Alvarez Yairi DY-78

This is kind of a fun review. I've seen others here who are the original owners of their DY 78's. Mine was built in 1978. I bought it new in 1979 and have owned it for all of its 30 year life.

Nice and loud like most dreadnaught style guitars. The guitar has aged well and has gotten a little less bright over the years. It is possible to muddy up the tone if you are a real aggressive picker, but I'm not so it is fine. The guitar really shines with single note lead runs. For the first 29 years I owned it, I used D'Addario Phosphor bronze light gauge strings on it, but now I'm using Elixers. I think I like the Elixers more. The guitar is tonally balanced across the spectrum. The bass is pronounced and loud and the trebles are clear and bright. I've always liked this guitar's tone.

If my feeble memory serves me, the action was originally pretty high. I played with the truss rod a bit and got it a little lower without sacrificing tone. I've also lowered the saddle a bit.

The spruce top has aged beautifully, and structurally the guitar is sound but beginning to show its age (like me). This is my fault since for many years I did not humidify it as I should and never tuned it lower when I stored it. As a result, the neck is beginning to lift a bit. It is not bad yet, but I may have to reset the neck in a few years. Otherwise, she has resisted the ravages of time and my inept care quite well.

I have no idea. Never needed it

I've been playing for 40+ years. I also own a Collings OM, and a Larrivee L-05. I paid more for those quitars (in the case of the Collings a LOT more), but My DY 78 is an trusted old friend that I will never sell. Yairi hasn't made this model for many years, but if you can find one used you should buy it. Prices on these guitars is well under $1k used and at that price is a bargain.

I am the original owner of my DY-78. The papers (which I still have) states the guitar was made in 5/77 and I purchased it new in 3/78 for $532 including a hardshell case. It has a nice spruce top, very tight grain pattern with a kind of "crosshatching" effect going across the wood grains. It has rosewood sides and back with a mahogany insert panel in the back for a three piece effect. The edges are all walnut binding, the fretbaord is ebony. According the the ownership papers the only difference between the DY-78 and the DY-77 is that the DY-78 has an "exotic wood" headpiece and pickguard. I don't know what type of wood my particular headpice and pickguard are but it kind of looks like briar wood. The guitar came equiped with nice nickle plated Grover machine heads. They still work fine.

Like the first reviewer, this wes my last guitar purchase and I've been banging away on this instrument for 30 years as well. We seem to have a pattern here! My styles are soft rock, country, ballads & blues. Since I like the blues I will sometimes rip off leads on it. They all sound great. It has a nice warm tone to it, good full base and yet the high tones ring clear, not muddled or dull. I occassionally visit music stores to test ride new instruments and can honestly say that most guitars can't touch the sound of my old freind. Only when the cost is in the $1,200+ do they even come close. I am very satisfied with the sound.

The action is low and very easy to play.( I said I rip off licks sometimes!) I did have one modification to the guitar; In 1989 I had a thinline acoustic pickup installed under the bridge with the plug installed at the tailpice. I kept the bone bridge and had it shaved to reatain the good action. It worked out great and the modification is not visible at all. There are now some knicks and scratches, and a wearspot just above the pickguard at the sound hole. I am proud to say I know where every knick and scratch came from. The guitar still looks great. I used to use D'ddario phos./ bronze lights but recently have switched to elixer lights because they seem to hold up much longer between changes.

This guitar has bee through a lot! Moves, indooors, outdoors at camping trips, humidity, A/C. THe only thing it hasn't seen, (since I live in Ft. Lauderdale) is real cold weather. It has been through a couple of hurricanes though! This guitar takes a lickin' and I keep on pickin'!!!! But it still looks and sounds great.

It says lifetime warranty but who knows!

When I tried this guitar so many years ago I knew I loved it, I bought it on the spot and I never looked back. I can say I've played some other Alvarez Yairi instruments and was a little dissapointed so I cna't say it is just this brand. You really need to try out a lot of instruments before you decide. They are all hand made and there are differences between each and every hand crafed instrument. But then again, isn't that the beauty and fun of it? For me this purchase was and still is a 10. So go out there and find yours!

My DY-78 was made in 1976, and I bought it in 1983. The three piece back and full sound sold me at once. It was made in Japan. Still a beautiful guitar!
At the time of purchase I used a capo alot, so I didn't really notice the high action. When I switched to a different style of play, I had the action adjusted with little effort.
This guitar has a spruce top, rosewood sides, and two parts of the three piece back are rosewood. I think the middle section is mahogony, which is light in color, and framed with inlay on both sides.
finish is gloss, neck (mahagony) is satin. Fretboard has mother of pearl inlay at 5, 7, 9 etc. The tops of the string pegs are also mother of pearl.
Tuners are original Grover.
It was on sale when I bought it and the owner of the store threw in a hard shell case. Sweet.

I've been playing guitar for over 30 years now, and this guitar was my last purchase. It sounds as wonderful today as it did when I bought it.
My playing styles have changed through the years, and the guitar has been a steady companion!
Right now I'm using a mix of strings--one heavy bass, medium weight through the middle, and lightweight on the bottom two. Let's me get that full bass sound from a strum/picking motion, with alot of treble and twang with my left hand on the frets.
I just fool around with sound, and this guitar holds up.

See above.

I've had this guitar since 1983. It holds up!!
I've even loaned it out to much younger players with rougher styles of play, and it has quite an impressive sound when someone else is playing it--especially in public!
Retunes quickly for song changes.
Adjusted the action once after purchase (about 20 yrs ago.)

As I've said, I've only had the action adjusted--which was a minimal thing. Didn't consider it a "repair."
I have all the original papers.
It has a "Lifetime Warranty."

I have a couple of classical guitars, and a 12 string acoustic. I bought the 6 string because I was starting to play more fingerpicking and bluegrass styles.
Fell in love with the 6 string and never looked back!
Still playing it, and I would buy it again.
Just like any guitar,though, you have to play them and find one that sounds good to you.
I had friends go out and buy the same model 12 string I had because mine had a great sound, and theirs were awful!!
So..be smart.

This guitar, according to the seller, was made in 1976. It is a copy of the Martin HD-35, sort of. The back center piece is mahogony, instead of the rosewood that the rest of the body is made of. It has a mohogony neck. Nicely made, but shows some wear. It still sounds as good as a similar Martin. I just replace the original Grover gears with new Grover nickel gears. this guitar was set up for flat picking and the action is a little high for my, as I finger pick, too. I had a similar guitar while in college in the 70's and it's like haveing an old friend back. If anyone else has a DY-78, I'd like to hear from you.

Sounds GREAT!

Too old to tell.