1989 K. Yairi DY-59-12 | Japan Natural

I offer here a beautiful sounding K. Yairi DY-59-12, a 12-string vintage acoustic guitar from 1989 handbuilt by Japanese luthier legend Kazuo Yairi at the Yairi Custom Shop in Kani with a select solid spruce top, a stunningly grained jacaranda body, the world famous K. Yairi Direct Coupled Bridge system, a fine ebony fingerboard and an elegant natural high gloss finish in a very good collector's condition including the original black hardshell case.

This DY-59-12 is one of the top 12-string models made by K. Yairi during the 80's and was built and hand signed by the master himself. The instrument dates back to 1989, when it was hand-built at the K. Yairi Custom Shop in Kani, Gifu, and the high-quality Japanese craftsmanship makes it an absolute dream instrument. The attention to detail in the workmanship of this guitar is simply outstanding.

This 12-string acoustic guitar comes with a fine-grained solid spruce top selected by the master himself, and furthermore with sides and back made of South American Jacaranda rosewood, which shows here with a unique beautiful grain even for this particular wood. The bridge, a patented innovation of K. Yairi himself, is directly connected to the top without an intermediate block in the Direct Coupled construction and thus transmits the vibrations into the body with extremely low loss - the result: more volume and higher sustain than with any other construction method.

Sound-wise, the guitar is a real gem. The fine woods allow for a warm, clear sound with crystalline highs, warm mids and punchy basses. An abundance of overtones rings out with the first strum, gradually accumulating and finally culminating in an incredibly broad tapestry of sound covering the entire tonal frequency. Harmonies in strumming appear so clear with great volume and individual notes in picking are well-differentiated, very versatile and expressive. Over the years, the tonewoods have opened up superbly, allowing the guitar to match, if not surpass, any premium US instrument in the store today.

All in all, truly a distinctive sound that you won't soon forget. A small sound sample of the instrument will follow shortly.
 
The playability is extremely pleasant and beautiful thanks to a wonderfully low string action (2.5mm XII fret E6!), the medium width 47mm nut as well as the great mahogany neck with noble ebony fingerboard.

Visually, no questions asked, a real feast for the eyes - you hardly want to take your eyes off it. The special Direct Coupled bridge design is immediately noticeable with the artfully shaped rosewood bridge and gives the guitar its unmistakable recognition value. Furthermore, the sparkling hand-set mother-of-pearl dot inlays with a symmetrical logo decoration at the 12th fret, the characteristic large K. Yairi original chrome tuners and the bridge pins decorated with abalone black complement each other aesthetically beautifully. The natural elegance of the gorgeous wild rosewood grain and the fine-grained, beautifully aged spruce top behind the thin velvety lacquer finish completes the appearance of the instrument.

Technical Specifications:
- Style: dreadnought, 12 string.
- Year of manufacture: 1989
- Origin: Japan
- Top: hand-selected, fine-grained solid spruce top
- Back & sides: Expressively grained South American Jacaranda rosewood
- Neck: One-piece mahogany neck
- Fingerboard: Ebony
- Inlays: Mother of pearl dot inlays with special logo inlay at the 12th fret
- Bindings: Multi-ply, hand-laid, black/cream white
- Number of frets: 20
- Machine heads: EncapsulatedClosed, permanently lubricated K. Yairi original chrome tuners.
- Nut width: 47mm
- Action (XII fret low E-string): 2,5mm
- Serial number: 47433
- Incl. original black hardshell case with turquoise blue inner cover and artfully designed premium strap with leather cover

Due to their rarity, exceptionally high-quality workmanship and sound, the early acoustic guitars made by K. Yairi himself are now very popular with players, collectors and vintage connoisseurs alike: https://reverb.com/item/1636022-k-yairi-dy-59-12-master-japan

This DY-59-12 is in excellent, well-maintained collector condition for its three decades, and in completely unmodified original condition. Everything works perfectly and the surface there are only very occasional traces of normal use that could not be avoided over time (e.g. a small superficial dong on the top, etc. - see pictures). Everything else is in excellent condition: the neck is straight, the action is excellent and the frets are also still very good.

Before shipping I will adjust the guitar (I am a long-time experienced guitar teacher), put on new Martin strings and ship with the original black hardshell case. 

Please view all condition photos before purchase and clarify any questions with me in advance! Thanks. :)