Alvarez yairi dy1ts for bluegrass???

[Flatpick@matt]

Anyone out there with the alvarez yairi dy1ts?I'm seriously considering buying it ..although i havent seen or played it as they're pretty rare in music shops.I would be using it for bluegrass style and I'm not sure if that wood combination would sound good for that style...any input greatly appreciated.

[phydaux]

Help us out - What's the combination of wood? Also, what's the body style, scale length, and nut width? All these factors play together.

[phydaux]

So with a little research it looks like cedar & rosewood, either a dreadnought or an OM/000 body with cutaway, 25" scale length, and no reference to nut width.

Rosewood body in a dreadnought configuration just screams "bluegrass." But cedar top and rosewood body isn't a combination that I'm familiar with.

[Flatpick@matt]

Yeah I'm very curious how it actually sounds as I'm not familiar with that wood combination either...its a 1 23/32 nut width

[TheGITM]

Hopefully, this JP review will help...

[Br1ck]

Cedar tops sound beautiful, but not the typical bluegrass punchy brightness. Slack key fingerstyle? Sublime.

[Cibby]

When you say bluegrass are you in a band or do you record as a studio musician for bluegrass. If I am playing live which I've done for 45 years or studio recording for bluegrass sessions I would not use this. I use either my 1967 D28 or 2012 D18. If you don't do either of these and you play bluegrass for fun or go to bluegrass jams I'd use the Yari. When I play at home or with friends or a jam session I'm not reaching for either Martin. I have an Alvarez myself I jam with and play bluegrass for fun. Also use anyone of my 7 dreads when not playing with the band or recording sessions.

[Flatpick@matt]

I would only be using it for small jams and fun ....I'm now thinking about saving up 800$ more and going with the dym60hd as i think that would probably be better suited for bluegrass?? Thanks for all the input

[OPJ77]

Originally Posted by Cibby

When you say bluegrass are you in a band or do you record as a studio musician for bluegrass. If I am playing live which I've done for 45 years or studio recording for bluegrass sessions I would not use this. I use either my 1967 D28 or 2012 D18. If you don't do either of these and you play bluegrass for fun or go to bluegrass jams I'd use the Yari. When I play at home or with friends or a jam session I'm not reaching for either Martin. I have an Alvarez myself I jam with and play bluegrass for fun. Also use anyone of my 7 dreads when not playing with the band or recording sessions.

Curious why you reach for an Alvarez over a Martin when jamming at home.

[OPJ77]

Originally Posted by Flatpick@matt

I would only be using it for small jams and fun ....I'm now thinking about saving up 800$ more and going with the dym60hd as i think that would probably be better suited for bluegrass?? Thanks for all the input

From what I have read, and playing my Yairi DY57, I don’t think these guitars are boomy enough for bluegrass. I’m sure there are plenty of exceptions though.

[Cibby]

Originally Posted by OPJ77

Curious why you reach for an Alvarez over a Martin when jamming at home.

I don't do it all the time. But I have more guitars than I need and like to play them all when I'm home or I go to a friendly jam session. The 67 D28 had a neck reset about 18 months ago new frets some other small repairs so I leave that one for preforming or recording sessions. One of my favorites is my Guild Jumbo for playing at home. The Alvarez I've had some upgrades done to it and it sounds close to my D18 is setup where it's fun to play and jam with. But the 28 and D18 are made for bluegrass and sound the best live and record well . When I was young(1960's-70's) you pretty much played a Martin in bluegrass circles its old habit. Today there are a lot more choices from small builders that work just as well.

[Mark Stone]

Originally Posted by OPJ77

Curious why you reach for an Alvarez over a Martin when jamming at home.

Kazuo Yairi instruments are considered Martin's equal.

[Jim Comeaux]

It is more or less true of any genre of music, but especially so in bluegrass. It’s not what you play, it’s how you play it. Bluegrass, especially the original style, ala Bill Monroe, Frank Wakefield, The Osbourne Brothers, etc. is very, very simple in it’s construction. It is usually in an AA-BB format and the chord progressions are pretty much 1-4-5 and an occasional minor thrown in. The marvel and beauty of bluegrass is not just in the fast tempo, but in the orchestration of the song throughout the band and the intricacies of the little hammer ons and pull offs, slides and bends that each instrument lends in it’s turn to the overall song. It still amazes me that we still think of these “hillbillys” as backwards. They produced some highly sophisticated music, especially in the close harmonies of the vocals. It is very evident in many of the gospel tunes. Worry about how you are playing, not what you are playing and LISTEN to the other instruments in the band carefully because that is where the magic is.

[Mark Stone]

Originally Posted by Jim Comeaux

It is more or less true of any genre of music, but especially so in bluegrass. It’s not what you play, it’s how you play it. Bluegrass, especially the original style, ala Bill Monroe, Frank Wakefield, The Osbourne Brothers, etc. is very, very simple in it’s construction. It is usually in an AA-BB format and the chord progressions are pretty much 1-4-5 and an occasional minor thrown in. The marvel and beauty of bluegrass is not just in the fast tempo, but in the orchestration of the song throughout the band and the intricacies of the little hammer ons and pull offs, slides and bends that each instrument lends in it’s turn to the overall song. It still amazes me that we still think of these “hillbillys” as backwards. They produced some highly sophisticated music, especially in the close harmonies of the vocals. It is very evident in many of the gospel tunes. Worry about how you are playing, not what you are playing and LISTEN to the other instruments in the band carefully because that is where the magic is.

Excellent post Jim.

[Cibby]

Originally Posted by Jim Comeaux

It is more or less true of any genre of music, but especially so in bluegrass. It’s not what you play, it’s how you play it. Bluegrass, especially the original style, ala Bill Monroe, Frank Wakefield, The Osbourne Brothers, etc. is very, very simple in it’s construction. It is usually in an AA-BB format and the chord progressions are pretty much 1-4-5 and an occasional minor thrown in. The marvel and beauty of bluegrass is not just in the fast tempo, but in the orchestration of the song throughout the band and the intricacies of the little hammer ons and pull offs, slides and bends that each instrument lends in it’s turn to the overall song. It still amazes me that we still think of these “hillbillys” as backwards. They produced some highly sophisticated music, especially in the close harmonies of the vocals. It is very evident in many of the gospel tunes. Worry about how you are playing, not what you are playing and LISTEN to the other instruments in the band carefully because that is where the magic is.

I agree with this...Ralph Stanleys one son played a ooo model sometimes. But in the 1960's and 70's a lot of Martins are what I saw being played by some of the best. True however you can have a prewar Martin or copy and if you can't play you might as well have a Estaban.