A Parlor-size All-mahogany Masterwork
Constructed in the all-mahogany tradition favored by blues and fingerstyle guitarists worldwide, the PYM66HD represents Alvarez-Yairi’s Japanese luthier team at their very best. This guitar’s back, sides, and top all stem from one of the most venerated tonewoods in guitar history: Honduran mahogany, with this old-growth batch resounding with a broken-in response from your first strum. Along with the 12-fret body joint and slim parlor size, the Yairi PYM66HD’s dark, warm, and bluesy voice forms a superb foundation for old-school country strummers, fingerstyle players hunting after a smoother tone, and blues guitarists of all persuasions. Players who prefer a slightly fuller-feeling profile will feel right at home with the ebony-topped mahogany neck’s soft V to C shape, and you also get lock-tight Gotoh tuners, lively FST6 bracing, and a sustain-enhancing Direct Coupled bridge. Compact, comfortable, and packed to the brim with rich, smoky all-mahogany tone, the Alvarez Yairi PYM66HD is a faithful 21st-century reimagining of the raw and rustic all-mahogany 6-strings that defined the blues age.
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A 12-fret fingerstyle powerhouse
Before the days of the dreadnought, there was no such thing as a parlor guitar — small-bodied 6-strings were simply guitars, being the norm rather than the exception. But why would a 21st-century musician opt for a parlor guitar over the boom of a dreadnought, the power of a jumbo, or the versatility of an OM or Grand Auditorium? In a word, balance. Small-bodied acoustic guitars boast a string-to-string balance unmatched by any other size, making them a superb choice for fingerstyle players and recording situations. Moreover, as a 12-fret model, the PYM66HD’s comparatively larger sound chamber delivers a superior projection and deeper tone compared to a guitar with a 14-fret neck joint.
Old-growth Honduran mahogany construction
While parlor models sport just as many unique tonewood variations as any other 6-string size, small-bodied all-mahogany instruments, such as the Yairi PYM66HD, are considered Holy Grail guitars by players with a penchant for the blues, classic country aficionados, or any other guitarist with an ear for darker acoustic tones. In fact, the Yairi PYM66HD comes equipped with an old-growth Honduran mahogany top, back, and sides. Favored for its supremely warm voice, dry response, and midrange-rich timbre, Honduran mahogany represents arguably the most sought-after mahogany in the world of guitars.
Soft V to C neck profile
While most modern manufacturers have switched over to skinny C-shaped necks over the years, the substantial heft of a classic V profile is a perennial favorite of Sweetwater’s strummers. To merge the best of both old and new, Alvarez designed the compound soft V to C neck profile that starts off chunky but thins out as you slide up the neck. For guitarists who cover a wide variety of sonic styles, this shape delivers incredible flexibility, allowing for both slick upper-register bends and licks, while still comfortably filling out your grip at the base of the guitar’s neck.
From Yairi with love
Comprised of 24 luthiers, four of them holding master luthier status, the Yairi luthier workshop in Kani, Japan, handcrafts guitars with artisanal dedication to their craft. These bench-made guitars find their distinguished voices through the hands of skilled luthiers – some of them boasting as many as 55 years of experience in the industry. That means when you hold an Alvarez-Yairi guitar in your hands, you’re holding a piece of art that received immense skill and precise concentration from start to finish. Yairi earmarks like their FTS6 bracing system, thin finishes, and Direct Coupled Bridge set these guitars apart from others in the industry — after all, it’s no surprise with 85 years of experience building concert classical guitars.
Alvarez Yairi PYM66HD Features:
- Handcrafted in Kani, Japan, by Alvarez’s master Japanese luthiers
- A perfect platform for dedicated fingerstyle players, recording musicians, or intimate vocal accompanists
- Intimate 12-fret parlor guitar, boasting complex tone and powerful projection that defy its compact size
- Old-growth Honduran mahogany top, back, and sides supply an eminently warm, rich, and smoky tone that excels at old-school acoustic blues, classic country, intimate singer/songwriter applications, and recording sessions
- Soft V to C mahogany neck topped with a 15.75-in.-radius ebony fingerboard
- Direct coupled ebony bridge enhances sustain and all but eliminates common problems such as bridge lifting
- Rock-solid Gotoh tuners
