1991 Alvarez-Yairi DY-38 Dreadnought Guitar

This is a customer's guitar in for consignment. I'm pretty sure he said he bought it new and the date stamp inside reads as 1991 per the "Emperor Code" on these old AYs. This model was made in Japan and has a solid spruce top over (probably laminate?) mahogany back and sides. The neck is mahogany and the board and bridge are rosewood. It's your classic "D-18 knock-off" save that it has that fast, easy Alvarez neck shape that I come to expect with these guitars.

I only had to do a light setup and compensation and radius adjustment on the bone saddle to get this playing spot-on. The truss responded happily (with a short "I haven't been touched in years" creak) and the guitar is in good health. It doesn't have any cracks, though there are a few dings, scuffs, and a bunch of pickwear on the pickguard with a few stray pick marks around the soundhole. As far as I know, everything is original on it as well. Overall it's a good-sounding, practical dread. Sounds like an AY, huh?

Handsome guit!

Bone nut, too, and 1 11/16" nut width per the usual. This has a rosewood board that's actually bound in black on the edges.

Pearl dots...

Aside from compensating the B-string slot and low E&A string area, I also matched the radius on the saddle a little better to the board's radius to get extra-slinky action. After that I changed the worn "string ramps" into actual "string ramps" so back-angle on the saddle would be closer to 40 degrees (and thus tone improved).

I like that tortoise endpin button!

A functional, hard, "thermoplastic" style case comes with it.