Kawai Guitars

the guitars from the late 1970s
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NEWS & UPDATES

 

It might seem a little unnecessary having a special "news & updates" section for a website on Kawai guitars that ceased production nearly 30 years ago, but ...

 

I've had a few emails from people recently with some new information about these guitars, so I've updated the website, and will continue to update it with any more new information, and will link to the updates in this section.

 

A quick explanation ... this site is only a hobby for me, and as I'm currently working about 14hrs/day, there's not a lot of time for me to update the site.  Apologies to all who have sent pics for the owner's gallery - I will post them eventually!  Thanks too for all the emails - I think that I'm managing to reply to all of those as they arrive.

 

 

28th February 2010 - apologies to all for the lack of updates - loads of pics to add and not enough time!

 

3rd January 2010 - another Kawai guitar for sale in the for sale section

14th November - added a new owner's gallery (Joe) and a FOR SALE section.

5th November - Kenneth (see here) has just emailed me to say that he needs to sell his Kawai Aquarius.  If anyone here is interested, contact me, and I'll put you in touch with Kenneth.

 25th October - added more content to the Owners Gallery - thanks to Dave, Mark and Stefan (in Spain, Switzerland and Germany respectively).

24th October - I've added a Guestbook for any comments about the site, or Kawai guitars.

20th September - And another Kawai just added to the collection ... a Rock 'n' Roll star!

14th September - I've just bought another Kawai to add to my collection.  Details to follow when it arrives!

10th September - added a section on the Aquarius range, and added new owner galleries.

2nd September - added a video of the UK's 1979 Eurovision Entry - Black Lace playing "Mary Ann" and using a Kawai KS-12-XL.  Perhaps this video would have been better forgotten ...

19th August - I've been contacted by a book published who is planning a guitar book for publication later this year.  They are looking for hi-res photos of Kawai guitars, so if you've got a Kawai Moonsault or an Aquarius - ideally in good original condition - and could provide a couple of photos - please let me know! 

16th August - added new owner gallery, featuring Frank's (in Bremen) KS-11 with a different headstock.

16th August - added new owner gallery, featuring Jonah's (in Wales) black KS-12-XL

 

 

If you have a Kawai guitar, or any information on any of the Kawai range, please contact me here ... I only add details and photos to the site with your permission.

Kawai guitars

 

 


 

This is a personal (ie non-commercial) site, focused on the Kawai guitars of the late 1970s - the KS-10, KS-11 and KS-12 range.
 
Why? 
-  Because I've managed to find no other information about the guitars anywhere on the www. 
-  Because Kawai have retained no records on these excellent guitars (I know, I asked them).
-  Because of the number of emails I've had from other Kawai owners around the world.
-  Because I wanted to, and I could.
 
 
 
Why Kawai guitars?

 

I bought my first Kawai guitar - a KS-12-XL - sometime in late 1980.  It was my first real electric guitar, as - even then - I didn't really count my true first electric guitar ... a black Les Paul copy marketed under the Columbus brand.

 

Even at the time, I realised that the Kawai was a huge improvement over the Columbus in terms of the feel of the guitar, the evident quality of the materials, and the sound that it produced.  But it's only in the years since, and after playing many other guitars, that I've come to appreciate just how good the Kawai actually was - and still is.  It's easily a match for many better known, American produced, recognised-brand guitars that I've played from the same era.  And that comparison is being kind to those better known American brands.

 

At the time I bought the KS-12-XL, the same retailer (Tim Gentle Music in Southend, Essex) was also selling the KS-11-XL.  I chose the KS-12, but always wondered what the KS-11 would have been like.

 

Without eBay and Google a search for other Kawais would have been difficult to the point of being impossible.  But with those tools, I started to search for a KS-11-XL.  I think I found 2 links on the www.

 

After a number of years, a Kawai KS-11-XL appeared on eBay.  That must have been 5-6 years ago (ie 2003/4).  The guitar looked to be in absolutely mint original condition, with an original case too.  I put the guitar on my watchlist and checked it at least daily.  There seemed to be little interest in the guitar, and with just a few seconds to go, I placed my bid - comfortably more than the other bids.  With perhaps 2-3 seconds to go, I was outbid.  I still kick myself for missing out on that guitar.  If you bought it, drop me an email!

 

After that near miss, I intensified my hunt and in the last few years I've managed to add not only a KS-11-XL, but two of them (1 in each finish option), as well as another KS-12-XL (the other colour option again) and a KS-10 Junior.  That really should complete my collection, and satisfy my collectionist obsession.  At least until I find another one ...