I had a really crappy Memphis bolt-on neck Les Paul copy in eighth grade as a first guitar and got rid of it quickly. My buddy Mike had a Memphis natural blond strat copy that was really nice, so I always wondered why the Les Paul was such a pile of garbage. It had the cheap painted on gold logo on the headstock. I’ve seen these on eBay for upwards of $400. Don’t waste your money, they weren’t quality when they were new and age has not increased their construction or quality of materials no matter what any one says.

Fast forward to a couple weeks ago and Mike brings by a Memphis Les Paul set neck, mahogany body beauty with a pearl inlay headstock in tobacco sunburst. Maple cap, fifties style neck (no volute) and a dead on copy of a real Les Paul. It even has the sandwich body of the eighties Gibsons. I couldn’t believe it. I’ve never seen anything like it. It needs a ton of work, much of which I’ve already done, but its heavy and such high quality, it really feels like its right up there with my Gibsons. I really have taken a shine to this guitar.

Because I’ve had these things for forty years, off and on obviously, somehow I developed some at least psychological attachment to the company and always thought about the duplicity of my first guitar vs. Mike’s strat. I guess what becomes apparent is this company marketed cheap beginner guitars (I paid $125 new out the door at a music store in Walnut Creek, California around 1982) and instruments of such a high quality they forced a company like Gibson to sue them. Now I’m not saying Gibson sued Matsumoto directly, but this is certainly a ‘law suit’ type guitar.

I have a 3/4-scale Memphis, kind of a Strat-ish body with a single HB pu, with a “hockey stick” shaped headstock. I bought it at a music store in Dallas TX in the mid 80s. Bruce Kulick made an in-store appearance and autographed it for me. I’d like to find out if there’s a Memphis serial number database/list somewhere, as I’m compiling a list of my collection for insurance purposes. Thanks!

I have a memphis guitar i got from my uncle. It has made in korea in the back with a serial number 905329. It looks like it was a label right above it with more numbers but i can not read them out. Looks like the first two are 11 following about 5 or 6 more number. It is teal and wood grain. But i do not know much about guitars. Pleasee helpp!!

I have a blonde body (Brian May style) Memphis guitar I bought back in 1984, Looking for any info on how to find out value and if there is a demand for it? comes with hard case.

Memphis guitars came from two places as far as I know:
1. Set-Neck Memphis Les Paul — built before 1988 were built by Matsumoku of Japan. I have one of these (1979). Matsumoku had very high quality guitars, and these command a high price. The set-neck models also weigh quite a bit.

I’ve seen set-neck Memphis Les Pauls going for $750 on Ebay. Matsumoku factory burned down in (I think) 1988. They never recovered. There is a Matsumoku.org website if interested. Matsumoku also built guitars for Aria, Westbury, Electra, Concord (I think), and at times Gibson & Fender (the non-U.S. models) and many others… some even with no-name. Any Memphis guitars built after 1988 were obviously not Matsumoku.

2. Bolt-On Neck Memphis Les Paul. These are most-likely Korean guitars. I had two of these (Les Paul varieties), and they were both nice guitars and both Korean. Price on this maybe 125-250 depending on how nice it is. The Memphis bolt-on models I owned were laminated models, and the set-neck model was a pretty sizeable block of wood (much like the early Gibson Les Paul models).

I have no idea if any bolt-on neck models were built by Matsumoku. My two were post-1988 and therefore were not, and will state on the guitar or sometimes just a label that they are built in Korea. I have seen many advertised on CL and Ebay, and none of the bolt-on models definitively were proven to be MIJ. Many said they were… but without proof.

Quite a few Matsumoku guitars have a 3-piece wood neck. 3-pieces give the neck more stability (supposedly). That is usually a dead giveaway that they are Matsumoku. However, some Matsumoku guitars have single-piece wood necks. So just because it is a single piece of wood does not mean it is not Matsumoku.

Summary:
1. If it is a set-neck Memphis guitar it was probably built before 1988 and is probably Matsumoku.
2. If it is a bolt-on neck Memphis guitar it is probably Korean and built after the 1988 burn-date.

Hope that helps explain the Memphis guitar a bit more.

i just bought this guitar cheap off some older person. serial #001248 made in korea model S2TW any ideas what it might be worth? its a 24 fret bolt on with locking tremolo nut, whammy bar, what look like two open faced humbuckers that sound awesome ! any info would be much appreciated!

Hi all
I have an excellent Memphis hummingbird with a set neck open book headstock
It’s made in Japan I have never seen another anywhere. Unbelievable tone
Any info would be very welcomed as I’ve found nothing on the internet
Thanks Tim

I bought a copy Les Paul guitar from the local pawn broker for $150 as a project and maybe to relic. When I held it in the store I noticed it had a set neck and was heavy as hell.
I took it home and have found very little about it as the Logo on the headstock is not the 60s swirly style and more modern font.
Turns out it had a fairly decent wiring set up – with decent capacitors etc and ARTEC Humbuckers. I will replace the pups with Zebra hot set.
So what i intended to monsterise, will be left as it is actually very good and I think super rare.
Does anyone know about this model les paul with the modern logo??

WHAT IS THIS THING WORTH.GOOD SHAPE SOUNDS GOOD

I bought a black Memphis in great condition, from a local pawn shop. It looks like Lucille” Sounds great and just seems ‘bluesy/soulful’. Yeah, it is heavy. I think the parts are all original. Two days ago, I bought a Memphis bass for $20.00 at yard sale. It needs work, but once I resore it, I know it too will be a delightful instrument to play. The thing is: I never played bass but, what the funk.

I have a black Memphis which is definitely made in Korea (as it says so on the back of the neck) but it doesn’t sound like anything you guys are describing… My grandpa bought it forever ago.. It has 21 frets. It’s a 6-string and in awesome shape. It says the serial number is 109754 but there’s another number under it (903266) anyone know anything about this particular guitar???

ok. My dad baught me a memphis guitar from a pawn shop when i was 8 years old. i am 20 now. the guitar looks like a fender replica, it a is gloos black electric guitar. i was just wondering how old it might be or how much its worth. thank you

Sort of an off brand distributed by Kaman Music :