I have a picture in my head. A picture of myself sitting on the edge of a bed, playing guitar for my sweetheart – actually, I was playing two guitars in turn: an Ovation Balladeer and a Kasuga HC-2000.
The year was 1977, and I had to choose between the two guitars. The time had come for a new guitar, and for quite some time (almost daily), I had visited Bjørnholt Musik on Lundsgade in Silkeborg to look at the different brands.
To this day, I still think about the patience Jacob and Ruth Bjørnholt had when we visited the shop daily. Always time for a chat over the counter and coffee at Ruth's home. Outstanding!
Ovation was absolutely the hottest thing you could imagine in 1977, and I had almost made up my mind when one day a Kasuga HC-2000 was standing in the shop. I had never seen a more beautiful guitar. Granted, it had a small crack in the top, but it sounded fantastic and was beautiful.
Could it measure up to the Ovation?
But Kasuga? What was that now? Could it measure up to the mighty Ovation?
The HC-2000 was Kasuga's absolute top model with Rio rosewood back and sides and plenty of mother-of-pearl.
I was allowed to borrow both of them to try at home, and that is where the picture comes in.
I am sitting on the edge of my bed playing for Susanne. I have often wondered what I was playing. Definitely something by Ralph McTell (Streets of London), but maybe also something by John Denver (guaranteed Annie's Song) and Paul Simon (April Come She Will).
Now – I really wanted a guitar with a MEGA big bass. It had to sound like Ralph McTell's old Gibson J-50. And that was exactly there, on the edge of the bed, that I fell for the Kasuga HC-2000.
It chose me
A magical moment where everything fell into place. It simply had it! The Ovation guitar was water next to it, and my decision was made. You could say that I didn't choose the Kasuga. It chose me! It was a big and intoxicating experience. That Kasuga HC-2000 became my faithful companion for the next 10 years, and we experienced a tremendous amount of good things together.
I opened my guitar shop in 1982. It was not easy. People usually say that money was tight. In my case, it was not there at all, and I had to part with my Kasuga. That happened in 1987. A hard day, but I needed the money. Did I regret it? Every single day since, I have regretted selling my fantastic Kasuga, and I have actively tried to find it for the last 10 years to buy it back. Unfortunately without luck.
Of course, I am endlessly happy with the guitar I have now (Martin M38), but my Kasuga … yes … a wonderful guitar with a lot of good history in it and experiences of the finest quality.
A call from Odense
A month ago, I was called by Jørgen. Jørgen lives in Odense. He called me when he had heard I was interested in guitars of the Kasuga brand. "Absolutely," I said, thinking that he might have an HC-150 or an HC-300, which were smaller models in the Kasuga series. I come across them now and then.
"Yes," Jørgen said, "I actually have an HC-2000 standing here." My heart skipped an extra beat. Could it be my guitar? I asked interestedly about Jørgen's guitar and told him my story, and how interested I was in buying my old guitar back. Now I knew that my Kasuga had a crack in the top, and I asked Jørgen if his HC-2000 had a crack in the top. Jørgen didn't have it right at hand, but had to go upstairs to get it, so he put the phone down, and I sat and waited for him to come back. Oh dear, oh dear …
"Now I am sitting with it," Jørgen said when he finally came back. "Yes – it has a small crack on the top." I could almost not breathe as I asked about the crack. Where exactly was it? How long was it? Jørgen answered willingly.
It was my guitar! No doubt about it. We talked back and forth about a possible deal, and Jørgen was interested in selling. Sunday evening I then took a trip to Odense and visited Jørgen.
We went upstairs and into his music room, and there it stood: My Kasuga HC-2000. A big moment.
But wait … was it really my guitar?
I became unsure, because there was something about it. We made the deal, and I drove back to Djursland, where I live. Already on the way home I knew very well that it was not my guitar. It was something with the feeling. When I got it on the table the next day in Akustikken and checked the repair of the crack in the top, I got certainty. It was not the right one. So I am still on the hunt.
Even though it is not my guitar, this Kasuga HC-2000 is nevertheless an absolutely excellent guitar, and I dare to claim that it is just as good as the Martin it is a copy of: Martin D-45.
/ Ole
Do you have a Kasuga HC-2000 with a small crack in the top? Then Ole would very much like to hear from you. See also our Kasuga guitars.