Alvarez Yairi DY-85

Everyone else has described this gem pretty well. Mine is a 70's DY-85 - Jacaranda laminated back and sides - beautiful spruce top. Bought on eBay late last year for $810.00 plus shipping. The guitar has aged like a grand dame and was well cared-for by its prior owner(s). I hope Yairi's don't cease to be a well-kept secret.

As all of the other reviews indicate, this is a very special guitar in the sound department. I have owned or still own all of the big name acoustic guitars and none of them can touch the balance, harmonics, tone, and bell-like quality of the sound. It rings like a drug-crazed telemarketer calling your home phone around dinnertime. I still can't believe it. I just had a great luthier in Winters, CA (Al Calderone of ARC Guitars) install a pre-ban elephant ivory nut and saddle and check and adjust the set-up. The ivory adds even more dimension and power to the sound of this otherworldly instrument. I was willing to spend the $$$ for ivory and the set-up only because the build and workmanship is so spectacular. It was great before, it is beyond comparison now.

The set-up was excellent when I got the guitar, but the frets needed to be re-crowned and polished. It is perfect now - low all the way up the neck and not a hint of buzzing or distortion. The wood is perfectly bookmatched (typical for Yairi) and the nitro lacquer has held up well. Yairi's belief in the use of his hybrid form of lamination of the back and sides to increase the reflection of sound to the sound-board seems to be spot on. The fit and finish are still great after 30+ years.

I haven't had the guitar long enough to offer a serious opinion, but for a thirty + year old guitar it has held up incredibly well. I don't play professionally, so no idea if it would be a good "gig" guitar, but I know I can never replace what I have so it is not going out in the cold.

No Comment - I do wish there was a better way to date Yairi guitars.

I have been playing for forty-five years, and, as stated above, own and have owned a lot of high-end guitars. They all rest quietly in their cases now. Pretty to look at, and most sound pretty great, but the DY-85 is in another class. Anyone who attempts to steal this guitar is in mortal peril. I would absolutely try to find another one if it was lost. The appearance is OK - and all the abalone is OK - but the book far outshines its covers.

I have yet to see a guitar that is as beautiful as this one. The finish, the pearl lining that goes around everything, the two tone back. Gold, grover tuners, that were made specifically for this make, im trying to figure out how many were made, since mine says either 31/31 or 31/81, 1980 as well

This guitar booms, i play on stag with a band, and i dont even have a plug in, and i can still be heard. This Guitar can sing

This thing came perfect! The action, is flat out amazing, havent played a guitar like it, only wish it was electric.

Well somehow one of my tuner head broke... a string snapped and the head, no joke, flew off... and fell down my heating vent... outragous... i know... and since the tuners are custom, i cant get them, anywhere... so yea that sucks, its held together by a cut up pencil right now. Other then that, its sweet.

Well since i cant find anyparts for it...

I would buy thi guitar again in a heart beat

Bought new in 1976 for $470. Yairi handmade copy of Martin D-45 with lots of pearl inlay and tortoise shell pickguard. Solid spruce top with laminated Jacaranda back and sides. Two piece back. Ebony fingerboard with pearl inlay. Gold grovers. Very pretty guitar. Original factory fiberglass hardshell case.

Very loud guitar, but not brash or tinny...this really projects though and it gives very powerful bass response for a dreadnaught. There's a little more warmth & mellowness in the Martin dreadnaughts, partly as a result, I think, of the solid wood back and sides. This guitar's strong projection comes from a very light X-bracing and a very nice top with finish so light that you can feel the ridges in the grain. It does have a bit of an intonation problem on the B string that requires some tweaking in different keys.

Action is moderate, but I like to run heavy strings on this particular guitar and have the neck tuned for it. It's so much fun to really bang on this one. It would be fine for finger picking but I tend to reserve that for a more recent Martin HD-28VR that can't really handle such rough treatment. The Yairi's neck is a bit finer than on the D-Martins, but not quite as sweet as a Guild.

Like all of the Yairi line, this guitar is very well made and has withstood a lot of play time over 30 years. Some finish dings and discoloration on the back of the neck. Frets and fingerboard have held up very well. The Grovers are still in great shape but the gold plate is wearing in areas.

Might have had the intonation looked at, but it never bothered me enought to worry about it. No opinion.

This was my first "nice" guitar, bought when I was only 16 years old. It's been a good companion. Even though I don't pick it up like I used to, I'd put it up against most every Taylor I ever tried. When I ended up choosing the Martin for an upgrade, I was surprised to find that I'd have to spend at least $1600 to meet or beat the basic sound quality of this guitar. Found most everything out their way too thin for my taste. I might have stuck with it as a primary if it didn't have laminated back & side panels.

I bought this guitar new in 1982 and traded a Shure vocalmaster PA + 250.00 cash....The guitar has abalone inlay on the frets and top notch workmanship throughout !! Came with a hardcase...Gold tuners....Made by the master himself - Kazuo Yairi...

This is absolutely bar none the finest playing acoustic guitar I have ever picked up !! It not only plays superbly but rings like a bell with tone for days !!!! I can play it like an electric....Very full rich tone...I absolutely love this guitar....A drunk bassplayer fell on it one night out on the road and cracked the neck....I had it repaired in OKC by the man himself Don Teter....

This guitar came from the factory in Japan with the best set-up I have ever seen and absolutely flawless in every way !! Like I stated earlier it plays like an electric guitar...

This guitar has withstood constant playing out on the road 5-6 nights a week for years and has held up marvelously !! Tuners still hold rock solid and look great still....

I have had the guitar since 1982 and would expect nothing in the way of customer support with the service this guitar has given me !! I know there has been some good Martin's through the years out there but none can be any better than this guitar and there has never been a martin made that plays as easily as this guitar !!! Period !!

I have been playing for over 30 years and have yet to find this guitar's match anywhere with any brand out there !! If stolen I would dedicate the rest of life looking for the thief and when I caught up to him it would be like in the old west with common horse thieves....A hangin'occasion !!

Mine is a 1979 Yairi made in japan. Has 20 frets...sounds great. I dont know a whole lot about it except that it has very low action, plays easy, and sounds amazing. I installed an LR Baggs iMix pickup into it and it suits it well.

Suits me wonderful. I use it as a rythm guitar in a worship setting. Sounds very full and rich, much like my Martin HD-28. I am very pleased with it.

Action on this guitar is about the best i have ever played. Extremely low, easy to play.

Definately will withstand live playing. I use it at least twice a week and it holds up fine. It's over 25 years old and still sounds great. I use it all the time with no backup.

never had to contact alvarez

I've been playing for about 5 years. I use a Line 6 DL4 with this guitar whenever possible. I probably would be able to buy it again, considering they aren't made anymore, but i definately wouldn't mind replacing it if it was stolen. Only thing i wish it had was a cutaway to give me some more mobilitly, but sound is my main concern.

I bought this guitar brand new in 1985. Its is a DY-85A made in Japan.The date stamped on the inside is 1984.It has a soild top and 20 frets.I`m not sure of the bodys wood ,but the neck is a thin Rosewood and the action can not be described.I have played and owned alot of guitars ,but by far this jewel shines above the rest.I think I paid some where around $550 for it and a hard shell case.I have bought and sold a few guitars over the years ,but this one I would never sell.When I play it a chill runs down my spine.

I love all music , well all good music. When I`m going to just sit and pick some Bluegrass,gospel,Haggard or Jones. I have to grab the ol DY-85A. I have never played or heard a guitar with a sound to compare.

I have played this ax for 20 years and have never had it set up.Brand new out of the box it was sweet and still is.

This guitar is tough,but I have always babied it and very few people have I let play it.

N/A

I have been around guitars my whole life,because my dads a picker.I guess the first time I picked up a guitar was about 37 years ago.I do not lose things so thats out,but if it where stolen I would track down the thief and recover my prize.

Yairi DY85 (1979) Bought it new in early 80 for $525 with case.
20-fret, Spruce top, Grover rotomatic tuners.
Body is three-piece back with rosewood center and flamed KOA elsewhere with polished Nitro-Lacquer finish. Binding is almost all Abalone filled. The larger rectangled-shaped MOP/Abalone fret position markers. 1.75" neck at the nut.
This guitar has been the best I've own for durability and fitness, the neck is still true with little need of adjustments. I have a problem now with replacing the nut and saddle. I had the action lowered in 1990 and now the nut is grooved too low over the years of changing strings. Anyway, the saddle is the main concern. I had a Martin thinline installed in 93(no longer there) and I think they shaped the saddle and we're in discussion on the saddle's original shape (compensated). The last Luthier that did these changes has since passed away and my memory of the orignal saddle has faded (too many guitars). If anyone has one around this year and could take a pick of the saddle shaping (PLEASE) email me.
Again these are not faults of the guitar just the owner.

Sound: Well each to there own but it has it's place and the neck action is superb!

As stated no faults other than the owner.

I think 25 years old is testimony enough.

Called St. Louis and they were very helpful but won't do a fossilized Ivory Nut (I bought one that has been closely shaped)and wanted them to do the Nut saddle replacement.

Started playing in 1966, have too many guitars to list.

some favorites;
Yairi DY85
Martin D35 (1972)
Gibson Les Paul Standard (58 reissue) bought in 1992
Takamine C135 (2000) 1975 Taurus Guitaris was stolen that year.

This Dreadnaught DY-85 is truly a jem, made in Japan, May of 1975, 20 fret, rosewood fingerboard, Rosewood back and sides, mahogany one piece top. MOP inlays on back, sides too. "10 on looks"

got to be the loudest of any i've played in 30 years, rich full tones hi's mids and lows songs like "The Dance" or "Almost cut my hair" subtle, or jammin it handles it all "10"

sure it looks great but thats not what caught me

never had an ax with the durablity this on has, never had a thing go wrong since i've owned it, i replaced the bridge saddle and the nut with bone, but thats it.

Original owner, May 1975
When I first found this Guitar, Ovation had marketed their product hard, and i almost bought one , but the tone of the DY-85 was so much more superior, that it was really a no brainer

Mid-70's Alvarez-Yairi DY-85 (Label has no date). Solid Spruce top, mahogany neck, quilted mahogany (someone said it was jacaranda) sides, 3-piece back. Abalone/MOP binding on almost every edge, ala Martin D-45. Hex Abalone inlays on neck. Gold Grover Tuners. Medium neck w/volute, very comfortable.

I play mostly for my own enjoyment. 60's - 80's Classic Rock. Anything that calls for an acoustic guitar, this one does with style. Rich, full sound with great projection. Almost as loud as a Martin D-28. Very easy to wring tone out of. Much easier to play than any other acoustic guitar I have ever played. Even better than Taylor.

The action on this guitar is incredible. I set it up myself for very low action, although it was fairly good to begin with. When I got the guitar, it had 3 fairly small dings on the top through to the wood. Other than that, this guitar is gorgeous! I knew as soon as I picked it up that I would love it (OK, I cheated - I have owned Yairis before and was looking for another one). I have had the pickguard replaced because it was peeling at the edges, but this is part of normal guitar maintenance. It is truly a joy to play. I can see absolutely no shoddy workmanship anywhere at all.

I don't play live much anymore, and have not gigged with this guitar, but Yairi built this like a tank, so I would not hesitate to.

N/A

I've played off and on (mostly on) for over 30 years. Classic rock, Blues, Singer/Songwriter stuff (Willis Alan Ramsey, Lyle Lovett), Bluegrass. All my other guitars are electric: '95 Mexican Strat, Gibson LP Std. etc., but I only need one acoustic, as this covers all the bases really well. Where it really excels is flatpicking. I took it to a Bluegrass Fest a few years ago and everyone who played it was amazed. Riffs that give me trouble with other guitars just seem to flow from my fingers on this. When my guitar playing buddies come over, they make a beeline for the Yairi. I have seen many people play it for a few minutes and then stop, hold it out at arm's length and say "I can't believe how nice this plays!" or words to that effect. I catch myself just admiring it sometimes, looking at the way the light brings out the beatiful grain of the wood, that cool headstock logo, the overall quality of the build. I rate this as high as any Martin, Taylor, etc. for "feel" and looks, and almost as high for sound. At way less than half the price of one of the "Big" names, Yairi is one of the great values (and secrets) in guitars.

My Dy85a is a bit different from some of the others described
above. It has back and sides of "ribbon" mahogany. very attractive, striated pattern. top is sitka spruce. ebony board and
bridge. I replaced the junky plastic saddle and nut with bone,
what a difference! For the guy who complained about the
mids on the guitar, consider doing this right away. Because I only paid $350 for mine used i also wasnt afraid to reach inside
the guitar and shave the braces. DONT DO THIS YOURSELF
IF YOU DONT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING! Take it to a pro if
you want it done. This also made a huge difference.

Ok. you read the other reviews. im here to tell you that these
are smokin little guitars. I have been banging on this guitar for
ten years (its an '82 that I bought used ) and it just gets sweeter
and sweeter. I string it with light gauge d'addario bronze strings, but I throw away the bass e and replace it with an .056. With the action this guitar has, playing bends on the low e at the nut is
easy and the guitar sure benefits from the extra bottom.

Sound wise, the only thing that sounds better than these is a
Goodall, but at ten times the price of what I paid for the Yairi...

My DY85a started out great, but Ive dragged it thru hundreds of gigs, rehersals, etc. The finish on the top (nitro lacquer, which is
part of why the guitar sounds so good too) is starting to come
off. Overall, Im wearing out too, so what can I say. I have replaced the bridge, Im on the second set of tuners, Ive had a partial refret.
The fit and finish put Martin and Taylor to shame.

Yes, believe me Ive put mine thru the torture test. these are
very light but very durable guitars. I always use it for gigging with no back up.

Lets put it this way: If you have one you want to sell, PLEASE EMAIL ME FIRST.

1982 Alvarez Yairi DY-85A, Serial #47128, Bought it new in 1983 from Joe's Music Center, Norcross, GA (now out of business). Hand made by Kazuo Yairi in Japan. Adjusted at SLM by R. Lopez 3-83. Dreadnought body, 20 frets rosewood or ebony F/B, satin finish. Solid spruce top with rosewood back (matched) and sides, extensive binding/purfling on headstock, neck & body, abalone inlays on the following: body (front/back), fingerboard (large diamond design), bridge pins & bottom strap button area. Solid rosewood or ebony bridge (split saddle w/ Martin Thinline P/U I added. Gold Grover roto-matic tuners. Original hardshell/plastic brown Alvarez road case(similar to Ovation's). A beautiful looking/playing/sounding guitar. I have been playing for 36 years both professionally (bands/sessions) and for fun and wouldn't let go of this guitar for anything.

Great warm sounding guitar for fingerpicking. Even bass/middle a little trebly on the high end when flatpicking/strumming. Play & write country/rock etc. Play most musical styles. Play it plugged straight into board when recording/stage. Occasionally will use a Sans-Amp. I have played and owned many guitars over the years and this instrument rivals the best from Taylor, Martin, Gibson, Santa Cruz, Collings etc. A very versatile guitar for all styles of playing.

Set up has been adjusted since factory settings. I installed a Martin Thinline acoustic P/U and split and filed down the original saddle. Bookmatched top & back. A beautifully aged guitar. No nicks or cracks. Excellent finish. A real workhorse of a guitar. No problems to speak of.

Ditto to the comments above plus the guitar still looks brand new with a real warm aged color (I'm almost "anal" when it comes to taking care of instruments). Everything on this guitar is in great shape and solid. Very dependable and have used it without a backup.

I have never dealt with St. Louis Music re: warranty work, I have not had to and hope I don't but assume they are as good as Gibson, Martin, Fender etc. I understand the guitar has a limited lifetime warranty for the original owner, which I am.

I have been playing for 36 years (since age 6). I have owned and still own some of the following: Acoustics- Recca, Epiphone, Gibson J-50 (1968), J-200 (1967), Martin D-45 (1970), Alvarez Yairi Cy-116, Silvetta Classical, Washburn, Takamine, Taylor. Electrics: Sivertone, Electra Omega MPC, Aria, Tokai Strat, Ibanez Roadstar RS-335, Ovation Viper, Gretsch Country Gentleman (1964), Fender Telecaster Custom (1976), Reissue 1952, Stratocaster Reissue 1962,1976 Amps: Silvertone 20w, National 100w piggyback, Stage 60w, Gibson 50w, Roland 10", Fender Sidekick 10, Fender Deluxe Reverb 1974, Fender Twin 1976. I wish I had saved some of the above guitars however, I will always keep the Alvarwz Yairi DY 85A. It's a great, dependable guitar.

This is a DY-85A made in 1985. Solid Spruce top with rosewood back and sides. Mahogany neck, ebony fretboard with abalone box fret markers. Gold tuners and abalone around the top and back of the body. Really a beautiful looking guitar. It also came with an after production active pick-up that sounds excellent. Brand new SKB case was included in the deal.

Lets put it this way, I take acoustic guitar sound very seriously. I have honestly played and owned some of the best acoustics in the world from Martin to Larrivee. The DY-85A is equal to many of the top shelf acoustics from these other companies. Better than the D-28 and at least equal to Larrivee's D-10. It is even as good as Yairi's best solid rosewood guitar, the DY 200. Very, very, very bright sounding with a very even bassy bottom. Not boomy like Martin dreads and not tinty like Ovation's crappy high end guitars. Guitar sound is so personal to an individual, but this one is impressive. And it is not a completely solid wood guitar!

Yairi necks are hands down the easiest to play on the market. They are thinner than most of the big companies and the action is very low without the buzz of imperfection. It doesn't weigh 50 pounds like a Gibson, nor does it put out Gibson's muffled sounding messy tone. It has a very tight grained spruce top and the finish has some small flaws through no fault of Alvarez-Yairi. I bought the guitar used and the previous owner did not take care of the instrument properly.

This guitar withstood some moron not putting it in a case and storing it on the bottom of a closet full of junk for years. It has already been through enough crap to permanently damage many of the other guitars I already mentioned to this point. No way this guitar will crap out. It is the real deal.

N/A

I have been playing for about 13 years and own or have owned a Larrivee D-10, Gibson Sheryl Crow, Martin D-28, Martin D-15, Martin OOO-28, Yairi DY-62C, Yairi DY-200, Ovation Adamas 12 String and others. I payed some large prices for most of these guitars and never really had exactly what I was looking for. And $410 later, I find this jewel in someone's front yard for sale. I almost fell over when I strummed the 3 year old strings. I handed him the cash and ran figuring he would reconsider. In my mind, nothing can replace this guitar. If you see one, buy it. You won't believe the price tag.

Made 11/6/74, s/n 5836, purchased summer of 1975 from Americana Music (Now Ace Music) in Dayton, Ohio. Dreadnaught body. Twenty frets, eight inlaid with abalone. Abalone inlays around sound hole as well as front and back bindings. More abalone on zipper joint of back of (bookmatched) back. Gold Grover machine heads. Medium width neck. Excellent interior bracing. Adjustable neck with internal rod. Quality woods (spruce top and rosewood back and sides?). I think the F/B and bridge are ebony. Yairi logo inlaid in headstock.

This is a great guitar for flat-picking, finger-picking, general strumming. It has a great bass voice and a very pleasant, bell-like high end. Mid-range is good, but leaves something to be desired, compared to low-end and high-end voices.

The action had been lowered at the nut when I purchased it, so it was very nice in the first 4 or 5 frets. The action in the remaining frets has always seemed a bit too high in comparison, but still acceptable. I plan to have the guitar worked on to elimimate the disparity sometime soon. The finish on the guitar is superior and has withstood over 25 years of use/abuse/travel with very little sign of age. It has never been in a guitar shop since purchase.

Very reliable and durable. See comments above. I don't play professionally, so can't comment on that aspect, but I wouldn't hesitate to use it on stage, should that day arrive.

Have never had to have it repaired but will soon have my first experience with that. The bridge is beginning to become detached from the top such that you can slip a business card under one corner of the bridge to a depth of about 1/4-1/2 inch. It now needs to be re-glued. It has a lifetime guarantee to the original owner, so I guess I can get it repaired free.

I've been playing since about 1971. I have one other cheap Yamaha gut-string guitar that I owned before my Alvarez. I went looking for a Martin D-28 or something similar, found this Alvarez and thought it had such great tone and voice, that I forgot about a Martin, particularly considering the price differential. This guitar sounded better and better with each passing year. I love this guitar and hope to pass it on to my son who started playing about 4 years ago.

December '77 model bought new in Spring of '78 ( YES, '78). Dreadnaught body highly inlaid with abalone. 20 frets solid spruce top, solid rosewood or mahogany body, can't remember which. Rosewood F/B and bridge. Gold plated Grovers. Neck is not skinny but not too fat either. Kind of Gibsonish with a little more room for your fingers.

Super finger-picking guitar. Rich, full, bright where it should be. I play only at home for myself, sometimes with a mike to a tape on a home stereo (guitar only, I'm smart enough not to sing). The only thing I don't like about the guitar is that I can't seem to play bar chords very well on it. I have short (weak?) fingers and the finger board is pretty flat so it takes a good deal of pressure to play a good bar chord.

No problem at all. Only string changes have been done on this guitar. Guitar has not been touched by anyone but me in 21 years.

21 YEARS. The guitar seems very well made. Finish is not as smooth as it was when new. If I were to acually play in front of people, I would bring along the Hummingbird for bar chords.

Lifetime warranty. Haven't had to deal with St.Louis Music, but they did send me a brass nut and bridge (still in case).

I have been playing guitar for close to 38 years. This guitar has tone out it's butt. I have owned five other acoustic guitars (before this one) and a WIDE variety of electrics and basses. I have never come across another guitar that fit me as well as does this one. If it got stolen, I would replace it with another Yairi dreadnaught, probably a DY 91.

This guitar was hand made by Kazua Yairi 10/76 at Kani Gifu Japan. It is a 22 fret soild top with mother of pearl inlays on bindings (top back & sides) has ebony fretboard and saddle also inlay Yairi logo on headstock. Top is sitka spruce back and sides are sycamore with a tortise shell pickguard and factory grovers. Guitar is signed by builder.

This guitar has the most solid sound. Bass, Treble, and Midrange. The tone is unbelieveable, I love this guitar. Sounds good in church, and at bluegrass festivals.

The action is still factory, and very smooth. Fit and Finish perfect. I bought it used from the original owner, and it was in mint condition, but, I have added a few scratches and a few dings. No cracks.

I hate to keep bragging, but this guitar stays in tune from one set of strings to the next. I take it everywhere, camping, jam sessions, and the action stays the same.

I have never dealt with them. Never had any reason to. Only guitar I have eer bought that came with a title.

I've had a Gibson Gospell, Yamaha FG-470S, Washburn D-12, Sold them all, I only play this Yairi now. I love this guitar, wouldn't sell it for any price. If anyone can find one of these, I strongly suggest getting it.