The Ryoji Matsuoka M20 is one of my favourite guitars.
For a very long time, I play an M20 until I was able to afford higher models such as the M50, M70, M80 and 100.
It has plenty of projection to rival any modern guitar in the $3000 range. It has a warm and distinctive tone that stands out when played within a group or ensemble.
The M20 is a step up from the M10 / No.10. It's made from higher grade tonewood and has an ebony fingerboard instead of rosewood.
I have tuned the bracing and the top of the guitar to make it even louder and more responsive.
Please check out the sound demo video. This guitar is the same model and year as that in the demo although this guitar has even a nicer tone.
The guitar has some signs of normal wear due to its age. It had a small crack on the clear coat (paint) which has been repaired and covered with clear polish again. Please refer to the photos. This does not affect the sound in any way.
Specification:
Top: Solid Spruce
Back & Sides: Rosewood “double-plates”
“Laminated” is not a suitable word for Japanese made guitars. These "laminates" were made from 2 layers of solid wood glued together with natural resins. The Japanese perfected this technique so well these double-plates were as good as solid woods and far more resistant to cracking.
Neck: Mahogany
Fingerboard: Ebony
Nut width: 52mm
Scale: 650 mm
The action is set to 3.50 mm under E6 and 3.00 mm under E1, with some extra room left on the saddle.