Elk Guitars: A History (1960s Japanese guitars)

Discussion of vintage Jazzmasters, Jaguars, Bass VIs, Electric XIIs and any other offset-waist instruments.
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loudhvx
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Re: Elk Guitars: A History (1960s Japanese guitars)

Post by loudhvx » Thu Nov 24, 2016 4:17 pm

Thanks for posting all of that research. I have been aware of Elk guitars and amps my entire life due to the fact that my father worked in the factory in the late 1960's and early 1970's. In fact, my first crib, as a baby, was an empty Elk speaker cabinet. I think we have a photo somewhere. My father was a friend of Saito-San and they corresponded periodically for the last 45 years or so. We currently have a small collection of Elk amps and a couple guitars, as well as a couple Jazztone bass amps that I think were pre-production models for an offshoot company started by one of the Elk engineers. They might be the only two examples in the U.S. as I'm not sure they actually went into production.

Thanks again for all the info!

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Re: Elk Guitars: A History (1960s Japanese guitars)

Post by mgeek » Fri Nov 25, 2016 1:06 am

best post ever!

would you be able to add some photos of the guitars you have, maybe the speaker cabinet/cot?

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Re: Elk Guitars: A History (1960s Japanese guitars)

Post by sleepkid » Fri Nov 25, 2016 6:19 am

loudhvx wrote:Thanks for posting all of that research. I have been aware of Elk guitars and amps my entire life due to the fact that my father worked in the factory in the late 1960's and early 1970's. In fact, my first crib, as a baby, was an empty Elk speaker cabinet. I think we have a photo somewhere. My father was a friend of Saito-San and they corresponded periodically for the last 45 years or so. We currently have a small collection of Elk amps and a couple guitars, as well as a couple Jazztone bass amps that I think were pre-production models for an offshoot company started by one of the Elk engineers. They might be the only two examples in the U.S. as I'm not sure they actually went into production.

Thanks again for all the info!
Yes! Saito mentioned your father. In fact, he even gave me an address to try and contact your father with the last time I met him - in Indiana or Illinois somewhere? (I can't seem to locate the address right now) Is your father still alive? Saito is now 81.

Please feel free to PM me, or contact me via e-mail at my website (on the about us page) http://www.electric-deer-guitarworks.com/about/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And also, please share pictures if you can. Would be great to see.

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Re: Elk Guitars: A History (1960s Japanese guitars)

Post by antisymmetric » Fri Nov 25, 2016 11:29 am

mgeek wrote:best post ever!

would you be able to add some photos of the guitars you have, maybe the speaker cabinet/cot?

+1. So cool. Welcome to OSG!
Watching the corners turn corners

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Re: Elk Guitars: A History (1960s Japanese guitars)

Post by HorseyBoy » Sun Nov 27, 2016 2:12 pm

Oh, man! I really want to see that crib! :)

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Re: Elk Guitars: A History (1960s Japanese guitars)

Post by loudhvx » Sun Nov 27, 2016 10:27 pm

Hi All,
Yes, my father is alive and well. I will try to dig up some photos the next time I get a chance. I do have a few photos of the amps, I will try to locate them as well. For now, I can post a photo of something only the Elk factory personnel would have had. I still wear it about once or twice a year. I have yet to have anyone ask me about it.

Image
https://s3.amazonaws.com/loudfiles/ElkTieClip001.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Hopefully I can post more in the next several days.

-Lou

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Re: Elk Guitars: A History (1960s Japanese guitars)

Post by loudhvx » Mon Nov 28, 2016 8:49 am

About 10 years ago I was in a temporary band my friends and I threw together for a Halloween concert. We ended up doing a second show for St. Patrick's Day. For the second show, my friend and I revamped all of the Elk and Jazztone amps just to have a stage presence.

We only used about half of the amps. The rest were just for show, but they were all functional (just in case one went belly up after decades of non-use). We replaced countless capacitors and other various parts. They all held up well and the show went off without any mishaps, except one of the Jazztone heads fell out of the back of the van onto the street. It still worked perfectly. I don't even remember which one fell.

There is a Fender Princeton in there as well as a solid state Ampeg playing through a modded Kustom cabinet.
One of the Jazztone's played through half of a Fender Bassman cabinet with a single 15".
There is also one short vertical cabinet with a 15" and a horn.
The three Elk cabinets (standing upright instead of horizontally) each have two 12" Jensen speakers.
The

Image

Image

Image

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Re: Elk Guitars: A History (1960s Japanese guitars)

Post by sleepkid » Mon Nov 28, 2016 11:31 am

Very cool pictures.

I see the Elk Vikings here fairly often. They've survived well because they were built well.

I've never seen the Jazztone amps though. They have Miyuki or Elk plates on the back? They appear to be bass amps? Very interesting!

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Re: Elk Guitars: A History (1960s Japanese guitars)

Post by loudhvx » Mon Nov 28, 2016 1:15 pm

I'll have to check the back plates. Yes, they are bass amps. Very simple, single channel, clean with a very nice warm tone. I think my Dad said some of the parts in the Jazztones were from Elk, especially the transformers.

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Re: Elk Guitars: A History (1960s Japanese guitars)

Post by Fiddy » Mon Nov 28, 2016 6:18 pm

↑Is your dad Joe Fire?

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Re: Elk Guitars: A History (1960s Japanese guitars)

Post by loudhvx » Tue Nov 29, 2016 9:07 am

Yup that's him.
I'll try to coax him onto the forum. Bad eyesight and computers make it difficult, but I think I might be able to get him on here.

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Re: Elk Guitars: A History (1960s Japanese guitars)

Post by Fiddy » Tue Nov 29, 2016 10:45 am

I exchanged a few messages with him about 10 years ago.

Very nice guy.

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Re: Elk Guitars: A History (1960s Japanese guitars)

Post by loudhvx » Tue Nov 29, 2016 1:16 pm

My memory is not reliable on this, so I'll have to have my Dad confirm this, but I know he was good friends with an engineer named Higuchi San at Elk. And I think it was he who started the Geminstrument company and created the Jazztone bass amps. He may have also been the engineer who came up with the unique tremolo circuit in the Elk amps. They don't use a neon bulb like those in the Fender amp tremolos. My Dad often talks of Higuchi when talking about the good old days at Elk (even though he was only there for about a year or so).

I realize this thread is about Elk, and guitars, but I guess since the Jazztones were made by an Elk employee, and possibly used Elk parts, and probably used Elk circuit design...

Here's the backplate, and front and back, on one of the Jazztone amps.
I had to tape notes onto the backside in case anyone besides me, in the band, were to hook up the amps. If you plugged a single speaker into the wrong jack, the main jack would still be in shorted position. That would hopefully blow a fuse instead of blowing the output transformer.
Note the "110v 230v" switch. I think we have it hardwired for 110, but I think that switch would indicate that amp was for export. Japan ran on 100 VAC, if I recall (I'm not positive, though).
It uses two EL34 power tubes (much like many of the elk amps). It's rated at 45 watts, but I think it was a pretty conservative rating. With new Groove Tubes, I was able to get a clean 50W RMS out of them.
Image
Image
Image

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Re: Elk Guitars: A History (1960s Japanese guitars)

Post by volhoo » Wed Nov 30, 2016 7:43 pm

I am now in serious need of an Elk Deluxe and Amp.

Great stuff.

-

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Re: Elk Guitars: A History (1960s Japanese guitars)

Post by windmill » Sat Jan 07, 2017 9:48 pm

This is currently on the Found Sound website

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Elk - Jaguar

Very rare circa 1966 ELK "Fender" Jaguar copy. Hand made by Mr Takahiro Saito with hand wound pickups - these guitars are highly sought after in Japan. Replacement neck.
Includes original hard case tremolo arm and bridge.

Someone has it on Layby for $AU999

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