1981 Masaru Kohno No. 30 SP/CSAR

This 1981 Masaru Kohno No. 30 is a classical guitar with a spruce top and CSA rosewood back and sides, made in Tokyo, Japan – a powerful guitar from one of the most respected workshops of the twentieth century.

A Powerful Kohno from 1981

This is the classic sound of Kohno’s guitars from these years – clear, woody, with a touch of darkness unusual for spruce. It is also quite powerful and could easily fill any large hall.

Model Number and Label

Before he introduced named models in the early 1980s, Kohno identified his guitars by a model (grade) number such as this No. 30; because the scale changed over time, it should always be read with the year. Its label, “Masaru Kohno Luthier” with the Nishiikebukuro workshop address in Tokyo, reads No. 30, 1981, and signed by Kohno.

Condition

The condition is excellent, with no cracks or repairs, only some normal, respectable playing wear and a few spots that look a little “milky” in the finish where it has slightly delaminated from the wood – purely aesthetic, as the guitar is structurally sound. Set up comfortably, it plays easily and is ready for the concert stage. The string length is 660mm and the nut 53mm.

In Orfeo Magazine

Orfeo Magazine devoted its issue No. 15 to the guitar in Japan. You can read it online, and it is also part of the print edition “Orfeo Magazine, 11-15”, available at GSI.

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.