The Hondo guitar company was originally formed in 1969 when Jerry Freed and Tommy Moore of the International Music Corporation (IMC) of Fort Worth, Texas, combined with the recently formed Samick Company. IMC's intent was to introduce modern manufacturing techniques and American quality standards to the Japanese and Korean guitar manufacturing industry. The Hondo concept was to offer an organized product line and solid entry-level market instruments at a fair market price. The original Korean products were classical and steel-string acoustic guitars. In 1972, the first crudely built Hondo electrics were built. However, two years later the product line took a big leap forward in quality under the new Hondo II logo. Hondo also began limited production of guitars in Japan in 1974. Hondo acoustic guitars were particularly noted for having a sweet tone.

Kimberly guitars were originally made in 1960s and 1970s by Kawai for distribution in the USA by Limmco, Inc. In the 1990s and 2000s the Kimberly brand was used the Korean Kimex Trading Company for Korean and Chinese made instruments.

Source: Kimex Trading Co. website (archived 2008)

The Hoyer company began in 1874 when Franz Hoyer, son of  a German luthiery family, opened his own workshop in Schönbach/Egerland, Germany. He started making lutes and zithers but soon added classic and folk guitars to the line up. His son Joseph Hoyer carried on the company. Following the war the Hoyer family found themselves now within the Czechoslovakia (after the borders had been redrawn). Along with many ethnic German instrument makers the family left Schönbach and moved to Tennelohe near Erlangen in Germany.

Robert Godin founded Godin in La Patrie, Quebec in 1972. Godin guitars are assembled in its Richmond, Quebec and Berlin, New Hampshire factories. The necks and bodies are all made in Godin's original location in La Patrie, Quebec. Godin Guitars makes instruments under several different brand names which include the acoustic guitar lines: Seagull, Simon & Patrick, Minstrel, Norman, LaPatrie and Art & Lutherie. They also make the revolutionary TRIC guitar case.

Source: Godin website (18 July 2017)

Thomas Garnet Gillies (Gar Gillies) founded the Garnet Amplifier Company in the mid 1960s in Winnipeg, having worked in the TV and radio repair business. By the early 1970's Garnet Amplifiers were firmly established in the Canadian market and began to export to the USA. Although Garnet was best known for its Canadian made valve amplifiers there were also Garnet electric guitars and basses which were made in Japan in the 1970s. Garnet Amplifiers ceased trading in 1989.

Source: Garnet Amplifiers website (7 July 2017)
 

Frudua Guitar Works was established by Italian luthier and guitar consultant Galeazzo Frudua. Frudua operates a number of other guitar and amplifier brands, as well as teaching guitar making

Dragonfly is a brand name of Harry's Engineering Company. They have been manufacturing guitars in Japan since 2000.

Catalyst Instruments was an innovative American-Dutch manufacturer of electric guitars and basses made of an unique ceramic-graphite composite material - patented as SoundCompound. Catalyst Guitar players included Jan Akkerman and Vernon Reid. By 2009 their website was no-longer live.

Brandoni Custom Guitars was founded by Roberto Brandoni. Brandoni was born in the town of Castelfidardo in Italy, an area with a rich history in accordion and guitar making. His first involvement in instrument making was in his uncle's accordion factory. After he relocated to England and worked in various parts of the UK music industry; initially working on accordions, reed organs and Fender guitars for distributors Dallas-Arbiter. He then established his own distribution Company, supplying cables, cases and other music related accessories. Brandoni's involvement with guitars started when he purchased large stocks of Vox and Hayman spare parts and set up a workshop in Wembley.

Roger Benedict (co-founder of the Benedict Guitar Company) began making guitars in Elizabethtown, NY in 1974, before moving to Minneapolis in 1981 to build guitars for a local manufacturer and teach luthiery at a local Technical College. In early 1988, Roger designed and built an electric guitar that featured a semi-hollow spruce body and state-of-the-art electronics. Later that year, he built a version for Jackson Browne, who named the guitar "the Groove Master" in tribute to its unique sound and playability.

Roger and his wife Laurel formed the Benedict Guitar Company in 1988 and began marketing the Groove Master in limited custom editions, adding a semi-hollow bass and the solid-body electric Benelectro to the product line. Despite high demand Roger refused to mass-produce his instruments, making only a few each month. In 1990 Roger took on Bill Hager as an apprentice. The two luthiers continued to develop new designs and ideas.