LUMANOG GUITARS WAS STARTED BY MY GREAT GRANDFATHER, HE SOLD GUITARS THAT CAME FROM CEBU IN EARLY 40'S, AFTER SEVERAL YEARS, OUR GUITAR SHOP OPENED DUE TO RISING PRICES OF SHIPPING COSTS FROM CEBU AND POOR QUALITY. BY DOING THIS, GREAT GRANDFATHER MADE SURE THAT OUR GUITARS WERE SUPERIOR THAN WHAT WE WERE GETTING FROM OUR SUPPLIERS.SINCE THEN, LUMANOG GUITARS WERE THE BEST AND WITH UNMATCHED QUALITY.THESE CAUGHT THE ATTENTION OF SEVERAL AMERICAN GUITAR FACTORIES AND I'LL GET BACK TO THAT IN A MINUTE. HOWEVER, DUE TO GREED AND SIBLING RIVALRIES, THE BUSINESS STARTED FALLING APART.MY GRANDMOTHER AND HER NAME WAS "PAULINA LUMANOG BANSIL" THE YOUNGEST OF ALL THE CHILDREN, AND HER HUSBAND WAS "RUFINO BANSIL" TOOK OVER. I REMEMBER MY GRANDMOTHER'S STORIES AND ONE OF THEM WAS, THAT WHEN SHE GOT TO OUR STORE, IT HAD 10 GUITARS AND SOME DISPLAY STANDS. THRU HARD WORK AND UNLIMITED SACRIFICES OUR BUSINESS GOT BACK IN TRACK AND WITHOUT A DOUBT WE WERE ON TOP OF THE CHAIN. THESE WERE NOT OBTAINABLE IF MY FATHER" RUBEN BANSIL", THE ELDEST OF THE 8 CHILDREN, HE STARTED BUILDING GUITARS SINCE HE WAS 12 YEARS OF AGE. YES, MY FATHER IS CONSIDERED AS "MASTER LUTHIER", WITH 57 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND HE IS STIL HAS HIS STORE IN STA. NOW, THE REASON YOU AND THE REST OF 90 MILLION FILIPINOS ARE SEEING A LOT OF "LUMANOG" NAMES AND STORE, IS DUE TO THE "STUPID" AND "BRAINLESS' LAW THAT OUR COUNTRY HAS. WHEN MY GRANDPARENTS DIED (RUFINO AND PAULINA) THE PHIL. WOULD NOT ALLOW THE CHILDREN'S REQUEST TO STOP THE IMMITATORS FROM USING OUR NAME AND LOGOS. THEY SAID THAT, SINCE THE ORIGINAL OWNERS ARE DEAD, THE NAME WAS "FREE FOR ALL". HOW STUPID WAS THAT? THEY KILLED OUR NAME, INTEGRITY AND LEGACY. BY ALLOWING OUR FORMER "TRABAHADORS, TINDERAS,SUPPLIERS AND THE WHOLE COUNTRY" TO ABUSE OUR NAME AND HARD WORK. ALMOST, 70 YEARS OF HISTORY WENT DOWN THE DRAIN. YES, THE REAL LUMANOGS ARE GONE!!! ALL THESE GUITARS THAT YOU GUYS ARE SEING ARE MADE VIA CONTRACT FROM NDEPENDENT SHOPS IN PAMPANGA. AND OF COURSE, OUR LOGO WILL BE SLAPPED ON IT. PLEASE ACCEPT MY APOLOGIES FOR BEING BLUNT AND CRUDE. I JUST GET SO EMOTIONAL WHEN IT COMES TO THIS ISSUE. I GREW UP IN ONE OF OUR STORE, I MANAGED AND WORK IN IT SINCE I WAS 10 YEARS OF AGE. I LEARNED HOW TO PLAY "ROMAZA DE AMOUR" WHEN I WAS 6 YERS OLD, INSIDE OUR STA. WE WERE SO GOOD THAT WE STARTED EXPORTING GUITARS TO U.S. , CANADA AND ASIA. I CAN'T TELL YOU THE U.S. GUITARS SINCE THEY
MIGHT GROW BRAIN AND FILE A LAWSUIT AGAINST ME. NOW IT'S ALMOST ALL GONE!!! WITH A FEW RESIDUAL CHILDREN CLINGING
ON. THE CHINESE AND TAIWAN MADE ARE MORE ACCEPTED NOW A DAYS SINCE THEY ARE "SHINY" AND "COLORFUL". YOU CAN NOT COMPARE "HAND MADE" AND "MACHINE MADE" FROM EACH OTHER. LUMANOG GUITARS ARE MOSTLY MADE OF PLYWOOD BECAUSE OF OUR DE-FORESTATION PROBLEMS. IT'S JUST NO MORE "WOOD" AVAILABLE IN LOCAL MARKET. EVERYTHING IS IMPORTED. PLEASE TRY TO USE YOUR COMMON SENSE, A KNOCK OFF LEVIS JEANS COST AROUND 3,000.00 PHP, A CD IS 500.00 PHP, MCDONALDS WILL
COST YOU AROUND 1,000.00 PHP FOR LUNCH. LUMANOG GUITARS COST AROUND 2,000.00 PHP. AND YOU ARE EXPECTING A "CONCERT" LEVEL GUITAR? C'MMON. BY THE WAY, I SENT SOME GUITAR PLANS AND BUSINESS MODULE TO MY BROTHER AND WE ARE TESTING THE MARKET. TRY TO LOOK FOR "MAHARLIKA GUITAR". THIS COMPANY WILL RELEASE SOME GUITARS SOON AND YOU WILL BE BLOWN AWAY!!! I PURCHASED SOME GUITAR
PLANS THAT WAS PROFESSIONALLY MADE HERE IN USA. THESE GUITARS COSTS AROUND $7,000.00 (ACOUSTICS) AND $35,000.00 (CLASSICALS) WE ARE COMING OUT WITH AN ORIGINAL DESIGN 1959 LES PAUL. BEST REGARDS,
VERGEL BANSIL
