The factory closed in 1987 and was demolished a few years later. Matsumoku was responsible for production in the вЂ™70s andвЂ™ 80s for many brands of electric guitars such as Aria, Electra, Epiphone, Fantom, Greco, Ibanez, Skylark, Vantage, Washburn, Westone and Univox. He learned the art of carpentry with Harayama and he was the one who projected most of Matsumoto Mokkou / MatsumokuвЂ™s electric guitars in the 60s and 70s. At first, he was hired as a guitar designer. Another key Matsumoto Mokkou / Matsumoku employee was Mr. Harayama also made and distributed guitar necks under his own brand called Jaramer. He was a master craftsman also known for having been responsible for producing guitar bodies and necks for the ESP, Kramer, Schecter and Moon brands. One of them was Norikatsu Harayama, chief engineer in the 1960s. Matsumoto Mokkou has employed excellent engineers, designers and craftsmen. Matsumoto Mokkou also started making his own guitars for export. In 1965, Matsumoto Mokkou started making guitars for various brands like Arai, Colombia and Victor. This commercial relationship between Fujigen and Matsumoto Mokkou, both based in Matsumoto, will last for a few years. All conditions were in place for Matsumoto Mokkou to start making guitars, and in 1962, FujigenвЂ™s founder, Yuichiro Yokouchi, set up a partnership with Matsumoto Mokkou to make electric guitars. But Matsumoto Mokkou was a modern factory with good financial management, a real commercial vision and it had excellent wood drying facilities. In the early 1960s, Matsumoto Mokkou lost competitiveness in foreign markets and Singer Company decided to end their collaboration. As a subsidiary of Singer Sewing Machine Company, Matsumoto MokkouвЂ™s core business was the manufacture of wooden cabinets, tables and accessories for sewing machines. This company specialized in carpentry and was working in its early days for Singer Japan.Д«eing one of the best carpentry companies in Japan, Matsumoto Mokkou / Matsumoku will soon have an important role in the history of Japanese guitars. Located in Matsumoto, the name of the factory comes indeed from the combination of the words вЂњMatsumoto Mokkou-joвЂќ (carpentry). Tsukada, in the city of Matsumoto, Japan, and his name was at the time Matsumoto Mokkou until 1971.

Westone bass guitar