1987 Masaru Kohno "Professional-J" (w/pickup) SP/CSAR

This guitar has the classic Kohno sound - clear, woody, and even a bit dark for a spruce. The guitar is in concert-ready condition with comfortable set up and easy playability - the neck is a bit narrower than normal making this very easy to play especially for cross-over players who are more accustomed to steel-string or electric guitar necks. It has had a tap plate installed as well as the LR Baggs "Element" pickup for amplification. The only external evidence of the pickup is the 1/4 inch endpin jack which can also be used to attach a strap. This would be an ideal instrument for the gigging guitarist needing a concert-level instrument that can be plugged in and played in any musical setting. It does have a couple of very minor repairs to some cracks that occurred during a shipping event but otherwise it's a solid guitar for the gigging musician.

Orfeo No. 15: The Guitar in Japan

Masaru Kohno (1926-1998) is arguably Japan’s most important luthier, and of course one of the most played, concertized and recorded of the 20th century. Top players of Kohno guitars include Julian Bream, Oscar Ghiglia, Sharon Isbin and Shinichi Fukuda, among others. Although Kohno began building guitars in 1948, it wasn’t until returning back to Japan in 1960, after a 6-month trip to Spain (where he apprenticed with Arcangel Fernandez) that he established his successful workshop. His international debut came in 1967, when he was awarded a Gold Medal at the “Concours International de Quatuor a Cordes et Rencontres Musicales Internationales de Liege” in Belgium (of interest, Daniel Friederich was another of the top winners at this competition).