Members MarkGencorelli Posted April 15, 2009 Members Share Posted April 15, 2009 Quick question about the Yairi guitars... I'm really interested in getting the DY62C, but: 1.) is this guitar all solid wood? doesn't say on musiciansfriend.com or I'm just going blind which is very, very possible 2.) from what I garnered in forums, reviews, and research, it has laminated back and sides (I've read from a review on this site that it is)...and if so, isn't laminated supposed to be a no-no for high-priced, upper level guitars? Does anyone have any personal experience playing with the DY62C and does the laminated sides and/or back take away from the playability, sound? From what I've read, people say it's still a fantastic guitar... I guess I'm pretty much trying to convince myself from buying this guitar (cuz even though I have the funds, it's wayyy more than I expected to spend ) even though I've been fallin pretty badly for this thing... on a side note, Does Yairi make any guitars that are all solid wood (which ones)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted April 15, 2009 Members Share Posted April 15, 2009 The specs don't say solid for the back and side, so I'm pretty sure only the top is solid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted April 15, 2009 Members Share Posted April 15, 2009 Check here: http://www.alvarezgtr.com/products.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted April 15, 2009 Members Share Posted April 15, 2009 Try a DYM500 - they look really nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MarkGencorelli Posted April 15, 2009 Author Members Share Posted April 15, 2009 Thanks Koiwoi! Yea, I did take a look the website, but all I see is "burled" mahogany which is the first time I've seen that term "burled" used for a guitar (I'm by no means a guitar master so this probably doesn't say much). But I'm guessing it just means it has a grainy, distorted look made of mahogany? Anyhow, yea, I'm guessing it is pretty much laminate back and sides....I dunno if this should really change my view on purchasing this guitar or not...which seems pretty dumb...but I've been told by some that all solid is the way to go... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MarkGencorelli Posted April 15, 2009 Author Members Share Posted April 15, 2009 Try a DYM500 - they look really nice. WOW that is a thing of beauty....but $4K+ hahaha, I'm crazy...but not thaaat crazy to bump up another 3 G's..... at least not yet...haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted April 15, 2009 Members Share Posted April 15, 2009 Yeah - I mean..... IF money was not an issue. I like their guitars in all price ranges, you just have to find one the right combination of woods for your ear (and whether you want to plug in) and then look at the range you can justify spending the dosh on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members C70man Posted April 15, 2009 Members Share Posted April 15, 2009 Yairi's can be very nice guitars, but spending that kind of money....I would be very cautious. You can buy a Gibson Songwriter for that, a Martin D16GTE for that, and numerous Guilds, Yamahas, etc. I have a Yairi classical guitar that is wonderful, but its not a steel string. Plus they just don't hold their value like the above models I mentioned do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AndrewGG Posted April 15, 2009 Members Share Posted April 15, 2009 www.yairi.com Be aware that K. Yairi and Alvarez Yairi differ. The former are all made in a small shop in Japan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AndrewGG Posted April 15, 2009 Members Share Posted April 15, 2009 Yairi's can be very nice guitars, but spending that kind of money....I would be very cautious. You can buy a Gibson Songwriter for that, a Martin D16GTE for that, and numerous Guilds, Yamahas, etc. I have a Yairi classical guitar that is wonderful, but its not a steel string. Plus they just don't hold their value like the above models I mentioned do. The hand built Yairi instruments are every bit as good as anything factory-made in America; and I include Martin, Gibson and Taylor. I would never put future resale value in my list of guitar must-haves. surely you buy a guitar because you want to keep it? ___ Yamaha LL26Yamaha LL6National Tricone Style 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members C70man Posted April 15, 2009 Members Share Posted April 15, 2009 The hand built Yairi instruments are every bit as good as anything factory-made in America; and I include Martin, Gibson and Taylor. I would never put future resale value in my list of guitar must-haves. surely you buy a guitar because you want to keep it?___Yamaha LL26Yamaha LL6National Tricone Style 1 I agree with AndrewGG. I still have my 1970 Yairi that I bought new.....so I guess I bought it because I was really happy with the sound....its an SYairi hand made. I have played some beautiful sounding Yairi dreds as well, and yes they are well made. A lot of people don't buy for sound only and consider resale, that's why I threw that comment out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members C70man Posted April 15, 2009 Members Share Posted April 15, 2009 Hey AndrewGG, Is that Jr. in your avatar a vintage or a newer model. The reason I ask is because I was offered a '05 Gibson Jr. in trade for my Stromberg and being that I'm selling it, I wondered if that trade would make sense for me...its literally identical to your avatar...mint condition.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MarkGencorelli Posted April 15, 2009 Author Members Share Posted April 15, 2009 www.yairi.com Be aware that K. Yairi and Alvarez Yairi differ. The former are all made in a small shop in Japan. Really? I was under the impression that they were the same except Alvarez just brings them to America and adds their Alvarez label to it. So Alvarez Yairi's are not hand-made? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members C70man Posted April 15, 2009 Members Share Posted April 15, 2009 Really? I was under the impression that they were the same except Alvarez just brings them to America and adds their Alvarez label to it. So Alvarez Yairi's are not hand-made? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvarez_Guitars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MarkGencorelli Posted April 15, 2009 Author Members Share Posted April 15, 2009 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvarez_Guitars What did AndrewGG mean when he said that K. Yairi and Alvarez Yairi differ?Aren't Alvarez Yairi's handmade built in Japan as well? hmmm....confused... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members C70man Posted April 15, 2009 Members Share Posted April 15, 2009 K. Yairi is the luthier.....the guitar builder. If the guitar isn't signed by him, he didn't make it....read the wikipedia link, it tells you about the history behind Alvarez and K and S Yairi......"the top-tier Alvarez-Yairi instruments are hand-made by Kazou Yairi at the Yairi factory in Kani, Gifu-Japan." This is my label.....its hand made by S. Yairi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MarkGencorelli Posted April 15, 2009 Author Members Share Posted April 15, 2009 K. Yairi is the luthier.....the guitar builder. If the guitar isn't signed by him, he didn't make it....read the wikipedia link, it tells you about the history behind Alvarez and K and S Yairi......"the top-tier Alvarez-Yairi instruments are hand-made by Kazou Yairi at the Yairi factory in Kani, Gifu-Japan." This is my label.....its hand made by S. Yairi. Right, I read it... I understand the difference between Alvarez and Alvarez Yairi's, being that Alvarez-Yairi's are made by Yairi while Alvarez is pretty much a whole different beast altogether (mass produced, not handmade), correct? AndrewGG said that their is a difference between K. Yairi and Alvarez Yairi...but aren't these both made by the same Yairi? Shouldn't there be a difference between K. Yairi and Alvarez guitars....not Alvarez-Yairi's? hmmm...I must be missing something here... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pschaafs Posted April 16, 2009 Members Share Posted April 16, 2009 and the difference between S Yairi and K Yairi ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AndrewGG Posted April 16, 2009 Members Share Posted April 16, 2009 Hey AndrewGG, Is that Jr. in your avatar a vintage or a newer model. The reason I ask is because I was offered a '05 Gibson Jr. in trade for my Stromberg and being that I'm selling it, I wondered if that trade would make sense for me...its literally identical to your avatar...mint condition.... It's a VOS '56 reissue. It's a lovely guitar, nice chunky neck and a really fat, raunchy P90 tone. I had an original '56 Junior and, honestly, this is a better instrument.If you can play what you've been offered you'll be able to make the decision for yourself; to my mind there's nothing to equal the simplicity, playability and tone of a good Junior. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DJ in FL Posted April 16, 2009 Members Share Posted April 16, 2009 So was the difference explained...Are Yari all hand made? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zenbu Posted April 16, 2009 Members Share Posted April 16, 2009 S. Yairi and K. Yairi eh...a topic that even Japanese authors who write books on MIJ acoustics can`t seem to solve though lots has been written about them, evidently Kazuo isn`t talkin` and I`ve read Sadao has passed so...What I`ve read is this...and I can`t say it`s 100% certain...the original Sadao left the Suzuki violin company in Fukushima prefecture in 1935 to start off on his own and went to Nagoya, he taught both Kazuo and Sadao guitar building, Kazuos says in the book he went to America to study luthery from `61 to `65...I`ve read Kazuo and Sadao were brothers and/or cousins, even read one was the uncle to the other, nobody seems to know for sure...except Kazuo and it`s a story he isn`t keen on, theres an extended interview with him in the Japan Vintage series of books on acoustics, vol. 2...it`s in Japanese and I haven`t asked my wife to translate all of it so maybe the answers are in there but I gotta think, if they were, some one would have written about it on line already so my guess is...he hasn`t spilled the beans yet. Recently read Sadao went bankrupt and left Japan to save face, first to Korea then China...can`t confirm that but it may be why Kazuo doesn`t speak of his relative...at least we`re sure they were related...somehow.I don`t own any Kazuo guitars, see em in the local Rock Inn but they`re new and I can get a whole fleet of used Sadas for the price on one new Kazuo. I do own several Sadao nylon string guitars...fabulous, so far I have 7 and there isn`t a stinker in the lot, some appear higher end than others but as far as I can tell they`re all solid wood. That Sadao label pictured above is but one of the 6 or 8 I`ve seen so far, some of mine have the light blue label while others have the hand written washi paper labels. Some have English on them...I`m guessing exports...others are all in Japanese. I can`t say for sure he had a hand in every Sada guitar made...he was called both Sadao and Sada...so not sure if his signature means he built the guitar or not, I have no idea how big his operation was at it`s peak, maybe he was a one man show, maybe not. Many Japanese players seem to think Sada`s nylons are better than Kazuo`s while Kazuo`s steels are better than Sadao`s...subjective I reckon, I do know Sada wrote a tiny kanji on the bottom left hand corner on some of his washi labels...one for heaven one for earth...evidently one means the wood was chosen for it`s tone the other means the wood was selected for it`s beauty. I`d have to check but I think the ones I have with those kanjis are the rosewoods, I have Sadaos from 1961 to 1970, my goal is to get one from each year of the 1960s, just need a few more to complete the series...they`re out there but now I`m after certain years so I hope I find em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MarkGencorelli Posted April 18, 2009 Author Members Share Posted April 18, 2009 S. Yairi and K. Yairi eh...a topic that even Japanese authors who write books on MIJ acoustics can`t seem to solve though lots has been written about them, evidently Kazuo isn`t talkin` and I`ve read Sadao has passed so...What I`ve read is this...and I can`t say it`s 100% certain...the original Sadao left the Suzuki violin company in Fukushima prefecture in 1935 to start off on his own and went to Nagoya, he taught both Kazuo and Sadao guitar building, Kazuos says in the book he went to America to study luthery from `61 to `65...I`ve read Kazuo and Sadao were brothers and/or cousins, even read one was the uncle to the other, nobody seems to know for sure...except Kazuo and it`s a story he isn`t keen on, theres an extended interview with him in the Japan Vintage series of books on acoustics, vol. 2...it`s in Japanese and I haven`t asked my wife to translate all of it so maybe the answers are in there but I gotta think, if they were, some one would have written about it on line already so my guess is...he hasn`t spilled the beans yet. Recently read Sadao went bankrupt and left Japan to save face, first to Korea then China...can`t confirm that but it may be why Kazuo doesn`t speak of his relative...at least we`re sure they were related...somehow.I don`t own any Kazuo guitars, see em in the local Rock Inn but they`re new and I can get a whole fleet of used Sadas for the price on one new Kazuo. I do own several Sadao nylon string guitars...fabulous, so far I have 7 and there isn`t a stinker in the lot, some appear higher end than others but as far as I can tell they`re all solid wood. That Sadao label pictured above is but one of the 6 or 8 I`ve seen so far, some of mine have the light blue label while others have the hand written washi paper labels. Some have English on them...I`m guessing exports...others are all in Japanese. I can`t say for sure he had a hand in every Sada guitar made...he was called both Sadao and Sada...so not sure if his signature means he built the guitar or not, I have no idea how big his operation was at it`s peak, maybe he was a one man show, maybe not. Many Japanese players seem to think Sada`s nylons are better than Kazuo`s while Kazuo`s steels are better than Sadao`s...subjective I reckon, I do know Sada wrote a tiny kanji on the bottom left hand corner on some of his washi labels...one for heaven one for earth...evidently one means the wood was chosen for it`s tone the other means the wood was selected for it`s beauty. I`d have to check but I think the ones I have with those kanjis are the rosewoods, I have Sadaos from 1961 to 1970, my goal is to get one from each year of the 1960s, just need a few more to complete the series...they`re out there but now I`m after certain years so I hope I find em. This is still a little difficult to follow along. Someone says that there is a difference between Alvarez Yairi's and regular Yairi's--being that the former is NOT handcrafted. I was under the impression that all Alvarez Yairi's were just Yairi's rebadged with the Alvarez name (but still keeping the Yairi name along with it. I am not confusing Alvarez guitars with Alvarez-Yairis). This is the first time I've ever heard that any kind of Yairi guitars were not handmade. I thought ALL Yairi labeled guitars (Alvarez Yairis included) were made by hand.How are we supposed to know if a Yairi is not handmade? Any Yairi without the Alvarez name? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members zenbu Posted April 19, 2009 Members Share Posted April 19, 2009 So was the difference explained...Are Yari all hand made? tricky to answer for me `cause I haven`t seen em all yet, but thats the kind of question the company could answer, try e-mailing them and see what they say. I know every model isn`t all solid wood, but thats not a scoop, there may be someone in the company who won`t flee from an English e-mail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mjberz Posted April 19, 2009 Members Share Posted April 19, 2009 Check out the DY 94 and DY 95 Alvarez Yairi. I've owned both (currently the DY (95). Both are hand signed on the inside on the heel of the neck. Both are all solidwood, I would assume handmade. I also owned a DY 40 which I sold to a close friend. Laminate back and sides but sounded good. I also own a regular Alvarez 6020C which is handmade, as it is stamped inside the soundhole. If you're interested in the DY 95, PM me...I may be willing to sell it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.