The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #62649   Message #1977678
Posted By: GUEST,Tex2Tenn
24-Feb-07 - 01:35 AM
Thread Name: Mountain Guitars (japanese 70's brand)
Subject: RE: Mountain Guitars (japanese 70's brand)
I purchased my Mountain guitar brand new in 1974 at Watkins Music on Jefferson Blvd in Dallas TX.   It is a 3 piece back, a Martin D-35 copy. It is not a direct copy because the headstock on the D-35 is straight across and the headstock on my Mountain has a raised 3 point scroll almost like the old Gibsons.

33 yrs later - this guitar plays better than any 1970's Martin I've ever played. The tonal quality, the low action, the precise pitch in every scale down the neck is a true test that the maker of this line of guitars was a true master as a Luthier.   The neck's width is the same as the D-35, but the Mountain neck is thinner than what is found on the same era in the Martins. My Mountain has a serial number inside the body

For the past 3-4 years I have searched and searched to find any old catalogs or additional infomation, but to date, have not been able to make an exact match. I can find bodies that match very close, and even the necks are a near match, but never the headstock with the CF Mountain logo in a gold foil lettering.

I am beginning to come to a conclusion that the true identity of the maker of this fine guitar was intended to "fly under the radar" for some legality reasons... I have never heard of or have uncovered any court proceedings that CF Martin ever took the maker of CF Mountain to court.

I would welcome any new information.