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Re: does anyone know anything about mako guitars

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Posted by Bud (from: ) on December 03, 2003 at 10:41:34:

In Reply to: Re: does anyone know anything about mako guitars posted by harrison Couch on March 13, 2003 at 14:56:00:

This is a tough one! I have owned an old Make 'traditionals' les paul(- set neck ta boot!) for years, I replaced the pickups and hardware and IT SLAMS! Mine has what I assume is the original form fit hardshell case (purple intereior). There aren't many clues out there, but I'm thinking mine was made prior to (or around) 1976. The copy era was at it's high point at this time and I know for a fact the japanese had the capability of producing quality guitars even by 1974, including the technology to build 'set necks'. My guess is that my guitar ('Mako Tradidionals') was one of the 'small' runs of production that was done from time to time, somewhere between 1974-1978/9. (The copy era was pretty much over by '77)

There was a man named (forgive the spelling) Matsamoto Mokko who owned a company in japan that made guitars (or assembled them - I'm thinking the body and neckwork were done by possibly Kasuga and then assembled by Matsomakku Company, they furnishing the hardware and pickups etc.). His company built guitars for gibson beginning in the latter part of perhaps 1969. His company made the epiphone brand, - (Gibson sent there people there and Matsomokku did the work - I'm sure the Gibson people taught Him and his people guitar mfg techniques - and if that's true, then ya gotta understand that if Matsmokku was building gibsons 'epiphone' guitars it probably wouldn't be in their best interest to keep alot of records, especially if they were gettin' paid by Gibson on one hand, and then rippin' them off on the other, by building copies or replica's - that's probably why there is not alot of info out there...) His company would also build Aria, Aria Pro II, as well as a hord of other brand name guitars. The company finally went disappeared in about 1984 metomorphesising into "Westone guitars". (check into St. Louis Music)

I once saw an early (I believe 1974) Hondo II Les Paul that was Identical to my Mako Traditionals. This was a very early Hondo II model however, in that the 'logo' was basically just a 'stickem' lable on the headstock that if I remember right said, "Hondo II, Deluxe" (I know they did this series in the early 80's, but Hondo had 'slicker' looking headstocks well before then, so I'm guessing 1974, when there stuff was being produced by the japanese.) One couldn't call Hondo's headstock crude. This guitar I saw, I really felt at the time it was one of the first pieces. The 'stickem' thing just got me...

Another Clue??? I could be wrong about the who thing, but if I take the first two letters of Mr. Mokko's first name and the last two letters of his last, I come up with Mako! Coincidence? who knows? I do believe that there were two different mfgs using the name Mako at two different time periods. One was in use in the 70's and one was in use in the 80's. The logo is different, and the quality is certainly different. I also believe that it is quite possible that, (like I said earlier...) Maybe one company, (Let's call them Kasuga) built the bodies and necks and they sent some to Tokai, Some to Hondo, Some to matsomokku etc. etc.

I view what I would call the 'early' Mako's as 'replica's' as opposed to 'copies'. (at least as far as construction methods are concerned)

It's difficult the source this stuff, but the mfge process leaves some clues. Again this all could be not true at all. I could be way off, but one thing Im not off on is that with replaced hardware and electronics, My 'one piece mahongany neck Mako Traditionals Les Paul SLAMS! (I sometimes wonder if these mako's were guitars that didn't make the final cut to be sent to the tokai people and ended up being sent to Matsamokko instead. - The two piece maple cap on mine is lightly off center - who care's? it SLAMS!)

One last thing.... If I find more of these Mako's.... I will try to beat anyone to the punch about making it my own. These are sorely overlooked and undervalued axes. "How much are they?" GOOD... "I'll take TEN".

i HOPE THIS HELPS. (some old guy) Bud Need more?
str2bud@aol.com

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: This is a tough one! I have owned an old Make 'traditionals' les paul(- set neck ta boot!) for years, I replaced the pickups and hardware and IT SLAMS! Mine has what I assume is the original form fit hardshell case (purple intereior). There aren't many clues out there, but I'm thinking mine was made prior to (or around) 1976. The copy era was at it's high point at this time and I know for a fact the japanese had the capability of producing quality guitars even by 1974, including the technology to build 'set necks'. My guess is that my guitar ('Mako Tradidionals') was one of the 'small' runs of production that was done from time to time, somewhere between 1974-1978/9. (The copy era was pretty much over by '77) : There was a man named (forgive the spelling) Matsamoto Mokko who owned a company in japan that made guitars (or assembled them - I'm thinking the body and neckwork were done by possibly Kasuga and then assembled by Matsomakku Company, they furnishing the hardware and pickups etc.). His company built guitars for gibson beginning in the latter part of perhaps 1969. His company made the epiphone brand, - (Gibson sent there people there and Matsomokku did the work - I'm sure the Gibson people taught Him and his people guitar mfg techniques - and if that's true, then ya gotta understand that if Matsmokku was building gibsons 'epiphone' guitars it probably wouldn't be in their best interest to keep alot of records, especially if they were gettin' paid by Gibson on one hand, and then rippin' them off on the other, by building copies or replica's - that's probably why there is not alot of info out there...) His company would also build Aria, Aria Pro II, as well as a hord of other brand name guitars. The company finally went disappeared in about 1984 metomorphesising into "Westone guitars". (check into St. Louis Music) : I once saw an early (I believe 1974) Hondo II Les Paul that was Identical to my Mako Traditionals. This was a very early Hondo II model however, in that the 'logo' was basically just a 'stickem' lable on the headstock that if I remember right said, "Hondo II, Deluxe" (I know they did this series in the early 80's, but Hondo had 'slicker' looking headstocks well before then, so I'm guessing 1974, when there stuff was being produced by the japanese.) One couldn't call Hondo's headstock crude. This guitar I saw, I really felt at the time it was one of the first pieces. The 'stickem' thing just got me... : Another Clue??? I could be wrong about the who thing, but if I take the first two letters of Mr. Mokko's first name and the last two letters of his last, I come up with Mako! Coincidence? who knows? I do believe that there were two different mfgs using the name Mako at two different time periods. One was in use in the 70's and one was in use in the 80's. The logo is different, and the quality is certainly different. I also believe that it is quite possible that, (like I said earlier...) Maybe one company, (Let's call them Kasuga) built the bodies and necks and they sent some to Tokai, Some to Hondo, Some to matsomokku etc. etc. : I view what I would call the 'early' Mako's as 'replica's' as opposed to 'copies'. (at least as far as construction methods are concerned) : It's difficult the source this stuff, but the mfge process leaves some clues. Again this all could be not true at all. I could be way off, but one thing Im not off on is that with replaced hardware and electronics, My 'one piece mahongany neck Mako Traditionals Les Paul SLAMS! (I sometimes wonder if these mako's were guitars that didn't make the final cut to be sent to the tokai people and ended up being sent to Matsamokko instead. - The two piece maple cap on mine is lightly off center - who care's? it SLAMS!) : One last thing.... If I find more of these Mako's.... I will try to beat anyone to the punch about making it my own. These are sorely overlooked and undervalued axes. "How much are they?" GOOD... "I'll take TEN". : i HOPE THIS HELPS. (some old guy) Bud Need more? : str2bud@aol.com

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