Kohno 10-String Classical Harp Guitar Conversion

1972 Kohno Model 15, Spruce / Brazilian!!!

1972
Kohno 15
10-String Guitar

Up for consideration is another Cathedral Guitar Exclusive: a 10-String Conversion of a 1972 Masaru Kohno Model 15 by San Antonio luthier, Lucio Nunez. This guitar was originally made by Masaru Kohno in 1972 as a 660mm scale-length 6-string guitar. We have now replaced the neck with a 650mm 10-string neck, new bridge and Italian hand-made, high-end Alessi Tuners to the original Kohno body -- which has kept the original soundboard, and Brazilian Rosewood back & sides. What you get is a phenomenal-sounding concert-quality Kohno 10-string guitar that looks and plays like new, for much, much less than you would have to pay for a Kohno original, or less than half-price a new Sakurai 6-string, which is now around $10,000!!!

Click HERE for 1270 Hi-resolution photos of this guitar, and HERE for photos of the original 6-string guitar before the conversion. This guitar comes with a full 1-year warranty, with a satisfaction guaranteed, 3-day return policy. This is a world-class 10-string guitar, and one of the few true concert quailty, high-end 10-string guitars that you can get today without having to pay a small fortune, or go on a lengthy waiting list!!!

The sound, both acoustically and recorded, is nothing short of stunning. The sustain is endless, the resonance is even better than on a 10-String Ramirez 1a. The new 650mm neck is very comfortanble and easy to play. Also, this is one of eight Ramirez, Kohno, and Sakurai 10-string conversions we have done with Lucio Nunez over the past several years:
[ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 ]. After this one sells, it may be several more years before we convert another batch of guitars, so this is indeed a very rare opportunity to get a Kohno 10-String -- not to mention a high-end Kohno Model 15 in Brazilian, from the early 1970s period where Kohno was at his creative peak.


CONVERSION TESTIMONIAL:
“The Kohno Model 10 conversion is certainly impressive. The new 10 string adaptation certainly respects the the workmanship and style of the late Mr. Kohno. From the signature head pattern to the Kohno style double ebony stripes and finish, it is hardly distinguishable from the original except for the extra strings -- my other performance guitar is from the same maker, same year, and same model, so I know! The sound, however, is the most impressive quality. It especially is suited to lute tunings and corresponding lute music for which I procured it. I do plan to experiment with Yepes' tuning sometime as well. Further, I am surprised by the fact that after only a few weeks I am almost completely adjusted to the different neck. Thanks for providing this instrument with such speed and in great condition.”
-- Roy Barger
Chattanooga, TN

STRINGS
I have the guitar tuned in Romantic tuning, a standard 10-string tuning where 1-6 is normal, and 7-10 descend step-wise: 7=D, 8=C, 9=B, 10 =A. Strings By Mail has a great selection of 10-string sets and can put together custom sets for you at a discount over individual strings. Several excellent string manufacturers offer 10-string sets, including D'Addario, Hannabach, and Savarez. LaBella also makes a set but I do not recommend it.

GUITAR SPECS:
* Model: Kohno 15
* Top: Solid Spruce
* Saddle/Nut: Bone
* Fretboard: Wenge
* Finish: Lacquer
* Scale: 650 mm
* Nut Width: 85 mm
* saddle width: 110 mm
* STRING SPACING
@ Nut = 76 mm o.c.
@ fret 12 = 86 mm o.c.
@ bridge = 97 mm o.c.
* NECK DEPTH
@ fret 1: 20 mm
@ fret 7: 22 mm
* ACTION
@ String 1 = 3.5 mm
@ String 10 = 4.5 mm
* Hardshell case
* Made in Japan
* Converted in USA

SOUND FILES
Here are 14 quick, 1-take MP3 sound files of me playing this very guitar, to give you an idea of what to expect. The guitar has amazing sympathetic resonance and sustain, as well as good power and projection, beautiful bass responce, a very even response across the registers. These MP3 files have no compression, EQ or reverb -- just straight signal, tracked through a Sony PCM D1 flash recorder using the built-in microphones.

1 | Intonation Test (Harmonic /
fretted note @ the 12th fret)

2 | Resonance Test (Stopped scales / chords showing sympathetic resonance)

3 | Packington's Pound (English
Renaissance, before 1596)

4 | Kelly's Song
(original composition)

5 | Joy To the Person (Anon.
English Renaissance)

6 | Corn Yards (Scottish
Renaissance, 1596-1657)

7 | From the Beginning
(Emerson, Lake and Palmer)

8 | The Third Tune
(Thomas Tallis w/flamenco improv)

9 | Brian Boru's March (Anon.,
Irish, Ca. 1200)

10 | Pavan #1 (Luis Milan,
Spanish Renaissance)

11 | The Canaries (Anon., Scottish Renaissance)

12 | Bianca Fiore (Negri., Italian Renaissance)

13 | Improv (in the key of Am)

14 | Se A Mi Acorgo (Anon., Italian Renaissance)

I have played and owned dozens of multi-string classical guitars, and this instrument surpasses 95% of luthier-built guitar I have heard in the 3k - 6k range. This guitar has a beautiful spruce top, Brazilian Rosewood back & sides, and a new wenge fretboard, and creates a wonderful classic Kohno sound with nice, sustaining trebles, deep resonant basses, and unsurpassed sympathetic resonance and sustain. The low bass response is amazing on this guitar, and it also has great separation of voices, clarity and evenness through all the registers, and a depth of tone that you can only find on the absolute finest 10-string guitars ever made. This guitar is the real deal, and I guarantee that you will be absolutely thrilled to own and play it.

In short, this guitar is a World-Class concert and/or recording guitar, and it would make a great guitar for classical concerts and recitals, as well as recording studio projects.

RESOURCES
My website Cathedral Guitar has a lot of info on multi-string guitars; I also run an internet radio station on multi-string guitars and lutes 10-String Radio; and also I moderate a 265-member 10-String Yahoo Group on the subject, and am working on an instructional website, 10-string.com. Perf De Castro has a YouTube Multi-String Guitar channel on the instrument. James R. Smith has an excellent intoductory article to the world of multi-strings, here.

TEACHERS
If you need a teacher to help you adapt to the 10-string guitar, you can check this list here. Also, if you will be playing mostly lute music on the 10-string, I strongly recommend taking lessons from a lute player, if you can find one. If you want online lessons, I highly recommend the 10-String guitarist Perf De Castro, who is both an excellent musician and a wonderful teacher, and he offers private 10-string guitar lessons via the internet. Click Here for more details.

CLASSICAL HARP GUITAR
This guitar type is also a relative of the Harp Guitar family known as the Fretted Harp Guitar. It has a big advantage over the other harp guitar types in that the frets extend across the entire neck, and the guitar can easily be played with a capo, and be quickly transposed into a variety of keys, which is especially helpful when accompanying singers. This is, of course, impossible on a regular harp guitar. Custom capos are made by Shubb (ask for the Pinnochio model), and also by Phill Elliott.

SHIPPING & TERMS
Insured USA FedEx Ground is $40, and. I do accept Visa, Master Card, AmEx, PayPal, and all the other forms of payment. Thanks for looking. Please ask questions before bidding. Satisfaction Guaranteed!!! This auction is for one Masaru Kono Model 15 10-string classical harp guitar guitar conversion and hardshell case. No other accessories are included.

SATISFACTION GUARANTEED
If you are not happy with the guitar for any reason, simply return it within 3 days (buyer pays shipping). So far, after doing 8x of these 10-string conversions, not a single customer has returned a guitar, but rather the reception has been 100% glowing praise.

PLEASE CHECK OUT my other 10-string Cathedral, Milagro and Bartolex guitars in my Current eBay Auctions, and also see and hear several of my 10-string guitars that have Recently Sold on eBay.

AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR: