Background
In 2016 we translated and reproduced an article from a post by “TAD39” on our sister site Matsumoku.org forum, Matsumoto City and the Matsumoku Memorial.
In a followup post in 2018, independent Japanese writer TAD provided members with a link to his latest intensive documentary on the history of the legendary guitar maker, Matsumoku. Once again he communicated with the members using translation software.
Translation to English
Originally published to the web in Japanese, this is a rough English translation via the Google Translator. It was then converted to Word format, gently edited, and finally converted again into this eBook format, the purpose of which is to more easily share the information with the English speaking world.
Please note:
This is a literal translation.
Japanese terms and references do not always make complete sense in English on a first read. But stay with it and as you become accustomed to the rhythm of the language, the meaning becomes apparent.
The wealth of information comes primarily from interviews with two of the most influential Japanese guitar designers of the day, Toshi Yamato and Nobuaki Hayashi (“H. Noble”). Both were integral to the success and continuing reputation of the Matsumoku / Aria / Westone legacy.
May thanks to TAD for his dedication and hard work in preserving this unique period in guitar making history!
eBook Format
The History of Matsumoku eBook was originally created using the “Kotobee Author” software and the resulting file is a proprietary format called .kpub2 which is not readable by standard ePub readers. Kotobee provides a free dual reader application which also has many useful features such as Search, Book Mark, and Notes. It not only reads .kpub2 but also .epub publications.
Since the first publication of this eBook, the document has been transferred to a PDF and available for download here. PDFs can be read by most modern mobile devices and almost every desktop or laptop. Please feel free to click here, download and enjoy.
Get the eBook!
The History of Matsumoku (.kpub2)
The History of Matsumoku (.pdf)
Then, Download the Kotobee Reader App:
Kotobee Reader provides compatibility for ebooks created using Kotobee Author (like this one) and you can also read books created with the EPUB 3.0 standard. Kotobee Reader is available for both desktop and mobile so you can take the article anywhere.
Happy reading:
