What about Alvarez Yairi?

Pedalsteelguy · #1 03-13-2005, 07:44 AM

I've only recently begun to realize what great guitars Alvarez Yairis can be. I'm currently looking at an MMY1 & have just about fallen in love with it. Wow! What a marvelous guitar. I'd appreciate any info, suggestions, insights, experiences, etc. anyone might care to impart, before I take the "big leap".
Thanks!
Richard

modena2904 · #2 03-13-2005, 08:06 AM

I have a 1973 A-Y dreadnaught that I bought new (while I was in college). It is still a beautiful sounding guitar with great playability -- I will never part with it.

There is an active A-Y discussion group here.

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group...yguid=33700721

- Bubba

mdunn · #3 03-13-2005, 09:53 AM

I love my Yairi. I bought it at an estate sale for a very low bid for a near mint condition guitar. I have made various tweaks to it over the last couple of years. It is a mahogany body with a spruce top. It was very mellow with d'Adarrio strings. I switched to Elixr's and that was a major improvement.

Just this month I added a Bob Colosi FWI saddle and I have switched to the Doyle Dykes GHS signature strings. The guitar really sings with great sustain.

Yairi's are hard to find but they are marvelous guitars.

Pedalsteelguy · #4 03-13-2005, 09:55 AM

Thanks very much, Modena! I'll check that discussion group out right now.

harlon · #5 03-13-2005, 10:01 AM

I'd love to try a Yairi. Never had the chance. I believe Monte Montgomery plays a Yairi. He does some pretty amazing things with his. In fact I think I read where he's broken 4 or 5 necks on his, so they designed one with a stronger neck.

Mak2525 · #6 03-13-2005, 10:22 AM

Hey Richard:

I had a Signature Yairi - one where Yairi signed it on the top with a wood engraver. I think it was a DY69 or something like that? I bought new in the early 90's for about five bills or so. One of those I wish I had held onto because it was a great guitar for the price! I would love to have it as my take out guitar even today!

I think Yairi's for the money are really good guitars, at least they were back then!

Good Luck!

Mike

814CE-LTD Coco
00028EC
Coming Soon - Goodall

KyleT123 · #7 03-13-2005, 10:57 AM

add one to the list of Yairi fans. You can find some real gems for little comparative $$. But the converse can also be true. Just play around, you'll find the one you like - and it'll be more than worth it!

Play2PraiseHim · #8 03-13-2005, 11:59 AM

I was fortunate enough to be channel surfing on yesterday when I stumbled upon Ani Difranco on the CBS Saturday Morning Show. Ani is one of the most well known Yairi players. She plays the Bob Wier designed WY-1 (cedar/rosewood). Like Monte, Ani has an aggresive style of playing. The Yairi line seems to hold up to that style quite well. The Yair guitars are hand built, but most (unless it is their masterworks line) are made with laminated back/sides. Some people find this hard to believe or even identify because the built quality, sound and playability are so great. I personally find the necks to be too thin and the nut width/string spacing too small. It is smaller than 1 11/16 and makes my hands feel cramped.

Doubleneck · #9 03-13-2005, 01:09 PM

I have two Yairi's. One I just bought used last month and it is a twenty year old guitar now. They are solid well made guitars and sound brilliant, loud and have great sustain. I think they suffer from two thing in the "current acoustic world". One is that most are laminated sides and backs, though they make solid as well now, and also they are Japanese which I think doesn't add enough mystique. I think in a world concerned about the sustainability of tonewoods, Yairi's lamination makes a lot of sense. It gives them the ability to put awesome graining on many more guitars. The positives of the lamination are stability and projection and the reality being that almost all the sound comes from the top which is solid. The doubleneck I just bought is an absolute treasure and because it was a Yairi I got it for $450 used. I almost feel guilty about it but the used markets wants Martins, etc. My only concern to you is that you would be better off in the used market as the reality of used Yairi's is that resale value is not as good as the "in" names.
Steve

kilgorekid · #10 03-13-2005, 01:39 PM

I bought my Yairi DY77 brand new back in 1974 and I still own it! Plays great! I just bought a DY80 12-string Yairi last month. I don't think you can go wrong with the Yairi line.
Bill

virtuoso · #11 03-13-2005, 02:50 PM

Yairi is alverez's "hand made" line.

Yes very nice.

Devon · #12 03-13-2005, 07:25 PM

Yairi's are workhorses...they are an excellent "Go to" guitar for live purposes, and can hold their own for the most part in studio recordings IMO, though they can clearly be outmatched by many other handmade models (Olson, Applegate, Kinscherff, Morgan, etc.). But for the buck, they certainly do compete.

My play-out guitar is the DY-45av. Great sounding box...in fact, I've got and played many a-custom guitar. Nothing comes close to the sound quality...in fact, I recently took it in to have it professionally re-setup (first time in 10+years) and they said "what do you want us to do to it?", as if it was in good enough shape already.

Solid guitars, hands down.

Sugarlander · #13 03-14-2005, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pedalsteelguy

I've only recently begun to realize what great guitars Alvarez Yairis can be. I'm currently looking at an MMY1 & have just about fallen in love with it. Wow! What a marvelous guitar. I'd appreciate any info, suggestions, insights, experiences, etc. anyone might care to impart, before I take the "big leap".
Thanks!
Richard

That Monte Montgomery signature model you are considering should be a good strong one with a good amplified sound. Monte sounds great live and he used this new model the last time I saw him - instead of his old late 80's Yairi it was patterned after.

Luigi · #14 03-15-2005, 07:59 AM

I've owned two over the years. Nice guitars, well-made, but they lacked the tonal complexity of my solid-wood guitars. Both were solid top, laminate back/sides. I've noticed that a number of folks who advertise these guitars seem to believe (incorrectly) that they are all solid-wood instruments; my understanding is only the "Masterworks" line is all solid-wood, and the cost for these is comparable to Taylor, Martin, Gibson. I also agree with the poor resale value comment -- I took a big hit when I sold 'em.

dthumb · #15 03-15-2005, 08:51 AM

I've played some real nice ones. Well made and very sweet handling...mostly older models, though. I understand that the newer ones reflect more of those qualities than the 1980-2000 models that I found a little thin.