Zemaitis Guitars is a guitar-manufacturing company based in Tokyo, Japan. The company's guitars are based on designs by the English guitar maker Tony Zemaitis. The company is led by the luthier's son, Tony Zemaitis, Jr., and produces electric and acoustic guitars. For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... Look up company in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Tokyo ), the common English name for the Tokyo Metropolis ), is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and, unique among the prefectures, provides certain municipal services characteristic of a city. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... A luthier is someone who builds or repairs stringed instruments, that are either bowed or plucked. ... Tony Zemaitis 1935 - 2002 Born in 1935 Tony became a cabinet maker working on high quality furniture at The Chelsea Studio (some items are in Windsor Castle). ... An engravers impression of Antonio Stradivari examining an instrument. ... An electric guitar is a type of guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into electrical current, which is then amplified. ... Acoustic guitar can refer to the following musical instruments: Nylon and gut stringed guitars: Renaissance guitar Baroque guitar Romantic guitar Classical guitar, the modern version of the original guitar, with nylon strings Flamenco guitar Steel stringed guitars: Steel-string acoustic guitar, also known as western, folk or country guitar Twelve...

Zemaitis guitars are world-renowned as handcrafted, precision instruments of the highest quality. Some models are highly collectible and sought after and have a particularly high price tag. The guitars are also noted for their engravings by Danny O'Brien.

History

Pearl Front guitar.

Tony Zemaitis began producing guitars in the 1950s and entered the guitar making profession full-time in 1965. During the 1970s, he began experimenting with placing a metal shield on the top of the guitar in order to eliminate microphonic noise picked up by the guitars' pickups. To enhance the visual aspect of the guitars, Zemaitis enlisted the skills of gun engraver Danny O'Brien. Such designs include elaborate pearl inlay, either figures like dragons and skulls and bones, or complete mosaic-like inlaid tops. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Tony Zemaitis 1935 - 2002 Born in 1935 Tony became a cabinet maker working on high quality furniture at The Chelsea Studio (some items are in Windsor Castle). ...

Since his retirement in 2000, original Zemaitis guitars have become highly collectible and demand very high prices. After his passing in 2002, the Zemaitis family continued the guitar building business from Tokyo, offering both high-end hand-built guitars, and a more affordable "Greco Zemaitis" line of guitars. The current production is based on original drawings by the luthier.

Guitars made by Zemaitis are featured in a museum in Tokyo.

Guitar owners

Owners of guitars made by Zemaitis have included:

• Tony McPhee
• Long John Baldry
• Spencer Davis
• Jimi Hendrix(did not own but used)
• Eric Clapton
• George Harrison
• Ron Wood
• Bob Dylan
• Greg Lake
• Marc Bolan
• Ronnie Lane
• Keith Richards
• Rod Stewart
• Benny Gallagher
• Graham Lyle
• Ralph McTell
• Donovan
• Mike Oldfield
• Mike Rutherford
• Bobby Womack
• Steve Hackett
• Steve Harley
• Dave Gilmour
• James Honeyman-Scott
• Nils Lofgren
• Peter Frampton
• Francis Rossi
• Mick Moody
• Joe Brown
• Alvin Lee
• Carl Perkins
• Richie Sambora
• Dave Edmunds
• Tomoyasu Hotei
• Gilby Clarke
• John Dawson Read
• Rich Robinson
• Paul Mahon
• Micky Waters

Tony McPhee (born March 22, 1944) is an English blues guitarist and founder of the late 1960s blues group The Groundhogs. ... John William Baldry, popularly known as Long John Baldry, (January 12, 1941 – July 21, 2005) was a pioneering blues singer from England. ... Spencer Davis is an instrumentalist who founded the 1960s rock band Spencer Davis Group. ... Jimi Hendrix (November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970) was an American guitar virtuoso, singer and songwriter. ... Eric Patrick Clapton CBE (born 30 March 1945), nicknamed Slowhand, is an Grammy Award winning English guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer. ... For other persons named George Harrison, see George Harrison (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the recording artist. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Ronald Lane (April 1, 1946 - June 4, 1997) was an English singer, songwriter and bass player (nicknamed Plonk) best known for his membership in two prominent English rock bands, Small Faces (1965-69) and Faces (1970-75). ... Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943) is an English guitarist, songwriter, singer and a founding member of The Rolling Stones in 1962. ... Roderick David Stewart, CBE (born January 10, 1945), is a Scottish singer and songwriter born and raised in London. ... The Scottish pairing of Benny Gallagher and Graham Lyle joined forces in 1964, initially as songwriters. ... The Scottish pairing of Benny Gallagher and Graham Lyle joined forces in 1964, initially as songwriters. ... Ralph McTell (born Ralph May in Farnborough, England, 3 December 1944) is an English singer/songwriter and acoustic guitar player who has been an influential figure on the UK folk scene since the 1960s. ... Donovan (Donovan Philips Leitch, born May 10, 1946, in Maryhill, Glasgow) is a Scottish singer, songwriter, and guitarist. ... Michael Gordon Oldfield (born May 15, 1953 in Reading, England) is a multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, working a style that blends progressive rock, folk, ethnic or world music, classical music, electronic music and more recently dance. ... Michael John Cleote Crawford Rutherford (born October 2, 1950 in Guildford, Surrey) is an English musician. ... Robert Dwayne Womack (born in Cleveland, Ohio, USA on March 4, 1944), is an African-American singer, guitarist and songwriter. ... Steve Hackett (born Stephen Richard Hackett on February 12, 1950, in Pimlico, England) is a writer and guitarist. ... Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel were a UK rock band from the early 1970s. ... David Gilmour, as photographed for the Pink Floyd album Meddle. ... James Honeyman-Scott (November 4, 1956 - June 16 1982) was a British rock guitarist who died of a drug overdose. ... Nils Lofgren is an American rock music singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. ... Peter Kenneth Frampton (born April 22, 1950 in Beckenham, Kent) is an English musician, best known today for his solo work in the mid-1970s and as one of the original members of the band Humble Pie. ... Francis Rossi Francis Rossi (Francis Dominic Michael Nicholas Rossi) was born 29 May 1949 in Forest Hill, London and is co-founder of the British rock band Status Quo, where he sings lead vocals and plays lead guitar. ... Mick Moody was an Irish soccer player during the 1980s and 1990s. ... Joe Brown (born Joseph Roger Brown on 13 May 1941, in Swarby, Lincolnshire) was a popular British entertainer of the 1960s and beyond. ... Alvin Lee (born December 19, 1944 in Nottingham, England) is an English guitarist. ... Carl Lee Perkins (April 9, 1932 – January 19, 1998) was an American pioneer of rockabilly music, a mix of rhythm and blues and country music that was recorded most notably at Sun Records in Memphis beginning in 1954. ... Richard Stephen Sambora (born on July 11th, 1959), is an American rock guitarist, singer and songwriter who is the lead guitarist of the rock band Bon Jovi. ... Dave Edmunds (born April 15, 1944) is a singer, guitarist and producer from Cardiff, Wales. ... Tomoyasu Hotei (布袋寅泰 Hotei Tomoyasu, born on February 1, 1962 in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture) is a Japanese musician, guitarist and actor. ... Gilby Clarke is a guitarist, born in Cleveland, Ohio, on August 17, 1962. ... This article or section needs to be wikified. ... Rich Robinson (born May 24, 1969) is a musician and a founding member of the rock group The Black Crowes. ... Paul Mahon is the gutiarist of rock band The Answer. ... Michael Micky Waters is the bassist of rock band The Answer. ...

External links

• Zemaitis.net, official company website
• Zemaitisclub.com, official Zemaitis Guitar Owners Club website
• Interview with Tony Zemaitis, Jr.
• [1], Examples of high prices