synaesthesia said:
Tokai did not become Fender Japan.
In Japan, most music inst. business works differently, mostly 'design' companies and 'OEM contractors'. There are several contracting factories and there are branding businesses, e.g Hoshino (brands: Ibanez etc) Fuji Gen Gakki (manufacturing factory, building Ibanez, Greco, Fender Japan), Matsumoko (building Aria, "Morris",Westone....). Fender Japan is part of Fender not Tokai. Fender contracted FujiGen Gakki to build Fender japan in the 80s. There are some smaller companies that are both design and manufacture, e.g. ESP. In the 80's the only large company that manufactured and designed at the same time was Yamaha.
You mentin the "Morris" brand here and I think it is a mistake on your part unless there has been a major change. Toshio Moridaira started making Guitars in a small Barn size wooden building in the 1960s and named it Morris Guitars. Soon after he built his larger factory and is still existing in Nagano, Japan not far from the old site. On my trip of 1989 to Japan to start the Burner Bass project, Toshio took me over to his old building to show me where he had started as a young man. It was interesting to see that when we stopped to get Gas, a young adult or late teen came out and filled up the car, bowed and we drove off, just like that. No siginature and no cash (Yen) was paid. He had an account and they knew who he was. When we were in Tokio we visited a few shops as he showed me around personally. In one show, we walked in and he brought me over to look at some of his guitars branded 'Toronado' (bowl backed acoustics like the Ovations). A sales girl walks up and I think asked if we needed help (a 37 year old american and a 67? year old Japanese) and looked for a second at his face and WOW.. She was almost on her knees bowing and bowing and bobbing and bowing until he told her in Japanese it was ok, ok young lady.. he's just showing me/his friend around. At one 'Summer NAMM' show in Nashville we were walking out when Shiro Arai (Aria Guitars founder and president) walked up, smiled at me (we are old friends in the business) and took Moridaira's hand, leaned over and started that bowing n bobbing thing again until Toshio told him, ok, ok.. Who is this Toshio guy I thought to myself, one of my oldest friends in the business, the Japanese God Father?.. Maybe yes, maybe no..
I can tell you more as we have spent alot of time together as friends at dinner, golf and business all over the USA (Namm Shows), visits to NY, Japan and Germany at the Frankfurt show where we first met in 1980 introduced to him by Bill Lawrence as we had drinks together.
Morris was at one time the Japanese contractor (and still may be for some) for Fender, Charvel, Bill Lawrence, Ovation, Warwick, Burner (Smith) and many other brands including their own names including Morris, Toronado and Hurricane Guitars all of which I have seen with my own eyes when visiting the plant in 1989. Toshio mentioned that at one point he had 12 factories other than his making 20,000 guitars a year or month (I can't recall) or was it 20 factories making 12,000 units?.. Either way, it was alot of guitars the way he explained it and one day I will ask him again. He has retired and moved to Hawaii and has not been to a NAMM show in several years himself. It was over 10 years ago that I attended his companies' 35th anniversary party at the Marriot in Anaheim so I guess he deserves a rest. Young-Chang Piano factory in Korea was also one of his sub-contractors for Guitars branded Fender and Basses for Warwick. I believe they made the Acoustisc for Fender (Japan models) right there in the Nagano plant as he showed me stacks and stacks of Brazillian Rosewood Veneers in wooden crates piled up in one of the warehouse buildings in Nagano. In Tokyo, he had a 5 story building with basement in the Financial district. His offices for his Distribution company were headed there including 3 floors of offices, one floor or studios for musicians and a great Japanese Resturant on the ground floor. There were several white Vans in the parking lot used for deliveries to shops around Tokio. I visited one of his warehouses of which he had at least 5 all over Japan to make distribution easier. In the 1960s, he came to America speaking no English at all and thought that Japanese musicians woudl pay high dollars for American goods and became the first distributor for Gibson and Fender. Later on he aquired Mesa Boogie and paid $1,000,000. (one Million U$D) for a single shipment of product from them to show they were serious. When I gave them the Smith line to sell there his right hand man Yoichi Minagowa came to my booth in Anaheim and said, "ok, we buy your strings now. Give me 10 gross Burner Mudiums to start". I was shocked.. 10 Gross? Just one model/style/gauge String? Why not mix it up and take a variety, I asked? "NO, 10 Gross Burner Meduims. You give special Price?" He gave me an offer I couldn't refuse.. End of that story..lol
People look at Minagowa almost in fear as he started the Dist. Business with Moridaira over 40 years ago. He is now the Chairman, up from President when we first met so you can imagine how respected Moridaira is as even Minagowa bows to Toshio. Funny thing is that I have NEVER seen Toshio bow to anyone except maybe me on occassion...
