2024 Alvarez Yairi FYM70

In the small town of Kani in the hills north of Nagoya, the Yairi factory has produced some of Japan's finest guitars for more than 80 years. Built with pride, tradition, and the finest materials available, Alvarez Yairi guitars are beautifully presented, wonderful sounding, luthier-made instruments. 

Part of the 2024 Masterworks Series, the Alvarez Yairi FYM70 features a folk-style OM body constructed of a AAA-grade Sitka Spruce top and East Indian Rosewood back and sides. It also sports Yairi's new FST6 bracing system, which is lighter in weight and designed to strike the perfect balance between strength and vibration.

This 2024 FYM70 produces an open, balanced sound with detailed a top-end that shimmers. But fortunately it's not lacking in warmth and richness to balance out the sound. It has a 25" scale that helps to bring out depth and volume from the comfortable, mid-size body. (To be fair, the saddle sits closer to 25-3/16", but the official Yairi spec sheet lists it as 25".)

This 2024 Yairi FYM70 is gently used. It shows some minor playwear, but it is fairly clean all around (see photos). No dings, cosmetic damages, or issues—just a fantastic used guitar. It has a very low setup that practically plays itself, and the nut measures 1-3/4" (not 1-23/32" as listed on the spec sheet). Proudly made in Japan, the Yairi guitars consistently demonstrate a higher level of craftsmanship than most import guitars. The details are just right—abalone rosette, multiplay-binding, gold Gotoh 510 tuning machines, etc—and the Rosewood is gorgeous. It includes its original hardshell case.