The M. Sakurai No.8 Cedar Top Classical guitars, indeed the entire line of Masaki Sakurai models, are under-appreciated gems. The set of guitars with labels reading ‘M. Sakurai Supervised by M. Kohno’ are from the period where Masaki Sakurai was still learning the craft from his uncle, Masaru Kohno.
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This Yamaha GC-30A no.829 Grand Concert Brazilian Classical, dating to 1982, reflects the upper end of Yamaha guitar production in a concert grade instrument, featuring a pairing of a Spruce top and Brazilian Rosewood back and sides. This fine instrument was built during 1982 at the Yamaha home facility in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture and is signed by master luthier Mr. Toshio Kato. The GC or ‘Grand Concert’ line was conceived during the mid 1960s, when Yamaha arranged for three luthiers – Hiroshi Harada, Hideyuki Ezaki and Toshio Kato – to learn from Spanish master Eduardo Ferrer.
This instrument has sold
MORE →This Masaki Sakurai Concert-R Spruce top classical guitar from 2001 is a good illustration of the higher ends of Japanese guitar construction. Masaki Sakurai is the nephew of the late, renowned guitar builder Masaru Kohno. After taking an electrical engineering degree, he chose to work at his Uncle’s Tokyo guitar shop.
This instrument has sold
MORE →Here we have a nicely kept La Esperanza Classe 1000 classical guitar built during 1979 in the shop of Masaru Matano or his successors in Kurume, Japan. Matano’s shop built the La Esperanza Classe 1000 and lower priced Classe 600 for sale for the company name “Ongaku Geijutsusha Co” and these models were based on Ramirez instruments. The Classe 1000 features a Red Cedar top and double layer Rosewood sides and back, which is not quite the same as laminated. Here, the two layers are of Brazilian Rosewood and are used to reduce overtones and ‘wolf’ tones when the guitar is played loudly.
This instrument has sold
MORE →The Martin OME Cherry is a recently introduced Martin model, based on the OM body, itself derived in late 1929 from a 14-fret neck 000 model. Built with FSC – “Forest Stewardship Council” certified woods, including Sitka Spruce, Cherry and Mahogany, the OME Cherry also comes stock with a Fishman Matrix VT Enhance NT1 pickup and preamp factory installed.
This instrument has sold
MORE →The Yamaha GC30A Grand Concert Brazilian Classical reflects the upper end of Yamaha guitar production in a concert grade instrumen,t featuring a pairing of a Red Cedar top and Brazilian Rosewood back and sides.This Yamaha GC30A was built during 1982 at the Yamaha home facility in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture and is signed by master luthier Mr. Toshio Kato.
This instrument has sold
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