Product: Alvarez Yairi FYM95
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted
08/25/2009
at
02:17am
by
Wab
Features
:
9
Body Style: OM/Folk
Tuners: Gold Gotoh
Finish: Light Tinted Gloss
Top: Solid Spruce, tight grained with lots of silking
Back/Sides: Solid EI Rosewood, 3-piece back
Fretboard: Ebony
Frets free of body: 14
Nut Width: 1-3/4"
Scale Length: 25-3/8"
Very pretty guitar. Understated elegance. Similar to a Martin OM-35.
Sound
:
10
It's an OM, so it's not as loud or bassy as a dread, but the sound is very well balanced and pretty. Hard to describe, but compared to my Larrivee OM, the Yairi is "airier" -- not as woody or "round." I love the sound -- it's hard to put this guitar down.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
9
Construction was flawless and fairly light. This is apparently a hand-made instrument, as are all Yairis. The finish was lightly applied and some sinking into the grain was evident on top.
Reliability/Durability
:
8
The Yairi is well built, and not as lightly constructed as some custom builders, but not as overbuilt as, say, a Larrivee or a Takamine. It's not built like a tank, but I wouldn't expect it to fall apart unless abused.
Customer Support
:
10
I believe it comes with a lifetime warranty. I've dealt with Alvarez support in the past, and they've always been very responsive.
Overall Rating
:
9
I own a dozen guitars, and this Yairi is one of my favorites. Playability and feel is just fantastic. Projection is great for such a thin body (about 4" deep). Tone is lovely. Yairi also makes a 12-fret slothead version (the FYM95V) that I'd love to try -- hard to find!
List price tends to be pretty high. Probably of function of the strong Yen and the labor required to build without CNC, etc. But if you can find one on sale -- grab it.
