This Matsuoka No.20 Classical Guitar was made in Japan on Wednesday 20/07/1977.

Model No.20 was later renamed M20 and is of a higher grade than the later M20 guitars due to depreciation and rising material costs.  The No.20 was part of the Concert series and was handmade by Ryoji Matsuoka and his family in Nagoya.  It was made for domestic market and that is why there are so few on the market compared to the M20 model.

It was originally being sold for 20,000 yen when the yearly average income of a college graduate was about 100,000 yen which is about 10-12 weeks' wage.

One of my all-time favourites, the No.20 is loud, clear on the upper register, and deep in the bass range.

The braces have been modified to be more flexible and responsive to achieve a wider dynamic range and more sustain.

This guitar is equipped with the Fishman Sonitone pickup/preamp system, which is discreet and easier to use than other preamp systems. The Sonitone was installed without making any large holes, preserving the guitar's natural and beautiful acoustic tones.  It has two dials inside the sound hole for volume and tone control, achieving that classic guitar sound has never been easier.  No more fiddling with complicated multi-band equalizers.  The one-dial control allows for a seamless playing experience,  and the best part of it is most people won't even realize it's electric until you plug in a lead or wireless transmitter.

This guitar has previously been used as a money-making tool and has been to countless gigs, so it has some signs of wear, which have all been repaired.  The best part of it is that the fibres have been shaped and contoured by many hours of playing, this has made this guitar more musical.  Please refer to the photos for general conditions.

This No.20 has higher-grade timber compared to the standard M20 model, the bridge is ebony instead of rosewood, and the sides and back are of beautiful rosewood instead of mahogany.  You can feel the quality of the instrument when you hold it, especially the neck which is 25mm thick while the nut is 53mm.  The top is high-quality spruce with straight grains, and the action is 2.50mm on the first string and 3.25mm on the 6th string, so it's easy to play fast.