This magical line of Solid Vintage Honduran Mahogany guitars came about almost by accident. We were detailing the specs of a guitar we were making for Nashville-based guitar genius Jack Pearson and thought Adirondack spruce paired with Honduran mahogany would be the best combination needed for the artist’s tonal requests.
Mr. Yairi amassed an incredible amount of tonewood throughout his life and although most is in or around the factory, some was stored on a piece of land he owned some miles away. We would go and see the wood on every trip. It became a ritual after lunch, but because most of it had darkened due to the elements we were never sure what all of it was. He may have been thinking, “One day they will realize what is in here…”
That day came, and what we found in terms of tonewood was pure gold: Perfectly conditioned billets of old growth Honduran mahogany that had been naturally seasoning for around 50 years…unbelievable.
Had we not discussed Honduran for Jack Pearson’s guitar, we would not have started the conversation at the factory that led us to discovering there was Honduran on the land, and we may have never known it was there. This series celebrates this amazing wood, arguably the best tonewood of all, while also celebrating Mr. Yairi’s commitment to his art through his lifetime and beyond.
The Mahogany has been paired with AAAA Adirondack spruce and an OM model is available in all solid Honduran. Sonically they’re incredibly full and powerful guitars with huge, clear bass and mids. They’re almost intuitive in the way they respond, drawing the player in and then taking you away. You will lose yourself for hours playing one of these amazing instruments.
This FYM66HD OM is a stunning little guitar made from old growth Honduran Mahogany which has been naturally seasoning for 50 years in the perfect climate of Kani, Japan. The 66HD has a rich voice, very warm sounding with wonderful strong mids and round, full trebles.
The guitar itself is very light in weight due to the quality of the wood and thin finish; you feel it resonating as it instantly responds to your requests. Its projection is open and its volume for an OM body size is exceptional. As a Yairi, its intonation is incredible and the all-round spec of the guitar is of the highest level with the Gotoh 510 tuners and ebony bridge, fingerboard and headstock veneer.
Honduran Series are some of the best guitars Alvarez-Yairi have ever made and offer incredible value for such highly specified, inspiring handmade instruments.
