$4,000
Specifications
• Top: Spruce
• Back & Sides: Indian Rosewood
• Model: No. 15
• Nut Width: 53 mm
• Scale Length: 650 mm
• Action: 4 mm bass / 3 mm treble
• Action – 1st String: 2.1 mm
• Condition: Near Mint / Exceptional Vintage Condition
This 1976 Masaru Kohno No. 15 represents the golden era of Japanese concert guitar making and one of the finest examples of Kohno's celebrated numbered-series instruments.
During the 1970s, Masaru Kohno established himself internationally as one of the world's premier classical guitar builders. After studying traditional Spanish guitar making in Madrid under Arcángel Fernández, Kohno developed a distinctive voice that combined Spanish warmth and responsiveness with remarkable Japanese precision and refinement.
The No. 15 model sat near the top of Kohno's lineup during this period and remains highly respected among concert players and collectors alike.
Built with a beautifully aged spruce top and Indian rosewood back and sides, this guitar delivers the powerful projection, exceptional note clarity, and rich overtone content that define Kohno's best work from the 1970s. The longer 658 mm scale offers impressive headroom and dynamic range while maintaining excellent tonal balance across the fingerboard.
What makes this particular example especially remarkable is its condition. At nearly 50 years old, the guitar presents exceptionally clean — more closely resembling a carefully preserved collector-grade instrument than a heavily played vintage concert guitar. The finish, structure, and overall presentation are extraordinarily well preserved.
Tonally, the guitar offers strong bass response, focused trebles, excellent separation, and the refined "piano-like" clarity often associated with Kohno's finest instruments.
A rare opportunity to acquire a near mint example from one of the most respected periods of Masaru Kohno's career.
Available for demonstration by appointment at Mill Valley Guitars in Mill Valley, California.