Morris W-50 dreadnought, natural finish, made in Japan 1978. Morris launched in 1967 under the watchful eye of master luthier Toshio "Mori" Moridaira, and they became quite a substantial player in the local Japanese market over the 70s and 80s. This one borrows some styling from Martin's D-45, so you get the hex inlays, abalone binding and rosette, ebony bridge and the vertical logo on the headstock. There were no CNC machines in Japan's guitar factories in 1978, so this was all done by hand: take a minute to appreciate how long it would take to get all that binding and inlay work right... sheesh. The woodwork, frets and finish work are all beautifully done; the quality of craftsmanship is very high. The neck is a chunky soft-V shape, which sits nicely in your hand once you're used to it, and the action is pretty reasonable for a vintage piece. The sound on offer is rich: shimmering sweet highs, slightly scooped mids with an articulate voice and a warm clear bass. It's hard to get this kind of balance and clarity from a new guitar, it really has the sound of a guitar with a few thousand songs on the clock. Top marks Mori!

Model: Morris W-50
Made: Japan, 1978 approx (serial 033075)
Finish: natural, gloss poly
Body: dreadnought style shape; solid spruce top, laminate rosewood sides, laminate rosewood/maple back
Neck: mahogany, rosewood fingerboard, dovetail joint, 25.5" scale, 15" radius
Weight: 2.175kg
Pickup: none
Mods: none
Case: basic non-original hard case

Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. The headstock has some scuffs on the end and edges. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, minor dimples on the back only. The back has widespread light dimples and scuffs around the body, mostly in the middle and near the neck joint; no major marks. The sides have light scuffs on both horns and the elbow area and a few minor dimples in the bottom corner. The front has some dimples along the back edge and some play wear on the shoulders and guard. Overall: very good condition (8/10).

Playing condition notes: action is moderately low, neck is straight, intonation is good, truss rod works. The frets have some normal wear but appear to be recently levelled and dressed, 6/10 for fret life left. Wearing fresh 12/54 Moonshiners strings.