Winston Guitars

Marlboro Cigarette advertisement

When I was a kid the most prevalent advertisement on television was for cigarettes. These were the equivalent of today’s advertisements for the expensive prescription medications that you need to “talk to your doctor about”.  

1950's Dancing Cigarettes

In the 1940's through the '60's we were treated to celebrities promoting the virtues of smoking cigarettes. We also saw dancing cigarettes, and cartoon character hawking their favorite brands.

Winston Ad with the Flintstones

I grew up with cigarette ads that burned a hole in my subconscious, providing us with phrases like “Come on up to Marlboro Courtry” and “You’ve Come a Long Way Baby”,“Lucky Strike Means Fine Tobacco”, and of course “Winston Tastes Good Like A Cigarette Should”. 

Back in 1966, someone at the Buegeleisen and Jacobson. Company, who was in charge of branding imported guitars must have been puffing on his or her Winston, when they made a decision that would be a great name for a line of guitars.

Buegeleisen and Jacobson

Winston guitars were imported by Buegeleisen and Jacobson.  They were a very old wholesaler which offered a line of musical instruments for retail music stores. The company began business in New York City in 1897.


Throughout the years they were the wholesale distribution company for Kay De Lux guitars, Seranader guitars, banjos, madolins, S.S. Stewart guitars, National guitars, Abbott trumpets, clarinets, and trombones, Salvador De Durro voilins and bowed instruments, and Martin Freres (Brothers) wind instruments, which included flutes, oboes, clarinets, and saxophones.

Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show

Around 1964, after the popularity of Beatles and other British groups, a boom in the sales of guitars hit not just the United States, but U.K., and Europe. This lead to an onslaught of inexpensive guitars that were imported to the United States mainly from Japan.

In this era, importer Buegeleisen and Jacobson was importing mostly guitars from Japan and re-branding them under the name Kent (Come to think of it, that is another cigarette brand).

Winston Guitars

All sources point to Kawai guitars as being the manufacturer of Winston guitars. Kawai was founded in 1927 by Koichi Kawai in Hamamatsu, Japan.

Mr. Kawai’s vision was to create top-quality pianos, a quest in which he certainly succeeded! Kawai added guitars to its repertoire in 1954.

Domino Guitars by Kawai

The best known brands of the mid 1960’s that were manufactured by Kawai were sold under the TeleStar, and Domino brand names.

1964 Winston model 449

By 1967 Kawai purchased the Teisco guitar company of Japan. Both companies maintained their own designs, and had different pickups. But Winston Guitars, both electric and acoustic appear to be manufactured by Kawai.

In 1968 I was 16 years old, and headed for summer camp. I wanted a cheap acoustic guitar to take along to camp, so I went to the 3 or 4 major music stores in downtown Cincinnati to see what twenty dollars would buy.

1966 Wurlitzer Guitar

The Wurlitzer Piano and Organ Company had just come out with their own brand of electric guitars. So they sold guitars, and had some nice ones too. After the salesman tried to direct me to a very nice Guild six string, but I declined. I finally got through to him that I wanted an inexpensive instrument to take on a camping trip. He then said, "Oh, you want a beater. Why didn't you say so". So I came home with a $20 Winston acoustic guitar, which was a Japanese copy of a Stella.

1960's Winston Stella Copy

Like the Stella, the body was birch, and was solid, with a brown-burst finish with a faux flame, and ladder style bracing. The neck was made of mahogany. The fretboard was probably birch that was painted black, with painted fret markers. The tuners were cheap open back models with plastic buttons.

The bridge and nut were plastic, and the strings were secured with a cheap metal trapeze piece. On the headstock was a sticker assuring me, "Steel Reinforced Neck". It would not warp, but it was not adjustable. It played pretty much like you would expect a twenty dollar to play. The action was a little high to say the least. To purchase one today, it would set you back about $300.

Winston Acoustic Guitars

Kawai/Winston made a variety of acoustic guitars. Some were copies of U.S. made instruments, others were classical style guitars.

1960 Winston Guitar

They also made a variety of electric guitars, with one or two pickups that had an unusually high output.

1965 Winston

Most pickups read in the 2k range. Kawai pickups were in the 2.79k range.

1970 Winston Electric Guitars

Winston continued to offer electric and acoustic instruments through 1970.


Click on the links under the photos for sources. Click on the links in the text for further information.
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