Help Identifying Koetsu Onyx


Hi All

I recently acquired a Koetsu Onyx. I can't seem to find any information on which Onyx version it is. It has a sloped end and there is no generator cowl. Pins are silver and the mounting bar is black. It was sold to me an Onyx Platinum. Would appreciate any views on this. Many thanks.

Pictures are in the links.

https://ibb.co/fN8raw
https://ibb.co/hWvhhb
https://ibb.co/kgKm8G
gobenchannt

Showing 2 responses by mulveling

Never seen any stone body look remotely like that. I have both an old non-Platinum Onyx Signature, a low serial-number Onyx Platinum, Coralstone Platinum, and Jade Platinum, lol. Platinum serial numbers start with a "P". Older Koetsu builds don’t have threaded mounting holes, and older still will use gold pins instead of silver. Older still, and you get silver top plates (like my Onyx Signature). And long-bodies go even further back than all of those. The top plate, mounting holes, and pins are not changed out by Koetsu on a rebuild (I know because I asked for it and they wouldn’t change it).

I think (but cannot verify) that any genuine stone body with threaded holes and silver pins would be recent enough that it would have to be a Platinum model (all stones became Platinum at some point), and should have a "P" serial number on the top plate. Your pictured example violates this, and furthermore it features the simplified gold cover/guard plate without a raised "lip" -- which is a feature exclusive to the modern entry-level Black and Red (Rosewood Standard) models.

So I think it has to be considered a strong possibility that someone shoved the guts from a modern Koetsu Black/Red into an Onyx shell (which itself may or may not have been genuine Koetsu). Either way, sadly there is about zero chance that this example actually has Platinum magnets. It might still sound very good, if the guts were genuine Koetsu and have not been unduly worn or tampered with. But if you were sold a Platinum, I think you did not get that :(
Wow, things are looking up again! Koetsu history is just so damn shrouded in mystery. And just when you think you've seen them all...Forgive me for my uninformed prior post. And thanks for posting your findings.

That would be really cool if it is indeed a limited-edition Onyx Platinum. Such a gorgeous Onyx grain on your example, too.