Requesting the views/opinions of this august membership! Takamine vs. Yairi

[eljayski]

My Yammie L56s (LL and LS) have stoked my appreciation for top-end Japanese acoustics. I'm waiting for a Yairi but lately have taken a closer look at Taks. If you have a preference for one over the other, what might it be, and why?

Many thanks! eljayski

 

[chazmo]

No preference, but make sure you check out Ibanez Artwoods (series 1) from 1978 or so through 1980.

 

[dreadnut]

My Takamine:

 

[PreacherBob]

I’ve been a ”Tak Attack” guy since the early 90’s. I’ve had a 1991 N10 for ages, still rotate it in with the band every week. Garth brooks, Craig Morgan, and others endorse Takamine and exclusively play them even today. I had a Bruce Springsteen EF341C back in the 90’s as well. There upper range models today run up to $3k.
my N10 has a wonderful cedar top. Kind of sound like my Guild D35, in a subdued kind of way. Great bang for the buck, there are a few in great condition for sale online. Average $500-$600. Cedar gives the trebles a zing! Taylor-ish…..They have a satin finish all the way around, mines a little polished from cleaning it so much, added a pickup, and made a Pickguard years ago, I was wearing into the top a bit..a great hard strummer

 

[Uke]

I've owned two Yairis -- one classical, one steel string. Both felt nice to play, but in the end both were much to "brittle" sounding for my taste. I guess I let their playability trump their sound. I no longer own either guitar.

 

[bobouz]

In the ‘70s, Takamine had some fine Martin copies with solid spruce tops, but one that really drew me in was a copy of Doc Watson’s Gallagher, model #F-362s (the ‘s’ denoting a solid top). Played a new one hanging up in a music store & was smitten, but didn’t buy it. One of my few guitar regrets, which helped drive home a lesson - If it’s a good one, buy it when you have it in hand!

 

[Canard]

Late 70s guitars from the Yairi cousins, S & K, are generally great, as are the Alvarez rebranded K. Yairi ones.

Another Japanese manufacturer to look out for is Morris, more of a dark horse and less well known outside of Japan. Their product for the Japanese domestic market is generally better than their export stuff. And they produced stuff under their label at a wider range of price points so there is some flaky stuff, too.

 

[silverfox103]

I've owned, without me counting, probably eight or nine Guilds and the same number of Yairi's, all classical guitars. About ten or twelve years ago, I found a new teacher which in the nylon world is hard to do. I figured I would puff out my chest a little and bring my Martin 0028C nylon.

The teacher had a Yairi classical, this guy is a professional. I played a few songs for him and thought I did OK. Then, he played his Yairi which was a lower intermediate guitar. But, boy did that guitar sound out. I was floored. I went home, hopped on CL and found the same model out in OR or WA someplace, bought it. Now I'm happy. Never brought the Martin again, in fact I sold it shortly thereafter. I either brought my Guild Mark V or the Yairi to my lesson every other week.

I worked my way up the ladder of Yairi's and after seven or eight stops, I found a 95CYM Yairi professional. I love it. the steel string professionals are DYM plus a number. I believe it is hand made, but could be wrong. It is a great sounding guitar. I also have a Guild Mark VI. Those two are my babies. I don't think I'd be able to choose between them, although being USA made, I'd probably take the Mark VI. Both are in pristine condition.

My 2 cents

Tom

 

[Rambozo96]

I never played a Takamine other than some 70’s Martin copy that was fine. I am probably biased towards the Yairi because my guitar teacher had one, a dude in a church band I knew growing up also had one and even as a kid starting out on guitar I could tell these were a cut above the rest. I eventually bought an Alvarez Yairi DY-71 with laminate koa back and sides with solid spruce top. I always suspected the fretboard is ebony but an Alvarez rep told me it was rosewood even though it’s probably the smoothest rosewood board I come across if that’s the case. Yairi’s are lovely guitars but from what I understand they either epoxied the necks in or had super tight dovetails so keep that in mind when buying one with a questionable neck angle

 

[PreacherBob]

Wow that’s nice! I wonder what the lower bout measures across. I bet it booms on the low end.

 

[wileypickett]

I have a recent DYM75 cedar-topped Alvarez Yairi that I quite like.

The old Alvarez MD cedar-topped series (MD60, MD65, MD70) are outstanding. No one seems to collect them or care much about them, but after finding one for cheap at a yard sale 10 years or so ago and being impressed by how good it sounded, I started checking various other cedar-topped guitars, thinking maybe CEDAR was what I'd been searching for all my life and just didn't know it.

I tried out Taylors, Art & Lutheries, Takamines, Seagulls and several others brands. None held a candle to the Alvarez MDs. Don't know what their secret was.

I had a Takamine (Martin copy) 12-string once that sounded pretty good. Aside from that I've had little experience with the brand.

 

[silverfox103]

Like Guilds, the Alvarez Yairi are a well kept secret.

Tom