1983 Alvarez-Yairi DY-45N
When Kazuo Yairi began designing and hand-crafting these guitars in the 1960’s, he was deliberately competing with Martin, Gibson, and Guild for the higher end guitar market in the U.S. This DY-45 Natural “Wood Ridge” model is an example of the quality and sound which he was able to produce using the highest quality materials, the best Japanese craftsmen, and his own modifications of the best American designs. Today, the prices of the Alvarez-Yairi acoustic guitars range from $1200 to $4000 and beyond, and grateful owners will tell you they’re worth every penny.
The label clearly says that the date of manufacture is 1983 and that it is a Model DY-45N, which was manufactured from 1975-1998. There is presumably also a number on the neck block (blocked on this guitar by the pre-amp and battery) which would indicate that it was made in the 58th year of the reign of Japanese Emperor Showa, which was indeed 1983 (No, I’m not making this up!). This guitar (serial # 50639) has a dreadnought style body with a solid spruce top and mahogany back, sides and neck in a cool glossy Dark Satin Antique finish. There is full tortoise binding on both top and back, a multi-stripe inlaid rosette, a black tear drop pick guard, a rosewood bridge with black abalone-dot pins, a 14/20-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot/fleur-de-lis inlay and a 25.5” scale, and a black headstock inlay set off by the inlaid pearl Yairi logo and chrome enclosed tuners (the Yairi tuners have been upgraded on this guitar to Gotohs). This is one impressive-looking guitar for the money.
Even more impressive is its playability and its huge sound. The first three frets have a little wear on them, but the neck is surprisingly comfortable for my kind of small hands, measuring 1 11/16” at the nut. The thirty-seven years of seasoning of the quality solid spruce top and mahogany back and sides make this about as resonant and dominant-sounding a guitar as you will find for anywhere near this price, with great big bass and clear ringing trebles.
Like most 37-year-old guitars that have been played, there are a few dings in the top and elsewhere, some pick wear below the sound hole, several professionally repaired cracks and a dent in the top, and a small puncture in the bottom end. There are unfortunately small extra screw holes in the back of the headstock from the tuner upgrade. Other than that, there are no cosmetic or structural issues with this guitar: the neck’s straight, the top’s flat, the tuners are tight, and there is a pickup jack at the end pin, providing access to the very effective under-bridge passive pick-up for your gigs at Yankee Stadium. The action is set at a low and fast hair over 3/32” at the 12th fret low E, and it is ready to play.
The vintage hard shell case is structurally adequate, probably original, and in good shape, complete with the Alvarez name on the top. The hardware all works except for one missing latch hasp, and the plush interior is okay and fits this guitar like the proverbial glove. While the case does have a few dings on the edges, they don’t detract from the protection the case provides for this valuable instrument.
Buyer pays a flat rate of $55 for insurance and shipping to the lower 48 states; shipping costs elsewhere will be negotiated as necessary. Payment by Paypal is preferred; cashier’s checks are acceptable, but checks must clear before the guitar will be shipped.
I have tried to be perfectly clear and accurate in describing this instrument, so its return will not be accepted unless it can be shown that it was egregiously misrepresented in this listing. Please check out the pictures and ask any questions you might have before offering to purchase it.
Thank you for your interest in this cool Alvarez-Yairi guitar.
Payments by Paypal, cashier’s checks, money orders, or personal checks are acceptable, but all payments must clear my bank before the guitar will be shipped. I will CONSIDER reasonable offers, even including installment payments and trade-ins, but generally since I already attempt to price my guitars very competitively, unusual deals must be unusually sweet.
From henceforth [that's how retired English teachers talk], insurance and shipping to the lower 48 states is $55 due to constantly rising shipping costs unless a specific listing says otherwise; shipping costs elsewhere will be negotiated as necessary. I have sold guitars to Russia, Japan, Australia, and over 50 other countries, as well as almost every state in the USA. Since some of my guitars travel thousands of miles, I take care to use lots of packing materials, protect the neck inside the case, and of course de-tune the strings.
I make every effort to describe and illustrate each guitar and case with scrupulous accuracy. However, many of my instruments are well-played vintage items which are many years old, and I am not a luthier. One should assume that any guitar will require some set-up to satisfy your personal requirements, and that not every flaw or ding will be seen/recognized/described in the listing. Thus the return of an instrument will not be accepted unless it can be shown that it was egregiously misrepresented in this listing. Please read the listing carefully, check out the pictures, and ask any questions you might have before offering to buy.