I got this guitar 15 or 20 years ago, stuck in my junk room, and it's been there ever since. I just ran across it again.

Does anyone know anything about it??

There doesn't seem to be much info on the net about it.

Another pic.

one more

Hi Deadeye, I tried to search for “daimaru guitar” on Japanese Internet, but could not find information on it unfortunately. I’ll call guitar shops here and will let you know if I can get any information. Btw, “Daimaru” is also a name of a major department store in Japan.

hope

It looks like a copy of the Burns or Baldwin Bison series to me.

Strange but true.

About 10 years ago we had the el ninyo rains here and my 5 acre field turned into a lake. When the water recieded I found this cheep Japanese guitar in the mud.

Its called a "Prestege." The Prestege emblem is mounted in the same place as your emblem. I have it hanging on the wall. It has the same neck with that string holder wire thing, pickup, bridge, string saddle, knobs, tuners as your “Daimaru.” This is a 2 pickup guitar with two on/off switches for the pickups. The body is a differant shape though, kind of a futuristic shape.

The guitar is a rusty/muddy mess. I thought it was strange that it floated from who knows where to my door.

I have never found any info on it on the net. Probbly was made in the 60's or 70's like so many other no-name Japanese cheepy guitars.

My son has the camera right now so I can't include a pic.

It was probably a generic guitar built expressly for the dept. store that was mentioned; much like Kaye used to do. How much you want for it? I dig cheese.

There was a Baldwin Piano factory here in Greenwood, but they didn't make guitars. I don't think.

And Hope, I bet you can find out something at your end. At least I hope so. Thanks for trying.

And BCBlues,
If you dig around a little bit, you might find the amp.

Hi Deadeye, I called a dozen guitar shops today, and nobody but one gentleman at used guitar shop knew the Daimaru guitar. He said that the company by the name of Daimaru was a trailblazer in the guitar manufacturing business that started in the early 1960s in Japan (it had nothing to do with the Daimaru department store apparently). A couple of people I talked to today also mentioned that many guitars were made and exported to North America and Europe for low prices by Japanese manufacturers from the late 60s to the 70s/80s. I read on the Internet that there were over 100 guitar manufacturers in Japan at the time, but their number is less than one tenth of it now.

According to the person previously mentioned, Daimaru factory was in Matsumoto in the central Japan, and they used Matsumoto wood (lumber) for their guitars. He said the company is long gone, and all the people who worked there are deceased (I’m not sure if the latter is true though). Daimaru was specialized in making classic guitars and pick guitars (f-holes) mainly, but when I told him that your Daimaru guitar is electric, he said perhaps the company consigned others for manufacturing electric guitars. That’s about all I was able to find out about Daimaru guitar. If I get more information, I will let you know. There might be some historic value with your guitar you just ran across.

As for BC Blues’ guitar in the interesting and mysterious story he shared with us, I was wondering if it is related to a guitar model called “Prestige” made by Ibanez (Japanese manufacturer). It looks like the “Ibanez” logo is usually found on the head of a recent model of Prestige guitar. Your guitar is vintage, so it may not be the same (it is also possible that it was made by a different manufacturer), but for your information, the following is a link to Ibanez website, on which some pictures of Prestige guitars can be found: http://www.ibanez.co.jp/japan/

hope

Believe me I was astounded. It was sticking out of the mud in my seasonal creek. I wish the amp was with it.
I've been thinking of restoring it but it looks so cool all rusted up.

Naw it ain't one of those. I've searched the net and never come across one like it until now.

The body is different but the hardware is identical to Deadeye's Daimaru guitar right down to the faded white plastic washers on the tuners, and the truss-rod adjuster. Bolt on neck, says "Made in Japan" on the neck plate, no seriel number, tobaco sunburst finish on the body and neck, metal (rusted) pick guard, really cheesey tremolo. It's definatly 60's with kind of a styleized strat body but more pointy. It uses a fret just before the nut like on the Daimaru neck but the headstock cut is differant, same 6 in a row tuners . The Prestege emblem is cast with kind of a script font and is gold in color.

I'm sure from Deadeye's picture it was made by the same manufacture.

When my stepson gets back in a few weeks I'll post a pic.

Thanks for trying Hope.


And BCBlues, About them plastic washers on the tuners. I was wondering where I could find them. Mines missing one.

LOL !!! Mines missing the one for the high E string. I see yours is missing the B string.

Know anybody that is good with a laith, could always get one turned from a chunk of nylon. Looks like an easy one to make.

I have one with the same body shape, headstock shape, and pickgaurd shape, but mine has a woodgrain finish on the headstock, block inlays, 2 pickups & a tremelo. The logo on the headstock was a metal affair, held on by 2 screws like yours. It has been missing since before I got the guitar, but can tell it was a "Tiesco Del Rey" I think a company made these guitars for whoever wanted to distribute them.

Decon, post a pic if you can.

When I talked with guitar shop people, they said that many guitars were made under many different names for the purposes of exporting at the time in Japan. Many of them were so called OEM. They also said that similar guitars have been made in Korea and China too.

hope