 | |
| Owner | Tim Gentle Music[1] |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Introduced | 1950s |
| Markets | Worldwide |
| Previous owners | List
|
| Website | antoriaguitars.com |
Antoria is aUK guitarbrand dating back to the 1950s, which has changed hands three times. Originally the brand consisted of guitars made inJapan (first byGuyatone and then byFujiGen); contemporary Antorias come fromSouth Korea andChina.
Current products commercialised under the Antoria brand areelectric,acoustic guitars andbasses.
The Antoria brand consisted ofGuyatone-made guitars exported to theUK from Japan. Hank Marvin played an Antoria LG50 prior to Cliff Richard buying him his more famous Fender Stratocaster.Jeff Beck played one,[2] as didBig Jim Sullivan when he was playing withMarty Wilde.[3] They were imported by James T. Coppock (Leeds) Ltd, Charles Summerfield Ltd and J. L. Music Ltd.[4] Some Antoria guitars may have been manufactured inBavaria,Germany, byFramus.[5]
In the 1970s, Antoria imported guitars made in theFujiGen factory, which also manufacturedIbanez guitars. Later, production shifted to Korea, where, among other models, an imitationGibson ES-335 was made (a model also sold under theHarmony brand).[6]
James T. Coppock ceased trading in the early 1980s and Antoria guitar production ceased. Then, probably in the 1980s, John Lawson acquired the brand and distributed guitars using the name until 2006.[citation needed] In January 2007, the Antoria brand was purchased by Adam Hall Limited, and then in 2010 by Tim Gentle Music ofStockton-on-Tees. The new Antoria electric guitars are manufactured in South Korea, and their acoustic and electro-acoustic guitars in China.[4]