Intermark
Intermark
Also known as: Inter-Mark, Intermark Cipher, Inter-Mark Cipher, Cipher
UnclaimedIntermark, sometimes styled Inter-Mark, was a New York–based import company that brought Japanese-made musical instruments and electronics into the United States during the mid-1960s. Headquartered at 29 West 36th Street in Manhattan, the firm specialized in tape recorders, consumer electronics, and electric guitars sourced from Japanese manufacturers. The guitars were branded Cipher, the name ...
$425.00
Intermark, sometimes styled Inter-Mark, was a New York–based import company that brought Japanese-made musical instruments and electronics into the United States during the mid-1960s. Headquartered at 29 West 36th Street in Manhattan, the firm specialized in tape recorders, consumer electronics, and electric guitars sourced from Japanese manufacturers. The guitars were branded Cipher, the name Intermark applied to most of its imported product lines, and were sold through outlets including the Columbia Records catalog.
The Cipher-branded electric guitars were primarily built by Shinko Gakki, a piano and organ maker in the Tatsuno Lake region of Japan that briefly produced guitars during the mid-1960s, with some examples attributed to the Pleasant factory. Shinko is credited with being among the first Japanese builders to use laminated neck construction. Stylistically, many Cipher models drew from Italian Eko guitars of the period, including accordion-style push-button pickup switching and Eko-style tremolo systems. Notable models included the Valor, Ranger, Surfer, Charger, and Sentinel, available in solid-body six-string, twelve-string, and bass configurations, with finishes ranging from sunbursts to glitter and unusual colors such as yellow and green burst.
Intermark Cipher production was short-lived, spanning roughly two years in the mid-to-late 1960s, and the instruments are now collected as part of the broader 'Made in Japan' vintage market alongside contemporaries like Teisco and Kawai. The guitars circulate primarily through the used and vintage marketplace.
Intermark has 2 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Solid Body Electric Guitars. Their gear is featured by 1 artist, with the strongest followings in Rock. Notable users include Clay Parton.
Are you on the Intermark team?
- Be the first to know when an artist is spotted using Intermark gear
- Curate the Intermark catalog, images, and product details
- Respond to community photos and reviews of Intermark gear
- See how Intermark gear is trending on Equipboard