1989 Masaki Sakurai Standard Vintage Classical Guitar Nylon String w/ Case, M Kohno
$1,999.99
$1,999.99
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Up for sale, a 1989 Masaki Sakurai Standard classical guitar in exceptional condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original hardshell case. Sakurai is the nephew and student of venerable Japanese master luthier Masaru Kohno, who studied with Arcángel Fernández in Spain and is widely considered the finest Japanese luthier of all time. His nephew Sakurai has received his own fair share of accolades; in 1988, just one year prior to this guitar’s construction, he won first prize at the prestigious IVth International Guitar-Making Competition in Paris, France. Today, Sakurai is one of Japan’s premiere luthiers, still operating out of his uncle’s workshop. This particular Standard was built at the Masaru Kohno Workshop prior to Kohno’s death in 1998, featuring a ladder-braced solid spruce top, rosewood back and sides, and a one-piece mahogany neck capped by a slab ebony fingerboard.
Tonally, this guitar captures the exceptional balance, articulation and projection that have made Kohno and Sakurai’s guitars so internationally beloved. The guitar offers both warmth and detail, with a broad midrange, deep-yet-responsive bass and round, sweet singing trebles. Weighing 3lbs 9oz, this Sakurai has been professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with normal tension D’Addario strings and optimal classical action.
The mahogany neck has a medium depth D-shaped profile carve with full shoulders and faintly rolled fretboard edges, measuring .860” deep at the 1st fret and .945” at the 9th. The ebony fingerboard features flawless slender fretwire, playing cleanly in all registers, with action measuring 10/64" on the bass side at the 12th fret and 8/64" on the treble side. The scale length is a full 650mm, and the hand-carved bone nut measures 2” in width. The slotted headstock has a rosewood veneer, and the tuners turn smoothly and hold accurate pitch, with notably clean gold plating and large pearloid buttons.
On the body, the rosewood bridge sits flush with spruce top on all edges, and the saddle is nearing its lowest point of adjustment. String spacing at the bridge measures 57mm. The body is framed by multi-ply maple binding, and the soundhole has an ornate rosette. The original label is visible through the soundhole, dating the guitar to 1989 and noting the "Standard" model. The cashew lacquer finish highlights subtle horizontal figuring on the spruce top, and this is an exceedingly well-kept, crack-free instrument, with cosmetic wear limited to some light scuffing along the strum path and a few faint scratches on the back. The neck profile retains its smooth gloss.
The original hardshell case with blue plush interior is included.
Tonally, this guitar captures the exceptional balance, articulation and projection that have made Kohno and Sakurai’s guitars so internationally beloved. The guitar offers both warmth and detail, with a broad midrange, deep-yet-responsive bass and round, sweet singing trebles. Weighing 3lbs 9oz, this Sakurai has been professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with normal tension D’Addario strings and optimal classical action.
The mahogany neck has a medium depth D-shaped profile carve with full shoulders and faintly rolled fretboard edges, measuring .860” deep at the 1st fret and .945” at the 9th. The ebony fingerboard features flawless slender fretwire, playing cleanly in all registers, with action measuring 10/64" on the bass side at the 12th fret and 8/64" on the treble side. The scale length is a full 650mm, and the hand-carved bone nut measures 2” in width. The slotted headstock has a rosewood veneer, and the tuners turn smoothly and hold accurate pitch, with notably clean gold plating and large pearloid buttons.
On the body, the rosewood bridge sits flush with spruce top on all edges, and the saddle is nearing its lowest point of adjustment. String spacing at the bridge measures 57mm. The body is framed by multi-ply maple binding, and the soundhole has an ornate rosette. The original label is visible through the soundhole, dating the guitar to 1989 and noting the "Standard" model. The cashew lacquer finish highlights subtle horizontal figuring on the spruce top, and this is an exceedingly well-kept, crack-free instrument, with cosmetic wear limited to some light scuffing along the strum path and a few faint scratches on the back. The neck profile retains its smooth gloss.
The original hardshell case with blue plush interior is included.
