{"product_id":"hiroshi-tamura-p55-1973-handmade-classical-guitar-signed-by-tamura-refinished","title":"Hiroshi Tamura P55 1973 Handmade Classical Guitar Signed by Tamura (Refinished)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e Hiroshi Tamura P55 Handmade Solid Wood Classical Guitar 1973 \u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExcellent quality luthier made instrument with rich tone, great sustain and excellent playability. Beautiful tight grain on the solid spruce top as well as rosewood back and sides. Those early Tamura's are rare in such condition. The neck is straight and comfortable to play.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe condition is near mint with no visible scratches. The guitar has been professionally refinished because the original lacquer was in a bad shape. The tuners were replaced to Gotoh 40G2000\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe guitar has been kept in a room with humidity set to 50% at 25 degrees (75F). \u003cbr\u003eThe action is medium low, comfortable to play.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe neck has a slight back bow to it but it's doesn't affect playability much. I has a little bit of buzzing which is often desirable by the flamenco players and can be reduced by making the action higher.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Hiroshi Tamura was one of the top luthiers in Japan. \u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHim and his brother Mitsuru Tamura, like many other renowned Japanese luthiers of their time, learned their craft during their stay in Spain in the late 1950s to early 1970s. After returning from Spain, the Tamura brothers began crafting high-quality flamenco guitars that rivaled those made by the most famous Spanish luthiers. Their flamenco guitars gained them international recognition and were played by numerous professional players. Although they are now difficult to find, their earliest flamenco guitars date back to 1962.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is believed that during the 1960s, the brothers shared a workshop in Kochi, Japan. While both brothers possessed equal skill, Hiroshi garnered more international and domestic accolades. His guitars were often deemed superior to those made by Jose Ramirez, and as a result, Hiroshi earned the nickname \"Tamirez.\" In fact, Hiroshi's awards outnumbered those collected by Masaru Kohno.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1972, Hiroshi received financial recognition from the Japanese Ministry of Technology. Shortly thereafter, he moved to a new shop not far from his brother's and hired several associates. There, he began producing his P and C models in greater numbers and successfully exporting them outside of Japan. Only the very top models were made exclusively by Hiroshi himself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpecs. \u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e Top: \u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e High grade Solid Spruce \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e Finish: \u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e Lacquer \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e Back \/ Sides: \u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e Solid \u003cb\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e Indian Rosewood \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e Neck: \u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e Honduran Mahogany \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e Fingerboard: \u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e Ebony \u003cb\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e Tuners: \u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e Upgraded to GOTOH 40G2000 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e Bridge: \u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e Rosewood\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e Nut and Saddle: \u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e Natural Bone \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e String Length: \u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e 655 mm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e Width at nut: \u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e 52 mm\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e Action: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e3.5 mm under E6 and 2.75 mm under E1 with good amount of extra height left on the saddle for adjustments.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e Comes with a hard case\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHistory of Japanese Classical Guitar Making\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the late 1960s to the mid 1980s, Japanese luthiers produced guitars of exceptional quality. These skilled craftsmen typically ran small shops, employing a handful of master builders who were often trained in Spain or under Spanish master builders in Japan. During this period, bans on certain types of wood were not yet in place, allowing luthiers to source high-quality wood for their creations. Although these guitars are considered a bargain in today's market, finding top-quality Japanese classical guitars from this era can be challenging, and restrictions on exporting certain types of wood make them even more difficult to obtain. Similar guitars built with comparable materials today would cost significantly more due to the scarcity or complete bans on certain types of wood. Most of those talented luthiers from the 70s and 80s are now retired or have passed away. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hiroshi Tamura","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44614777012317,"sku":null,"price":1445.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0739\/6111\/1645\/files\/grzucz6ap5ajhv5xumry.jpg?v=1783952488","url":"https:\/\/guitareum.com\/products\/hiroshi-tamura-p55-1973-handmade-classical-guitar-signed-by-tamura-refinished","provider":"Guitareum","version":"1.0","type":"link"}