1992 Alvarez-Yairi DY-45AV ANTIQUE SUNBURST, Very Good, Original Hard, $695.00
INTERNATIONAL BUYERS WELCOME!
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 AV 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 $5000 and beyond, and grateful owners will tell you they’re worth every penny.
This guitar (serial # 37542) has a dreadnought style body with a solid spruce top and a mahogany back, sides, and neck in a cool glossy Dark Satin Antique finish. There is full binding on both top and back, a multi-stripe inlaid rosette, a black tear drop pick guard, a rosewood bridge with an individual compensated saddle for each string and black abalone-dot pins, a 14/20-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot and floral inlays and a 25.5” scale, and a black headstock set off by the inlaid pearloid Yairi logo and chrome enclosed tuners. This is one impressive-looking guitar for the money, and I believe that this AV model was only made for this one year.
Even more impressive is its playability and its huge sound. The frets have some wear on them but are quite playable, and the neck is surprisingly comfortable for my kind of small hands, measuring 1 11/16” at the nut. The twenty-three 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 23-year-old guitars that have been played, there are a few dings in the top and elsewhere, and some chips at the corners of the headstock (which has a kind of milky discoloration), but no cracks at all. 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, the action is set at just under 3/32” at the 12th fret low E, and it is ready to play. Naturally, the Alvarez System 500 electronics add a powerful additional dimension to its capabilities.
The vintage original hard shell case is structurally solid and in good cosmetic shape. The hardware all works, and the plush interior is okay and fits this guitar like the proverbial glove. However, it does have dings and wear on the edges to prove it has been doing its job; 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; cashiers and personal 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 ask any questions you might have before buying.
Thanks for your interest in this fine vintage instrument.
ALUMPSTER'S GUITARS
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.