MADE IN 1993 - KAZUO YAIRI H10 - POWERFUL HAUSER STYLE CLASSICAL GUITAR

Kazuo Yairi H10 1993 Classical Guitar

Besides known around the world Alvarez Yairi guitars, Kazuo Yairi’s factory was making a whole range of models never sold in USA or Europe. Among many others, these were spruce top H (Hauser) models and T (Torres) models. Models H5 & H6, T5 & T 6 had laminated rosewood b/s, while models H10 & T10 has solid Indian Rosewood b/s, while H15 & T15 originally had solid Brazilian Rosewood b/s.

These H & T guitars were made since early 1980s through early 1990s. They were very underpriced if compared with models sold by competition.

In mid 1980s Kazuo Yairi was was the only Japanese maker selling a guitar with solid Brazilian Rosewood for 150 000 yen. However his top of regular line model CY200 was priced 200 000 yen, just like Takamine 20 or Ryoji Matsuoka M200 (all made with BR b/s). Elite makers of that era (like Masaru Kohno, Sakazo Nakade and Yamaha) were charging minimum 300 000 yen for exactly the same class instruments.     

This guitar was made in 1989 based on Herman Hauser blueprint. Yet it is more of Kazuo’s own creation and it can easily rival many other Hauser style guitars made all around the world.

When contemporary Japanese luthiers are using 40+ years old soundboards to make “all solid woods” guitar it is priced at least $8000USD. Guitars with artificially aged (“baked”) soundboards are priced at least $4500USD. Solid top models with 40+ years old soundboards are priced at least $4500USD. American, Australian and European luthiers usually charge 50% more.

It is a matter of basic education (not beliefs) to realize that 40+ years old soundboard of this guitar alone is worth $2500USD.

This guitar offers immense volume and super response, combined with deep yet very charming tonality: sweet, very colorful & ringing trebles, somewhat metallic & deeply resonating and full of overtones basses, all well balanced, with superb note clarity and separation, and all with very impressive sustain. If you wanted to purchase the same class brand new guitar made by leading Japanese luthier, you would have to pay no less than $5000. The same class instrument made by leading German luthier could easily cost you twice that much.  

Although this guitar has been played before, its overall condition can be described as "excellent for its age". While its fingerboard shows some very minor wear (in front of 1st & 2nd frets) its body is free from any conspicuous cosmetic imperfections and its structure free of any flaws. Guitar is fully functional any easy to play.  

Specifications:

Top: High Grade Solid Spruce

Back and Sides: Solid Indian Rosewood

Neck: Mahogany

Fingerboard: Ebony

Scale: 650 mm

Nut Width: 52 mm

Action is set to 3.50mm under E6 and 3.20mm under E1 with no extra room on the saddle.  

Guitar will be shipped in brand-new semi-hard Yamaha case.

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 SADLLE. 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 high end classical guitar models are priced at $20000USD level.