YUKINOBU CHAI CUSTOM 1989 - ROBERT BOUCHET 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.  

This guitar was custom made in 1989 by Master Luthier Yukinobu Chai. 

It is obvious that while making this guitar Yukinobu was inspired by Robert Bouchet’s instruments. This guitar has Bouchet’s style headstock, rosette, bridge decoration, purfling and perhaps many other details. It however has a Torres style bracing. You may ask yourself why? It certainly wasn’t a technical problem for Yukinobu to use Bouchet’s design bracing. So why did he decide to use a fan of “only” 5 braces? The answer is rather simple. He wasn’t making a copy of Bouchet’s guitar but an improved Bouchet’s guitar. I am sure that every truly experienced player will recognize the magnitude of its greatness.   

While being fully aware of deep beliefs and myths circulating among guitar players, I must say that bracing pattern has nothing to do with the sound of the guitar. Skillful tuning of soundboard is all that matters. Bracing is only a soundboard’s support luthiers chose as most suitable for their way of its tune up. The most important ingredient in the making of a great guitar is a luthier him/herself.         

Although he was originally a violin maker, Yukinobu Chai started making guitars in late 1960s and over the years he became one of the highest respected luthiers in Japan. Most likely the major reason for that were very moderate prices for his truly wonderful instruments.

Yukinobu never apprenticed at any other workshop. In the 1950s he learned violin making based on books and the real violins. He was also making other string instruments, before in the early 1960s he became seriously interested in making guitars. He naturally was looking at guitars made by many famous European luthiers, but was especially inspired by Antonio de Torres, Herman Hauser and Santos Hernandez. While he was constantly adding his own innovations, his guitars made from the late 1960s through early 1980s were mostly inspired by Santos Hernadez’s blueprints, which (on the outside) was manifested by Santos’s headstock design. Because I have already sold several Yukinobu’s guitars from that era, I dare to say that they are of equal class with those made Santos Hernandez.          

In the early 1980s Yukinobu became the major supplier for Niibori School of Guitar Ensemble, making not only whole range of prime (regular size and scale) models but also many alto, soprano, bass, and contrabass guitars. Because in 1980s was already one of most prominent Japanese luthiers he could price his high end models at the same level as Masaru Kohno.  

Until mid 1981 (made with figured Brazilian Rosewood b/s) model 30 was Yukinobu’s top of the line and only his custom-made guitars were priced higher. Since late 1981 the same class guitar was sold as No 50, being Yukinobu’s lowest model made with figured Brazilian Rosewood b/s. Although being priced the same 500 000 yen, Yukinobu’s model 50 is way better sounding that Kohno’s model “Special” (formerly No50).      

This guitar was priced at least 500 000 yen, yet very likely higher than that.

If you wanted to purchase similar class brand new guitar made by leading Japanese luthier, you would have to pay no less than $15000. If you ordered such guitar made with old stock solid figured BR, 50 years old Yezo Spruce top and shellac finish it would be priced at least $18000.

To my ears, Yukinobu Chai was one of the best Japanese luthiers ever and remains my favorite ever since I encountered his guitars made in 1970s. I am totally not bothered by discolorations of finishes on his guitars from that era. After selling several of his guitars I know that truly experienced guitarists looking for a “truly special” instrument are not bothered by these cosmetic imperfections either. I deeply understand why Hiroki Niibori has decided to offer Yukinobu such lucrative contract. 

This guitar offers immense volume and super response, combined with simply breathtaking tonality: sweet, colorful, ringing, and glassy (piano like) trebles, deep somewhat metallic and full of overtones (cello like) bases, all well balanced, with superb note clarity and separation, and all with very impressive sustain. When chords are played this guitar behaves like a Symphony Orchestra. It is simply a gorgeous instrument to play.

This guitar remains in "excellent for its age" overall condition, even though it comes with some visual imperfections.

On the soundboard there are several super light scratches. They are, however, so light that it is very hard to see them even from a very close distance. In addition, there are a few cracks in the finish in the vicinity of the fingerboard. Among those there is one regular crack of about 2.5 inches in length. Because it is located between 2 horizontal braces mounted underneath, it has never had a chance to expand. It has just been stabilized by the clear glue applied from the top.   

There are several very light tiny marks on the sides and back plate, while the most visible is a cluster of tiny dents in the finish of the binding running along the right lower bout.

There are a few tiny dents in the finish on the back of the beck.  

Despite all these imperfections, it is obvious that this guitar hasn’t been played a lot. Its quite slim neck is straight, while fingerboard and leveled frets remain in excellent condition.

The traces of very mild finish cloudiness on the back and side plates are the result of aging shellac trapped underneath the layer of cashew varnish.  

The great majority of Japanese luthiers while finishing their high-end models, were using very thin coat of cashew lacquer as the last layer over the shellac usually only on the back and sides. Some luthiers (like Masaru Kohno, Ryoji Matsuoka, Hiroshi Tamura) were using this approach also on the soundboards. Cashew lacquer is more durable and resistant to wear and scratches etc. and that is why Japanese were using this method. Therefore, when there is Cashew lacquer on the surface, it is very likely there is a shellac underneath.  

Should any of described above imperfections bother you, you can simply turn to American luthiers and with some luck you may get similar class instrument for below $25000. 

Specifications:

Top: Tight Grain Solid “Bear claw” Yezo Spruce/ Cashew lacquer (over shellac)

Back & Sides: Highest Grade Solid Figured Brazilian Rosewood/Cashew lacquer (over shellac)

Neck: Mahogany

Fingerboard: Ebony

Scale: 650 mm

Nut width: 51.25 mm

Its action is currently set to 3.50 mm under E6 and 3.00 mm under E1, with some extra room on the saddle on the E6 side but no more room on the E1 side.

Strings: Savarez Cantiga Premium Alliance Tension Forte

This guitar will be shipped in a brand new hard-shell 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 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”. 

When contemporary Japanese luthiers are using 40+ years old soundboards to make “all solid woods” guitar it is priced at least $5000USD. Guitars with artificially aged (“baked”) soundboards are priced at least $4500USD. Solid top models with 40+ years old soundboards are priced at least $3500USD. American, Australian and European luthiers usually charge 50% more.

It is a matter of basic education (not beliefs) to realize that 50+ years old soundboard of this guitar alone is worth $2500USD. 

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.