A gorgeous Yamaha GC-51 Grand Concert Classical Guitar.
Masterbuilt and signed by Toshiro Kato , 1983.
In the 1980s the GC-51 was the third from the top model after the GC-61 and GC-71. The MSRP for it was US$ 3,799. The top of the line GC-71 was $ 11,995 and was built using the same kind of tonewoods as the GC-51 you are looking at.
The tonewood 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 is extremely limited stock of it in Japan and to commission a guitar with Ezo spruce top nowadays would cost many thousands.
The back is from a two piece Brazilian rosewood with beautiful grain. Brazilian rosewood has its reputation for superior tonal quality. Back in the 1970s and 80s BRW was readily available and not yet subject to the trade restrictions that are in place today. In 1992 it was listed as a protected species so its harvest and trade became strictly regulated. As a result, the supply of Brazilian rosewood has become extremely limited, and its use in guitar making has become increasingly rare.
The sound of this guitar is truly impressive. It's rich, complex, with beautiful overtones and good resonance. There's ample amount of brightness, great depth and balance across all registers. Perfect for recording and performance.
Condition
Despite its age of 41 years, the guitar remains in excellent condition. There are multiple signs of use such as scratches and dings but nothing that affects playability or sound. There's been a cosmetic repair made on the upper bout, on the edge (seen on pic 12, 13). A small piece of rosewood binding was chipped and has been sealed properly.
There is a barely visible hairline crack about 2,5 inches long on the side (seen on pic 17)
Neck is with minimal fret wear. Intonation is excellent. It has a nice C-profile neck that feels comfortable to play. With its full sound and impressive projection, the guitar plays nicely up and down the fretboard.
Action is medium-low. There is a little extra height on the saddle to make it lower if necessary.
Specs.
Years sold 1983 - 1986
Top High Grade Solid Ezo Spruce (aka Ezomatsu Spruce)
Finish Shellac / Lacquer
Back / Sides Solid Brazilian Rosewood (Jacaranda)
Neck Honduran Mahogany
Fingerboard Ebony
Bridge Jacaranda (Brazilian Rosewood)
String Length 652 mm )
Width at nut 52 mm
Action at 12 fret (1st): 3.25 mm
Action at 12 fret (6th): 3.25 mm
Comes with a 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.
