki and Hoshino Gakki. (Gakki in Japanese means Musical Instruments Company)

With many thanks to others, including Dariusz Marczak and others presenting their guitars on the site of REVERB which is a great place to sell and buy guitars. Dariusz made me wanting to make this addition.

Early Juan Orozco guitar (Madrid) from Rio (Brazil)

 

The guitar presented here was offered for repair to Mayo

Pamplona. As it is a 1950 (very early!) guitar I figured it

would be nice to start this Blog with. The mother of the 

owner bought it from the luthier in Madrid.

According to what more luthiers sometimes did, and

Telesforo Julve did it several times, is the 3 piece 

soundboard. But Antonio de Torres already made

guitars with a three piece soundboard. The finger-

board seems to be made out of a rather soft kind

of wood. Reddish in colour and I found that also on

some Valencian made guitars that were "ebonized"

afterwards. Sides and back are made out of an un-

known wood species. Soundboard is 7 fan braced,

almost parallel to each other with no bridge plate.

The exclusive looking tuners are pointing towards a high

grade ment guitar model. Same thing counts or the finely

executed rosette in the typical red and green colors of the

Madrid school at that time. Mayo Pamplona states these

tuners to be made in Argentina but that would be a bit

strange for a luthier working in Spain. But a stamp attest

they really are made in Argentina.

The label attests the workshop of Juan Orozco was

situated near the centre of Madrid. So there must have

been some contact with other luthiers there. Possibly

Amalia Ramirez is able to tell something about this

builder whether it is senior or junior.

I've included this picture as the untreated wood of the

back can be studied here. Sides and back as well as the

soundboard are glued together with gluing strips that

that were sawed in order to have the advantages of 

individual blocks as was more common in those days.

A picture taken from the inner side of this guitar. The sawed 

gluing strips were both used for top and back. Moreover the

date and year of manufacturing in this instrument can be seen:

Made in 1950. Dated 29-5-"50.

Opinion about this guitar: Mayo Pamplona

The sound is lovely. The basses are deep and loud, the 

trebles are very responsive and sweet. Maybe a little 

unbalanced in terms of volume between trebles and bass, 

but who cares? It's a really special guitar and it's now 

ready for more 70 years or so. Unfortunately the owner 

doesn't care as much as I do about this guitar. 

( But that's life.)

As for playabiity, Mayo added a 12 hole bridge to be able 

to lower the bridgebone while having enough angle over it 

and a more agreeable action at the same time. Oddly enough

the fingerboard appeared to be rench polished but that

could have been done along the timeline.

Thanks Mayo, for this very interesting addition.

Nice overview of the different guitar factories in Japan

 You can enlarge this picture by clicking on it.

As Juan Orozco was collaborating with Masaru Kohno

and Sakurai, a comparison with Tama is showing exactly 

the same guitars for the world market, Matsumoto on the 

right above could have been responsible for these guitars 

intended for the world market. Later in time even the 

Ibanez Mastercraft series have lots of similarities with 

Tama which is of course no coincidence. The wife of the 

president of the Ibanez company was called Tama, 

hence this chosen name of course. Comparison between 

the first batch of Ibanez Artwood guitars around 1980 

are showing a lot of similarities with the second batch 

of Tama guitars.

Juan Orozco died on February 15, 2020. An enterprising and characteristic person in the guitar world.

Juan Orozco (born 14 April 1937 and died on February 15, 2020) 

Spanish luthier^[1][2] and guitar impresario who lived in New York 

from 1965 to 1995, where he had a famous guitar shop at 

156, 56th Street in the 1970s to 1990s. He is the third in a family of 

guitar makers (his father, Juan Orozco, built guitars in Spain, 

Uruguay and Brazil). He was actively involved in the development 

of classic guitars in the mid-1970s (starting as early as 1969) 

together with great Japanese luthiers like Matsuoka, Tamura, 

Masaki Sakurai and Yairi, who then developed guitars for Tama, 

Ibanez and Aria (at that time the small workshop where they 

worked was in the company Hoshino Gakki who own Tama 

and Ibanez). 

They also built guitars in the Kohno-Sakurai style (models #8, 

#10, #15) that were sold with the "Juan Orozco, Luthier" label. 

Later the Orozco guitars were equipped with a very characteristic 

headstock, different from the Fleta-style headstocks they had 

first. In the majority of user reviews, the majestic volume and 

sonorous bass sound of Juan Orozco guitars are emphasised.

Other source involved in Juan Orozco's guitars: Takamine / Hirade

The Takamine / Kohno / Hirade Connection

The Takamine company is playing an important role in the 
Japanese guitar history as it is known that Kohno experimented 
there with factory built series of the highest quality. Moreover, 
one of his pupils then, Mass Hirade, was involved in this 
process so Takamine labelled their high end classical guitars 
with his name. In most guitars that have the Hirade label you 
are able to find the branded stamp of Takamine in the center 
strip on the seam of the two back halves. The Hirade guitars 
have also been built in different models as there are: 
Model 5, 7 10, 15, 20 and 25. Model 15 presented here 
beyond is in my possession and really should be mentioned 
as its quality is very good. Similarities with Kohno (and 
Orozco) models are there in the binding of the edges.

Here the Hirade / Takamine guitar "Concert Arte" is presented 
with some similarities to the Kohno guitars as there are the edges 
for example. However these guitars are equipped with a traditional 
fan bracing as opposed to the factory produced Kohno guitars.

Another thing is the slightly sprayed inner back, also found 

on the Kohno, Orozco, Sakurai, Tama and even high end Ibanez 

guitars. Sometimes these labels are signed, and sometimes 

not. The real reason for that is unknown to me as the lower 

end models sometimes show a signed label. From 1984 

onwards most labels are signed by Matsuo Furui.

The lightly sprayed inner back can be studied here. My model

15 is not provided with a inner Spanish tongue construction.

Funnily enough the head shape can be found further on 

in this Blog pointing towards the Takamine company.

That guitar is a "Sakurai" labelled guitar!

The inlay in the edges can be studied here.

Very well working Gotoh tuners that are of a high quality!

Decent use of a spruce top, sometimes treated 

with the so called "cashew" varnish.

An example of a Furui signed label though the

guitar still bears the Hirade label.

Mister Mass Hirade between the two Americain

salesmen Charlie Kamen and Eric Emerson. Maybe

an attempt to grow as big as these two salesmen!

The later H15 model still in production at the Takamine

factory. How the quality compares to the older 15 model

is not known to me. The model 15 I posses excels in

playability, painstakingly carved top nut and outer and 

inner woodwork that is of top quality.

A lifetime warranty: Who provides it nowadays?

You are able to enlarge the picture by clicking on it.

The higher model on the left.

And even a cutaway example was produced then.

And even more guitars....