Is it a guild lawsuit from 70s ?

[SFIV1967]

Perhaps someone on LTG is familiar with the Crestwood line, and I'd be curious to know where, globally, they were being sold.

Crestwood is a brand name of La Playa Distributing (LDP) a musical instrument distributor originally out of Detroit. So you find them moustly in MI today.

Ralf

 

[bobouz]

Ralf

Yes indeed Ralf, that’s them! And just for the record, they clearly were not the best of what was available at that time!

 

[bobouz]

Crestwood is a brand name of La Playa Distributing (LDP) a musical instrument distributor originally out of Detroit. So you find them moustly in MI today.

Ralf

Thanks Ralf. As I was saying, you seemingly only needed to have a pulse to become a regional distributor of Japanese-made instruments when they were first hitting the global market. My armchair impression was that the playing field started getting weeded out rather quickly as the ’80s unfolded, so that fewer entities began controlling larger regions of distribution.

 

[jdl25]

Sure looks like a copy.

 

[banjomike]

Looks close but there are some differences. But models change year to year .

So not knowing , are all lawsuit models laminated regardless of brand copy ? I heard they all were all solid woods .

I did some design work for Ibanez during the lawsuit period.
Most of, but not all, the guitars were laminated.
From ca. 1968 to ca. 1978, Hoshino exported 3 lines to the U.S.: Ibanez, Tama, and Cimar.
The Ibanez models were all laminated (bodies and tops), the Tama was a more expensive line, and were the first to receive solid-wood tops.
The Cimar was the budget brand, and were all laminated.

There never was an actual lawsuit, though Gibson, at that time a Norlin subsidiary, threatened to sue. Hoshino responded by stopping the straight-ahead Les Paul copies, their largest-selling Gibson copy, followed by a new re-designed peghead shape which became standard for all the Ibanez guitars with traditional headstocks, and a single new inline design for their Fender style guitars.

The Ibanez acoustics also got a new standardized teardrop pickguard, new bridge shape, and a much-simplfied acoustic model line. The Tamas became all solid-wood guitars with a lot of refinement in everything- better woods, simpler cosmetics that weren't as flashy, and much better finish work.
The Ibanez Artwood line soon followed with solid tops, and sometimes solid backs w/ laminated sides, and/or all-laminated bodies.
By then, all the direct copies had been discontinued.
For a very brief 2-3 year period, the Tama guitars were simply some of the best acoustics available. At a price that was very close to their American competition.
Price may have been the reason why the Tamas were discontinued. The Artwood series was never as expensive, and was never made with the same amount of handwork as the Tama.
This was an experimental time for Ibanez; Hoshino was both stretching its chops as a guitar builder and was learning where it's best sales areas were in the U.S. at the same time.
Their acoustics sold well, but cost more to make. Their electric guitars made their brand name famous here, but in Europe, the acoustics were their best sellers. The USA never got some of Ibanez' best acoustic guitars as a result.

The 2 electrics that did it for Ibanez were one copy and one original design. The Ibanez Flying V copy of 1975 was, by all regards, a closer and better copy of the Gibson originals of the 1950s than Gibson's own re-issue, made the same year. This was the guitar that started Gibson rumbling about copyright infringement.
The other one was Paul Stanley's Iceman, an original Ibanez design totally. It came out just as the Ibanez Flying V was discontinued, at a time when Kiss was the most popular rock band in the country.

But neither guitar actually made Hoshino the money another of their originals did. Their Fender-style super-Strats were their best sellers by far.


I can't remember seeing any more Cimar guitars after 1975. but that doesn't mean Hoshino stopped making them; those guitars may have been intentionally separated and sold to dept. stores, etc., away from Ibanez music stores, as a way to protect the Ibanez brand name. Eventually, Tamas were stopped, with the brand name used only on their drums and some hardware- stands, effects, etc.

Interestingly, Ibanez had it's own boutique guitar factory here from the very first.
In order to enter the market, Hoshino purchased the Elger Guitar Co. sometime in 1968. Elger guitars were like Collings now- a small factory that sold high-quality guitars in small numbers, with sales limited to the East Coast.
Hoshino left Elger alone after the buyout and sent their guys here from Japan to learn how we did things here. This is part of the reason why Ibanez became so successful so fast.
Once the Japanese crew leaders understood American manufacturing, the Elger division was quietly closed and became the company's east-coast sales and import headquarters.

 

[Rayk]

I did some design work for Ibanez during the lawsuit period.
Most of, but not all, the guitars were laminated.
From ca. 1968 to ca. 1978, Hoshino exported 3 lines to the U.S.: Ibanez, Tama, and Cimar.
The Ibanez models were all laminated (bodies and tops), the Tama was a more expensive line, and were the first to receive solid-wood tops.
The Cimar was the budget brand, and were all laminated.

There never was an actual lawsuit, though Gibson, at that time a Norlin subsidiary, threatened to sue. Hoshino responded by stopping the straight-ahead Les Paul copies, their largest-selling Gibson copy, followed by a new re-designed peghead shape which became standard for all the Ibanez guitars with traditional headstocks, and a single new inline design for their Fender style guitars.

The Ibanez acoustics also got a new standardized teardrop pickguard, new bridge shape, and a much-simplfied acoustic model line. The Tamas became all solid-wood guitars with a lot of refinement in everything- better woods, simpler cosmetics that weren't as flashy, and much better finish work.
The Ibanez Artwood line soon followed with solid tops, and sometimes solid backs w/ laminated sides, and/or all-laminated bodies.
By then, all the direct copies had been discontinued.
For a very brief 2-3 year period, the Tama guitars were simply some of the best acoustics available. At a price that was very close to their American competition.
Price may have been the reason why the Tamas were discontinued. The Artwood series was never as expensive, and was never made with the same amount of handwork as the Tama.
This was an experimental time for Ibanez; Hoshino was both stretching its chops as a guitar builder and was learning where it's best sales areas were in the U.S. at the same time.
Their acoustics sold well, but cost more to make. Their electric guitars made their brand name famous here, but in Europe, the acoustics were their best sellers. The USA never got some of Ibanez' best acoustic guitars as a result.

The 2 electrics that did it for Ibanez were one copy and one original design. The Ibanez Flying V copy of 1975 was, by all regards, a closer and better copy of the Gibson originals of the 1950s than Gibson's own re-issue, made the same year. This was the guitar that started Gibson rumbling about copyright infringement.
The other one was Paul Stanley's Iceman, an original Ibanez design totally. It came out just as the Ibanez Flying V was discontinued, at a time when Kiss was the most popular rock band in the country.

But neither guitar actually made Hoshino the money another of their originals did. Their Fender-style super-Strats were their best sellers by far.


I can't remember seeing any more Cimar guitars after 1975. but that doesn't mean Hoshino stopped making them; those guitars may have been intentionally separated and sold to dept. stores, etc., away from Ibanez music stores, as a way to protect the Ibanez brand name. Eventually, Tamas were stopped, with the brand name used only on their drums and some hardware- stands, effects, etc.

Interestingly, Ibanez had it's own boutique guitar factory here from the very first.
In order to enter the market, Hoshino purchased the Elger Guitar Co. sometime in 1968. Elger guitars were like Collings now- a small factory that sold high-quality guitars in small numbers, with sales limited to the East Coast.
Hoshino left Elger alone after the buyout and sent their guys here from Japan to learn how we did things here. This is part of the reason why Ibanez became so successful so fast.
Once the Japanese crew leaders understood American manufacturing, the Elger division was quietly closed and became the company's east-coast sales and import headquarters.

Wow ! That’s is cool info and what experience you must have is amazing !

Ibanez always did for me I still have my musician series 400 always want the 500 though . Lol

My acoustic for an awhile was the AEL50 I think it was though I loved it tonally it wasn’t so good once I started recording . Always wished they’d put out a high end acoustic but not seen a one to date .

I always had Ibanez electrics but sold those less the Mc400 .

Really good info thank you for that !

 

[banjomike]

Wow ! That’s is cool info and what experience you must have is amazing !

Ibanez always did for me I still have my musician series 400 always want the 500 though . Lol

My acoustic for an awhile was the AEL50 I think it was though I loved it tonally it wasn’t so good once I started recording . Always wished they’d put out a high end acoustic but not seen a one to date .

I always had Ibanez electrics but sold those less the Mc400 .

Really good info thank you for that !

I was hired through pure serendipity.
Hoshino's west-coast distributor back then was an old, well-established local music company that is here in my Idaho hometown. Chesbro Music began as a piano sales company in the 1920s, and gradually became a huge printed music sales outfit; back then, sales of sheet music were often larger than recording sales for the biggest hits of the day.
Chesbro sold more sheet music than anyone else west of the Mississippi, a fact that impressed the Japanese a lot. Since they had a good distribution setup, Hoshino gave them an exclusive west-coast territory.
I had been a regular customer for years by then, and I knew their sales personnel very well.
One, the son of their top sales manager, was both a friend of mine and a big bluegrass fan. Back then, I mostly played the 5-string banjo, and I worked for Chesbro off and on doing signs and artwork for them.

So when Hoshino wanted to change the look of their Gibson-copy banjos, my name came up, and I did some banjos for them.
Through this association, I ended up with 2 very good prototype banjos, a pretty good mandolin, and was able to buy some top-range acoustic guitars at extremely reasonable prices.

The first prototype banjo became my main performance banjo for the next 35 years. It's made me more money than all my others combined, and it's still a great sounding and playing banjo. The second is nicer in some respects, but it's never had a neck that was as perfect for my hand as the first. My banjo-playing daughter now owns #2.

Two of the guitars were Tamas; one was a mahogany dreadnought that was a guitar I always thought Martin should have made; it had an ebony board, ebony/maple/rosewood binding, and a thin cashew-based varnish finish over some choice wood.
A killer, but very delicate, and it wasn't sturdy enough to be a road guitar. I won a couple of contests with it, then sold it. Sure wish I hadn't, though, as they're super hard to find now.

The other one was very sturdy. I still own it. It's a Macaferri-style jazz guitar made for the 1978 NAMM show; solid Braz. sides and back, with a Sitka top. It was handmade by Hoshino's best guy under the directions of Mario Macaferri, who was working for them as a consultant then. Mario was too old to build them, but he did some design work in Japan for about 18 months.
Back then, few Americans knew what a Macaferri guitar was, but I did. So did David Lindley, who tried to score the guitar, and had it for a month after the show.
But Hoshino wouldn't give it to him for free, so he gave it back. When I saw it at the warehouse, I flipped out, and that impressed the Hoshino guy, so I was allowed to buy it at their cost- $500. (A lot, actually. I always thought Hoshino tagged on some of their freight bill from the NAMM show on the sale. Dang cheap for a handmade custom, though...)

I've also owned 3-4 solid body electrics, a hollow body jazz guitar, and another fairly rare acoustic, one of their best Ragtime guitars. I'm still a big fan of the Ibanez Talman guitars- I own a 2012 re-issue and a 1996 original.

 

[Rayk]

I was hired through pure serendipity.
Hoshino's west-coast distributor back then was an old, well-established local music company that is here in my Idaho hometown. Chesbro Music began as a piano sales company in the 1920s, and gradually became a huge printed music sales outfit; back then, sales of sheet music were often larger than recording sales for the biggest hits of the day.
Chesbro sold more sheet music than anyone else west of the Mississippi, a fact that impressed the Japanese a lot. Since they had a good distribution setup, Hoshino gave them an exclusive west-coast territory.
I had been a regular customer for years by then, and I knew their sales personnel very well.
One, the son of their top sales manager, was both a friend of mine and a big bluegrass fan. Back then, I mostly played the 5-string banjo, and I worked for Chesbro off and on doing signs and artwork for them.

So when Hoshino wanted to change the look of their Gibson-copy banjos, my name came up, and I did some banjos for them.
Through this association, I ended up with 2 very good prototype banjos, a pretty good mandolin, and was able to buy some top-range acoustic guitars at extremely reasonable prices.

The first prototype banjo became my main performance banjo for the next 35 years. It's made me more money than all my others combined, and it's still a great sounding and playing banjo. The second is nicer in some respects, but it's never had a neck that was as perfect for my hand as the first. My banjo-playing daughter now owns #2.

Two of the guitars were Tamas; one was a mahogany dreadnought that was a guitar I always thought Martin should have made; it had an ebony board, ebony/maple/rosewood binding, and a thin cashew-based varnish finish over some choice wood.
A killer, but very delicate, and it wasn't sturdy enough to be a road guitar. I won a couple of contests with it, then sold it. Sure wish I hadn't, though, as they're super hard to find now.

The other one was very sturdy. I still own it. It's a Macaferri-style jazz guitar made for the 1978 NAMM show; solid Braz. sides and back, with a Sitka top. It was handmade by Hoshino's best guy under the directions of Mario Macaferri, who was working for them as a consultant then. Mario was too old to build them, but he did some design work in Japan for about 18 months.
Back then, few Americans knew what a Macaferri guitar was, but I did. So did David Lindley, who tried to score the guitar, and had it for a month after the show.
But Hoshino wouldn't give it to him for free, so he gave it back. When I saw it at the warehouse, I flipped out, and that impressed the Hoshino guy, so I was allowed to buy it at their cost- $500. (A lot, actually. I always thought Hoshino tagged on some of their freight bill from the NAMM show on the sale. Dang cheap for a handmade custom, though...)

I've also owned 3-4 solid body electrics, a hollow body jazz guitar, and another fairly rare acoustic, one of their best Ragtime guitars. I'm still a big fan of the Ibanez Talman guitars- I own a 2012 re-issue and a 1996 original.

Nice great story !

 

[k482]

Even the post has started with a specific guitar and question I see so many important stories and knowledge share here !
I hope there are around in another topic or else it would be nice an admin to move them somehow !
Interesting stories guys !!

 

[GGJaguar]

Cool stories, banjomike, thanks for sharing!

 

[SFIV1967]

I can't remember seeing any more Cimar guitars after 1975. but that doesn't mean Hoshino stopped making them; those guitars may have been intentionally separated and sold to dept. stores, etc., away from Ibanez music stores, as a way to protect the Ibanez brand name.

1977 catalog:





Ralf

 

[chazmo]

I was hired through pure serendipity.
Hoshino's west-coast distributor back then was an old, well-established local music company that is here in my Idaho hometown. Chesbro Music began as a piano sales company in the 1920s, and gradually became a huge printed music sales outfit; back then, sales of sheet music were often larger than recording sales for the biggest hits of the day.
Chesbro sold more sheet music than anyone else west of the Mississippi, a fact that impressed the Japanese a lot. Since they had a good distribution setup, Hoshino gave them an exclusive west-coast territory.
I had been a regular customer for years by then, and I knew their sales personnel very well.
One, the son of their top sales manager, was both a friend of mine and a big bluegrass fan. Back then, I mostly played the 5-string banjo, and I worked for Chesbro off and on doing signs and artwork for them.

So when Hoshino wanted to change the look of their Gibson-copy banjos, my name came up, and I did some banjos for them.
Through this association, I ended up with 2 very good prototype banjos, a pretty good mandolin, and was able to buy some top-range acoustic guitars at extremely reasonable prices.

The first prototype banjo became my main performance banjo for the next 35 years. It's made me more money than all my others combined, and it's still a great sounding and playing banjo. The second is nicer in some respects, but it's never had a neck that was as perfect for my hand as the first. My banjo-playing daughter now owns #2.

Two of the guitars were Tamas; one was a mahogany dreadnought that was a guitar I always thought Martin should have made; it had an ebony board, ebony/maple/rosewood binding, and a thin cashew-based varnish finish over some choice wood.
A killer, but very delicate, and it wasn't sturdy enough to be a road guitar. I won a couple of contests with it, then sold it. Sure wish I hadn't, though, as they're super hard to find now.

The other one was very sturdy. I still own it. It's a Macaferri-style jazz guitar made for the 1978 NAMM show; solid Braz. sides and back, with a Sitka top. It was handmade by Hoshino's best guy under the directions of Mario Macaferri, who was working for them as a consultant then. Mario was too old to build them, but he did some design work in Japan for about 18 months.
Back then, few Americans knew what a Macaferri guitar was, but I did. So did David Lindley, who tried to score the guitar, and had it for a month after the show.
But Hoshino wouldn't give it to him for free, so he gave it back. When I saw it at the warehouse, I flipped out, and that impressed the Hoshino guy, so I was allowed to buy it at their cost- $500. (A lot, actually. I always thought Hoshino tagged on some of their freight bill from the NAMM show on the sale. Dang cheap for a handmade custom, though...)

I've also owned 3-4 solid body electrics, a hollow body jazz guitar, and another fairly rare acoustic, one of their best Ragtime guitars. I'm still a big fan of the Ibanez Talman guitars- I own a 2012 re-issue and a 1996 original.

Mike,

After the lawsuit-era (around 1978-1979), Hoshino's first-generation Ibanez Artwoods (series I) came from the same place that was making Tama guitars in Owari Asahi, Aichi prefecture). From what I have heard, and let me know if you know better, this was not a big shop and my experience with the late Tamas and series I Artwoods is that they were fantastic and built as well as anything else I saw from that era (including USA-built). Do you know where Macaferri's luthier worked? Was it Owari Asahi?

 

[bobouz]

I was hired through pure serendipity.
Hoshino's west-coast distributor back then was an old, well-established local music company that is here in my Idaho hometown. Chesbro Music began as a piano sales company in the 1920s, and gradually became a huge printed music sales outfit; back then, sales of sheet music were often larger than recording sales for the biggest hits of the day.
Chesbro sold more sheet music than anyone else west of the Mississippi, a fact that impressed the Japanese a lot. Since they had a good distribution setup, Hoshino gave them an exclusive west-coast territory.
I had been a regular customer for years by then, and I knew their sales personnel very well.
One, the son of their top sales manager, was both a friend of mine and a big bluegrass fan. Back then, I mostly played the 5-string banjo, and I worked for Chesbro off and on doing signs and artwork for them.

So when Hoshino wanted to change the look of their Gibson-copy banjos, my name came up, and I did some banjos for them.
Through this association, I ended up with 2 very good prototype banjos, a pretty good mandolin, and was able to buy some top-range acoustic guitars at extremely reasonable prices.

The first prototype banjo became my main performance banjo for the next 35 years. It's made me more money than all my others combined, and it's still a great sounding and playing banjo. The second is nicer in some respects, but it's never had a neck that was as perfect for my hand as the first. My banjo-playing daughter now owns #2.

Two of the guitars were Tamas; one was a mahogany dreadnought that was a guitar I always thought Martin should have made; it had an ebony board, ebony/maple/rosewood binding, and a thin cashew-based varnish finish over some choice wood.
A killer, but very delicate, and it wasn't sturdy enough to be a road guitar. I won a couple of contests with it, then sold it. Sure wish I hadn't, though, as they're super hard to find now.

The other one was very sturdy. I still own it. It's a Macaferri-style jazz guitar made for the 1978 NAMM show; solid Braz. sides and back, with a Sitka top. It was handmade by Hoshino's best guy under the directions of Mario Macaferri, who was working for them as a consultant then. Mario was too old to build them, but he did some design work in Japan for about 18 months.
Back then, few Americans knew what a Macaferri guitar was, but I did. So did David Lindley, who tried to score the guitar, and had it for a month after the show.
But Hoshino wouldn't give it to him for free, so he gave it back. When I saw it at the warehouse, I flipped out, and that impressed the Hoshino guy, so I was allowed to buy it at their cost- $500. (A lot, actually. I always thought Hoshino tagged on some of their freight bill from the NAMM show on the sale. Dang cheap for a handmade custom, though...)

I've also owned 3-4 solid body electrics, a hollow body jazz guitar, and another fairly rare acoustic, one of their best Ragtime guitars. I'm still a big fan of the Ibanez Talman guitars- I own a 2012 re-issue and a 1996 original.

Mike, thanks so much for this trip down memory lane, and all the great information on Ibanez products from the '70s. During much of the decade, I was quite into bluegrass, and Ibanez mandolins & banjos represented one of the best values on the market. My first Ibanez product was a "wreath" pattern Artist banjo, purchased new around '75. About as a good of a Gibson clone as you could find at the time - just a very well-made instrument. This must have been before you were involved in design (see old grainy & mildewed Polaroid pic below). Later came an A-style 512 mandolin (solid top w/rosewood sides & back), and one of the few non-Artwood Ibanez acoustics with a solid top, the short-lived V-300s from '78 or '79. Currently, I still have a solid top oval-holed 513 two-point mandolin from 1979. Along the way, I had completely forgotten about the Tama acoustic line, and yes, those were very nice instruments. Unfortunately at the time, I could not see spending large bucks on a Japanese acoustic guitar, and instead set my sights on new Guilds, and used Gibsons. Lastly, you answered a question that always nagged me back then: How in the world did Chesbro Music in Idaho Falls, of all places, manage to become the distributor of Ibanez Instruments!

 

[banjomike]

Mike, thanks so much for this trip down memory lane, and all the great information on Ibanez products from the '70s. During much of the decade, I was quite into bluegrass, and Ibanez mandolins & banjos represented one of the best values on the market. My first Ibanez product was a "wreath" pattern Artist banjo, purchased new around '75. About as a good of a Gibson clone as you could find at the time - just a very well-made instrument. This must have been before you were involved in design (see old grainy & mildewed Polaroid pic below). Later came an A-style 512 mandolin (solid top w/rosewood sides & back), and one of the few non-Artwood Ibanez acoustics with a solid top, the short-lived V-300s from '78 or '79. Currently, I still have a solid top oval-holed 513 two-point mandolin from 1979. Along the way, I had completely forgotten about the Tama acoustic line, and yes, those were very nice instruments. Unfortunately at the time, I could not see spending large bucks on a Japanese acoustic guitar, and instead set my sights on new Guilds, and used Gibsons. Lastly, you answered a question that always nagged me back then: How in the world did Chesbro Music in Idaho Falls, of all places, manage to become the distributor of Ibanez Instruments!

1975 was the year I became involved with Ibanez.

My first banjo design for them was a limited edition model they made for the Bi-Centennial year of 1976.

The project was started late, and at first, Ibanez wanted a banjo, mando, and a guitar with the same theme, but only the banjo reached production. And even the production was less than they first planned; they were going to make 76 for the East Coast and 76 for the West Coast distributors, but I think only 76 were made in total, as the finished banjos arrived in June, a very late date for a model that would have a July 4th association to it.

So some of my inlay designs on the board were substituted for ones Ibanez already had, but they did use all the distinctive inlays I designed. Most of them were variations on the Gibson Flying Eagle inlay pattern.

I was quite proud of this one, even though it was compromised a bit. They sold all they made, so it was a success.
Here's a pic of one that turned up last year. The young guy who's in it found me and wanted to know more bout his banjo.

I own the prototype; it's the only one that's very slightly different from the rest of the production- all 3 stars on the shield inlay on the 5th fret are blue on mine, while the others have a red center star.
Over the years, I swapped tailpieces, and the banjo now has a Gibson Mastertone tone ring in it that had been mis-stamped and was dead stock, so I got it cheap when I worked for them. It's the one that made me the most money by far, as it was my main performance banjo for the next 30+ years.

The other one I did for them followed in 1978. It was all mine- there weren't any substitutions- but it wasn't ever sold in the U.S.
Ibanez wanted an American design for their European market.
Overall, it's a prettier banjo, but the neck was always a little to narrow for me, and that may have been a production mistake.
I can't access any pictures of it right now, and I gave it to my daughter a long time ago.

 

[banjomike]

Mike,

After the lawsuit-era (around 1978-1979), Hoshino's first-generation Ibanez Artwoods (series I) came from the same place that was making Tama guitars in Owari Asahi, Aichi prefecture). From what I have heard, and let me know if you know better, this was not a big shop and my experience with the late Tamas and series I Artwoods is that they were fantastic and built as well as anything else I saw from that ehglisra (including USA-built). Do you know where Macaferri's luthier worked? Was it Owari Asahi?

I agree. Chazmo.
I'm not familiar with the shop that produced them, but it was small for sure, and the quality level was much higher than any of the earlier Tama guitars I saw.
Those guitars were only branded "Tama" for maybe 18 months before they became Artwoods. And the shop didn't make them for very long; I learned the whole project was experimental, a testing of the U.S. market.
The guitars were really good, but Ibanez couldn't sell them and make any money on 'em at the price point here.
So, I expect they became another Europe-only product for the company.

My Macaferri was made by Mirkudo (?) Hondo according to the strange 'label' in the inside. It's a piece of woodgrain plastic composite that was engraved with a Dremel tool, and while in English, is very difficult to read.
The body is all Braz, and the top was veined with a burning iron, making it look like bamboo or something. It had very little finish on the wood, and for years, made a room smell like roses when the case was opened.
Hondo also made a conventional dreadnought that was very nice and one other guitar I can't remember for the NAMM show.

Everything I learned about the guitar came from an employee who was the liason with Hoshino at that time. I spent more time informing him about Macaferri guitars, Django, and all of that than he spent informing me of what Mario was up to working for them in Japan.
Hoshino policy back then was to retain all prototypes. I don't know why, but I was one of very few guys who was allowed to own one, and I owned 4- 2 banjos, guitar, and a mandolin. I actually bought the guitar, and the others were given in lieu of money as payment for my work.
Once I knew he was involved, I saw some of the stuff he did; the Ragtime guitar series were a mix of Macaferri's ideas that were crossed with stuff that Gibson had done. They were smaller, sleeker looking guitars, and the top of the line had a Macaferri reflector build into the body.
The one I owned was the size of an L-00, but had a very deep body with a very Guild-like pressed maple back.
I played it for quite a while as a stage guitar.
It's interesting to me that Fender used a very similar reflector in their new Acoustisonic semi-hollow electric guitars.

 

[GGJaguar]

I think El Degas and Takamine had the best looking Guild clones. I have no idea if they sound good.