1985 Alvarez by Kazuo Yairi DY96 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar w/ COA & Case

Up for sale, a 1985 Alvarez by Kazuo Yairi model DY96 in exceptional condition. Among the finest and rarest Japanese dreadnought guitars ever built, the DY96 is a true "D-45 killer," handcrafted in quantities typically not exceeding single digits in any given year, with '85 being the last year of production. Crafted with all solid woods, premium appointments, and a gloss lacquer finish, this Yairi is the pinnacle of Japanese guitar construction and a no-corners-cut example of what the square shoulder dreadnought platform is capable of in the hands of a master luthier (as the models bearing the DY96 model name were purportedly hand-built by Kazuo himself).

This square shoulder dreadnought offers stunning clarity and an extremely smooth, defined, and powerful sound, with incredible volume that doesn’t sacrifice balance. The top end is positively sparkling and dynamically responsive, great for fingerpicking and delivering a piano-like clarity. Evoking a Martin D-45, the guitar features solid jacaranda (Bolivian rosewood) back, sides, headstock veener, and inlaid pickguard, with a solid spruce top and ebony fingerboard and bridge, all accented by abalone binding and incredibly intricate marquetry. Professionally setup and freshly restrung with 12-53 phosphor bronze strings, this DY96 Yairi has comfortable action and is ready for stage and studio work.

The one-piece mahogany neck has a soft V profile, and it's a very inviting shape with more roundness and shoulder as you travel up the slab ebony fretboard. The neck is straight with ideal relief, and the guitar retains the original slender frets which show zero wear. The action is low and comfortable in all registers up the 25.4" scale, and the hand-carved bone nut measures 1 11/16" in width. The fretboard features bound abalone diamonds, and the abalone framing the fretboard is bound inside and out, with the trim extending around the headstock face and jacaranda veneer. On the headstock, the original gold tuning machines are vaguely reminiscent of both a Schaller button and a Sealfast gear housing, providing a very smooth gear ratio with gold plating that shows only a touch of surface patina.

The body features a carved ebony bridge with the original compensated saddle which has lots of height, and the string spacing at the bridge measures 2 1/8". The pickguard is a paper thin piece of jacaranda inlaid into the top and flush with the spruce. In terms of cosmetic wear, the gloss lacquer is near mint, with only a couple tiny shallow nicks on the guitar as a whole. The guitar is crack-free, and the neck profile is flaweless.

The original hardshell case, COA, and factory paperwork is included.