Brand: Sakurai
Instrument Categories: Classical and Flamenco, Guitars, SOLD
Masaki Sakurai is the nephew of the late, renowned Japanese luthier Masaru Kohno, and as customary, is the heir to the Kohno shop. The M. Sakurai No.5 was one of his early instruments designed and built during his apprenticeship beginning in 1976.
The M. Sakurai No.5 classical guitar is based closely on Kohno designs, and construction of these early models would have been closely supervised by Kohno himself. Some versions of this model apparently used solid Indian Rosewood for the back and sides, with Cedar for the top and a Brazilian Rosewood bridge, but this example uses a laminate rosewood set for the back and sides (there are some grain features visible on the inside but not the outside) and the bridge is solid Indian Rosewood. The top is solid cedar, the neck mahogany, and the fingerboard ebony.
The guitar is constructed in the Spanish manner, meaning the sides fit into slots on the sides of the neck block. This is also known as a ‘Slipper Heel’. It is in overall good functional condition, with the case, finish, and neck angle rating at fair. There is some marking on the top, and a few small dents on the back. On the brace under the fingerboard, the production date SEPT 17 1976 is stamped.
The scale length is a long 660mm and the nut width is 53mm.
These M. Sakurai No.5 models are not common guitars, but are very interesting and good sounding, built by a motivated pupil under the watchful eye of a master luthier. They can sound very good, as is the case for this guitar. These early models use solid tops but laminates for the back and sides, the value is somewhat less than solid wood models.
The original brown hardshell case is included.
- Model: No. 5 Classical
- Year: 1976
- Finish Natural
- Class: Vintage
- Serial Number: N/A, stamped Sept 17 1976
- Country of Origin: Japan
- Condition: Good
- Date Posted: 27/06/2023
- This instrument has been sold
- Not Consignment
- Required CITES documentation
- Including original Hard case
- Instrument Weight: 3.608lbs 1.64kg
- Scale Length: 25.98in 660mm
- Nut Width: 2.089in 53.06mm
