HAND MADE IN JAPAN TERRIFIC VINTAGE YAMAKI GRAND CONCERT GC30 CLASSICAL GUITAR

Brand: Yamaki
;Country/Region of Manufacture: Japan

HAND MADE IN JAPAN TERRIFIC VINTAGE YAMAKI GRAND CONCERT GC30 CLASSICAL GUITAR

Please read my 7 days return policy at the bottom of the page.

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If you are thinking about a purchase of a used vintage guitar you need to accept the fact that such guitars may have cosmetic flaws solely associated with their age, but not related to any particular damage. For example their finishes change their look over the years and are not glossy and crystal clear like on brand new guitar. In addition, such guitars may require fret dressing, new tuners, string action adjustment or a simple repair before they can be fully enjoyed. I see guitars as musical instruments, not as furniture. When I describe guitar as being in excellent condition I don't talk only about its cosmetics but mostly about its structural & functional condition, sound and playability. If you are seeking a perfect looking, low maintenance guitar you should abandon a thought about buying used vintage one, especially from me.

I don't offer "sound samples" because they never reflect true sound of a guitar as we hear it playing in our own room. You can greatly change tonality of any guitar by using different strings.   

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        Yamaki GC-30 Classical Concert Guitar

This guitar most likely made in early 1970-ties, is still in excellent cosmetic and working condition. It has only one “conspicuous” cosmetic flaw: a very small dent on its top (sealed) and couple of very fine scratches on the back. In addition one can find only very fine signs of “regular ware” allover its body.

It is exceptional quality guitar, with impressive volume, producing clear, worm & well balanced notes, deep basses with great sustain. Certainly the word concert on its label is not just a commercial slogan.

This guitar was priced 30 000 yen in 1973.

Real Value of Japanese Vintage Guitars

The key to understand value of vintage Japanese guitars is to acknowledge galloping devaluation of Japanese yen in 1960s & 1970s. This devaluation was somewhat slower in 1980s. The best measure of this devaluation is Starting Yearly Salary of Japanese College Graduate (SYSJCG).

SYSJCG in in 1965 was 19 600 yen, in 1969 – 34 600 yen, in 1970 39 200 yen, in 1972 – 62 300 yen, in 1975 79 200 yen, in 1977 121 200 yen and in 1980 - 163 000 yen.

During 1960s and most of 1970s model numbers of Japanese guitars were strictly interconnected with their prices in Japanese yen. In late 1970s and during following decades model numbers were no longer strictly associated with their prices. Many Japanese guitar makers introduced model names instead of model numbers. Others were still using model numbers with addition of letter abbreviations or other symbols.  

The best and only logical approach while evaluating real value (real grade) of vintage Japanese guitar is to compare its price in Japanese yen with SYSJCG during the year guitar was made.

Any guitar priced 100 000 in 1970 (labelled usually as No10) would be priced 200 000 yen in 1975 (relabeled to No20 or 2000), 300 000 yen in 1977 (labelled as No3, No30 or 3000). Starting in 1977 Masaru Kohno introduced his model No50 priced at 500 000 (skipping theoretical model 40). Soon other famous Japanese luthiers did the same. By 1983 Kohno started using model names instead numbers and was raising their prices as he was pleased. Naturally soon other Master luthiers did the same.

Knowing all of that, you can bet on that Masaru Kohno No50 made in 1982 is practically the same quality as Kohno No15 made in 1972, or Kohno no20 made in 1975 or Kohno No30 made in 1977. I know it for a fact.

The lowest grade models currently made by Matsuoka workshop are M75 and MH75. They are commonly considered as “beginner guitars”. Matsuoka model M30 made in 1973 is simply far, far better instrument. It is naturally better than model M50 made in 1977, model 80 made in 1982 or model M100 made in 1990. At present, the highest grade Matsuoka models are M300 and MH300. They absolutely stand no chance in competition with model M150 made in 1975… or model M200 made in 1977.

It is very important to mention that if modern era luthiers are using 40 years old woods to make a classical guitar, its price is at least $8000.

Specification:

Top: Solid Yezo Spruce with 5 braces fan/French Polish or lacquer

Back and Sides: Straight Grain Brazilian Rosewood Doubleplate/lacquer

Calling this construction "laminates" would actually be very incorrect and quite misleading. This genuine Japanese invention has really nothing in common with modern era cheap particle-board laminates. This construction is nothing but 2 solid wood plates glued together, hence in fact nothing but reinforced solid woods. Such plates perform no different from solid woods, while don't crack as easily, are much easier to work with, and allow for much lower prices of these instruments. Such guitars have always been and still are a true blessing for all guitar enthusiasts with limited funds.

Neck: Mahogany with Ebony reinforcement

Fingerboard: Ebonized Rosewood

Scale: 650 mm

Nut width: 52 mm

String action is 3.3mm under E6 and 2.8 mm under E1.

This guitar will be shipped in used case of minimal value. You don’t pay for the case. You only pay for the guitar. Please consider this case as a free bonus and don’t expect too much. I will not accept any complaints regarding the condition of the case. 

Message to Australian buyers !!!!!

In order to ship a package with guitar to Australia at affordable rate +/- $100 (USPS International Priority Mail), height of such package can’t exceed 42” and its girth+ length can’t exceed 97”. Therefore I will pack the guitar into a case that is short enough to meet this requirement. 

Yamaki Guitars History and info:

 Acousticguitarforum.com

The complex story of Yamaki guitars is entwined with the histories of a number of other Japanese companies. In the late 1940s, brothers Yasuyuki and Kazuyuki Teradaira started working for Tatsuno Mokko, an instrument-building firm that later split into two different companies, one of which was called Hayashi Gakki. In 1954 Hayashi Gakki was bought out by Zenon, a large music distributor. In 1962 Yasuyuki left Zenon to start an instrument distributor he called Daion, which means “big sound” in Japanese. In 1967 Kazuyuki left Zenon to produce classical guitars under the name Yamaki, an auspicious Japanese word meaning “happy trees on the mountain.” By the early 1970s, Kazuyuki expanded the Yamaki line to include a large number of steel-string guitars, many of which were based on C.F. Martin and Co.’s designs and were distributed exclusively through Daion. Along with Yamaki guitars, Daion sold instruments from Shinano, Mitsura Tamura, Chaki, and Hamox, some of which were built by Yamaki at various times, and Harptone guitars, which they imported from the US. 

Sometime in the late 1960s, Daion began exporting Yamaki guitars to America, where they were well received. By the early 1980s, however, Daion felt that the Yamaki Martin-style guitars were getting lost among similar instruments from other Japanese builders like Takamine, Yasuma, and C.F. Mountain, so they redesigned the entire acoustic line and started building acoustic-electrics and solid-body electrics as well as oddities like double-neck acoustics. They dropped the Yamaki name and rebranded their instruments as Daion guitars. Daion began an extensive advertising campaign to introduce the new line around 1982, but this was a time when musicians were more interested in the new MIDI-equipped synthesizers than in guitars. In 1984 Daion stopped importing guitars to America and soon went out of business. Yamaki, on the other hand, survived the downturn of the 1980s and now makes parts for other Japanese guitar companies. 


—Michael John Simmons

Some opinions:

wesmantoddshaw.hubpages.com

Yamaki Acoustic Guitars. Very Fine And Rare Instruments.

When talking about Japanese made acoustic guitars people tend to think of Yamaha, Takamine, and Alvarez as being the major brands of acoustic guitars that are made in Japan. Those three companies are the three major companies in Japan that have been and still are making acoustic guitars. But there is also a pretty rare brand of guitar out there that you might run into, and that is the Yamaki brand of acoustic guitar. If you do see one, and it's in playable or repairable condition at all, then I seriously suggest that you buy that guitar if you are financially able to.

I've seen exactly two of these guitars ever. I very much liked both of them. I became acquainted with one just this last week, and couldn't have possibly been more impressed with that guitar. The other one I'd seen once belonged to my grandfather, and I nearly bought it from him at one point. Basically, the two Yamaki acoustics that I've had my hands on both belong to Uncles of mine, and one of those uncles at one point or another had owned both of them.

I can't speak for how truthful or accurate this next thing is, but the story that I was told was that the way that Yamaki was displayed on the head stocks of their acoustic guitars looked so similar to how Yamaha was displayed on the head stocks of their guitars that Yamaha sued, and had the Yamaki company to change things. Here's what I know for certain - I like Yamaha acoustic guitars, and I consider them to be fine guitars, and especially if you buy one of their solid tonewood construction L series guitars - but I'm positive that the Yamaki guitar that I played this past week was better than any Yamaha acoustic guitar that I've ever seen or played, in fact, it was a very comparable guitar in quality to the Alvarez acoustic guitar that I fell in love with once at the North Texas Guitar Centre - but a more expensive or fancier guitar..

Some recent internet postings:

For Sale $695Saint Paul MN, United States - 1 month ago on reachoo.com

1971 Yamaki Concert Grand Classical Guitar: Made In Japan, Solid Cedar Top, Brazilian Rosewood Back & Sides, Ebony Fretboard, High Quality Gotoh Tuners, 658 mm Scale Length, 52 mm Nut Width, Hard Shell Case Included, Fantastic Sound, Very Loud! call ...

For Sale $235Santa Barbara 93106, CA, United States - 3 weeks ago on craigslist.org

Beautiful rare 1970's Yamaki Daion classical Guitar. Really nice tone and action (will benefit from new strings). Very good condition with just a few very small dents - hard to see. No cracks or fading. One owner from new. Comes with a nice original hard case.

Returns

If you are not happy with your purchase you may return the guitar for a refund of a purchase price of a guitar.  The cost of shipping both ways will not be refunded.

All you need to do is to:

1.    Notify me within 5 days after delivery   

2.    Pack guitar the same way I do it, using the same box and materials

3.    Ship it back to me within next 2 days

Another words I expect this “trail” period to occur within +/- 7 days. Naturally guitar has to be returned in the same condition as I ship it to you. This is simply honest offer for honest buyers. My goal is to make your purchase as risk free as possible. I know very well that spending $1000 of hard earned money is not emotionally easy undertaking for majority of guitar lovers. I am sure that reading my feedback can ease a bit your “purchase anxiety” but it still will be there no matter how hard I try.

Victor                                                              

P.s. If you'd like to check my other posted on E-bay guitars click on the links below:

http://youtu.be/T8bkPi4jhss

http://youtu.be/W1FaCjodgZM

http://youtu.be/_3tJW9ljjdM

http://youtu.be/ExVwfhLy1gQ

http://youtu.be/XNdeSWxb2nU

http://youtu.be/mecVgriaKJ0

http://youtu.be/O9ErnhZhDxw

http://youtu.be/ceVTybPnq7c

http://youtu.be/Zyz8eZeTSRQ

HAND MADE IN JAPAN TERRIFIC VINTAGE YAMAKI GRAND CONCERT GC30 CLASSICAL GUITAR

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