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Sad Guitar Story (with a happy ending)..
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Subject: Sad Guitar Story + Help!!! From: Bobert Date: 18 Jul 10 - 07:54 PM Around 25 years ago I bought what I thought was just another Japanese beater guitar for $50 in a pawn shop... I had never heard of the maker but it played real nice and had a nice feel to it so, what the heck, $50 you can't go wrong... Right??? Few years later my son asked me if I had an extra guitar for him to try to learn on so I gave him this guitar... He was livin' with his mom and they lived like, ahhhhhh, bad... Didn't care too much about leaks in roofs or plumbin' and when I got this guitar back it had had water on it and badly warped the top... I've had it ever since and tonight pulled it out of the barn where I have stored it for the last 5 years and looked it over... Yeah, it's still badly warped around the saddle... So I checked out the headstock and it is a "S. Yairi", Model 9107... I'd really like another one like it as I don't think this one is fixable, tho I might takle it to my lutherer friend and see what he says... So I went on ebay and nuthin' like it... There is another one there... Much different style and rather expensive which tells me that these guitars weren't exactly beaters... Anyway, I am lookin' for another one like this one... Sans the water damage... Bobert |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story + Help!!! From: Melissa Date: 18 Jul 10 - 07:58 PM is it warped too badly for a Bridge Dr to straighten out? |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story + Help!!! From: michaelr Date: 18 Jul 10 - 08:17 PM I don't know who S. Yairi is, but Kazuo Yairi is a highly regarded Japanese luthier who is behind the success of the Alvarez brand of guitars. Your guitar may well be worth fixing, Bobert. |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story + Help!!! From: Dan Schatz Date: 18 Jul 10 - 08:20 PM Hi Bobert - Kazuo Yairi makes or made higher end guitars for Alvarez. I have a Yairi signature series dreadnought - back and sides are rosewood (laminate, I think) and top is cedar. It's a very nice guitar, though of course it doesn't touch my Apollonio. Steve Gillette plays a Yairi when he's at festivals. My only complaint is that the neck is glued with epoxy, so it can't be fully reset. For someone like me, who likes super-low action, that's a hassle. Sadao Yairi, who made your guitar, was Kazuo's uncle. More recently, a company has begun making guitars under the name "S. Yairi," but I gather these bear no relation to the family, and is probably much inferior. These are not beater guitars. You were lucky to find one for $25. Dan |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story + Help!!! From: maeve Date: 18 Jul 10 - 09:02 PM Here are a couple of useful (I hope) sites, Bobert: http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/yairiguitars/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Alvarez_AlvarezYairi_plus |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story + Help!!! From: olddude Date: 18 Jul 10 - 09:02 PM There is no Sadao Yairi guitar that I know of that is a beater ... can't touch one for under a grand |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story + Help!!! From: Bobert Date: 18 Jul 10 - 09:15 PM Danged!!! Maybe I'll take it to my lutherer and see if he can fix it... I mean, hey, if I spend 2 or 3 hunnert bucks on it and it's worth a grand then... Plus, it's the same geetar I have always known... Well, fir the last 25 years... Wonder how it ended up in a pawn shop for $50??? Mine, BTW, in it's current condition *is* a beater... Wierd thingis that a few years ago I needed some pegs so I went out and stole the pegs outta it but the strings stayed intack... Tonight I kinda tuned the 5 remaining strings to some open tuning and it still plays and sounds good even with 25 year old strings??? Hmmmmm??? Gotta call my geetar guy in Fredricksburg and see if he can fix this one... Seems like if I were to find another one it would cost more than fixin' what I got... B~ |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story + Help!!! From: Bert Date: 19 Jul 10 - 01:59 AM For a $50 guitar you might try "Bert's reciprocal theorem" Which says"Do the opposite of what caused the problem" Spray it lightly with water and clamp it down to a bench with a slight opposite twist. Be gentle thought 'cos it is now a $1000 guitar. |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story + Help!!! From: Bobert Date: 19 Jul 10 - 08:45 AM Sorry, Bert, but I ain't gonna hose down a $1000 geetar... If my lutherer buddy does it when I ain't lookin' and gets it back to where it was, then fine... But not me... B;~) |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story + Help!!! From: Bobert Date: 21 Jul 10 - 10:24 PM Cleaned it up last night... It has no pegs but 5 of the 6 strings are intact, though 20 years old... Inspite of the warpage the guitar plays fine... Takin' it to Joe Lathum at Picker's Supply in Fredricksburg (va) on Friday and get him to fix it and put a pickup in it... Like findin' a long lost friend... B~ |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story + Help!!! From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity Date: 22 Jul 10 - 10:11 AM Bobert: "Sorry, Bert, but I ain't gonna hose down a $1000 geetar... If my lutherer buddy does it when I ain't lookin' and gets it back to where it was, then fine... But not me..." Have you considered pluckin' down a couple of bucks, and buying a new son??? GfS |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story + Help!!! From: Dan Schatz Date: 22 Jul 10 - 10:51 AM Well those you can hose down. Dan |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story + Help!!! From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity Date: 22 Jul 10 - 11:00 AM Yeah, and when they get warped, they call them 'adults'! GfS |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story + Help!!! From: mauvepink Date: 22 Jul 10 - 11:23 AM Great pity you are not in the UK Bobert. I just had a 1968 vintage EKO 12-string restored (refretted, re-glued finger board, strut inside the guitar replaced, crack on the back made almost unnoticable, new set of strings and set up, action dropped, string heads cleaned and tidied, and full polish) for just £70.00 by a man who loves repairing guitars and sees not damage but a challenge. I am delighted to have it back and it sounds better now than it ever has. I wish you luck in getting someone to fix yours. I have waited a long time to get mine done and have had a couple of extraordinary quotes for it that outpriced the chance of it ever being fixed. Live in hope. I am sure someone will turn up somewhere. Good luck mp |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story + Help!!! From: Richard Bridge Date: 22 Jul 10 - 05:51 PM Mauvepink, I have a couple of refret (after an idiot "fixed" the action by carving progression into the frets) and neck set candidates so I would value your pm-ing me contact details of that genius... |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story + Help!!! From: mauvepink Date: 22 Jul 10 - 06:51 PM Alas, Richard, the chap in question is the friend of a friend who actually made an exception to fix my guitar as a favour. His wife wants him to take on less work and he is about 300 miles north of you. Sorry I cannot help out on this occasion but I really need to protect the friendship in r/l I am sure you will understand. Are there no decent luthirs in the south that can assist? I'm afraid I know no-one else mp |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story + Help!!! From: Bobert Date: 22 Jul 10 - 08:10 PM First of all, glad you asked GfS... I was gonna see if you could help mine get a job... I think yer in Portland and so is he... The kid purdy danged smart fir someone who went to 9 different schools, quit high school in the 10th grade, took his GED instead and passed it with flyin' colors... He's gotta a couple years of college now but needs a job... Oh, as fir the geetar... Tomorrow is the big day... I trust Joe Latham... He has done all the warrenty work, including resetting the neck, on my 1966 Martin D-18... Okay, he ain't the fastest guy around but it will be done right... He'll get this geetar right an' I'm bringin' it to the Getaway in October and gonna show it off in my BobertsBluesBand workshop... Ya'll gonna love this geetar... B~ |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story + Help!!! From: ollaimh Date: 22 Jul 10 - 09:16 PM s yairi made some fine guitars both solid woods and laminate or a combination of both. i had a japanese made lowden with tuners with the logo s yairi. it was a great sounding guitar. i am guessing the s yairi people had a factory. a friend of mine gave another friends daughter a guitar as a starter. i went over to set it up--if not too comples i do simple. it was an s yairi, solid top laminate rosewood sides. a great guiat. just needed a little truss rod adjustment and filing string slots(some rattle) and boberts your uncle. they are not beaters. good to great guitars |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story + Help!!! From: Bobert Date: 22 Jul 10 - 09:31 PM Yeah, Ollaimh, I played this geetar fir years before givin' it to my son... I had two acoustic geetars (along with three resonators) and the other was my 1966 Martin D-18 that I bouhgt new so it was a no brainer... I hope that my lutherer can get this thing back to playin' and soundin' like it used to... I mean, it's been 10 or so years since then but I swear it was a better playin' and sounding geetar than my Martin!!! Needless to say, I can't wait to get it fixed and also have a pickup put inside it... This geetar gonna rock... B~ |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story + Help (perhaps a happy ending).. From: Bobert Date: 23 Jul 10 - 05:24 PM Just returned from "Picker's Supply", one of the finest old timey guitar shops on the east coast, which is down in Fredricksburg, Va... It is now in good hands... My luthier buddy, Joe Lathum, wasn't there but I had a nice talk witrh the owner, Bran Dillard, and he says a couple hundred bucks and it will play like it used to... Another hundred to put in a new pickup and I'll have myself one heck of a nice guitar fir $300... I can live with that... B~ |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story + Help (perhaps a happy ending).. From: Bobert Date: 30 Aug 10 - 08:09 PM Well, well, well... Back to Picker today to pick up my new/old geetar and it is wonderful... Okay, I might have to make a new nut for it and diddle with the saddle a little but it plays great with a slide and sounds like the geetar I used to know... Kinda strange lokkin down at it and seein' it again... Been a long, long time... Left my Hohner with Bran and told him to get what he could for it... Who cares??? Hooray!!! Reunited with the best little Japanese geetar I ever played... Or owned... B~ |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story + Help (perhaps a happy ending).. From: Stilly River Sage Date: 30 Aug 10 - 08:28 PM Well this is a good story! |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story (with a happy ending).. From: Bobert Date: 31 Aug 10 - 08:33 AM Thanks, Magz... Yeah, turnned the pudder and TV and the rest of the time bandits off and got in a good hour and half "get reaquainted" session last night and I think this geetar is just fine... The best part about all this is that over the last few months I have cut my guitar inventory in half... No reason to keep 'um just to have them... Guess I'm going thru some anti-GAS stuff... Abd lovin' it... B~ |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story (with a happy ending).. From: leeneia2 Date: 31 Aug 10 - 10:15 AM That's great, Bobert. Nothing like finding an old friend and taking up where you left off, is there? |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story (with a happy ending).. From: Crowhugger Date: 31 Aug 10 - 10:37 AM Re: your anti-GAS, perhaps you'll need less of a harem now that you've rekindled a true love. |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story (with a happy ending).. From: Bobert Date: 31 Aug 10 - 12:30 PM LOL, C-hugz... One thing I haven't done yet is take it back to the studio and see what it sounds like thru my Blues Junior "tube amp"... Guess that will be the final exam... B~ |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story (with a happy ending).. From: Bobert Date: 01 Sep 10 - 12:26 PM Well, plays real well thru the amp... Kinda hard to believe that I kept this poor thing in a barn for the last 5 years after my son had left it in his damp and stinky closet for the 5 years before that... B~ |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story (with a happy ending).. From: maeve Date: 01 Sep 10 - 12:51 PM You've reclaimed it now, Bobert. Enjoy the new music you make on your old guitar. Maeve |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story (with a happy ending).. From: Bobert Date: 01 Sep 10 - 02:56 PM All ready am, maeve... Ain't touched another geetar since she came home... B~ |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story (with a happy ending).. From: Bobert Date: 19 Oct 11 - 09:57 PM Well, I just recently won the Charlotte Blues Society's "Blue Challenge" with this guitar and now it on to Memphis with it... Good story for an very abused guitar... B;~) |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story (with a happy ending).. From: Sandra in Sydney Date: 20 Oct 11 - 05:36 AM a lovely story - onwards & upwards to further glory! sandra |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story (with a happy ending).. From: Charley Noble Date: 20 Oct 11 - 11:47 AM Keep it going! Charley Noble |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story (with a happy ending).. From: Bobert Date: 20 Oct 11 - 09:17 PM Just thought I'd refresh this in case there are any other Yairi's out there... B~ |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story (with a happy ending).. From: Bobert Date: 11 Sep 13 - 09:46 PM Still lovin' my geetar... B~ |
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Subject: RE: Sad Guitar Story (with a happy ending).. From: Sandra in Sydney Date: 11 Sep 13 - 11:54 PM an enduring love |
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