1965 Masaru Kohno No. 4 SP/IN

This 1965 Masaru Kohno No. 4 is a classical guitar with a spruce top and Indian rosewood back and sides, made in Tokyo, Japan, in excellent condition with no cracks or repairs.

A Kohno from 1965

This guitar was built in 1965, just before Kohno’s international debut. Its voice is classic Kohno: clear, woody and, for a spruce top, even slightly dark.

Model Number and Label

The number on the label is Kohno’s model (grade) number, which placed each guitar within his range – and since the scale shifted over the decades, the year matters as much as the number. The label – “Masaru Kohno, Luthier, Nishiikebukuro, Toshimaku, Tokio, Japon” – gives No. 4 and the year 1965.

Condition

The condition is excellent, with no cracks or repairs, only some normal, respectable playing wear that is superficial only. It plays easily, with a comfortable set-up, and is in concert-ready condition.

In Orfeo Magazine

The guitar makers of Japan are the subject of Orfeo Magazine No. 15 – read the issue online, or find it in the print edition that collects issues 11 to 15.

Orfeo No. 15: The Guitar in Japan

Orfeo Magazine, 11-15 (print edition)

Masaru Kohno (1926–1998)

Not only the most important luthier to emerge from Japan, Masaru Kohno is also one of the best worldwide. He was born in 1926 in Mito City, Japan, and in 1948 he graduated from the Tokyo College of Arts and Crafts with a degree in woodcraft. It was during this time that he became interested in guitar construction, and in 1960 he traveled to Spain to learn the craft.

Six Months with Arcángel Fernández

Kohno apprenticed for six months at the workshop of Arcángel Fernández in Madrid, and although neither could speak a word of the other’s language, they managed to communicate. Kohno’s apprenticeship consisted mostly of sitting in the back of the shop and quietly – but attentively – observing the master Fernández at work. Upon his return to Tokyo he established his own workshop and quickly gained recognition among Japanese guitarists.

Gold Medal in Belgium, 1967

His international debut came in 1967, when he was awarded the Gold Medal at an international guitar-building competition in Belgium. On the judges’ panel were, among others, Ignacio Fleta, Robert Bouchet, Joaquín Rodrigo and Alirio Díaz. Since then, many players of world renown have used Kohno guitars; among them are Julian Bream, Oscar Ghiglia and Sharon Isbin, to name a few. After Kohno’s death in 1998 his nephew Masaki Sakurai carried on the workshop as Sakurai-Kohno, and today his grandson So Kimishima continues the tradition – read more on our page Kohno, Sakurai & Kimishima.