Alvarez Yairi CY-116

Solid cedar top, burled mahogany sides and back, mahogany neck, ebony fret board. Beautiful rosette, maple trim. The back of the neck is slightly flat and the finish is muted for easy playing, other wise this would be like wrapping your fingers around a baseball bat. I believe it was made by K. Yairi himself.

The sound is rich and warm yet has great dynmanics. THe sound projects very well even in large rooms. Depending on right hand placement the sound can go from rich and dark to trill when closer to the bridge. I would consider this primarily a spanish type of guitar.

ABSOLUTELY IMPECCIBLE. perfectly book matched back no flaws in the cedar top.

never had a problem yet and I bought it brand new in 1986.

Huh? Never needed it. The Ten is assumed

You have to own one to experience the quality. I feel very fortunate to have aquired this guitar. I had been drooling over the model in the Catalog for about six months. Byerly music was going out of business and I just stopped in to check things out. One of the salesman was unboxing this guitar when I went in, when I saw what it was I asked him to stop unboxing it and just took it home. Nobody has ever played this guitar but me.

Made in 1986 by Yairi himself, signed etc. Solid top beautiful burled mahogany, wood binding, not the white plastic, I do have a B-Band end-piece pick-up installed for concerts, which I personally like very much.

The sound is not bright. It is very mellow and smooth sounding. Almost a haunting sound and it has gotten better over the may years of playing. Sound is always a personal thing but subtle, sweet, moving and alluring are words that do come to mind. It does not have monstrous projection but it's fine for what I do and I can turn up the amp if needed.

No flaws, perfect set-up. Plays through out the neck equally well

Everything about the guitar is well made. I would be careful about the Cedar top though. It will dent from fingernails and mine has a few. I can always depend upon this instrument to perform to my expectations. It has never let me down.

I've been playing professionally for about twenty years or so. I own eight guitars, two mandolins, many harps, and a few keyboards. I would buy this guitar again if stolen or lost. It has a sound that is really special and I have played many over the years. I don't know what the new ones sound like but this was great in 1986 and is even better now, so I imagine the new ones would be similar. I have bought and sold a lot of instruments in my years. I would NEVER sell this one. When I pass on it goes to my closest friend.

2oo4 model made in japan by Kazuo Yairi.beautiful antique red cedar top(solid)and stunning burled honduras mahogony back and sides.ebony fingerboard,rosewood bridge,mahogony neck.the most beautiful rosette i have ever seen.looks like a japenese watercolor painting.a REAL rosette not a sticker.ivroid binding adds a really classy touch.looks like a well preserved antique.truly beautiful.

oh i LOVE the sound.it is sooooo warm.i play in open tunings using extra hard tension strings and this guitar shines.i play very moody dramatic music with lots of dynamics and this guitar is an orchestra in a box for sure.soft fingerpicking and strumming sounds so sweet with a real resonance,flemenco like downstrokes command attention with a crispness only top quality mahogony can deliver.sustain is amazing.harmonics sing sing sing.this is my lucy i really love the sound.it is like a warm handmade quilt on a cold winters nite.a very intamite feeling guitar.perfect for solo material.it is so dynamic.

INTONATION PERFECT ALL THE WAY UP THE FRETBOARD EVEN IN LOWER TENSION TUNINGS !!!!!!only top quality woods perfectly bookmatched.this one looks like it got so much love put into it.looke and sounds like it would have cost alot more$.

it is a cedar topped classical.not for playing bluegrass with a flatpick.finish is very light that is why it sounds so good.got a couple small dings changing strings but that is to be expected and it adds character.i baby this guitar and play it as it was intended to be played.save my thrashing for the steelstring.i feel thin guitar will last me a lifetime.it will definatly outlive me.just remember it is a classical not a les paul.that is why i am giving it a 9 in this department.i fingerpick very forcefully at times but i am careful to keep my nails on the strings not the cedar soundboard.

havent had to deal with them.lifetime warrenty is definatly cool.

been playing for 10 years.i love this guitar so much it is such an amazing guitar it tricks people into thinking i am an amazing player.my favorite feature is the warmth and sustain of harmonics.i would like to buy another one to install a pickup in.just cant drill on this one.records like a dream.sounds so professional.if lost or stolen when i awoke from a catotonic state of despair i would DEFINATLY get a new one.i pray i will never be in that position.i guard this guitar like a rabid pit bull.you would not want to be the person who stole it.trust me.she is the love of my life.kazuo yairi is the master.give up the american guitar snobbery and be blown away by his artistry.

1982 model with red-gold solid cedar top, red-gold burled mahogany back and sides (solid, not laminated, I believe), gold plated tuners. My particular guitar has mahogany (I think) binding, instead of the whit ivory-looking binding you see on present-day models. Ebony fretboard, rosewood veneer head.

Rich-sounding axe. All strings sound good - no standouts, like on my cheaper guitar. Not as "bright" as a guitar with rosewood back and sides, but it suits my style well. I play anything from classical to country and blues, and they all sound good on this guitar, weather its finger picking or flat picking.

Wonderfully set up at teh factory. No changes or mods necessary.

I don't play for large crowds. I only play to entertain myself, and occasionally my family or friends. But this guitar has held up very well over the past 23 years to changes in humidity and temperature. The soft cedar top is susceptable to dents from shirt buttons, etc., so watch out for that. The finish is glossy, and has held up well: very little wear showing, but then I have kept in in its case whenever not in use.

Haven't needed 'em.

Been playing it on and off since 1982. Never palyed another classical. I'm debating wehter or not to add the Alvarez pickup to it. Don't want any other hole drilled in it, so no strap buttons: I have a strap that hooks onto the sound hole. I love everything about it. If you want a great sounding classical guitar you can't go wrong with this one. No negatives I can think of, although I might get an acoustic, just to play another style of music. In fact, I'm looking seriously at the Alvarez PD100S, or the DY62C.

Have been playing classical guitar for over 30 years. Own old aria's, garcia's, yamaha's, ramirez, recently built baarslag, sanchis flamenco,takamine, as well as new and old matsuoka guitars.
Have not owned the Alvarez-Yairi CY-116, and tried a new one at a guitar store recently. Read about it via e-bay and was curious to evaluate.
Aside the obvious, pretty wood asthetics, the CY-116 is definitely easy to play, with nice action. Sound-wise, the mahogany back/sides produce open, firm, rounded basses but w/o the boldness of rosewood. The trebles however, need to be pushed if you want the melody to sing. Compared the CY-116 to another higher-priced Alvarez-Yairi classical made w/ a cedar top/rosewood back/sides, and the latter had fuller basses along with better singing qualities in the treble strings.
I think the CY-116 is for the player who likes defined clarity w/ some delicacy in their sound, w/ less projection. Would be interesting to see whether the CY-116 holds its volume, or "peaks" earlier as the mahogany ages.

1984 Model, roughly.
Gorgeous finish. Everyone notices the curly burl sides and back.
Standard classical body, neck, tuners. Came with industrial strength hard case.

This is what sold me on the guitar. It sounded great off the rack, and has always sounded great. I've compared it to classical guitars selling for 5 grand and they can't hold up against this bargain beauty. I do put Augustine Blues on it, but I don't think they make THAT much difference.

Seriously, the tone on this is INCREDIBLE. I've never played a classical that sounds this good and, while I'm not a heavily classical style player, I've played quite a few models.

Set up was great, Only complaint is those darned wide classical necks, heh.

I've had 2 problems with this guitar. If you leave it strung to tension, eventually the changes in temperature will probably snap the nubmer 4 string. You'll open the case and need to replace that string. That happens about 4 times a year. Very annoying.

The other problem I had was after 20 years and the heat problems snapping the string that the bridge came off. I took it to a guitar shop that deals mostly in electrics, but they did a good job on it. There was a chip they couldn't fix, but otherwise they did a good as factory job. The tech even mentioned how good the axe sounded.

Given the age and heat variations, I won't mark it down for the bridge incident, but I am gonna ding it a bit for the number 4 string problem. That and the tuners, while they work fine, have a kind of cheap feel to them. Tuning stability is fine once the strings are broken in (which takes quite a while).

Never needed it.

I've been playing on and off for over 30 years. I own about 8 guitars, a couple Fender Twins, a rack of sound effects, a Yamaha AW-4416 digital recorder, a few keyboards and other miscellaneous gear.

I use the classical when I want that kind of sound primarily. I used to play some Bach and other classical pieces on it when I was in college and I found it had a good feel for playing that as well as one kick ass sound.

That annoying problem with the nubmer 4 string gives it character... Just remember to detention the strings after you play it and maybe that will keep it from happening.

It's gorgeous, sounds better than a $5000 guitar and if you want an affordable, great sounding classical to play, this would be a good choice. You won't find it new on a rack anymore, but you might find a used one in good condition.

Solid Antique Cedar top, new in 1986 was about a grand. Curly Burl Mahogany sides and back. Gorgeous! Japanese, handmade by Kazuo himself, what else can you say??

Well, at first it was OK, to good. But year after year, hour after hour and mile after mile, she grew up. This guitar, played almost daily for close to 18 years is now mature. Mellow, not loud, but the tone is incredible and it BEGS to be played. The fellows above have obviously not spent the time to really play thier CY's as my guitar is simply an extention of my feelings at the time, laughing,crying, singing........... INCREDIBLE

The guitar was absolutely PERFECT from day one, and has only gotten better with age. PERIOD. Not a single problem.

Durability?? I am laughing out loud. This guitar has been OVER 50 thousand miles, strapped to various motorcycles I have owned, mostly vibrating Harleys! Its been to Sturgis S.D. Hawaii the Bahamas, Florida, Texas, and every state in between. I have stepped through the front, and had it repaired, it has fallen off tables, been dropped, kicked, bitten and once set on a campfire.....(for a few seconds before reality set in) it is STILL the best guitar I have EVER owned!!!!

Never needed it, don't know

I have been playing guitar and other strings and various brass for over 25 years, this is the ONLY guitar I have ever kept, all others have come and gone. I am looking for another one, just to have in reserve, but I realize the miles, hours, and history of this guitar are what make it what it is. DO NOT JUDGE A GUITAR IN A MUSIC STORE!! Find one that has been PLAYED. That is what makes them come alive!!

This guitar is beautiful. Looking at it, this is a real woman, the burled mahogany seems to swirl like water. A gorgeous looking grand-concert-body styled guitar.

You don't see too many mahogany back and sides, despite their clear beauty (at least in this model). Perhaps this is the reason? It sounds okay. An intermediate student model, but nothing I would take to a concert. It doesn't project nearly as well as some other models you can find for this price range. Better to search for a CY117 or a CY118, although they are rarer and somewhat more expensive.

It feels alright, again a mid-upper student level guitar. There isn't much you can say negative about it.

The particular guitar I have was bought used and the cedar-top has been dinged up a bit. To be expected, but otherwise very solidly constructed.

When it comes down to it, the sole purpose of a guitar is to sound good. Anything else is secondary, and unfortunately, the sound seems to be this guitar's achilles heel. It's a shame, because this is one of the more beautiful, eye-catching classicals available in the price range. It's a fine guitar to get started on, a practice guitar, or even as a stop-gap while you save up for that Ramirez 1A, but it's not the tremendous value and work of art I've come to expect from a classical with the Yairi name.

CY-160 Solid Cedar Top, Beautiful Pearl Mohogany Back and sides.
Standard # of frets for classical (19) standard classical fretboard. Ivory style / gold plated tuners.

beautifully crafted guitar. i owned this for about 10 years.
Note: cedar tops are easily dented and scratched. no pick strumming on this high end guitar.

a loud but mellow tone. i used it several times in performing weddings and other recitals.

i was very satisfied with the sound and tone of this guitar, but found that other brands of solid cedar top classicals (la patrie, rodriguez) have just as good of a sound, maybe better, for $100's of dollars less.

in this case you may be paying much more for the Yari name. i would seriously consider shopping around and playing several cedar solid top guitars (inspecting action and tuners also) and going with the best value. i imagine there is little difference in actual sound quality

The choice of pearled mohogany on the back and sides made the sale on this guitar. very unique and very beautiful. the top is a high quality finish. I fell in love with the look and the SMELL of this guitar. Excellent smooth ivory style gold plated tuners that needed no adjustment. good action for a classical (all classicals have higher action than a standard accoustic) and did not change in 10 years!

cedar tops seem to be very sensitive to small denting caused by the impact of a pick or fingernails on the soundboard. if you are a strict classical player, this would be a good choice. if you plan on doing any flatpicking or heavy flamenco style strumming, you would be best to steer clear of this model and go for a more durable spruce top.

as far as sound, very reliable.

no need to call them. no problems with it.

This is a fine guitar and you would not make a bad decision as making this one your perfomance classical. As stated earlier, i would seriously comparison shop other models in and below the Yari price range, other brands seem to be better values.