Suzuki Three-S

Suzuki Three S W5025
Made in Japan, 1977
in Nagoya by Suzuki Violin Co.

Bought second hand, in a very dirty state. Spent many hours cleaning it up.

Dreadnaught model,
top: spruce laminate ( very thin and responsive), nice undulations in the wood structure; ivoroid and abalone binding on the top sides, double abalone ring around the soundhole.
Sides: laminate rosewood, inner side: indian RW, outside: non-matching, brazilian RW
Back: three panels: two outside panels: inside indian RW, outside, brazilian RW; central panel: clear maple laminate. Panels divided by abalone lines.
Neck: mahogany, rosewood fretboard, ivoroid purfling, V - profile, one piece.
Inner bracing: very clean and good finish - for tones sake.
Gotoh-style closed tuners.
Headstock: classic Three S logo, rosewood finish, ivoroid purfling.
The bridge pins were worn, one broken; replaced them by plastic set on hand, I plan to fit bone pins in here.
Nut and saddle were bone, clean those up ( polished them), all sqeaks when tuning disappeared.

I give this an 8 - 9 would been given if the top would have been massive.

Although a dreadnaught,
the balance high/mid/bass is much better than the average dread. A fingerpicking delight. No bassy impression. Sounds fine to me.
When strummed ( and when strummed heavily: no overdrive, no compression!) it has a good string per string definition.
When played, it sounds strong (for example outside in a forest setting) and clear.
Great harmonics, very good overtones.
I'm still searching for the right strings to fit this guitar (tried Martin, Wyres, Elixir); I'm getting close lately.
Other people (musicians) like the sound of this guitar. They keep on playing it.
Neck feels braoder than it is ( 42 mm); comfortable to play.

It gets an 8.

Finish is flawless. The japanes knew how to make a good guitar, even with laminated top. No remarks here.
I changed (lowered) the action ( trussrod had never been touched before), now it plays like a charm. Sliding on strings is very easy.
After 32 years, one tuner is giving in a bit. I managed to get it under control, didn't have to change a tuner yet.
9 here.

What can I say? After 32 years of neglect and abuse a good clean up and setup was all it took to make this guitar sing. Neck is perfect, hasn't given in a bit.
This deserves a 9.

I expect I won't be able to find it, and I won't need it. I'll do the works myself.

Have been playing for more than 35 years.
Always looked at used guitars to give them a new life.
Bought one gutiar new once, sold it afterwards.
I always try to move up soundwise. The more I play this Suzuki W5025, the more I like it.
I've owned Seagull, Furch, Harmony Sovereign 1203, Yamaha; I still play Hashimoto, Albert&Muller, an old classic Yamaha. I don't think I'll ever run across such Suzuki again.
I saw the add on the net, and went for it right away because I know that the '70ies era japanese productin has great potential.
I only had to change one old string on the guitar ( old ones were more than 6 years old) to know this one had it.

Try one if you ever can, buy one when you tried it. ;-)

I think this is an all-laminated D28 Martin copy. As others have said it's from the 70's and is a surprisingly good sounding instrument for its price. Aside from a slight top belly it's held together really well. Nothing is loose, no cracks, no buzzes. Plastic tuner gear covers are the only cheesy details, but the tuners hold well and are nice and smooth. The inlay work is quite spectacular.

This one has a boatail neck which took me a little getting used to.

I found it in a thrift store, without strings and saddle for $19. My wife liked it enough, after I got it playing, to spend $80 on a hard case for it...

Warm, full sound. A bit bass heavy, like most dreadnoughts do, but damn fine. Hard to believe it's a laminated top. Then again, that's why it's survived so well.

I have this one tuned to an open D and it seems to suit it quite well. I guess the bellied top concerns me a little and the tuning takes a bit of the tension off. I've ordered a couple of Bridge Doctors for this and a similar vintage Yamaha 12-string. It doesn't really need it yet- the bridge is nice and tight with plenty of saddle adjustment still. I just like this guitar enough to want it around for another 20 years.

Build quality is excellent for this kind of mass produced instrument. Absolutely stunning looking combination of woods and inlay. Action was easy to set up. I installed a bone saddle and swapped out the nut while I was at it. Didn't have to touch the trussrod.

a TANK.

not needed, never tried to contact them

one of my favorites. not worth enough to have second thoughts about taking it out. Sounds great, sturdy, fun. What else do you need?

This is a Martin D35 millimetre for millimetre copy. I bought it in 1976 and it is quite simply the most wonderful object I have ever owned in my life. I am nearly 64 and have played this for thousands of hours. I put a really cheap soundhole pickup on it for gigging and I have done gigs with playing styles from Ralph McTell to the Stones and Chet Atkins - this will do anything you want.

I'm basically a fingerstyle player (James Taylor/Ralph McTell) but this guitar will play anything. Rock'n'Roll and Ry Cooder slide is particularly good. I have a set of pedals but sometimes you don't want to spoil the sound of a good acoustic.

I am a lutenist so I had the action down pretty early in my relationship with this gorgeous guitar. The manufacturing standard was flawless. I have two Gretsch Anniversaries and my Suzuki beats their factory finish.

I have been playing my Suzuki in public since 1976 (30 years) and have changed nothing in that time apart from lowering the action with some fret files. Bombproof construction.

Don't know - never needed warranty.

I have been playing guitar since 1954 (What's that? Fifty-two years? Can't be relevant any more!!
This guitar is gorgeous to play - makes me sound like Chet Atkins which is the finest compliment.
If it was stolen I'd spend the rest of my life chasing the bastodd that stole it!!

This a 1970's Nagoya, Japan Martin knockoff. Spruce looking top, mahogany back and sides, open-back tuners, round fret inlays. Looks dead on like the D-28 it was sitting next to in the shop, down to the overall look of the headstock logo and binding.

I primarily play country and folk, lots of fingerpicking, lots of "cowboy chords", pretty basic stuff. This guitar has the sound I've been looking for since I started playing acoustic guitar. Rich and full without being boomy or indistinct. Every note is crystal clear, even when fingerpicking, but not overly bright. Sounds very Martin-y, if that makes any sense.

Not in great shape when I got it, nasty old strings, really dirty, schmutz all over it. I took it and cleaned it up, and it looks beautiful. Nice "aged" look. No fret buzz whatsoever, nice action, plays pretty fast if you want to.

I've only had it a few weeks, and I've already whacked it into a door and a chair. Held up perfectly both times. Hopefully there won't be any more durability tests in the forseeable future.

Not a clue.

I work in a used music store, and I see all manner of acoustic guitars come through, from 1960's Martin D-35s to Chinese kindling. I play most everything that comes in, and this one is the first one I've bought outright off the floor.
When it came in, it was dirty and had filthy strings on it. They were black with corrosion and looked like piano wire. But even in that condition, the first strum sold me. I bought it and cleaned it up, tossed some Martin SP strings on it, and it was a religious experience. I've always been a fan of the Martin look and sound, and this got me as close to both as I can imagine for less than a grand. I'm set for acoustic guitars for as long as this one lasts.

Model No F200 bought in 1978 in Dubai for circa #600 (UK) made by suzuki violin co, 20 frets in all, solid top. think its maple and mahogany gloss finish with abalone inlays. dreadnought body with string thru bridge. superb enclosed tuners.

Have played mostly folk music on it since I bought it. sounds absolutely brilliant and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Action was not bad from factory but is great now I have tweaked it. build quality was brilliant. it has had a couple of knocks b ut still sounds great.

I dropped it down a steel ladder once when I had had a bit too much after a session. it now has a dent but withstood the abuse.

never tried the company, have done most of the work on it myself

Been playing 33 years, have several mandolins a mandola a 5 string banjo a brand new Norman and a Hohner dreadnought I found in a junk shop in need of some TLC. When I bought it I had an EKO ranger 6 and a 12 string (Cant remember the make). If it were stolen or lost I'd be gutted, I love everything about it. I haven't seen any other guitars of this make in the UK except for a twelve string which was for sale in Wales.

Suzuki Three-S model F-120. I hear this was made in the 70's. The top is solid - the color is more like cedar than spruce, but I have only heard of aged spruce tops for these. Rosewood back and sides, not sure if laminate or solid. Unsure what the neck is made of - Rosewood or mahagony. Not fancy - MOP dots only, no inlays. Nice dark wood on bridge. Basic tuners - I've never seen covers on them. I hear that it is a Martin D28 copy. 20 fret Dreadnought, joins the body at 14. Standard gloss finish. White trim around edge of top.

I considered this my old beater guitar, but have been unable to find anything that sounds close for under $1000. Try playing a C chord and let it go on any other guitar to compare. I borrowed a friends $1200 Taylor, which is beautiful, loaded with features, and extremely fragile, and it didn't sound any louder or have any better sustain. The Taylor sustain stays true on the chord you played, but the Suzuki eventually goes off on a lovely harmonic, with a deep, oscillating sound unlike anything I've ever heard, except for maybe the end of Bron-yr-Aur (Led Zeppelin). Makes the Taylor sound stodgy and boring. Makes buying a better guitar impossible.

This guitar had been messed with before I bought it. The frets had been leveled, but not crowned. The bridge had been messed with. There some lingering string buzz, but it might not have come that way. The bridge started coming unglued from the body, but the Luthier said it was the easiest bridge repair she had ever done - it came away clean and glued up nicely. The guitar had been stored in some rooms that weren't well heated or cooled, which contributed to the problems. Not bad for a 30 year old guitar, though.

It takes a licking and keeps on ticking. It never occurred to me to take good care of this thing until I went shopping for a nicer one and couldn't find one. Has been dropped soooo many times. You probably have to step on it to crack it, yet it still has great volume. As tough as a Takamine, yet as loud as a Martin or Taylor. Can be taken camping, or whatever (don't try that with a Taylor!). The cheap tuners need to be replaced after 30 years.

For the money, I can't imagine a better guitar. Even if you have to replace all of the hardware and reattach the bridge, it is a great deal. This is a true gem made of aged wood you just can't get any more. If it were lost, I would immediately search for one of the higher end Suzuki's, like the F-200. I may do that anyhow, since I can't find anything else that impressed me for under $2000.

I have been playing for about 25 years, but quit for a long time. I also have a Suzuki Classical guitar and an ancient Kay acoustic that my Dad got in the 40's.

Suzuki Three-S. Purchased new for less than a hundred (US) about 1971 from a Seattle Music Store. The interior paper label say's it's a Model No-120 Made at the Suzuki Violin Company,LTD. Nagota Japan. Has a lot of ivory. and a little mother of pearl marking frets. Ever buy a musical instrument with big intensions? Wish I had 70's car with less than a mile on it. Really enjoyed reading what others wrote. Sounded like there is difference between a Model 120 and 130. Any ideas? Perhaps I don't belong among real musicians.

Mid 70's
Made in Nagoya Japan
Copy of Martin D45
3 piece back rosewood with blond maple center panel
spruce top
abalone binding
fingerboard binding

Flat top folk guitar
I have it set up for blues

I have had the action customized over the years it's perfect

not a scratch
I've had it in a hard shell cas since 76 and I don't use picks
or wear belt buckles

n/a

best I've played irreplaceable.
I was told that these Nagoya guitars
were made at the Suzuki violin plant by skilled craftsmen
in 1977 the Nagoya plant ceased guitar manufacturing
the spruce wood used in the top was the last aged spruce
sold commercially in that era all of the American aged spruce at the time had been bought off the market 72-73-74 by the Hughes corporation for the manufacture of helicopter blades during the Viet Nam War
This is an enduring talisman of proof that music has far greater societal value than War.

My Suzuki guitar, It was made in Japan In the 70's, Has nice frets The Body is beautiful With lots of abalone inlay bindings,The head stock looks exactly like a martin D-45. In fact the guitar is a exact copy.The tuners look very expensive and large.

This guitar sound's Beautiful I found it at a Pawn shop And it caught my eye in fact it is a eye catcher.But when I picked it up to play I got stuck on it,I wanted to play play and play. It has a real loud output. You dont have to triple up your picks to get some noise! it! just puts out.I luv this guitar.It let's you play whatever your in the mood for!!!

You have to play this guitar to believe it! Full on pro" all the way.The finish has no stress cracks but, there are cracks. has not effected the tone" plenty to spare anyway. The Inlay is abalone and plenty of it The craftmanship is superb.

I say that this guitar will be passed around alot.It will survive cause everyone will probably take good care of it.

N.A

I have been playing for a while. I played with plenty of guitars.if you find one out there buy it" you wont regret it.

The Suzuki Three S was made in Japan, I don't know what year, but I have owned it since 1976. It ia a Model 150 and it appears to be a good Martin copy. It has a rosewood fretboard, abolone dot fret markers, 20 frets, a spruce top, and a one piece back.

The sound from this guitar is beautiful. I bought it at Guitar Center during a "guitar-a-thon" and I couldn't even hear it for all the racket. It had a small hole in the side. I figured I couldn't go wrong for $25. I was very pleasantly surprized by the excellent tone and volume when I got it home.

The action is sweet and the neck is nice and thin. I'm a blues guy, and I use Ernie Ball "Earthwoods" with the non-woung G string. Playing licks is a dream on this guitar.

The Three S is holding up great. It has never been in a case since I have owned it. It has been thrown around in my car and played hard at gigs and practice.It has a few nicks and scratches, but the patch I put on it years ago still looks pretty good. The strap holder was whimpy and cracked off a long time ago. One of the tuners used to stick so I replaced them all about 15 years ago.

I'm 45 and have been playing for 28 years. I own 2 strats, a telecaster and a few vintage Fender amps. This is my only acoustic guitar, and it is irreplaceable. I have bought several expensive acoustic guitars over the years, and I always end up selling them because the Three S sounds and plays so much better.

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!