The suit was brought about partly due to the much improved quality of these copy guitars. In 1977 a lawsuit ensued that was instigated by Gibson guitars against a company called Elger Music, who was the US agent of Ibanez guitars. Some of these companies, such as Ibanez and Takamine were building acoustic and electric guitars of superior quality that rivaled the USA made instruments that these guitars copied. In doing so they gained a negative reputation, since the quality of those instruments were inferior to the Fender, Gibson, Gretsch, Guild guitars, and even Harmony and Kay guitars that were produced at the time.īut by the mid 1970’s the quality of Japanese and Korean made guitars had greatly improved. In the late 1950’s some of these companies started building electric guitars, not just for domestic use but for import.īy the 1960’s, due to the popularity of Folk music, then the music of the British Invasion, importation of cheaply made, Asian imported guitars skyrocketed. Going back historically we know Japanese musical instrument builders that began building guitars back in the 1920’s and 1930’s for domestic use. In any event the quality of some of these guitars currently being made in Asia is excellent. Perhaps it is because the price of Martin and Gibson instruments are beyond the reach of many working class players, or possibly it is because the value of a well made instrument is not worth the risk of taking on the road only to have it stolen. Players are now using Asian made guitars and mandolins.
But in the past few years I’ve noticed a change. Traditionally Bluegrass music is played on an old Gibson F-5 mandolin and a Martin guitar, preferably a D-28 or a D-18. And in my part of the world, there are a lot of shows about Bluegrass music. I don’t watch a lot of television, but when I do I find myself gravitating to music shows.
One of the best quality Chinese made guitar are now being used by some major industry guitarists.
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