MATSUOKA

Ryoji Matsuoka is a well known Japanese guitarmaker who has been producing guitars in Nagoya, Japan since the 1960s.

Nagoya is Japan’s 4th largest city and a major industrial port city located on the main island of Honshu in Aichi prefecture. The Nagoya/Aichi/Kani area (Kani is the prefecture next to Aichee) is one of Japan’s major musical instrument making centers. The city and the outlying areas have a long classical guitar making history with many small shops producing guitars.

Major guitar and violin makers include Matsumoku Industrial, Suzuki, Takaharu, Sada Yairi, Kazuo Yairi (Kani), Daion, Yamaki, Ibanez/Hoshino, and Ryoji Matsuoka. Additionally, there are numerous small guitar shops and factories that contract to larger firms, such as Yamaha in Hamamatsu.

Matsumoku (not to be confused with Matsuoka) was the largest guitar maker in Nagoya for many years, until it ceased operations in 1987. Matsumoku manufactured guitars and guitar parts for many well-known labels including Epiphone, Yamaha, Westone, Aria, Vantage, Ventura, Washburn, Greco, Lyle, Electra, and Skylark.

Unlike Matsumoku, the Ryoji Matsuoka guitar works was a small scale guitar manufacturer with under 15 employees. It is still in operation and sells low to mid-priced classical guitars. The current operation is overseen by Ryoji’s son: Toshiaki Matsuoka. The last that I have heard is that Ryoji is still involved with the company and is the chairman of the board.

For a few years during the 1960s and early 1970s , Matsuoka produced the higher end Aria guitar models for Shiro Arai, founder of Aria . These Aria models either have Ryoji Matsuoka's name on the label or are marked RM with a red stamp on the neck block. Matsuoka also made some models for Ibanez, including a few steel string flatop and archtop models.

During the early 1970s, Matsuoka produced Fleta, Hauser, Kohno and Rubio (David, not GV Rubio) models. From 1975 to 1980 the company produced their own line of guitars: the concert, artist and artisan series.The Concert series includes the M20 ( lam spruce top, nato neck), M30 (solid spruce top, mahogany neck), M40 (solid spruce top, mahogany neck). All 3 models have laminated rosewood back and sides and rosewood fingerboards.

The Artist Series includes the M50 and M60. These guitars have better quality spruce tops, laminated Jacaranda back and sides, and ebony fingerboards The Old World Artisan Series includes the M70 and M80, which had a one-piece classic guitar neck and I believe laminated rosewood back and sides.

During the 1980s and early 1990s, Matsuoka models included the M300, MH200, M150, M100, M80 and M60. I know that the M300, and MH 200 had solid rosewood back and sides. I believe (but I am not sure) that the M150 had solid rosewood back and sides. The M80, and M60 had laminated rosewood back and sides I recently saw a M150 in excellent condition sell for 85,000 Yen (US $740) on a Japanese guitar website, so your model probably has solid back and sides (or the person overpaid big time). The 10 string version of the M150 would be worth quite a bit more, possible double that amount, with a range of $600 to $1400 USD, depending upon condition and interest.Matsuoka currently produces guitars for Aranjuez (Orozco) and sells a low priced cosmetic copy of a Mathias Dammann classical guitar (does not follow actual Dammann construction) for about $1000 USD. Check out GSI for information on this model.