1963 Masaru Kohno No. 7-12 SP/CSAR

This 1963 Masaru Kohno No. 7-12 is a classical guitar with a spruce top and CSA rosewood back and sides, made in Tokyo, Japan – an early Kohno from 1963, in excellent condition with two well-repaired cracks.

A Kohno from 1963

This guitar was built in 1963, only three years after Kohno’s return from Madrid and four years before his Gold Medal in Belgium. It has the classic Kohno sound of this era: clear, woody, and even a bit dark for a spruce. A Kohno from this vintage in this condition is rarely seen these days.

The Early Kono Label

The label is Kohno’s early one – “Masaru Kono, Constructor de Guitarras, Tokio”, in the spelling he used in those years – with “No. 7-12” and “Año 1963” written by hand.

Condition

The condition is excellent, with one well-repaired crack in the lower bout of the soundboard and another on the side of the fingerboard; otherwise there is only some normal, respectable playing wear that is superficial only. The guitar is in concert-ready condition, with a comfortable set-up and easy playability.

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.