A site that helps you buy guitars from Japan! [J-Guitar.com]

Product Description

Neck: Mahogany
Fingerboard: Ebony
Finish(Top): Lacquer
Finish(Back & Sides): Lacquer
Tuning Machines: GOTOH
String Height(1st): 3.2mm
String Height(6th): 4.2mm

【Profile】
Shunpei Nishino was born in 1947 in Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. He began making guitars in his teens and, at the age of 17 in 1964, became an apprentice in the workshop of Tsunesaburo Kurosawa. In 1969, Nishino established his own workshop in Tokorozawa. From early in his career, he devoted himself to studying the guitars of Hermann Hauser I, applying this knowledge to create instruments with outstanding acoustic balance.

Among Japanese luthiers, Nishino was one of the first to produce electro-acoustic guitars. Thanks to his exceptional craftsmanship, he has also received commissions in the acoustic guitar field, producing a small number of high-quality models. However, Nishino’s hallmark and artistic philosophy are most clearly expressed in his Hauser-style guitars. Each instrument maintains the beauty of construction, the rich tonal colors, and the excellent acoustic balance worthy of the Hauser name. The materials used are also of a quality rarely seen at this price point, making Nishino’s guitars among the best in Japan for cost-performance.

【Description】
This is a used 1995 Shunpei Nishino Type 30 guitar. At the time of its release, it had a list price of 300,000 yen, but it features Central and South American rosewood for the back and sides, which corresponds to the current brand’s No. 50 model priced at 500,000 yen. The current Type 30 model is a replica of the famous German luthier Hermann Hauser’s design, but this particular guitar differs slightly from the Hauser model in its internal structure. In fact, its design is closer to that of Antonio de Torres, with thicker plates and larger braces than the present Hauser models.

As a result, the overall sound has a solid, weighty presence, with each note delivered powerfully. The polished and rich tonal quality is typical of Nishino’s work, and the guitar responds well to dynamic expression. Despite being nearly 30 years old, its balanced playability and high level of craftsmanship still stand out strongly within this price range.

The bracing pattern of the soundboard consists of one harmonic bar above and below the soundhole (neck side and bridge side), seven symmetrical fan braces, and two V-shaped closing bars at the lower bout supporting the brace ends. The resonance is set slightly below the note A. By comparison, the Hermann Hauser model adds a thin reinforcement plate at the bridge position and uses more delicate fan braces and closing bars (approximately two-thirds the width and height of those on this guitar). The resonance tuning on this guitar is set slightly higher than on the Hauser model.

The neck, frets, and other playability-related parts remain in good condition. The soundboard was refinished once with lacquer matching the original, during which small dents (including string marks below the bridge near the second string) and scratches were carefully touched up. There is a repaired crack running from the treble side below the bridge down to the lower bout, reinforced internally with a patch. Additionally, the lower bout of the side board has about six or seven repaired cracks, and there is a 15 cm repaired crack near the treble side of the back plate’s lower bout. All repairs were professionally done and do not affect continued use.

The neck shape is a thin, rounded D shape. The fingerboard has repair work on frets 1 to 5 and 8 to 10. The fingerboard extends to 20 frets on the treble side. String height measures 3.2 mm on the first string and 4.2 mm on the sixth string at the 12th fret. There is 1.5 to 3.0 mm of saddle height remaining, allowing for further lowering if desired.