1975 Morris W-40 Square Shoulder Dreadnought - 3-Piece Back - Made In Japan

1975 Morris W-40 Square Shoulder Dreadnought 3-Piece Back

This guitar was handmade in 1975 for Morris Co. by Terada Gakki, one of the best Japanese team of guitar makers of that era. Although Morris had its own workshop in Matsumoto, many of their acoustic guitars were made by Terada. Construction of these guitars is nothing but replica of Martin blueprints. Until 1974 all these guitars had horizontal Morris logo on their headstocks. New Martin style vertical logo was introduced in 1975.

In 1975 the top Morris regular line model was W50, while W-15 was the lowest. W40, W45 and W50 had solid tops. By 1977 W50 was the lowest solid top model and W60 and W80 were added to the lineup. By late 1980 W60 was the lowest solid top model and W100, W120 and W150 were added to Morris’s lineup.

By the end of 1970s letters TF were added to the logo. By early 1980s all W models were replaced by TF models.  

The construction and looks of this wonderful guitar are based on Martin D45 blueprint, but with 3pieces back. I won’t however call it a “copy” of Martin D45. The word “copy” suggests a product of somewhat lower quality than the “original”, while this guitar can easily beat many brand-new Martin guitars.  

It offers impressive volume and superb response. Its sound is ultra-rich. Basses are deep but very “clean”. Trebles are metallic but very sweet at the same time. All notes have their unique colors, all are super clear and super well separated.  When chords/arpeggios are played guitar releases a bounty of overtones and harmonies. With its current action it plays ultra-easy.

This guitar was priced 40 000 yen in 1975, when starting yearly salary of Japanese College Graduate was 67 200 yen.

Cosmetically the guitar exhibits only minor handling wear with small scuffs and dings apparent.

Specifications:

Top: Solid Spruce with reinforcing ring of wood glued underneath the sound-hole /Martin style X bracing with not scalloped braces / light coat of lacquer

Back: Macassar Ebony/Chestnut/Macassar Ebony “laminates” /light coat of lacquer

Sides: Macassar Ebony “laminates” / light coat of lacquer

“Laminated” is quite unfortunate term regarding Japanese made guitars. These plates were made from 2 layers of solid wood glued together with natural resins. They were made so well that they performed as good as solid woods while being far less expensive in guitar production and far more resistant to cracking in regular use. In recent years many guitar makers around the world adopted a new term "semi-solid" to describe these plates.

It has just been professionally set up and dialed in for optimal playability and tone. It has low action with no buzzing or dead spots and is an absolute joy to play. It has been deep cleaned and detailed. All guitars will arrive looking and playing great. The frets have been leveled / dressed / polished and the fingerboard was cleaned. (Unfinished Rosewood and Ebony boards get treated with Fret Doctor - a proprietary all natural oil that is the best on the market) It was professionally set up and has brand new strings, the action was adjusted, the intonation is spot on and it plays excellent. All the electronics work flawlessly.

* Neck is perfectly straight and the truss rod works with no issues

* Intonation is spot-on

* It has been professionally set up with nice low action & new American made strings.

* If needed, the frets will be dressed leveled & crowned

* All frets are polished prior to shipping when they are set up - They will shine like new!

***Please note that international shipping prices listed are minimum quotes in some cases. Certain countries are more expensive and will require additional shipping costs. Express services such as UPS, DHL & FedEx are also available, Please contact me for a personalized quote.

About Us

The Guitar Dude is a THREE time and Current 2021 NAMM Top 100 Dealer in the world who has been selling some of the nicest guitars on the planet since 2010. Known for the most Killer Flame Top Gibson 1959 Les Pauls Reissues and classic Fender guitars of all eras. I make beautiful guitar porn, please follow me on Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter

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7 day return policy, BUT intentions of the return must be communicated in writing within 3 day of receiving the guitar as indicated by the tracking. Unless the guitar is not as described, ORIGINAL/RETURN SHIPPING CHARGES WILL NOT BE REFUNDED. The guitar MUST BE RETURNED IN THE EXACT CONDITION it was received or it is subject to a restocking fee. I am not a big chain shop, I hope you understand.

Payment - Shipping - International orders - Import Duties

ALL ITEMS CAN BE SHIPPED INTERNATIONALLY. - BUYER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL IMPORT DUTIES.

I accept many forms of payment including PayPal Credit & Affirm. I always pack extremely well and ship within the USA via UPS or Fedex, all packages are fully insured with tracking & signature confirmation.

I offer a super relaxed layaway plan on certain guitars, that can be custom built to fit your budget and needs. It can be extended beyond 30 days in certain situations. If you are interested in a layaway plan, please contact me for full details.