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Thread: Key Brand Info?

  1. #76
    Registered User bennyb's Avatar
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    Default Re: Key Brand Info?

    Here's a thread on Kasuga brand. And here's another.

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  3. #77
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Key Brand Info?

    This really isn't one of these models. Yours is a little nicer.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

  4. #78
    Registered User almeriastrings's Avatar
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    Default Re: Key Brand Info?

    Kasuga Gakki built instruments for many "brands" (including the lower end Kentucky mandolins for a time, apparently) - they also labeled some with their own name. Most were "copies" of major brands, such as Gibson, Martin, etc and included acoustic and electric guitars, basses, mandolins and banjos. These were imported in quite some numbers into the UK back in the 70's - seem to recall JHS (John Hornby Skews) was the main importer/distributor at that time. I believe there was only a short period when they were imported into the US bearing the 'Kasuga' name.. some models also appeared bearing the "K-Country" logo.

    Kasuga Gakki did own and run their own factory, by the way, based in Nagoya. The company was founded around 1935 and ceased production (as a contract builder) sometime in the mid 1990's. They were one of the contract builders for some Yamaha guitars, too. The instruments varied greatly in quality - some were really quite cheap and not good, others were really quite decent. You seem to see more of them floating around in Europe than you do in the US, probably because they had better distribution here.

    An old Japanese catalog page showing some of the banjos and mandolins..

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Last edited by almeriastrings; Apr-11-2016 at 3:17am.
    Gibson F5 'Harvey' Fern, Gibson F5 'Derrington' Fern
    Distressed Silverangel F 'Esmerelda' aka 'Maxx'
    Northfield Big Mon #127
    Ellis F5 Special #288
    '39 & '45 D-18's, 1950 D-28.

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  6. #79

    Default Re: Key Brand Info?

    Wow thank you for your time giving me this information I really appreciate your time and effort.
    The tuners and the inverted diamond look shiny like mother of pearl. Are the different pictures in the tuner area significant in anyway?
    Thank you x

  7. #80

    Default Re: Key Brand Info?

    I think so 😊 It 'feels' special 😊

  8. #81

    Default Re: Key Brand Info?

    But I cannot find any information on an M18 model from 1978 or any other year 😳

  9. #82
    Registered User almeriastrings's Avatar
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    Default Re: Key Brand Info?

    Here's an old Ebay auction for one (sold in the UK for 64 pounds, approximately $90).

    http://www.ebay.es/itm/mandolin-A-st...-/172114975538

    Seller dates it to 1970, though I think most of them are actually a bit later than that, around 1976-77.
    Gibson F5 'Harvey' Fern, Gibson F5 'Derrington' Fern
    Distressed Silverangel F 'Esmerelda' aka 'Maxx'
    Northfield Big Mon #127
    Ellis F5 Special #288
    '39 & '45 D-18's, 1950 D-28.

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  11. #83
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Key Brand Info?

    Here's on with the brand name Artist.
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    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

  12. #84
    Registered User JH Murray's Avatar
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    Default Re: Key Brand Info?

    Here is another Marquis. The seller is asking $200 Cdn, about $155USD. Click image for larger version. 

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ID:	149518. The seller also has a no-name bowlback he is asking $200 for. The bowlback may be worth a look at.

  13. #85
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    Default Re: Key Brand Info?

    Here's one with an interesting modification

    For posterity:
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    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

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  15. #86
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Key Brand Info?

    Here is one labeled Concerto.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

  16. #87
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Key Brand Info?

    Here is an electric labeled Harmony.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

  17. #88
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Key Brand Info?

    Here's one labeled Olympic.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

  18. #89

    Default Re: Key Brand Info?

    That Kay branded mandolin is from the revived incarnation- not the original company that folded in the late 1960s. These instruments were made in the Far East and South Korea predominated. I found a Kay banjo from that era in a dumpster- it played and it was made in Korea. I passed it on to my brother who likes banjos- I am, odd as it may appear, a mandolin man- and my home has no signs of any banjo activity whatsoever, inside.

  19. #90
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Key Brand Info?

    Quote Originally Posted by NickR View Post
    That Kay branded mandolin is from the revived incarnation- not the original company that folded in the late 1960s. These instruments were made in the Far East and South Korea predominated. I found a Kay banjo from that era in a dumpster- it played and it was made in Korea. I passed it on to my brother who likes banjos- I am, odd as it may appear, a mandolin man- and my home has no signs of any banjo activity whatsoever, inside.
    That's the point of the entire thread. Kay wasn't revived, just the brand name along with a dozen or so others. We've seen so many of these same mandolins with different brand names over the years that this thread just became the repository. Whomever built these was the go to company for anyone wanting a brand on an imported mandolin. We have one member that started out playing one of these and speaks glowingly of them. I can't do that. I did however find the original mandolin that they copied or somewhat copied this design from and that was a Favilla model.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

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  21. #91
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Key Brand Info?

    Hey, here's one branded Lyle. Lyle was the private brand name of instruments imported by the L.D. Heater Company of Portland, Oregon. Lyle was the name of L.D.'s son. Heater was owned by Norlin when they owned Gibson and was importing the famous open book headstock guitars cited in the now famous Law Suit.
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    Last edited by MikeEdgerton; Aug-17-2021 at 3:04pm.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

  22. #92
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Key Brand Info?

    Here is another branded Kay.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

  23. #93
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Key Brand Info?

    Here's one branded "K" (Kay). The headstock shape is slightly different but it's the same design.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

  24. #94
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Key Brand Info?

    Here is one labeled Swan.
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    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

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  26. #95
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Key Brand Info?

    OK, a bit different angle. This is a very young Chris Thile playing one of these mandolins.

    The image is from this Interview on the Cafe.
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    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

  27. #96
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Key Brand Info?

    Here is one posted by the original buyer, purchased in the early 1980's with the Made in Korea sticker still on it. No brand name. This could help others date theirs.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

  28. #97
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Key Brand Info?

    Here is another that has the number AM-60 on the back.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

  29. #98
    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: Key Brand Info?

    double post
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

    The entire staff
    funny....

  30. #99
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Key Brand Info?

    Here is one labeled Crestline.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

  31. #100
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Key Brand Info?

    Here is one that is on Reverb and labeled as a Strad.O.Lin
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    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

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