A rare and beautiful Yamaha GC-20 Grand Concert Classical Guitar.
Masterbuilt and signed by Toshiro Kato, 1986.
The current model with the same specs is GC-42 (C or S) and it retails for $5,499 in Canada.
The tone wood that was used for the top of this guitar is select Japanese Ezo Spruce.
It grows in the high mountains of Hokkaido island. Ezo spruce is a slow-growing species that requires specific conditions to thrive, such as a cool and humid climate. As a result, it is a rare and expensive wood. In 1995, the Japanese government designated Ezo spruce as a protected species under the Wildlife Protection and Hunting Law, which prohibits the cutting, sale, and transportation of the wood without authorization. There are some small old stocks still available in Japan but to commission a guitar with Ezo spruce top nowadays would cost many thousands.
The sound of this guitar is very impressive. It's rich and beautiful with overtones of sweetness and good resonance. There's ample amount of brightness, great depth and balance across all registers. Perfect for recording and performance. This GC-20 will easily outperform the more recent Yamaha Custom Shop guitars. It aged very well, has been tested by time and shows no issues. It will indeed be a great addition to a pro player collection.
Cosmetically, the instrument is in great condition, with only minor signs of use. Just amazing for an instrument that is almost 40 years old. The neck is very clean with minimal fretwear. Intonation is excellent.
Action is medium low. There is not a lot of extra hight on the saddle to make it lower but that's my personal opinion.
Specs.
Top Highest grade Ezo Spruce (aka Ezomatsu Spruce)
Back and Sides Solid Madagascar Rosewood
Finish Lacquer
Neck Honduran Mahogany
Fingerboard Ebony
Bridge Solid Honduran Rosewood
String Length 650 mm
Width at nut 52 mm
Action at 12 fret (1st): 3.50 mm
Action at 12 fret (6th): 3.75 mm
Comes with original YAMAHA hard shell case.
Toshiro Kato was considered the most talented master builder at Yamaha. He was born in 1942 in Japan and began his career at Yamaha in 1963 as an apprentice. He quickly demonstrated his talent and dedication and eventually became a master builder. Thanks to Kato's talents Yamaha Corporation was able to price their Grand Concert guitars at a similar level to the famous Masaru Kohno workshop instruments. The GC series guitars were highly valued by many classical guitar players all over the world. At some point in the 1970s, Yamaha guitars had surpassed similarly priced Kohno models in terms of quality.
Kato worked at Yamaha for over 40 years and retired in 2007. He continued to be involved in the guitar-making community as a consultant and teacher, sharing his knowledge and expertise with younger generations of guitar makers.
It should be noted that if contemporary luthiers used old stock of solid tone woods that are 40 years or older to craft a classical guitar, the cost of such an instrument would be close to $10000.
Some more history on Vintage Japanese Classical Guitars.
From 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.
