HIROSHI KOMORI No30 1982 - WORLD HIGHEST CLASS CLASSICAL CONCERT GUITAR - SPRUCE/BRAZILIAN ROSEWOOD

YOU ARE LOOKING AT A WORLD CLASS INSTRUMENT PRICED AT THE BARGAIN LEVEL. CURRENTLY MADE IN JAPAN BRAND NEW GUITARS OF THIS CLASS MADE WITH FIGURED OLD GROWTH BRAZILIAN ROSEWOOD ARE PRICED MINIMUM $18000USD. DISCONTINUED IN 2025 YAMAHA GC70 WAS PRICED AT THAT LEVEL. 

Back in 1950s, although still young and not world famous yet, Masaru Kohno was gaining popularity among the players from Tokyo area. When in 1958 he received over 200 orders he knew it was time for him to hire helpers. His first ever apprentice was Saburo Nogami, who in later years became a luthier legend on his own. The only other Kohno’s associates who made great independent careers are (Kohno’s nephew) Masaki Sakurai and Hiroshi Komori. In 1988 Masaki Sakurai won his own Grand Prize at the International Guitar Makers Competition in Paris. He is still running Kohno’s workshop, making Kohno design models and as well as his own. 

Hiroshi Komori joined Masaru Kohno's workshop in 1962 and worked there until becoming an independent luthier in 1972. I am not sure if Hiroshi Komori still makes guitars. He was making them until 2012 for sure.

Even though Hiroshi was trained by Masaru Kohno his guitars shouldn’t be considered as a copy of Kohno guitars. Hiroshi’s bracing is closer to Spanish fan bracing than to Kohno’s style lattice bracing. Hiroshi has found his own ways of making guitars.

This guitar was Komori’s top of the line model in 1982, priced 300 000 yen. In that year only top elite Japanese luthiers (Masaru Kohno, Sakazo Nakade, Hiroshi & Mitsuru Tamura and Yamaha) had their very top models priced 500 000 yen. For many other well established luthiers 300 000 yen was the maximum they could get for their best models. instruments. For many less known makers 200 000 yen was their price ceiling.

Similar class brand new guitars currently made by leading Japanese luthiers are priced at least $15000. If, however, made from 50 years old woods and with solid figured Brazilian Rosewood b/s their prices reach $20000 level.

Leading European or American guitar makers charge about 50% more. If these luthiers were to use 50 years old woods including solid figured BR for b/s, you might need to sell a car to get one.

Yamaha’s highest model GC70 that was priced $18000 (discontinued in early 2025), simply stands no chance against this Komori’s guitar you are looking at. It is very important to mention that Yamaha GC82 sold in USA for $10000 (discontinued in early 2025) represents decisively lower level than Yamaha GC70 (although they both may look similar in the pictures). Available only by special order Yamaha GC70 was more expensive not just because it has Brazilian Rosewood b/s but most importantly because it is made from much longer seasoned woods. 

In terms of volume and tonality this is simply a gorgeous instrument that not only rivals all currently made highest priced Japanese instruments but can outcompete many $25000 “hand made in Spain” guitars. It is very powerful and very responsive, with deep warm and only slightly metallic (cello-like) basses, with strong super sweet and clear, piano-like trebles. When chords are played you hear a bounty of beautiful overtones. When individual notes are played their clarity and separation is simply superb. It is all magnified by impressive sustain. It is simply a gorgeous instrument to play and listen to.  

The overall condition of this guitar can be described as “excellent for its age”. Even though one can find several very light scratches and tiny dents within it finishes (on the top, back, sides and along the edges), this guitar doesn’t look as if it has been played a lot during its lifespan. It survived in this great condition for almost half a century. If properly cared for, it can serve a few more generations of guitarists.   

Specifications:

Top: Highest Grade Solid Spruce/7 braces fan/cashew varnish

Back & Sides: Highest Grade Solid Brazilian Rosewood/ cashew varnish

Neck: Spanish Cedar

Fingerboard: Ebony

Scale: 650 mm

Nut width: 52.50 mm

The original saddle sets the action at 4.20mm under E6 and 3.30mm under E1. I have made the lowest possible saddle (visible in the pictures) just to see how low the action can be set. With this saddle the action is set at 3.50mm E6 3.00mm E1. You, however, will get only the original saddle and then set the action the way you like.

The guitar will be shipped in brand new hard-shell case.

THE ONLY PURPOSE OF THIS CASE IS TO PROTECT THE GUITAR DURING SHIPMENT. I WILL NOT PROVIDE ITS DETAILED DESCRIPTION OR MAKE ADDITIONAL PICTURES, NOR I WILL ACCEPT ANY COMPLAINTS. IF YOU DON’T LIKE THIS CASE YOU WILL NEED TO BUY A DIFFERENT ONE.     

WHEN YOU BUY ANY GUITAR, YOU MUST ANTICIPATE TAKING IT TO YOUR LOCAL GUITAR SHOP FOR FINAL ADJUSTMENTS CALLED “SETUP”. DEPENIDNG ON YOUR PLAYING TECHNIQUE, THIS SETUP ON USED GUITARS MAY INCLUDE NEW CUSTOM-MADE NUT AND SADDLE. IF YOU HEAR STRING BUZZ IT DOESN’T MEAN THAT GUITAR IS DEFECTIVE. IF YOU PLAY HARD ENOUGH ALL BASS STRINGS WILL BUZZ OVER THE FRETS, UNLESS THEY ARE SUSPENDED VERY FAR FROM THE FINGERBOARD. UNLESS YOU PLAY QUITE GENTLY, YOU CAN’T HAVE LOW ACTION AND NO BUZZES. KEEP IN MIND THAT CELLO-LIKE BASSES ON HIGH GRADE CLASSICAL GUITARS HAVE THEIR NATURAL “BUZZ”. 

Real Value of Japanese Vintage Guitars

The key to understand value of vintage Japanese guitars is to acknowledge galloping price inflation throughout the late 1960s and 1970s with its peak of 25% in 1974.

During 1960s and most of 1970s model numbers of Japanese guitars were strictly connected with their prices in Japanese yen.

The same class guitar sold in 1970 for 100 000 yen (labelled as model 10), would be sold for 150 000 yen in 1972 (labelled as model 15), 200 000 yen in 1974 (labelled as model 20) and 300 000 yen in 1978 (labelled as model 30). Therefore, you shouldn’t be surprised that two Yamaha GC10 guitars made 10 years apart are two instruments of totally different class. The same rule applies to all guitar models made by all other Japanese makers.

Japanese inflation slowed down in the 1980s. By the early 1980s and during following decades model numbers were no longer strictly associated with their prices. Some Japanese guitar makers introduced model names instead of model numbers. For several economic reasons, since 1980s Japanese made guitars were becoming more and more expensive, while their exports slowing down. Today (2025) Japanese highest end guitar classical guitar models are priced at $20000 level.