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....