Yamaki LP Style Electric Guitar - new one to me

guitars4you

a new one for me but a customer came into see me today with a Yamaki Guitar - LP style as per this pic - similar grade to Jap Tokai's with usual LP construction with a glue in neck - barely any figuring on the maple top - Dimarzio copy Super Distortion humbuckers with allen key style adjustable polepieces

any one know anything about them ? - who made them ?- who imported them into the UK ?

Customer paid around £300/350 ish which based on how it looks, plays and features stacks up okay IMO based on a similar MIJ Tokai LP with no figured top

I bet even @HarrySeven doesn't have one - or does he ?

HarrySeven

Not at the moment, but I've had one before!

HarrySeven

The £300-ish price tag sounds about right.

IIRC (it's been a long time) - there was some cross over with JooDee and Daion, etc.

Yamaki solid bodies (while decent quality) don't seem too prevalent - I recall seeing more acoustics about.

Build/quality-wise would be in the same ballpark as set-neck Pearl LP's, etc.They don't have the same MIJ fanboys like Burny, Tokai, etc but a good one is a cracking guitar.

Can't remember much more, sorry!

guitars4you

HarrySeven said:

The £300-ish price tag sounds about right.

IIRC (it's been a long time) - there was some cross over with JooDee and Daion, etc.

Yamaki solid bodies (while decent quality) don't seem too prevalent - I recall seeing more acoustics about.

Build/quality-wise would be in the same ballpark as set-neck Pearl LP's, etc.They don't have the same MIJ fanboys like Burny, Tokai, etc but a good one is a cracking guitar.

Can't remember much more, sorry!

yep - found more info on acoustics and looks more in North America and again found a cross over with JooDee ad Daion - at least I know more now than I did 3 hours ago but can't enter Mastermind with this  as a specialist subject

HarrySeven

guitars4you said:

HarrySeven said:

The £300-ish price tag sounds about right.

IIRC (it's been a long time) - there was some cross over with JooDee and Daion, etc.

Yamaki solid bodies (while decent quality) don't seem too prevalent - I recall seeing more acoustics about.

Build/quality-wise would be in the same ballpark as set-neck Pearl LP's, etc.They don't have the same MIJ fanboys like Burny, Tokai, etc but a good one is a cracking guitar.

Can't remember much more, sorry!

yep - found more info on acoustics and looks more in North America and again found a cross over with JooDee ad Daion - at least I know more now than I did 3 hours ago but can't enter Mastermind with this  as a specialist subject

knuckleberryfinn

I've got a Joodee. It's a brilliant guitar - a shade over 8 pounds and very 'open' sounding for a LP. I had to replace all the hardware and electrics. And the inlay work is appalling. But it's now a glorious guitar. I refinished it as a goldtop and now it looks great too. I'll try and post a pic in a bit.

Kebabkid

My friend and an old band mate has one but I've not see it out for ages and it was moved aside for a PRS.

We always thought the pickups were Might Mites and that the fretboard was ebony. No? Grover machineheads. Sounded really good on both cleans and overdrive and played beautifully and it wasn't too weighty.

I have to say, his one has a nicer top on it then your example here and it, too, was a cherry sunburst. Did these not come out of the Fugi-Gen factory and I think the Daion company distributed them.

I would've thought that if they were up there with similar makes like Greco, Burny and the early Tokai's, it would fetch more but I don't honestly know the value of it. 

Dominic

yamaki owned Daion I think and another brand and made some outstanding guitars like the Daion 335alike which looked like a shark bit a chunk out of the body ...looked great and I played one once but can't remember the name of the model

Dominic

got it ...Daion Headhunter

guitars4you

Dominic said:

yamaki owned Daion I think and another brand and made some outstanding guitars like the Daion 335alike which looked like a shark bit a chunk out of the body ...looked great and I played one once but can't remember the name of the model

picking up info of a possible ownership by Dyna Gakki or built there

Quote - Dyna Gakki currently[when?] build some of the Fender Japan guitars and also build some of the Gretsch guitars as well. Dyna Gakki made the early 1980s Ibanez Blazer guitars for Hoshino Gakki and have also made Greco guitars for Kanda Shokai. Dyna Gakki made the Yamaki/Daion/Founder/Joodee solid body guitars for Daion in the 1970s and early 1980s.[1]