Kiso Suzuki Classical Guitars: 70 label

Saturday, February 2, 2008

70 label

1 comment:

bzw99 said...: My Suzuki classical/folk guitar has a label on which is printed Suzuki Guitar in Old English lettering, then on the next line in smaller san-serif type KISO SUZUKI VIOLIN CO LTD. The last line reads 196 (printed) 7 (stamped) NO. (printed) 6 (stamped) and finally KISO FUKISHIMA (stamped).
It would seem this is a model 6 made in 1967. There are no other model numbers etc. Can anyone help with an explanation?; November 4, 2008 at 2:32 AM

Kiso Suzuki Classical Numbering System

The numbering system is still kind of a mystery to me. 'G' series probably stands for the 'Grand Concert' size. 30 versus a 70 or an 80 still probably has more to do with the price...30,000 yen versus 80,000 yen at the time...however in the 60's a series of #10-30 seemed to have been a finer guitar than the later higher numbers. Go figure.
There was a 'C' series - maybe Cedar???
'S' usually stands for spruce top.
'A' and 'T'...I don't know. No one has enlightened me yet.
The '9500' series usually had laminated tops and laminated rosewood sides, and the higher numbers were more ornamented (more expensive).
In my experience, the Kiso Suzuki classicals were more heavily built than the Nagoya Suzuki classicals.