Alvarez Yairi CY-118

This is another amendment. See the bottom of the page for my first review, which gives the most details. I later amended my review (in 2004), directly below this, and would like to amend again...

Please check out my music at www.myspace.com/sjsongs

The guitar being reviewed can be seen and heard there. I will be getting more recordings up shortly.

It is a 1990 model, came with no electronics. About 1 year ago, after much deliberation, I installed a B-Band pickup (electret transducer) system, the A6.2 XOM. Did the install myself, with much prayer and trembling... Came out great! And sounds awesome! The B-Band system is a fantastic system, very true to the sound of the guitar.

My signal chain: Using George L's .155 vintage red cables, I run from the guitar to an Alesis MidiVerb4, then to a BOSS RC50 Loop Station, then to a Marshall AS100D (Acoustic Soloist series) amplifier. I could not ask for better sound!!!

I use D'Addario Pro???Arte EJ46 Hard Tension strings.

I cannot comment on the factory setup, as I acquired this guitar in 1994, when it was about 4 years old. The wood is beautiful, properly bookmatched. When I got the guitar, the previous owner had filed the saddle down to lower the action. When I installed the B-Band system (which has both an under-saddle pickup and an acoustic soundboard pickup), I replaced the saddle, and filed it to the approximate same action height. Since then, I sanded a little more off to adjust it lower still. This guitar is phenomenal!

I beat the heck out of this guitar at times. It's my baby, but she's not all girly girly - she's rough and tough like a biker chick. She holds up under pressure! I depend on this guitar, absolutely. I do not have a backup, although I do want one eventually, as it would allow me to leave the guitars in different tunings.

I'm almost 45, been playing music most of my life. Playing THIS PARTICULAR GUITAR since 1994. I love it. I continue to go to guitar shops, play high-end classicals, and not get the TONE that this baby has! I have NEVER played a guitar that impressed me with its tone the way this one does! If this were lost or stolen, I would go into a severe depression! I do not think I could handle playing without her! I would search the world for her, and if I could not find, I would do my best to find the closest match, which would have to be ANOTHER Alvarez-Yairi CY118 made in or around 1990...

I'm amending my first review which is the first one (below) on this product. The more I play this guitar (going on 10 years now), the more I am impressed by it. I recently took it to a Classical Guitar specialty shop that carries high end guitars like Tomas Rodriguez, and the proprietor said that this was pretty much the top of the line in terms of production guitars (yes, it is "handmade," but it must be admitted that it is done largely on an assembly line). He went on to say that I would have to spend quite a bit more in order to actually "move up" to a better guitar.

I have recently added a few additions - a golpeador plate (transparent tap plate) that helps keep damage to the top (that I inflict with my aggressive fingerstyle playing) in check; and (GASP) gold strap buttons. Being a singer/songwriter, I feel that it is more "friendly" to stand playing than to sit with perfect classical technique...

And I am awaiting my beautiful HEARTWOODES (www.heartwoodes.com) Revo strap in matching Chocolate Rosewood. Its going to go wonderfully with my guitar. These straps are made of Costa Rican hardwoods.

Only gets better! I am currently in a string quandary. I had been exclusively using D'Addario Composites, and it is becoming increasingly harder to find them locally. I'm currently using Savarez Alliance HT, but thinking of just going to D'Addario Pro Arte Hard Tensions, or possibly Augustines...its been quite awhile since I used Augustines.

I'm thinking more and more of fitting it with a nice pickup system, and running it through a Genz-Benz Shenandoah 200, and a Boss Loop Station...

One thing the Classical specialist pointed out that I had never noticed is that my saddle has apparently been shaved to lower the action. I guess Brian (the guy who gave me the guitar at God's influence) did it. The Specialist took a look inside with his mirrors and said it is very solidly built, nothing loose.

This guitar is awesome. As I mentioned in my first review, I replaced/upgraded the original tuners, and my aggressive playing and unorthodox technique (I'm a former bassist, and tend to anchor my thumb on the 6th string a lot, and my thumb nail has plowed quite a furrow in the top over the years...that's why I added the golpeador plate) has done a few numbers on the top, but I think that a lesser guitar would have given up the ghost long ago.

I use this guitar in gigs without backup because I have to. But I would not consider a lesser guitar for a backup.

I actually have a friend with an Alvarez-Yairi CY140 (theoretically a step up from this) that has let it sit for the past three months with a broken string...I'm hoping to convince him to pass it on to me - it would make a wonderful backup...

Its hard to know what to really say - you know what I mean? Have you ever had a guitar that was just so special, you could not imagine a better one? This is mine. I can only hope to find a match for a steel string someday. My first choice when I'm ready for it, will be an Alvarez-Yairi.

This is a beautiful Japenese hand-made guitar. Solid Cedar top, jacaranda back and sides, ebony finger board. Gold-plated tuners that hold great! The frets are maybe a bit to high, but will probably wear down a little anyway. I bought this guitar brand new in Madison, WI (2003). The ticket price was $1400, but I got it for $980 with the case included. I have never seen this guitar for less than $1200(new) even on huge internet sales. The case by the way is absolutely beautiful, leather with a key locking snap and molded to fit the guitar perfectly. I wish it had the tortoise struts that the next model up uses (the sound would sustain a little longer)

Very crisp and even sound. The basses match well with the trebles. It originally came with D'Addario strings which sounded good, but now it has Augustine strings and sounds amazing! The sound is unique, so don't expect it to sound like the guitar on your favorite Parkening CD. The only complaint I have is the sustain could be a little longer. The harmonics are excellent, though two strings were slightly off until corrected with a little saddlework.

The action is great. It looks like it would be a little high, but plays so easily. The neck is perfectly straight and the fret spacing is dead on. The saddle needed a little bit of sanding to make the harmonics perfect, but nothing major.

I expect this guitar to last for a long time. Other people with Yairis from the early 90's and before are still raving about them. The finish is perfect and withstands the abuse I have already put it to. You could play rock songs on this guitar, but who would want to?

No experience with them.

Overall this guitar is amazing. The sum of the whole is better than the parts combined. You will never find another handbuilt guitar of this quality for under $2000.

1990 CY118 Grand Concert Classical. Handmade in Japan by Kazuo Yairi. The current year (2003) lists for about $1400. Solid Cedar top, Jacaranda back and sides, beautiful binding. It has a well-worn Ebony fingerboard. No electronics, though I am considering having an install done.

I have replaced the stock tuners with Schaller Lyra-style gold tuners. A couple of the tuner buttons had cracked from years of abuse, and I decided I'd rather upgrade.

I am a singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/fingerstyle-guitarist playing an eclectic (muttley) sort of style that combines influences of Celtic, Folk, Classical, Progressive Rock with lyrics of a decidedly Christian nature. Along the lines of John Michael Talbot, Michael Card, Rich Mullins...

This guitar suits what I do perfectly. It is my main instrument, and what I tend to write on, though I play an ES335 on occasion...This guitar is rich with character. I have NEVER played a guitar that matched it, much less beat it, no matter what I have played.

I use D'Addario Pro Arte Composites (EXP46C) which are Copper wound, Clear Nylon, Hard Tension.

I received this guitar back around 1994 or 95. I can't really say. I do not know how it came from the factory, but must have been great! The finish (except for my personal abuses: a gouge above the 6th string from my thumb nail, and wear below the 1st string due to a lot of rasguedo-style strumming...) is great, still beautiful.

This guitar has been through a lot! Cats sitting on it, dog putting her nails on it (BAD DOG!!!!!), my 4 kids playing around on it, me sticking it into the ceiling fan a few times...And you would never know any of that by looking at it! This is my guitar - all others are temporary, but I would not get rid of this one.

I have never dealt with this end of it, so I cannot say - sorry. I may write them to see if they still have any info from back then (1990), in which case, I will amend this to reflect how they came through...

I have been a musician for most of my 41 years, starting off on piano, graduating to synth, switching to bass and playing bass in thrash/power metal bands throughout the 80's/early 90's. I made the switch to guitar in late 1991, on a cheap Mexican Classical I bought at a Pawn Shop. A few years later, a friend was impressed by God (That's right!) to GIVE me this guitar. It came as QUITE a surprise to me. And I could never have believed what a guitar this is! AND - I never knew what one cost until I recently looked it up, and found that the new ones of this same model number are listing at $1400.

I found another one exactly like mine, one year newer or older (can't remember) at a music shop in KC while visiting my grown kids. If I had the money (and if Momma had some new furniture) I would have bought it for a backup. It was in great condition. $700 used.