Ray Durant guitar???

Subject: RE: Ray Durant guitar???
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Sep 20 - 09:27 PM

Hi i am from little old levin New Zealand
i am reading ever ones comments so interesting to read about whats under the plate on the headstock i am currently fixing up a customers guitar which happens to be a Ray Durant. I need to adjust the truss rod as the neck has a slight hump in it. I have tried ever Allen key we have available but just seems to be to small or to large. Is there a special allen key needed to do this. HELP!!!

Subject: RE: Ray Durant guitar???
From: Little Robyn
Date: 03 Mar 14 - 08:07 PM

I paid $95 for mine but that was back in the late 1970s. I suspect it's worth what you want to get/give for it. My husband wouldn't give you tuppence for it! He prefers his Guild!
Robyn

Subject: RE: Ray Durant guitar???
From: GUEST,ozbrenden
Date: 03 Mar 14 - 02:29 AM

little robyn you have described my guitar to a t!!! im looking into info on the ray durant do you have a an idea on what 1's worth

Subject: RE: Ray Durant guitar???
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Apr 10 - 03:42 AM

My buddies gave me a Ray Durant acoustic for my 21st birthday in 1975. Under the metal name plate on the headstock is 'Tama' in pearl inlay.
Since others have found the names of other manufacturers under their nameplates I'm guessing that 'Ray Durant' bought up a bunch of factory seconds and rebranded them.
I furnish that as a theory. I don't buy the 'copy' theory. If you buy a knock off Guchi bag, it's branded Guchi. It won't have a 'Bags Are Us' label with a Guchi label underneath. I reckon if you cover up a prestigious label it's because something's wrong with it. Mine had lifted under the bridge, but I soon got that fixed and overall it's a nice guitar. My son has it now.

Subject: RE: Ray Durant guitar???
From: GUEST,pipey
Date: 20 Dec 09 - 08:39 PM

I have a ray Durrant I purchased in 1974. Martin copy of D 35.Took metal bit off and M.O.P inlay says RAVEN. Plays great and good action

Subject: RE: Ray Durant guitar???
From: GUEST,Moro
Date: 28 Jan 07 - 04:52 AM

I've just purchased a Ray Durant solid body electric on eBay.. As soon as I've checked it out 'in the flesh' I'll report back. From the photos, it looks very much like a late 70s early 80s MIJ Vantage 'through-neck' solid body. Stay tuned!!

Moro

Subject: RE: Ray Durant guitar???
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Jul 06 - 04:36 AM

I also have a Ray Durant, this time with TAMA under the plate at the top. I believe these to be reasonable copies of a Martin D35

Subject: RE: Ray Durant guitar???
From: GUEST,brian mc fadden
Date: 03 Jun 05 - 07:45 PM

alison hows your steak and kikney pies. ?

Subject: RE: Ray Durant guitar???
From: GUEST,Will O,Neill
Date: 02 Jun 05 - 08:35 PM

Like you, I lifted the Ray Durant metal plate on the headstock and found "Ibanez" in a pearl sort of inlay. I think we who have these Ray Durant guitars have "copy" guitars just like copy watches or copy clothing. Mine is well made and sound pretty good.

Subject: RE: Ray Durant guitar???
From: Little Robyn
Date: 29 Jan 03 - 05:14 AM

I aint pulling the label off my little Ray to find out!

Robyn,
Also from down under, but across the ditch!

Hey, maybe it was a bargain/job lot for the Antipodes????

Subject: RE: Ray Durant guitar??? RAVEN GUITAR
From: GUEST,steve
Date: 29 Jan 03 - 01:49 AM

Hi everyone.
I'm the one who has the ray durant GUITAR in australia that Alison was asking about.
I've been talking to a guitar maker who thinks that ray durant was a name made up used by an importer to sell the guitars.
i carefully took the ray durant metal label off the peg head and found the word RAVEN in a pearl inlay underneath.
Would be anxios to know if anyone else's ray durant label has anything under it or if anyone know's anything about RAVEN guitars.

THANKYOU FROM DOWN UNDER

Subject: RE: Ray Durant guitar???
From: alison
Date: 28 Jan 03 - 05:57 PM

hahaha.... well I'm heaps the wiser now... it could be a "Japanese American French " guitar.....


thanks

I'll pass on the info

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Ray Durant guitar???
From: Little Robyn
Date: 28 Jan 03 - 01:14 AM

OK, I've dug my little Ray out of the cupboard and had a good look.
1st, the name 'Ray Durant' and the words ' Quality Instrument' are on a metal plate at the top of the head while the name TAMA is on the plastic tension bar cover at the top of the neck.
2nd, inside, the maker's label says:
Construction Guitarres
Ráy Durant
Luthier

Ráy Durant STE
12 Rue La Vieuville
Paris 12e
France

DURANT SALES INC.
302 4TH AVE.
NEW YORK,N.Y.
U.S.A.

JAPAN SPECIALLY MADE

So it appears to be a Japanese American French guitar!

I can't find a model number but it has a serial number burnt into a strut just above the sound hole: 72120306 (or it might be 8)(and it might be a Z, not 7 at the front).

Does that help?
Robyn X
I bought it second-hand some time around 1978. I think it was an imitation of a Martin OO or OOO series guitar.

Subject: RE: Ray Durant guitar???
From: GUEST,Guest, Big Red
Date: 27 Jan 03 - 03:52 PM

I have a Tama that was purchased in the early 70's. From what little I have been able to find out, Tama, a major drum maker, made guitars for a few years during the 70's. Tama is a Japaneese company and like many companies of the times, their guitar was a copy of the Martin. Mine has some similarities to the D-35. I would be interested in the source of information re; Durant changing it's name to Tama. A previous thread that I started did give me some information on Tama guitars. Any additional information would be appreciated.

Subject: RE: Ray Durant guitar???
From: Little Robyn
Date: 27 Jan 03 - 05:31 AM

No, I have a little Ray Durant guitar but the company had a name change sometime in the 70s and they're known as Tama guitars now.

Subject: RE: Ray Durant guitar???
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 27 Jan 03 - 05:03 AM

More likely to have been made for Ray Durant , surely??

Murray

Subject: Ray Durant guitar???
From: alison
Date: 27 Jan 03 - 12:13 AM

a friend of mine just picked up a guitar made by Ray Durant, he would like to know where it is from......

does anyone know?

thanks

slainte

alison