Terada RHD-28JT

Not sure of the year. This HD-28 was made by Terada of Japan. Apparently the story is that this was a model commissioned by, and made for, a high-end/vintage guitar dealer in Japan. They wanted a guitar that looked, sounded, and played like a war-time D-28 herringbone for their customers that wanted such an instrument to play out with, w/o the worries of taking out an irreplaceable vintage Martin. That said, this is as close to owning a war-time herringbone as I'll ever get. This guitar is built using solid Sitka Spruce for the top, and get this....SOLID Brazilian Rosewood back & sides! The neck is made of mahogany, with an ebony fretboard, and small diamond finerboard inlays at the 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, and 14th frets. Frets are medium. It has a headstock volute. The headstock has a Brazilian RW veneer overlay w/ an abalone torch-type inlay. The tuning machines are imported Waverly-type copies. The finish is a thin nitro-cellulose lacquer. The soundhole has a D-28 type rosette around it, while the soundboard id surrounded by herringbone purfling. The top and back are bound in ivoroid. The endstrip is also ivoroid. A zippered backstrip adorns the chocolate colored, 75% vertical grained Brazilian Rosewood. The sides have the same rich color as the back and has 70% vertical grain. The bridge is ebony, with a time-period correct through-cut bone saddle. The nut is also bone. The pickguard is mock tortoise-shell with bevelled edges. All bracing is spruce, and the top bracing is a standard, or set-back X-design(not advanced-X). Because of the materials and the accurate portrayal of a '43 D-28 Herringbone, this guitar gets a 9 for features.

I play rock, pop, country, alt.country/no depression, hillbilly, rockabilly, and Christian worship songs. This guitar suits all those genres. When I plug in, I plug into whatever house PA there is, or my acoustic amp, a Fender KXR200. I have a Fishman Rare Earth Humbucking soundhole pickup installed. I use to run the signal through a DOD Acoustic 1 processor, a little noisy, that one. Now-a-days, I like to run it through a Trace Elliot TAG1 7-band acoustic guitar equalizer, and then a Digitech XP200 Modulator if I want any effects.
This guitar has a loud, open tone. Plenty of midrange, FULL & tight low-end, and clear but not overly-bright treble. A powerful sounding guitar...not a dainty sounding one! I believe the word used to describe this type of tone is 'CANNON'. I've owned a Washburn D10(my first guitar), a Taylor 810, a Taylor 812C, and a Martin D-18V. While they all sounded great...except the Washburn...this Terada really blows 'em away.

I bought this used so I don't know about the factory set-up, bought it seemed adequately set-up for my playing style when I bought it. The finish is a really beautiful nitro-cellulose lacquer. It was applied lightly, so this seems to contribute to the awesome tone. Interior bracing is flawless. No glue showing anywhere.

This guitar has alreday stood up to live playing. I've always played w/o a back-up, had no problems. Finish is light, but will last. I can depend on this one.

Never had any contact with the Terada Co. Anyone out there who has? Please let me know how to contact them.

Been playing about 11 years. My gear currently includes a Mesa Boogie .22+ Caliber, a Mesa Subway Blues, a Rivera-era Fender Yale Reverb, a Fender KXR200, a Fender James Burton Std Tele, an Epiphone Wildkat, a Ric 330 copy, a Peavey Impact Milano, & a Peavey Impact Firenza. Processing-wise, I have a Johnson J-station, a DOD Acoustic 1, a Digitech XP200 Modulator, a Trace Elliot TAG1 equalizer, a Danelectro TunaMelt tremolo, and two DOD OD pedals...Mystic Blues & Integrated Tube.
This Terada is THE one I'll NEVER part with. I love everything about this guitar. Tone. Looks. Durability. I hate nothing about it. My favorite feature is the fact that I was able to get a high-end HD-28(type) with SOLID Brazilian Rosewood back & sides, and a solid spruce top for under $2K! If it were lost or stolen, I never see another. These were never exported out of Japan. I'd have to fork over the BIG $$$s for a US-made equivelent.