1970s Yasuma Angelica Deluxe (Martin D28 replica)

Before 1970 the Japanese guitar industry had been cheap, low-quality guitars, usually made of plywood. Most were exported to other countries to be sold by different companies.

In the 1970s Japanese manufacturers began to get more serious with companies even attempting to pass themselves off as American brands such as Martin. These were high-quality and looked too close for comfort to the real thing. The Yasuma Musical Instrument Company was one of many who fell foul of US litigation and were ultimately put out of business.

This 70s Yasuma is essentially a Martin D28 copy. The sound this dreadnought produces is unreal. The guitar is noticeably light and has huge amounts of crisp bass response. These guitars are finished in nitro-cellulose (sprayed over the scratch plate). The familiar Martin dot markers were probably the last straw for US lawyers. It did however require a lot of work to get it playable. The string action was 10mm from the fretboard due to the height of the bone saddle. The machined work inside the closed tuners looks like it was precision built by NASA. Yasumas are a rare gem, but if you are buying one online without trying it first don't expect it to play out of the box, they do need setting up.



Maple top.
Mahogany back/sides.
20 fret rosewood neck with small vintage frets.
Nitro finish.