Why do Yairi guitars not hold value?

[Charmed Life Picks]

Originally Posted by gabriel_bc

Would you buy a Gurian with brand new frets, a new nut, a new bridge, and a perfect setup for $1300 Cdn? That's just over $1000 USD.

I would! Market value for one these days is more like ~$2000 USD.

I do feel sorry for the angel that seems to be trapped inside it, but I assuage my guilt by letting her sing as often as I can...

You did, and you scored! That's such a great story. I meant to say that I'm TOO CHEAP and cowardly to do such a thing. Doesn't Paul Simon still play Gurians?

Speaking of which, when I used to flip guitars I bought a 1963 Gibson Tal Farlow archtop for $1000 with a horribly broken neck. It took one of the best luthiers in the country more than a year to fix it, and the repair cost more than the guitar, but I ended up flipping it for more than five times the purchase price, so yeah, lightning does strike.

Again, congrats!

scott memmer

[Steadfastly]

Originally Posted by merlin666

Isn't that the issue that the OP has posted, great guitars but poor value if you buy new and not possible to sell at reasonable price?

I have not seen that. When the guitars start out way less than the competition, they are going to be a lot less when they are used as well. I have seen them at 50% of retail and sometimes a little more; sometimes a little less if the condition is not so good.

[vindibona1]

Originally Posted by architype

I think people who don't know about the Yairi history and quality think that it is a cheap Japanese guitar. It is unfortunate, but it means you can get a lot of guitar for a little money if you are buying them used.
I've also noticed that people tend to hang on to them for a long time, so resale may not matter that much. I've had mine for 20 years and I will never sell it. In fact I have promised it to my pickin' buddy if I go first.

I've got a '74 DY77 that is now actually my daughter's. Bought it in 1980 and chose it over a Martin D28. It will becom a family heirloom. Below you'll find a photo taken just this morning of me playing it for my grandson. [Hopefully the image will show up from IMGUR]

[Steadfastly]

Originally Posted by vindibona1

I've got a '74 DY77 that is now actually my daughter's. Bought it in 1980 and chose it over a Martin D28. It will becom a family heirloom. Below you'll find a photo taken just this morning of me playing it for my grandson. [Hopefully the image will show up from IMGUR]

[Oldguy64]

Originally Posted by Steadfastly

A deal or a "steal"?



Yes, I'll take an Alvarez Masterworks or a Yairi any day. At least comparable in quality and an excellent used one is a treasure at half the price.

Completely agree,

I currently have an MD70CE, a GY-1, PD85S, 5013, and an ADA1965.
All of them are very good to great guitars.

[gabriel_bc]

Originally Posted by Charmed Life Picks

You did, and you scored! That's such a great story. I meant to say that I'm TOO CHEAP and cowardly to do such a thing. Doesn't Paul Simon still play Gurians?

Speaking of which, when I used to flip guitars I bought a 1963 Gibson Tal Farlow archtop for $1000 with a horribly broken neck. It took one of the best luthiers in the country more than a year to fix it, and the repair cost more than the guitar, but I ended up flipping it for more than five times the purchase price, so yeah, lightning does strike.

Again, congrats!

scott memmer

I hear you! - I was pretty careful, but it was still a risk, to be sure. I walked back and forth between that garage sale and my computer a few times.

- Played it at the garage sale, and it was underwhelming due to the ancient strings on it. But, it has a solid top, so maybe it's good. That and the styling doesn't really say "high end guitar" - Gurians are pretty understated. Chatted with the seller. $400?? At a garage sale? Seller says it's a really good guitar. It looks to me like there is a seam separation in the top, so I'm thinking nah, it needs a lot of repair work.

- But I google it when I get home. Sacred bovine! This is a valuable, highly regarded guitar. Ok, back to the garage sale. Played it again. Looked it over really carefully. Neck looks good, so no reset with the funky Gurian neck joint. Ebony pins are still in place, so it's likely never had a reset. The top was the greatest concern, and there are a few cracks in the back as well. Frets are close to needing replacement. Hmm.

- Back home to research repairs. Found a good local luthier - she's the local Larivee warranty person and a former Larivee employee. I do the math - as long as it is repairable, this will be a $2000+ guitar when it's fixed. Is it worth a $400 risk? I decide that I'll kick myself later if I don't find out.

- back to the sale, talk to the seller. Discus the repairs I think it needs. He says (without my asking) that he'd take $300. I say deal. Then I race to the bank for the cash, worrying the whole time that someone else is going to show up and scoop it while I'm gone...

So, it all worked out in the end. Made for an interesting Saturday! Good thing the sale was just a few doors down...

[Charmed Life Picks]

Originally Posted by gabriel_bc

I hear you! - I was pretty careful, but it was still a risk, to be sure. I walked back and forth between that garage sale and my computer a few times.

- Played it at the garage sale, and it was underwhelming due to the ancient strings on it. But, it has a solid top, so maybe it's good. That and the styling doesn't really say "high end guitar" - Gurians are pretty understated. Chatted with the seller. $400?? At a garage sale? Seller says it's a really good guitar. It looks to me like there is a seam separation in the top, so I'm thinking nah, it needs a lot of repair work.

- But I google it when I get home. Sacred bovine! This is a valuable, highly regarded guitar. Ok, back to the garage sale. Played it again. Looked it over really carefully. Neck looks good, so no reset with the funky Gurian neck joint. Ebony pins are still in place, so it's likely never had a reset. The top was the greatest concern, and there are a few cracks in the back as well. Frets are close to needing replacement. Hmm.

- Back home to research repairs. Found a good local luthier - she's the local Larivee warranty person and a former Larivee employee. I do the math - as long as it is repairable, this will be a $2000+ guitar when it's fixed. Is it worth a $400 risk? I decide that I'll kick myself later if I don't find out.

- back to the sale, talk to the seller. Discus the repairs I think it needs. He says (without my asking) that he'd take $300. I say deal. Then I race to the bank for the cash, worrying the whole time that someone else is going to show up and scoop it while I'm gone...

So, it all worked out in the end. Made for an interesting Saturday! Good thing the sale was just a few doors down...

Very cool story. Congrats. It's amazing this still happens these days, with so much pricing info out there on the internet. But c'est la vie.

I've never played a Gurian, but I certainly know their reputation. You've got a lifetime guitar there, Gabe.

On the Gibson Tal Farlow I mentioned above, it actually came in a package deal with a Fender '67 Tele. I sold the Tele for what I paid for both, so the Farlow was pure money in the bank.

The guy who owned them had them sitting on guitar stands in his living room for 35 (!) years. Never learned to play.

But good for you. Lightning does strike. You are indeed a lucky man.

sm

[gabriel_bc]

Originally Posted by Charmed Life Picks

Very cool story. Congrats. It's amazing this still happens these days, with so much pricing info out there on the internet. But c'est la vie.

I've never played a Gurian, but I certainly know their reputation. You've got a lifetime guitar there, Gabe.

On the Gibson Tal Farlow I mentioned above, it actually came in a package deal with a Fender '67 Tele. I sold the Tele for what I paid for both, so the Farlow was pure money in the bank.

The guy who owned them had them sitting on guitar stands in his living room for 35 (!) years. Never learned to play.

But good for you. Lightning does strike. You are indeed a lucky man.

sm

The garage sale guy actually did know the value - he told me that they were selling for $2000+ online. My ignorance was a virtue - I told him I had never heard of them. I don't know why he just didn't put it on eBay or whatever. Maybe he knew it needed work and was looking for a way to sell it that couldn't involve a return? Who knows. I've never seen a decent guitar at a garage sale before or since, and I've been looking at garage sales for 20 years...

It was funny - I've always been a 12-string player, for years. My very first guitar was some awful 12 string (also from a garage sale, but for like $20) but it was enough to get me hooked. I finally scraped up the coin for a used Seagull S12 spruce and had a pickup installed, and that was my only guitar for probably 18 years. A few weeks before the fateful garage sale I decided I wanted to get a decent 6 string for once. What a way to get into 6 strings. Then I decided I wanted a Yairi too (that was what I was wanting before the Gurian fell into my lap), so that came next. Now I'm addicted to 6 strings too. Help!

[gabriel_bc]

Originally Posted by Charmed Life Picks

On the Gibson Tal Farlow I mentioned above, it actually came in a package deal with a Fender '67 Tele. I sold the Tele for what I paid for both, so the Farlow was pure money in the bank.

The guy who owned them had them sitting on guitar stands in his living room for 35 (!) years. Never learned to play.

sm

That's a really cool story too. We always remember the deals! Do you wish you had kept it?

[hollowbamboo]

This baby just popped up on the SD craigslist: https://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/...574574105.html

I remember Alex Lifeson christening this doubleneck back in the 80's - Hemispheres or Farewell to Kings tour? Seems like a fair price.

[George Henry]

Several months ago I saw a glowing video of the recent Yairi DYRM70 SB Masterworks all solid 12 fret dread by Acoustic Guitar magazine. The retail price was listed at $3799 and street price of $3000. I saw a Guitar Center ad for new ones at $2000. I decided to spring, knowing that I had 45 days for a return if I was dissatisfied.

The guitar turned out to exceed my expectations. A truly lightweight rosewood dread, it compares favorably tonally to an old Gibson rosewood jumbo. My only complaints are a glued on heel (specs said one piece neck) and too low action with tusq saddle. I decided to shrug off the heel issue and make a new bone compensated saddle. So I got the guitar new for the price of a used recent issue D-18. I could have gotten a used one on Reverb for $1300, but I'm satisfied enough with guitar for me to have bonded with the deal I got.

I like the Yairi so much that I sold my Gallagher Custom rosewood dread to a friend.

I was also able to score a very good 1970s Lo Prinzi LR-15 from GC for $650 a month ago. It turned out to be such an awesome guitar for the money that I figure to have cancelled out whatever depreciation I might have incurred on the Yairi.

[Charmed Life Picks]

Originally Posted by George Henry

Several months ago I saw a glowing video of the recent Yairi DYRM70 SB Masterworks all solid 12 fret dread by Acoustic Guitar magazine. The retail price was listed at $3799 and street price of $3000. I saw a Guitar Center ad for new ones at $2000. I decided to spring, knowing that I had 45 days for a return if I was dissatisfied.

The guitar turned out to exceed my expectations. A truly lightweight rosewood dread, it compares favorably tonally to an old Gibson rosewood jumbo. My only complaints are a glued on heel (specs said one piece neck) and too low action with tusq saddle. I decided to shrug off the heel issue and make a new bone compensated saddle. So I got the guitar new for the price of a used recent issue D-18. I could have gotten a used one on Reverb for $1300, but I'm satisfied enough with guitar for me to have bonded with the deal I got.

I like the Yairi so much that I sold my Gallagher Custom rosewood dread to a friend.

I was also able to score a very good 1970s Lo Prinzi LR-15 from GC for $650 a month ago. It turned out to be such an awesome guitar for the money that I figure to have cancelled out whatever depreciation I might have incurred on the Yairi.

Sounds like an awesome guitar. Mr. Yairi remains a legend for a reason.

Scott Memmer

[Steadfastly]

Originally Posted by taylorman9270

Marketing. As in, there is none.

That is pretty much it.

Originally Posted by Legolas1971

Yeah, they've gotta step it up. People should know
about the Yairi quality.....

No. Just leave it where it is and stop telling people about the quality and excellent pricing of these guitars. You're going to make the price go up and cost me money.

[Tony Burns]

Yes they are a fantastic instrument -but it all about popularity or who plays them ( music stars ) their are alot of great guitars and brands ( many of which are american made , british etc- of very high quality -which are not popular -so they go for a song as well . Id suggest buy these for a song and appreciate the fact your not paying big money for them -your gain , their loss.

[Goodallboy]

I reject the premise of the OP. Yairi's made in the 70's sell for more today than they did then.