Official Luthiers Forum!

Here are a couple of cool videos of two guitars I built for a player in Japan being used in concert
with his band Yamagen. His name is Yoshiyuki Sahashi and he is one of the top live and studio players
in Japan. Actually, he and the other frontman/guitarist are Yamagen and they tour with hired guns to
fill out the band.

They're both great players and have extensive collections of rare and vintage American guitars so
the fact that my little GC01 with Mahogany back and sides and a Sitka spruce top has become
Sahashi's main live acoustic is really flattering.

Here are the vids....Hope you enjoy them. Sahashi is the guy seated in both videos wearing the
red t-shirt in the first(playing the GC01) and a black jacket over it in the second(playing an MJ02c).

We're actually going to be working on designing a "Sahashi" signature model that will be available
exclusively through my dealer in Tokyo. There's already been a nice show of interest in it from players
and collectors n Japan so it will probably run about 50 pieces deep before the design is retired and
the series is closed.

http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=nZKipzHmDn0

http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=S_kM4ggMB ... re=related

Sore wa subarashii!

Jamie,

That's nice of you.

Here's another short video of Sahashi with his little GC01. This one is a bit more
raw as it's recorded live for the keyboard player's TV show.

http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=aPO62EaSg ... re=related

Thanks,
Kevin Gallagher/Omega Guitars

So deshyo!

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Tracy
http://www.luthiersuppliers.com

Man, those Japanese players are fantastic. I was lucky enough to be able to live there in the late 90s and met a great many amateurs who could really play at a high level as well. There are also a tons of vintage guitars that end up there.

I lived there too, 94 - 95. Fantastic experience.

Here's one place that's helping the migration of vintage guitars to Japan.

http://www.blue-g.com/

Congratulations, Kevin. You must be very proud!

Pat

_________________
formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Pat & Jamie,
I'd love to spend some time in Tokyo and my dealer there has expressed an interest in
flying my wife and I over with a few guitars that are ordered by him to have a sort of
"meet the luthier" time in his store.

Maybe next year when I have two or three pieces ready to go and time to get away for
ten days. We'd like to spend a few dyas at the store and then possibly see some of the
country.

I was invited to go along on a trip the Beijing and surrounding this month by the same
group that took me to Africa in 2006. I had to refuse their offer since I'm just getting back
to work at a good pace after recovering from the injury I'd suffered on that trip. It would
have been exciting to experience some of the Chinese culture, especially with all of the
electricity surrounding the upcoming Olympic Games.

Regards,
Kevin Gallagher/Omega Guitars

If you get a chance to visit Tokyo - then don't hesitate. Your stomach will thank you forever. I am sure your dealer will do a first-rate job of taking care of you and your wife. It's just the Japanese way. You will have a great time; and if you don't, I'll eat my guitar.