Alvarez Serial Number Search

INTERNATIONAL BUYERS WELCOME! When Kazuo Yairi began designing and hand-crafting guitars in the 1960’s, he was not trying to create a “mid-range” alternative to the best American guitars; he was consciously competing with Martin, Gibson, Guild, and the “boutiques” for the higher end guitar market in the U.S. This DY-70 “Maple Graphite” model is an example of the quality and sound which he was able to produce using the highest quality materials, the best Japanese craftsmen, and his own modifications of the most effective American designs. Today, the prices of the Alvarez-Yairi acoustic guitars range from $1200 to $5000 and beyond, and as A-Y players will tell you, they are well worth the money. This guitar (serial #51314) has a large dreadnought style body with a solid spruce top and lightly stained flamed maple back and sides, while the neck and headstock is mahogany.

There is full tortoise binding on the body and a multi-stripe and tortoise inlaid rosette, a clear pick guard, a “swoosh” graphite bridge with black abalone-dot pins, a 14/20-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot and fleur de lis inlay and a 25.5” scale, and a graphite veneer on the headstock set off by the inlaid pearl Yairi logo and the chrome enclosed A-Y tuners. This is one impressive-looking guitar. Even more impressive is its playability and its huge sound. The label inside is not dated, but the number imprinted on the end block (0711 198) indicates that it was the 198th guitar created in November of the 7th year of Japanese Emperor Heisa’s reign (1995, and no, I’m not kidding). Despite the 20 years of music, it’s in near mint condition: the frets have very little wear on them, the neck is surprisingly comfortable for my kind of small hands (measuring 1 11/16” at the nut), and the action is fast and comfortable—right at 3/32” at the 12th fret low E.

INTERNATIONAL BUYERS WELCOME! When Kazuo Yairi began designing and hand-crafting guitars in the 1960’s, he was not trying to create a “mid-range” alternative to the best American guitars; he was consciously competing with Martin, Gibson, Guild, and the “boutiques” for the higher end guitar market in the U.S. This DY-70 “Maple Graphite” model is an example of the quality and sound which he was able to produce using the highest quality materials, the best Japanese craftsmen, and his own modifications of the most effective American designs. Today, the prices of the Alvarez-Yairi acoustic guitars range from $1200 to $5000 and beyond, and as A-Y players will tell you, they are well worth the money. This guitar (serial #51314) has a large dreadnought style body with a solid spruce top and lightly stained flamed maple back and sides, while the neck and headstock is mahogany.

There is full tortoise binding on the body and a multi-stripe and tortoise inlaid rosette, a clear pick guard, a “swoosh” graphite bridge with black abalone-dot pins, a 14/20-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot and fleur de lis inlay and a 25.5” scale, and a graphite veneer on the headstock set off by the inlaid pearl Yairi logo and the chrome enclosed A-Y tuners. This is one impressive-looking guitar. Even more impressive is its playability and its huge sound. The label inside is not dated, but the number imprinted on the end block (0711 198) indicates that it was the 198th guitar created in November of the 7th year of Japanese Emperor Heisa’s reign (1995, and no, I’m not kidding). Despite the 20 years of music, it’s in near mint condition: the frets have very little wear on them, the neck is surprisingly comfortable for my kind of small hands (measuring 1 11/16” at the nut), and the action is fast and comfortable—right at 3/32” at the 12th fret low E.