This instrument is a handmade guitar from Sakurai-Kohno workshop in Japan and this particular model is the successor of Kohno model 50 which was the highest range of the lineup and very popular as a world-class concert guitar since the 80s. Designed by Japan’s most recognized luthier, Masaru Kohno, these instruments are now made by Kohno’s nephew Masaki Sakurai and has been played by many famous classical guitar performers including Oscar Ghiglia, Eduardo Fernandez, Kaori Muraji, Leon Koudelak, Massimo Gasbarroni, Andras Csaki, Frédéric Zigante, Kaori Muraji, Shinichi Fukuda, Sharon Isbin and Julian Bream.
This spruce top guitar has the characteristic of Kohno’s clear defined tone making it easy to highlight musical lines and chord voicing. It offers excellent evenness and balance across the strings. The notes from higher registers are very, very sweet and sparklingly bold, enhancing the brighter side of the tone. The clear middle voices and firm, rounded basses give a touch of more vibrant character.Overall, I would describe the character of the sound as bright and sweet with very, very good volume and excellent projection. Hence, I found this guitar is very suitable for those pieces which require lyrical sustain with extensive kontrapunkt/counterpoints and dynamic range. Pieces of Baroque period are particularly enjoyable to play on this guitar.
The materials of this guitar are outstandingly great, the bookmatched rosewood on the back and sides which is perfectly straight-grain (quarter sawn) is one of the example as it is very rare nowadays and despite of the plain looking without any attractive figuring, it is known to be stiffer and more stable. The top has a very fine grain and shows plenty of medullary rays/silking appearance, a prove of a perfectly quartersawn European spruce.
The neck is very stable by the reinforcement of twin bars of ebony as the standard of Sakurai Kohno. Playability on the left hand is one of the best feature of Kohno/Sakurai guitars, the neck shape is very comfortable, not too thick nor thin. The action setup is very easy to be done, it allows the player to have a very low action without causing any buzz even when the string is pushed down to the fullest.
The guitar is finished by a thin layer of cashew and also a thin coat of shellac on the underneath the back and sides for a better protection against climate.
I would rate this guitar on a very good condition. However, there is a string burn at the backside of the headstock caused by stringing accident. No crack, repair, dent, structural damage or whatsoever. The rest are pretty normal as it has some playing/handling signs and nail marks but they are very minor and will only visible under very close inspection. Hence, it is almost impossible to get them captured in the photograph.
The average market price for a new Sakurai-Kohno Special in Japan is around S$10,800 (¥700,000) and the asking for this guitar is S$8,200 including a classy VGV hardcase. This is the same brand of case as seen on John William’s “The Ultimate Guitar Collection CD”.
Detailed Specs :
- Soundboard : Spruce
- Back/Sides : Central/South American Rosewood
- Scale length : 650 mm
- Width at nut : 52 mm
- Width at 12th fret : 61 mm
- Finish : Cashew
- Action at 12th fret : 2.7 mm @ 1st string, and 3.5 mm @ 6th string
- Tuning machine : Gotoh Premium aluminium roller and MOP buttons
Interested local buyers are more than welcome to personally try the guitar (on appointment) and there is an approval period of 48-hours available after the purchase for international buyer.
Buyer to pay all shipping and payment fees including repair fees if the buyer chooses to return the instrument.
Payment can be processed by cash, bank transfers or PayPal.
For further enquiries, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Recording sample :
[audio:http://www.dedrickkoh.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Reza-Bach-Prelude-in-D-BWV-998.mp3|titles=Bach Prelude in D BWV 998]Photos : (click on the thumbnails to enlarge)
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Having played this instrument before, I must mention that it is very good. If I was in the market for an instrument around $8k, this would be at the top of my list.
I’ve spent about 20 minutes playing this guitar. It’s not just a concert guitar, but a world class one that should meet the requirements of most concert halls around the world.
It sings very well even up to the 19th fret, with Sakurai’s exceptional set-up it is remarkably easy to play.
When I visited Japan, I tried a bevy of top-class Japanese guitars and the guitars I fell in love with the most were made by Wataru Tsuji and Masaki Sakurai. The Special was my favourite model from the Kohno workshop. Recommended!