We now play Yamahas

[fronobulax]

The phrase "we blow great motorcycle" may have been written by the author of most instruction manuals that accompanied Japanese-built audio equipment that I purchased back in the '70s & '80s.

Could be but....

I grew up around working professional musicians and "blow" was commonly used as a synonym for "play", especially with wind instruments. As with most slang there were other nuanced uses generally related to music performance. So I read "we blow great motorcycle" as meaning "We make great instruments. We also make great motorcycles?" "Test-blow one" suggests the ad copy is deliberate and rooted in slang rather than some kind of bad translation, poorly edited.

Nevertheless in a world where "blow" has slang meanings in sex and drugs (but not AFAIK rock and roll) it is not ad copy that one would expect half a century later.

 

[Brad Little]

The same people writing the manuals for Japanese photographic equipment in the 50's and 60's.
Laughably incomprehensible.
RBSinTo

An audio rep (Sony, maybe) explained this to me in the '70s. The competent English speakers/writers all worked in PR. The less competent techies wrote the manuals.

 

[bobouz]

I first ran into Japanese “English“ in 1969, after purchasing a service manual for my Honda 305 Superhawk. The manual was pretty much useless except for a few specs. But the good news was that you really didn’t need the manual, because the darn thing never broke down!

 

[GGJaguar]

I first ran into Japanese “English“ in 1969, after purchasing a service manual for my Honda 305 Superhawk.

I remember a Honda ad in the late 1980s for the Japanese (not American) market. It showed a Japan-only motorcycle model with a non-Asian guy in leathers leaning against a brick wall. The caption read "Feel Dandy" in English. Super weird and doesn't make sense to me, but I was not the target audience. I don't think we have to worry about those kind of ads or owner's manuals with Yamaha.

 

[HeyMikey]

An audio rep (Sony, maybe) explained this to me in the '70s. The competent English speakers/writers all worked in PR. The less competent techies wrote the manuals.

That’s still the case today, regardless of the language. Tech manuals don’t often get the best or anyone approaching professional writers. I’m in SW development. I remember not too long ago when most companies actually hired professional writers for everything customer facing because they cared wanted to produce good materials for their customers. Along with other cost cutting most of the good writers are gone. The tech teams often are told to write it themselves, whether they have experience writing customer-facing material or are writing in their first language or not. Just get it done and out the door. Sign of the times.

 

[Guildedagain]

I first ran into Japanese “English“ in 1969, after purchasing a service manual for my Honda 305 Superhawk. The manual was pretty much useless except for a few specs. But the good news was that you really didn’t need the manual, because the darn thing never broke down!

The old Dreams.

As seen on CL recently. Sad modern art, remnants of a past civilization.

Broken Dreams

 

[bobouz]

The old Dreams.

As seen on CL recently. Sad modern art, remnants of a past civilization.

Broken Dreams

Oh my. Yes, that’s indeed a CB 305 Superhawk in the upper left corner, along with the sadly rusted out pressed-steel Dream. I had two Superhawks at different times. Here’s the first one & my future wife, along with a photo of a later CL 305 Scrambler which I’d fully restored. Thankfully, a rather complete pre-trip prep process resulted in no breakdowns on the road - the beautiful upside of OCDness!

 

[adorshki]

Broken Dreams

So that would be the Boulevard of Broken Dreams, then?

 

[Guildedagain]

Thankfully, a rather complete pre-trip prep process resulted in no breakdowns on the road - the beautiful upside of OCDness!

Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

=O[

Yuck. Just hope they keep their US plant. Can't play songs of freedom on a sweatshop guitar.

And I'm thinking of what "pre-" does to used guitar prices. Pre-war Martins. Pre-CBS Fenders. Pre-Gibson Dobros. Coming soon to a dealer near you: pre-Yamaha Guilds!

The horror. Glad I already have mine.

 

[GGJaguar]

And I'm thinking of what "pre-" does to used guitar prices. Pre-war Martins. Pre-CBS Fenders. Pre-Gibson Dobros. Coming soon to a dealer near you: pre-Yamaha Guilds!

You might as well take it all the way back to pre-Avnet.

 

[fronobulax]

=O[

Yuck. Just hope they keep their US plant. Can't play songs of freedom on a sweatshop guitar.

And I'm thinking of what "pre-" does to used guitar prices. Pre-war Martins. Pre-CBS Fenders. Pre-Gibson Dobros. Coming soon to a dealer near you: pre-Yamaha Guilds!

The horror. Glad I already have mine.

You perhaps can be forgiven for not reading the thread before replying but the announced plans are the Oxnard facility will continue to produce Guild guitars.

The effect of "pre-" is an interesting topic especially to those who lived through "pre-CBS" Fender, but anecdotally I think "pre-" is a generational concern and the generation is dying off. The players I talk to who are under 40 seem mystified that I know, or even care, which conglomerate owned the company when my instruments were built or where the factory that built them was. There are the folks who, for example, know they want a M20 made in Westerly before 1974 because that is close as they are going to get to the instrument Nick Drake never owner or played but did use as a photo prop but there are others who just want a Guild M20 and when or where it was made means nothing to them. "pre-" only matters if there was a spec change that can clearly be attributed to the new owners. Anecdotal so YMMV.

 

[Westerly Wood]

To be fair, Yamaha buying Guild is one of the best things to happen to Guild in a long time.

 

[Rocky]

To be fair, Yamaha buying Guild is one of the best things to happen to Guild in a long time.

I think the jury is still out on that, but it certainly has a lot of potential.

 

[Uke]

I think "pre-" is a generational concern and the generation is dying off.

Jeez that's a sobering realization -- thanks for sharing. Now I'm feeling even older.

 

[Uke]

To be fair, Yamaha buying Guild is one of the best things to happen to Guild in a long time.

Talked with a guy in a shop in NC a couple of weeks ago. The shop carried a respectable line of U.S. made Guilds (as well as the Asian stock). He had not heard that Yamaha had bought Guild. His immediate reaction when I mentioned it was, "I think that might be good for Guild."

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

You perhaps can be forgiven for not reading the thread before replying but the announced plans are the Oxnard facility will continue to produce Guild guitars.

We'll hope they keep their promise!

The effect of "pre-" is an interesting topic especially to those who lived through "pre-CBS" Fender, but anecdotally I think "pre-" is a generational concern and the generation is dying off. The players I talk to who are under 40 seem mystified that I know, or even care, which conglomerate owned the company when my instruments were built or where the factory that built them was. There are the folks who, for example, know they want a M20 made in Westerly before 1974 because that is close as they are going to get to the instrument Nick Drake never owner or played but did use as a photo prop but there are others who just want a Guild M20 and when or where it was made means nothing to them. "pre-" only matters if there was a spec change that can clearly be attributed to the new owners. Anecdotal so YMMV.

Good thoughts! I'd still kill for a pre-war Gibson Southern Jumbo.

PS - There are guitarists under forty?

=O•

 

[Westerly Wood]

Talked with a guy in a shop in NC a couple of weeks ago. The shop carried a respectable line of U.S. made Guilds (as well as the Asian stock). He had not heard that Yamaha had bought Guild. His immediate reaction when I mentioned it was, "I think that might be good for Guild."

I am probably being magnanimous here, but I think the Yamaha ownership will be more positive than the Fender one.

 

[Christopher Cozad]

"Guild guitars have been the choice of influential artists such as John Denver..."

Marketing is no doubt well aware...

 

[Prince of Darkness]

"Guild guitars have been the choice of influential artists such as John Denver..."

Marketing is no doubt well aware...

I am rather curious that Nick Drake is included in that list of influential artists Has it ever been established that he ever played a Guild? Certainly, we know that the M-20 on the cover of Bryter Layter belonged to the photographer, but the evidence about whether he ever played Guild seems to be inconclusive. I have read that Richard Thompson, who played on Drake's first two albums, said that he only ever saw him play a small body Guild, but can't confirm that he ever said it!