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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2018 13:07:53 GMT -6
I've been doing a little research on the Yairi guitar company from Japan. It's a family brand of three main luthiers, going back decades. I like the look and sound of them from the YT vids I've seen. Online forum consensus seems to suggest that because they are Japanese and don't promote themselves all that much, you can get a stellar hand made guitar for a not so stellar price, compared to the big name US brands. Consensus also seems to suggest that the hook up with Alvarez guitars are not so great. The lower end and mid range models mostly have a two layer laminate back and sides, but apparently they sound incredible (something about how they line up the grain of the two layers). I'd probably be looking at the higher end models which are of course all solid. The confusing thing is they have a Japanese site, a US site (with Alvarez), an EU site, and a French site, haha. I lived in Japan for 12 years and have family there, so I'd probably end up ordering from the Japanese end. yairi.co.jp/yairi.com/yairi-france.com/alvarezguitars.com/Does anyone have any experience with them? This vid with Ben Chasny is what really piqued my interest. He's a friend of a friend, so I might try and ask him about them too. I want a higher end guitar specifically for folky fingerstyle, so probably looking at 45mm nut width/wider string spacing than my current Faith acoustic, which is 43mm. Any other brand or specific model recommendations appreciated too. Max budget is around £2000/€2200/$2700/¥300,000 |
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Post by wiz on Feb 5, 2018 15:53:02 GMT -6
Best 12 string I ever played was a Yairi... I offered to buy it on the spot... sadly I got turned down.
cheers
Wiz
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Post by ragan on Feb 5, 2018 16:12:31 GMT -6
I’ve had a couple of older Alvarez (non Yairi) that were really solid for very little dough.
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Post by johneppstein on Feb 5, 2018 17:59:59 GMT -6
I've been doing a little research on the Yairi guitar company from Japan. It's a family brand of three main luthiers, going back decades. I like the look and sound of them from the YT vids I've seen. Online forum consensus seems to suggest that because they are Japanese and don't promote themselves all that much, you can get a stellar hand made guitar for a not so stellar price, compared to the big name US brands. Consensus also seems to suggest that the hook up with Alvarez guitars are not so great. The lower end and mid range models mostly have a two layer laminate back and sides, but apparently they sound incredible (something about how they line up the grain of the two layers). I'd probably be looking at the higher end models which are of course all solid. The confusing thing is they have a Japanese site, a US site (with Alvarez), an EU site, and a French site, haha. I lived in Japan for 12 years and have family there, so I'd probably end up ordering from the Japanese end. yairi.co.jp/yairi.com/yairi-france.com/alvarezguitars.com/Does anyone have any experience with them? This vid with Ben Chasny is what really piqued my interest. He's a friend of a friend, so I might try and ask him about them too. I want a higher end guitar specifically for folky fingerstyle, so probably looking at 45mm nut width/wider string spacing than my current Faith acoustic, which is 43mm. Any other brand or specific model recommendations appreciated too. Max budget is around £2000/€2200/$2700/¥300,000 I remember back in the '70s and '80s K Yairi making some Martin clones that were better than the real Martins of the time. I remember one D-45 copy that was spectacular.... |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2018 2:13:34 GMT -6
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Post by rowmat on Feb 7, 2018 18:33:45 GMT -6
I have a K.Yairi YD5 (not 'DY') acoustic I bought new in 1989.
I contacted Yairi who had no record whatsoever of this serial number.
Apparently it was one of only a handful of initial production prototype units sold in Australia and Europe that featured a new bridge design which I believe was the first of Yairi's direct coupled bridges.
Yairi then continued manufacturing guitars with this new bridge design under their standard serial number designation.
Anyway it is a great guitar and sounds more like a $3000 guitar than a $650 guitar.
While many K.Yairis seems be sold under the Alvarez Yairi name in the US here in Australia they were K.Yairi
I also have a Lowden L-25 built by S.Yairi (an 'estranged' relative I believe) in Japan when George Lowden contacted them to build his designs in the 1980's.
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Post by iamasound on Feb 7, 2018 18:39:19 GMT -6
The few older Yairi dreads that I have played were fine instruments with balanced tones and good projection. The ones I have seen locally here in Switzerland were not very expensive coming in at no more than $600-$700 with the odd girl a grand.
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Post by rowmat on Feb 7, 2018 18:45:26 GMT -6
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Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2018 1:11:25 GMT -6
Nice, thanks for all the info. Have contacted the Yairi distributor in France, there will hopefully be somewhere in Paris I can try a few. I downloaded the Japanese catalogue too, it's a great browse. Really like the look of this one: yairi.co.jp/guitar/item_203.html |
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Post by guitfiddler on Feb 8, 2018 1:23:00 GMT -6
I have access to a sweet Yairi, I'll post a pic in the near future...you won't believe what was paid for it!
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Post by Ward on Feb 8, 2018 11:03:26 GMT -6
In the 1970s, some of the best Fenders were made by Frescher
Also in the 1970s, some of the best Martins had 'Alvarez Yairi' on the headstock.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2018 13:51:51 GMT -6
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Post by guitfiddler on Feb 19, 2018 20:09:52 GMT -6
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2018 2:45:07 GMT -6
That looks lovely!
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Post by guitfiddler on Feb 20, 2018 3:01:07 GMT -6
It sounds nice too. Maybe I’ll actually get a chance to record something with it. It’s my brothers and he got it for a steal! I don’t even want to say what he paid for it. I think he paid more in gas to go pick it up! |
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Post by iamasound on Feb 21, 2018 5:59:54 GMT -6
Nice looking guitfiddle. I love it when I find an amazing bargain. Would love to hear how she sounds when you have the time.
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Post by guitfiddler on Feb 21, 2018 6:50:28 GMT -6
There’s kind of a cool story behind it too...
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Post by johneppstein on Feb 21, 2018 23:18:32 GMT -6
There’s kind of a cool story behind it too... Well??? |
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Post by guitfiddler on Feb 22, 2018 6:12:04 GMT -6
There’s kind of a cool story behind it too... Well??? Sorry to leave you hanging, just got really busy...when I get around to it |
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Post by mamm7215 on Feb 23, 2018 21:59:27 GMT -6
I had a k-Yairi semi acoustic from the ‘80s. Smaller neck, played great, terrible sounding piezo pickup and pre. Never used it plugged in but mic’d I got a nice bright acoustic sound from it. Sold it when I got my Martin. Just never played it after that.
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Post by guitfiddler on Mar 3, 2018 1:02:55 GMT -6
Sorry to leave you hanging, just got really busy...when I get around to it I tried this the other day and for some reason, I was having difficulties posting on my phone...Anyway, to the story. Short Version because of time constraints. My brother calls me at work and says he found this guitar for sale and asked me if I have ever heard of a Yairi? I couldn’t leave work, thought about it though...lol. I asked him condition, year, you know the drill... He says it’s about a two hour drive...he sent me pics and talked to the owners son. I guess, the owner had passed from cancer and that it was his only prized possession that he cared for. His wife and son felt compelled to sell it because it deeply saddened them to look at it sitting on the stand. His wife told my brother that when her husband was alive that guitar had brought the whole family so much joy and when he passed it brought them incredible sadness. I think my brother gave them more than they were asking(wasn’t much), but they just wanted it to go to a good home and to a home where it would be played and cared for. |
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