Sakurai/Kohno 10-String Classical Harp Guitar

1976 Model 5 w/Cathedral 10-String Conversion!!!

10-STRING CONVERSION

Sakurai Model 5

10-String Guitar

Up for consideration is a Cathedral Guitar 10-String Conversion of a 1976 Sakurai Kohno Model 5 classical guitar. This guitar was originally made in 1976 as a 660 mm-scale 6-string guitar by master luthier Masaki Sakurai under Kohno's supervision, and the original label contains Sakurai's Japanese signature stamp, meaning that the body/top is hand-made by Sakurai himself. We have now added a new 650 mm-scale 10-string neck, bridge and tuners to the original Sakurai body, which has kept the original cedar soundboard, and laminated Indian Rosewood back and sides. What you get is a wonderful-sounding concert Sakurai/Kohno 10-string guitar that looks and plays like new, for much, much less than you would have to pay for a new Kohno ($10,000). Click HERE for 1270 Hi-resolution photos of this guitar, and HERE for photos of the original 6-string guitar before the conversion process.

This guitar comes with a full 1-year warranty, with a satisfaction guaranteed, 3-day return policy. We have made eight of these 10-String conversions so far, in an effort to get concert-grade 10-string guitars into the hands of players at affordable prices. This is a world-class 10-string guitar, and one of the few true concert quailty 10-string guitars that you can get today without having to pay $5,000 to $15,000, and go on a lengthy waiting list!!!

The sound, both acoustically and recorded, is nothing short of stunning. The sustain is endless, the sympathetic resonance on this guitar has to be heard to believed (see sound clip). I have played and owned dozens of multi-string classical guitars, and this instrument equals or surpasses most luthier-built guitars I have heard in the 3k - 6k range. This guitar has a beautiful cedar top, a nice set of Rosewood back & sides, and with the new 10-string neck creates the wonderful classic Kohno sound of nice, sustaining trebles, deep resonant basses, and unsurpassed sympathetic resonance and sustain. The low bass response is outstanding on this guitar, and it also has great separation of voices, clarity and evenness through all the registers, and a balance that you can only find on the finest 10-string guitars. This guitar is a wonderful instrument, and I offer you a 3-day return guarantee that you will be absolutely thrilled to own and play it, or simply return it.

TESTIMONIAL:
“The Kohno Model 10 conversion is certainly impressive. The new 10 string adaptation certainly respects the the workmanship and style of the late Mr. Kohno. From the signature head pattern to the Kohno style double ebony stripes and finish, it is hardly distinguishable from the original except for the extra strings -- my other performance guitar is from the same maker, same year, and same model, so I know! The sound, however, is the most impressive quality. It especially is suited to lute tunings and corresponding lute music for which I procured it. I do plan to experiment with Yepes' tuning sometime as well. Further, I am surprised by the fact that after only a few weeks I am almost completely adjusted to the different neck. Thanks for providing this instrument with such speed and in great condition.”
-- Roy Barger
Chattanooga, TN

STRINGS
I have the guitar tuned in Romantic tuning, a standard 10-string tuning where 1-6 is normal, and 7-10 descend step-wise: 7=D, 8=C, 9=B, 10 =A. Strings By Mail has a great selection of 10-string sets and can put together custom sets for you at a discount over individual strings. Several excellent string manufacturers offer 10-string sets, including D'Addario, which come on this guitar, Hannabach, and Savarez. LaBella makes a set but I do not recommend it, as the low basses are weak and unresponsive. Aranjuez also makes a set, but I have not tried them.

GUITAR SPECS:
* Sakurai Kohno 5
* Top: Solid Cedar
* Saddle/Nut: Bone
* Finish: Lacquer
* Scale: 650 mm
* Nut Width: 85 mm
* saddle width: 110 mm
* STRING SPACING
@ Nut = 76 mm o.c.
@ fret 12 = 86 mm o.c.
@ bridge = 97 mm o.c.
* NECK DEPTH
@ fret 1: 20 mm
@ fret 7: 22 mm
* ACTION
@ String 1 = 3 mm
@ String 10 = 4 mm
* Hardshell case
* Made in Japan
* Converted in USA

SOUND FILES
Here are 19 very quick, 1-take MP3 sound files of me playing this guitar, to give you an idea of what to expect. The guitar has amazing sympathetic resonance and sustain, as well as good power and projection, beautiful bass responce, and a very even response across the registers. These MP3 files have no compression, EQ or reverb -- just straight signal, tracked through a Sony PCM D1 flash recorder using the built-in microphones.

1 | Resonance Test (Stopped scales / chords showing sympathetic resonance)

2 | Intonation Test (Harmonic + fretted note @ the 12th fret)

3 | Packington's Pound (English
Renaissance, before 1596)

4 | Kelly's Song
(original composition)

5 | Joy To the Person (Anon.
English Renaissance)

6 | Corn Yards (Scottish
Renaissance, 1596-1657)

7 | From the Beginning
(Emerson, Lake and Palmer)

8 | The Third Tune
(Thomas Tallis w/flamenco improv)

9 | Pavan #1 (Luis Milan,
Spanish Renaissance)

10 | Bianca Fiore (Negri., Italian Renaissance)

11 | Improv (in the key of Am)

12 | Se A Mi Acorgo (Anon., Italian Renaissance)

13 | The Bartolex Song
(original composition)

14 | Canon in D
(Pachelbel)

15 | Fantasia #10
(Mudarra, Spanish Renaissance)

16 | Tanz
(Renaissance)

17 | Timur's Song
(original composition)

18 | Wachsa Mesa
(Neusidler, German Renaissance)

19 | Go From My Window
(English Renaissance)

In short, this guitar is a World-Class concert and/or recording guitar, and it would make a great guitar for classical concerts and recitals, as well as recording studio projects. Also, we did 3 other Sakurai/Kohno 10-string conversions last year ( 1 | 2 | 3 ) which have all found happy new owners.

RESOURCES
My website Cathedral Guitar has a lot of info on multi-string guitars; I also run an internet radio station on multi-string guitars and lutes 10-String Radio; and also I moderate a 265-member 10-String Yahoo Group on the subject, and am working on an instructional website, 10-string.com. Perf De Castro has a YouTube Multi-String Guitar channel on the instrument. James R. Smith has an excellent intoductory article to the world of multi-strings, here. Viktor van Niekerk also has a very informative website on the 10-string guitar, especially focused on Maestro Narciso Yepes, and the works composed for the 10-string in the Modern Tuning.

TEACHERS
If you need a teacher to help you adapt to the 10-string guitar, you can check this list here. Also, if you will be playing mostly lute music on the 10-string, I strongly recommend taking lessons from a lute player, if you can find one. If you want online lessons, I highly recommend the 10-String guitarist Perf De Castro, who is both an excellent musician and a wonderful teacher, and he offers private 10-string guitar lessons via the internet. Click Here for more details.

CLASSICAL HARP GUITAR
This guitar type is also a relative of the Harp Guitar family known as the Fretted Harp Guitar. It has a big advantage over the other harp guitar types in that the frets extend across the entire neck, and the guitar can easily be played with a capo, and be quickly transposed into a variety of keys, which is especially helpful when accompanying singers. This is, of course, impossible on a regular harp guitar. Custom capos are made by Shubb (ask for the Pinnochio model), and also by Phill Elliott.

SHIPPING & TERMS
Insured USA FedEx Ground is $40. I do accept Visa, Master Card, AmEx, PayPal, and all the other forms of payment. Thanks for looking. Please ask questions before bidding. Satisfaction Guaranteed!!! This auction is for one Sakurai Kono Model15 10-string classical harp guitar guitar conversion and hardshell case. No other accessories are included. A case upgrade to the Ameritage 6-ply custom case is available for $250 (regular price $339).

SATISFACTION GUARANTEED
If you are not happy with the guitar for any reason, simply return it within 3 days (buyer pays shipping). So far, after several dozen of eBay and direct internet sales of 10-string guitars, not a single customer has returned a guitar.

PLEASE CHECK OUT my other 10-string Cathedral, Ramirez and Bartolex guitars in my Current eBay Auctions, and also see and hear several of my 10-string guitars that have Recently Sold on eBay.

AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR: