Suzuki Three-S

No idea when it was made but my dad bought it new in Berlin, Germany in the mid seventies. It was made in Nagoya, Japan. It has the Suzuki Three.s written on the head stock in gold lettering (est.1887)chrome plated non locking tuners which are open at the back with an engraved base plate. It has 20 frets, 14 to the body, silver fret markers on the face of the frets starting at the fifth with white dot markers on the edge of the fret board running from the 3rd to the 17th. Headstock, neck, back and sides all appear to be solid rosewood while the fretboard (I am told)is a type of jacobian hardwood very possibly brazilian. Top is solid spruce. It is a small bodied acoustic with lovely shaped thin neck. The label inside states that it is a model F-130.

I have tried many guiters including Martin, Fender and Takamine, but have yet to find any to match its tonal range and quality. Never played through an amp, but never needed to when pushed this little gem holds its balance across the strings perfectly, never gives fret buzz or wanders in any way and the tone is warm and bright. I can play anything on this from rock to blues to ballards. Fantastic

I have never had to alter the action the neck is true and flat after all these years. The finish is impeccable while it is light to hold and well balanced it has had a few heavy knocks over the years and yet its deep gloss remains un-blemished. The action has spoilt me it's so perfect its yet to be matched, if I ever find another guitar that plays like this I'll buy it on sight.

It will withstand live playing with ease, would love to fit it with a good pickup and give it a go, but it would have to be a clip on as I could'nt bring myself to drill holes it it. Strap button lets it all down cheap plastic looking thing which is too small. (soon to be replaced)Overall 100% dependable very rarely goes out of tune.

N/A, Never found anything on the company.

If it were stolen or lost I'd be devastated, I'd love to buy another suzuki or at least try one but I've never seen another, I'd like a Takamine, Taylor, or Martin. Id love the Austrailian made Maton, but whatever I own in the future this old little Suzuki will always make me smile, its an absolute gem, anyone got one for sale?!

Pawn shop find, looks like a high quality Japanese copy of a ''70's Martin D-45. Solid spruce top, rosewood (3-piece) back and sides, mahogany neck. Abalone everywhere, like a D-45-hexagonal fret markers on the fingerboard, 14 fret to the body to neck join. Chrome closed tuners with 'S' on the back

Its got that Martin-y midrangey kind of sound, good for flat picking, boomy.

The guitar when I bought it had a crack in the saddle that I had fixed. Many of the 'scratch marks' in the finish buffed out. It has that amber aging patina to the finish which makes the rosewood look very dark. With its 3 piece back I wonder if the rosewood could be Brazilian, since Martin went to 3 piece backs due to the dwindling supplies of that wood in the '70's. Anybody know how to tell?

this guitar looks pretty good for being ( I would guess) around 25 years old.

I can't get any info on this company. The best I've been able to find are these reviews on Harmony Central

I've been playing for over 30 years. My main acoustic is another Hi end Japanese guitar from the '70's- a copy of a Bozo Bell Western that has a real sparkly tone that I love. Compared to that guitar this one is more midrange centered in tone, similar to Martins that I've played. I think this was a great guitar for the price, heck it probably has $120 worth of abalone alone on it.
Anybody think the rosewood might be Brazilian?

I bought this great little guitar, brand new while on holiday in New Zealand in 1977. It is an F-14 model round hole acoustic 6-string with 20 frets and the most comfortable neck I've ever played.

Such a bright sound from such a small body.

The action was pretty ordinary when new, but all it realy needed was the bridge to be filed down a bit, and a little off the nut. The frets were near perfect! They're worn down now though.

This guitar is my "Traveller". It loves a hard time.

I've played on & off for 30 years, if my Suzy was stolen or lost, I'd be shattered. From the moment I picked it up, felt that neck, and heard the rich tone, I knew I'd stumbled onto a find.

This guitar is I believe from 1978-1979, I bought it in 1995 from a pawnshop and we looked it up in their book, but I may not be correct on the date. A Dreadnaught Martin D-35 clone, complete with headstock and three piece back with abalone inlay, Spruce top and rosewood back and sides, slim neck with fat frets. Sealed tuners.Highgloss finish, Abalone "diamond" fret markers.

I was on my way out of this pawnshop when I spotted it hanging on the wall, covered in dust. I had them hand it down and the strings were all tarnished, but when I tuned it and hit a chord I was shocked! The tone was outstanding and VOLUME! I had been looking for months at both used and new guitars and could find anything that sounded right, and here it was!

It is now 2001 and I have found nothing at all wrong with any part of this guitar( and I always find something to worry about!)The worst part is I lost one of the tuner caps. This is a very stout and well finished guitar.

I must admit that I am hard on guitars, not putting it in the case, leaving it dirty after playing bar gigs, etc. when I clean it , it looks new again! It seems that the wood has darkened or maybe "mellowed" over the past few years and now instead of looking "spanking new" it is beginning to have that "vintage" quality to the wood. Still solid as a rock, yes I don't even HAVE a back-up for gigs!

N/A

I am 47 and have been playing since 16 I have a '74 Strat and a '65 Danelectro DM-25 amp. This guitar is irreplaceable to me, I have never seen another one, and when I bought it , the used guitar book at the pawnshop said it was "Suzuki Violin Co.'s attemp to break the acoustic guitar market." and that it was a short lived attempt due to the price being too close to that of the Martin from which it was copied. I believe that this is one of those rare instruments that you only get your hands on once in a lifetime. It will never be collectable because it doesn't have Martin on the headstock, but in every way it surpasses anything anywhere near it's price range. One of my old friends down in Austin plays a D-28 from 1964, and whenever I'm there he always wants to play the Suzuki!