It's one of the coolest six-strings ever shaped. Here's the story of Masayoshi Takanaka's famous surfboard guitar.
Surfing is a key part of popular culture, influencing cinema, visual arts, literature, and music since its first significant boom in the 1960s.
The idea of a lifestyle anchored on the beach, the surf, and the exotism of tropical destinations found a revenue stream in the entertainment industry.
Soon, many artists picked up the topic of surfing and embedded it into their performances.
Interestingly, surfing rarely negatively impacted those who embraced it to create and express themselves or simply to make money.
To get things started, Marvel came up with the "Silver Surfer," Hollywood had "Gidget," and the music industry had The Beach Boys.
The iconography surrounding surfing is vast and includes a broad range of images: objects, people, behaviors, fashion, habits, looks, and natural environments.
The surfboard is one of surfing's most striking elements.
Its perfectly designed yet simple shape has always fascinated and fed audiences and consumers, led by the dream of gliding across the water on a sunny day.
The images around surfing seem to bring people closer to the idea of the perfect moment or an idyllic day of thrill and pure happiness.
Yes, the excitement of getting out of a blue, transparent barreling wave is possible and doable. "I could be there," we'd think.
And if surfboards are vehicles of pleasure, why can't they also give us music?
Masayoshi Takanaka: The City Pop Iconoclast
Masayoshi Takanaka is a legendary figure in Japanese fusion music, blending genres like jazz, rock, funk, and samba into his distinct tropical sound.
Born in Tokyo in 1953 as Masayoshi Liu, he changed his surname to Takanaka after becoming a Japanese citizen.
Takanaka's music is often described as cheerful, feel-good, and highly melodic, with his guitar playing at the heart of his sound.
You could say it's Japan's own Carlos Santana.
His skillful guitar riffs are so expressive that his instrument almost sings, filling his mostly instrumental tracks with emotion and energy.
Takanaka's career began in the 1970s with his involvement in bands like Flied Egg and the Sadistic Mika Band, but it wasn't until his solo work that his unique sound came into full bloom.
His debut solo album, "Seychelles" (1979), marked the beginning of his signature tropical fusion style, drawing influence from jazz fusion, city pop, samba, and a touch of disco.
You can quickly notice his love for Brazilian music, especially samba, in albums like "Brasilian Skies."
From 1976 to 2011, Takanaka recorded nearly 40 studio albums covering a wide and varied range of genres.
Make no mistake - his success isn't just limited to Japan.
The guitarist, composer, and producer continued building a new audience, also thanks to the rise of YouTube's algorithm, which introduced younger listeners to his fresh, feel-good sound.
Artists like Grimes, Engelwood, and Flamingosis have also sampled his music, showing his enduring influence.
Even as he entered his later career, Takanaka continued to explore new sounds.
In the 1990s, his music took on a more contemporary feel, in line with the trends of the time, and in 2000, he founded his own label, Lagoon Records.
The Japanese musician remains active in the music scene, touring and showcasing his innovative instruments, such as a miniature train set guitar or his famous surfboard-shaped guitar.
The Birth of the Surf Guitar
The creation of Masayoshi Takanaka's iconic surfboard guitar began in 2003 as a joint venture between the musician and Japanese luthier Takeda Yutaka.
Takanaka wanted an instrument that embodied the carefree, beachy essence of his slightly psychedelic surf sound.
The idea to make a surfboard-shaped guitar emerged after Takanaka reflected on living life fully, influenced by the passing of a friend.
"When Shigeru Naruke passed away, I thought about it a little," Takanaka revealed.
"You can do what you like while you're alive. When you're dead, you can't do anything. So I decided to make a surfboard guitar."
"I'm jumping the gun a bit, but I was thinking, 'Oh, come to think of it, surfing was popular around the time of the Bubble Era… I have a summer song that goes well with it…' and then I thought it would be interesting to make a surfing guitar. I heard it was hard to make."
Takanaka had lived in the Bahamas, breathing and incorporating a tropical vibe into his music, so he thought a surfboard guitar would perfectly complement his summery songs.
Takeda Yutaka, a long-time fan of Takanaka's music, initially found the request both exciting and intimidating.
How could he make it real? How could he build the world's first "surf guitar," a term that is also used to designate the musical subgenre surf music?
After discussing the options, Masayoshi and Takeda decided to modify a real surfboard by hollowing it out and fitting it with an actual guitar inside.
"I still thought it couldn't be a toy, so I made it with realism in mind."
"The surfboard itself is hollow inside, so you can't attach the neck or parts directly to it. So I attached the neck to a small wooden body and screwed it in from the back of the surfboard."
"In order not to sacrifice playability, we made sure it wasn't too heavy and left enough clearance around the neck."
"Considering maintenance, the guitar part is removable."
"And we managed to deliver it to the studio where they were rehearsing just before the event. Of course, we didn't compromise on the guitar part and did a job that we couldn't be ashamed of."
Hard to Play
The process of creating the guitar was so complex that Takeda later said he would never do it again.
The surfboard guitar debuted in light blue during Takanaka's 2004 and 2005 live tours before being repainted red for later performances.
Despite its iconic status, Takanaka admitted it was heavy and hard to play, limiting its use to just a few songs per concert.
"It's hard to play, as expected."
"I just play this because I wonder if people watching me will find it fun, but I wonder if some percentage of them think I'm stupid."
"It weighs about six kilograms [13.2 pounds]. So if I play two songs with this guitar at a concert, I will get a little more exhausted."
"So, I think it would be better to use it only occasionally."
The truth is that the legendary surfboard guitar became a memorable part of his shows, driving audiences to euphoria when it made it to the stage.
Has Masayoshi Takanaka ever surfed? Probably not.
But his connection to the surfing imagery continued with the release of this 2004 studio album "Surf & Turf," a title tribute to the seafood and meat meal.
Words by Luís MP | Founder of SurferToday.com