Talk:Univox

New Sections

We could use a short entry to the "amps" and "guitars" section so that it can be expanded upon in the future. Gutch220 19:06, 7 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Any thing about synths?

needs overhaul, particularly keyboards

I may remove the opening statement, For Univox portable keyboards, see Vox (musical equipment) unless someone can strongly justify it.

Edgar Winter played a Univox Compac-Piano in the early 1970s, carrying the 21-pound "lightweight" keyboard around on a strap across his shoulders. Billy Preston (and apparently George Duke) used it as well: http://www.preservationsound.com/?p=3433

This was a rebranded Crumar (Italy) keyboard, made 1972-1980 — certainly NOT Vox.

(FWIW, Winter traded out the 61-key beast for a more manageable 49-key synth remote keyboard that I've been unable to identify though it looks a little like an early Univox Korg...)
Weeb Dingle (talk) 07:17, 9 March 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe Unicord needs its own article: In 1967 Unicord was purchased by Gulf + Western (the oil company). Around this time Unicord merged with Merson, a guitar improter that made lines like "Tempo", "Giannini" and "Hagstrom". This new company was called "Merson Musical Products, A Division of Unicord Incorporated, A Gulf + Western Systems Company", at least until Merson and Unicord spilt in 1975. http://www.vintageunivox.com/history.html

G+W diversified into strange areas, not least Paramount Pictures, Simon & Schuster, Stax Records, and Madison Square Gardens.
Weeb Dingle (talk) 21:25, 3 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

I've removed the "lawsuit guitars" claim, but have yet to rework Guitar making operations moved to Japan in 1975 where they continued making guitars until 1982. Production under the Univox name was halted after a fire at the Matsumoku factory. After this time instruments were made in Korea under the name "Westbury" which totally screws up history. (hint: the fire was 1988...)
Weeb Dingle (talk) 21:41, 3 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Matsumoku Fire

Can anyone verify that such an event happened? Current chatter on the internet wires suggests that this is an urban myth.

"Matsumoku was neither destroyed by fire nor earthquakes, it was Singers [parent company] depression that brought about the closure of the plant in 1987".
— Shiro Arai, founder of Aria guitars, Guitar Buyer Nov 2006, http://www.westone.info/faq.html

--Decampos (talk) 23:53, 18 April 2017 (UTC)[reply]

An excellent point!! I've heard that there was some sort of massive fire in Matsumoto, Nagano, where Matsumoku had been located. As Matsumoku now says, Matsumoku received two crippling blows, first losing its Epiphone contract, then dragged down when Singer ceased production in 1987. It was economics, not conflagration.
Weeb Dingle (talk) 23:03, 7 August 2017 (UTC)[reply]

I'm removing the names of individuals

As much as I enjoy hearing stories from people who were actually there, it's NOT appropriate for WP. So, I'm cutting stuff like Per Frank Kosinsky, Unicord's Chief Engineer in the late 1970s, as told to Rick Reinckens, a short-term employee as unfounded hearsay and original research.
Weeb Dingle (talk) 23:11, 7 August 2017 (UTC)[reply]

timeline?

I'm disputing this:

In about 1967 Unicord merged with Merson…. This new company was called "Merson Musical Products, A Division of Unicord Incorporated, A Gulf + Western Systems Company." Around 1968 they started producing Univox-brand guitars.

Back in 1974, I bought a new Univox Hi-Flier. Though I don't have it at hand, I'm moderately certain that Merson isn't mentioned on the headstock decal, though G+W might be.

In any case, it is certainly a Matsumoku-made guitar. The section's wording leaves the impression that Merson manufactured guitars, when at very most they were an intermediary tasked with import and/or domestic distribution duties. If anyone can find definitive (e.g. Premier Guitar) article about Univox, that'd be ever so helpful!
Weeb Dingle (talk) 16:34, 6 July 2019 (UTC)[reply]