Yamaki AY078S

My AY078 is more Martin 00 size,it has cedar top, 2 piece rosewood back and mahogany sides with maple binding. Mahogany maple bound neck w/rosewood fingerboard and maple bound rosewood peghead veneer. The peghead has that classic horseshoe/flower pistol logo inlaid with what looks like a fruitwood. No label inside except for the martin-like model and ser.# stamp on neck block. The pickguard has a interesting twist-It has a similar shape and engraved motif to a Gibson Hummingbird! Finally, it has a piezo [I believe] saddle pick-up that's plugged in thru the bottom strap button. I think it's probally stock, 'cause I've seen a couple of other Yamakis that had hollow non-functioning strap jacks.Yamaki tuners w/above mentioned logo. 20 fret neck with brass nut and bridge saddle and the top is solid cedar that either was stained or has aged a deep redwood-like hue. The workmanship and materials lavished on this guitar is awesome considering the price it probally commanded when new-Today...forgeddaboutit!

Now this category I can't, unfortunately, answer properly. I have a 150 I.Q. in my musical "ear" but I'm a moron when It comes to ability. I sadly have no style-none; but I appreciate fine insts.; 'cause if I did'nt play on one, I'd truly sound pathetic. When I bought this guitar, I already had good experiences with Yamakis and just hitting a C major on this babe was a epiphony of sorts.Bright, but not trebly, with supprising volume and a sense of hearing each note in the chord; piano-like is the closest description I can come up with. I think this inst. would be magic in a "Doc Watson's" hands. I've played it thru my Fender Champ 25 SE and the amplification is very good-the pick-up is obviously top-notch; but I've got my LP Custom and strats for those urges. I'll have to give it a modest rating not because of it's short-comings, but 'cause of mine.

In a word...Superb! Rarely do you find a used inst. that fits you as well as this one did to me. I have fairly large hands [w/fingertips to match] and the neck and finger board were like custom made to me. A electric guitar should have the action this pup has! Low with no buzzing. Real easy to bar chord as far down as you want to go. Strung with med. strings, I have no trouble playing twice as long before fatigue sets in compared to other acoustics I've played. The workmanship and materials leave nothing to be desired as described above. The only noticible wear supprisingly, is a few dings/chips on the top which I attribute to a soft finish that while not exactly dull, could have been improved with a thinner - harder treatment.

This a fairly old inst. and since I don't "gig" I can only conjecture.
It's lasted this long [25 yrs. maybe?] and has been played. The orig. set-up is better than ever and the only wear showing is as described above. It's a Moose!

Can't tell you anything you don't know already. Daion; parent co., made some extremely fine insts in a era when Asian built guitars were looked at askance. Probally why these guitars are gonna create some well deserved collectible interest real soon-like

I've been "wood shedding" for 30 yrs. and the only reason I hav'nt given up in frustration is the belief, that around the corner, is that guitar that's gonna make me a halfass player.I've had many insts. pass thru my hands; to name a few : Early 0018 martin, late 60's L-4 Custom 3/4 w/Johnny Smith pick-up- florentine cut-away[wish I kept that pup it was a 1 of a kind] Gurian Dreadnougt [ Beautiful]. 70's D-35, 52 Gibson tenor banjo, 82 mint "Smith strat". But my main boys' today are the above described Yamaki, a 71 LP custom, 12 string Ovation Mod. 1115-4, Squire strat, Gretsch electromatic and a out of this world totally flamed custom Japanese Fender tele. I've pared down my amps to the totally fine Champ 25 se [Hybrid]. As you can see I have a eye and ear for fine insts. ; and this Yamaki I'm gonna keep; because in my humble opinion this guitar is the equal if not better of most of the others!

It was made i Japan, I don't know when it was built but, it does say Daion on the back of the headstock, so from what I have read, this would mean that it was built in the eighties. 20 frets, solid spuce top that is stained a much darker colour than usual, and rosewood back and sides, and maple around the sound hole and where the top and sides meet, a very attractive guitar! It is a dreadnought style, very much in the style of a Martin, the way Yamaki is written inside the sound hole is identical to Martin. The tuners say Yamaki on them and work great, they are brass, as is the nut and the bridge.

I play this guitar as a rhythm instrument to accompany my singing, I also play a lot of bass and this guitar sounds great when I play bass lines on it. I love the sound of this guitar it has a very balanced sound, between the bass, mid, and highs. Whenever any of my friends pick up this guitar they are amazed by its sound.

This guitar is flawless in this area I haven't done anything to it, maybe the previous owner did, but I doubt because when I got it it had hardly been played

The strap button pops off, this is a little annoying, but quite easily remedied. The finish on the top seems a little soft, it has some pick marks from when heavy handed strummers have used it.

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I have been playing guitar for almost 20 yrs. I also play stand-up and electic bass. This would be a very expensive guitar to replace.
I have played a Larrivee and a Martin D-28 that I liked better than this. But what a price!