Guyatone

Guyatone (Japanese: グヤトーン or ガイアトーン) is a Japanese guitar brand and its manufacturing company making electric guitars, guitar amplifiers, and effect pedals. In the 1930s, the predecessor company was founded as the earliest electric guitar manufacturer in Japan, making guitars under the Guya brand, until 1940. After WWII, in 1948, the company was re-established and made electric Hawaiian guitars. In 1951, Guyatone brand was established for electric guitars, and in 1955, their first solid-body guitar was introduced.

During the late-1950s to mid-1960s, the trends of surf music caused the electric guitar boom, and riding on this big wave, Guyatone electric guitars with unique designs and low prices were exported to Europe and America under the various brands, and played by various guitarists including Hank Marvin from the Shadows, Jimi Hendrix in the early days, Steve Howe of Yes, and others.

Over 70 years of history, Guyatone encountered three crises in 1940, 1968 and 2013. In the mid-2010s, the company and the brand were taken over by Toshihiko Torii (former Guyatone R&D engineer) and Nate DeMont (DeMont Guitar), then merged as the Guyatone & DeMont Guitars LLC.