I’m not getting any younger and about 6 months ago I noticed that playing a dreadnought for more than 30 minutes or so was making my right arm sore. I tried to remedy this by buying a OO. While it was more comfortable to hold, the shorter scale length and narrower nut width made it more difficult for me to play. And, compared to a dreadnought, the sound was lacking what I like. It didn’t take long for me to become disappointed with my purchase.
I began looking at OOO, OM and folk sized guitars. I was particularly interested in two models, a Martin OOO-28 and a Yairi FYM70. I took my OO back to the shop I’d purchased it from today to see what they would give me in trade. Boy am I glad I went today! Today marked exactly 6 months from the day I purchased it. They have what they call their “Dread Not” policy. If you trade in your guitar within 6 months, in prestine condition, they’ll give you 90% of what you paid towards a new one!
The bottom line is, I played both the Martin and Yairi and came home with the latter. If you’re not familiar, Yairi Masterworks is the original starting place of Alvarez Guitars. The YM guitars are handmade in Kani, Gifu, Japan, and are something to behold. In case you couldn’t tell, I’m extremely pleased.
I think I swooned a little when I read that you had acquired a K Yari. When it comes to acoustics they are most certainly on the top of my list as an object of desire! They are truly an heirloom instrument.
Independent shop owned by three brothers that are a locally famous bluegrass band. They sell all of the major brands except Taylor. They also have about a dozen boutique brands. Good people and very knowledgeable.
Taylor is very demanding. I got mine from my local shop just before they lost the franchise. Taylor required a dedicated room just for their stuff, and the shop just wasn’t big enough to accommodate that.
That is a gorgeous guitar. It looks a lot like my Alvarez OM/Folk model, and costs four times as much. I wonder if it plays and sounds four times better in the hands of a skilled guitarist (not me).
I sincerely doubt that it sounds four times better. I don’t know how much difference it makes, but it is hand made, has a AAA Sitka top, a hand carved neck and Gotoh 510 tuners. Those things don’t come cheap. I’m not sure what price you’re looking at, but the street price is $1,400 US below the list price.
