My Guitars

Below is a list of guitars I have owned over the years:
2006 Wataru Tsuji Grand Suprema (Spruce/Brazilian Rosewood)- Performing Instrument
1987 Wataru Tsuji S1 (Cedar/Rosewood) SOLD
1996 Michael Menkevich La Donna (Spruce/Indian Rosewood)
2010 Kristopher Barnett (Cedar/ Brazilian Rosewood) Lattice braced ‘Phi’ Model. A graduation present to myself, I was on the waiting list for 2 years for this guitar. SOLD
Asturias Standard (Cedar/ Indian Rosewood). This was my principal guitar of many years during my developmental period at Ngee Ann Polytechnic Strings.
Yamaha GD-10. SOLD I can’t remember the year
Yamaha CG201S. SOLD.
Yamaha Silent Guitar SLG120N.
Yamaha CG151C. Currently one of my ‘studio’ guitars.
Yamaha CGS103A. Another ‘studio’ guitar. 3/4 sized
Yamaha C40. My very first guitar.

Noteworthy guitars I’ve played.
Every now and then I get to play some pretty special guitars. Here’s a list of noteworthy guitars I’ve played.

Antonio Marin Monteiro (owned by Ernest Kwok)
Ramirez 1a (owned by Alex Abishegenadan)
Paul Fischer (owned by Thomas Liauw)
Alberto Najime (during a visit to his guitar studio in Japan)
Testuo Kurosawa
Yamaha GC70 (at their flagship store at Ginza)
Nakade Guitars (various models from the various makers of this classical guitar dynasty in Japan)
Kohno Special, RF Model, PC Model (at the Kohno workshop with Masaki Sakurai)
Kohno Special (owned by Reza Gan) – A very nice example of a great Kohno Guitar.
Kenny Hill Signature Series Composite top Cedar over Spruce (owned by Roland Wang)

12 Replies to “My Guitars”

  1. hi dedrick…i’m going to the kaori muraji concert this 18 june,hope can see you there to hear from you about your experience on having good handmade guitar,i’m interested in having kris barnett guitar but u sold it,anyway i’m glad if i can see and talk to you even just for a few second.

    1. Hi Zhuraini,

      I will be attending the concert too! I’m always happy to share whatever knowledge I have.

      Please feel free to approach me during the concert and we can talk guitars. I’m quite approachable and I’ll be more than happy to speak with you.

  2. hi dedrick, i’m interested to know what you thought of the yamaha GC70 when you tried it out in japan. any impressions? and how does it compare to the other guitars you have played? thanks!

    1. Hi Gerald,

      It was very clean with phenomenal balance and clarity. Very piano-like. A safe and neutral sounding guitar. Projection and power was decent, but definitely not as powerful as the Tsuji Grand Suprema I tried.

      I loved telling this story about the GC70, Grand Suprema and a Sakurai Special I tried at the Yamaha showroom at Ginza.

      The sales staff took these 3 guitars and placed them on guitar stands behind me. When I tested the Grand Suprema, I heard a strange buzzing. I did a test by playing a chromatic scale up and down the neck to identify the problem, altering my attack to see if the guitar or my technique was at fault.

      But the buzzing was not isolated. I thought it was a loose bracing, but it didn’t sound like it either. Finally after 5 minutes of fruitless trouble-shooting I told the sales person, “It’s a great guitar, but why does such an expensive guitar have buzzing?”

      “Oh! It’s not the guitar that’s buzzing,” the sales person said, “but 2 guitars behind you” as he pointed to the Sakurai Special and GC70.

      The Tsuji was so powerful, it caused the guitars BEHIND me to rattle in its stands.

      The GC70 is ‘OK’ but honestly, for the price, I feel that there are better alternatives out there. Mind you, I haven’t played a GC70 in the last 4 years, so I can’t comment on how they may sound like now. But the one I tried, wouldn’t make my top ten list for its asking price.

      I’m not implying that it’s a bad guitar, it simply does not suit my musical needs.

  3. Hi,dedrick,Have you gotten Kenny Hill guitar?I am planning to get a new guitar next january…
    And is there any collectors in Singapore would like to sell one of guitars…?
    Thanks

    1. Hi Roland,

      I do not own any Kenny Hill guitars, but I know a few guitarists who do. I’ve always heard several being played in concerts and competitions. They are very good instruments and I would consider one if I was in the market for a new guitar. They are very difficult to obtain in Singapore though. I recently conducted an interview with Kenny Hill. You can check out that upcoming article for more information. I hope to post it soon.

  4. Hi dedrick,

    You got your grand suprema from Japan? How much does it cost? Any distributors in singapore? I have been scouting around for a replacement guitar after selling my m.sakurai but is still unable to find one which I like.

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