Up for sale, a 1971 Masaru Kohno No. 7 classical guitar in excellent, 100% original condition, complete with the original hardshell case. One of the most prominent and influential figures in Japanese guitar manufacturing, Masaru “Ken” Kohno began his tutelage in Madrid in 1959 at the workshop of revered Flamenco and classical luthier Arcangel Fernandez. After returning to Japan to refine his craft, Kohno received first prize at the Liege Concours National de Guitares a few short years later in 1967. The chairman of the adjudicators at that competition was the “Stradivarius of the classical guitar” Ignacio Fleta, who remarked that Kohno’s guitar was “very much like his own.”

This No. 7 features a ladder-braced spruce top, Indian rosewood back and sides, solid mahogany neck, and ebony fingerboard, with a lower bout width of 14 1/2“. Tonally, this guitar yields rich expressiveness akin to the “Spanish sound” guitars produced by legendary luthiers like Fleta and Torres, with warm, rich-yet-airy lows, shimmering treble articulation, and great natural bloom in the midrange ideal for sonorous melodic playing. Weighing 3lbs 10oz, this Kohno No. 7 has been professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with normal tension strings and ideal action.

Neck Specs:

-Wood: Mahogany (one-piece)
-Shape: Classical-style D, measuring .900” 1st fret, 1.030” 9th fret
-Fretboard: Ebony
-Frets: Slender, no wear
-Scale Length: 660mm
-Nut: 52mm, bone
-Tuners: Open-gear strip, rose engravings

Body Specs:

-Wood: Spruce, Indian rosewood
-Bracing: Spanish-style ladder
-Bridge: Rosewood, bone saddle
-Marquetry: Ornate rosette, multi-ply purfling, rosewood binding
-Serialization: Label dated to 1971

This is a crack-free, well-kept example, and cosmetic wear on the gloss cashew lacquer finish is limited to scuffing on top along the strum path, a couple small marks on the rims, and some faint finish scratches on the back. The neck profile retains its smooth lacquer gloss, with several tiny shallow nicks behind frets 1-6 that are virtually undetectable to the palm.

The original brown tolex hardshell case is included.