1983 masaru kohno "concert" classical guitar

By 1983, Masaru Kohno had been internationally established for over fifteen years — his Gold Medal at the Liège competition in 1967, judged by Fleta, Bouchet, Rodrigo, and Alirio Díaz, had permanently positioned his work alongside the finest European concert guitars, and the decades that followed saw his instruments played and recorded by Julian Bream, Oscar Ghiglia, Sharon Isbin, and a generation of the world's leading concert artists. The 1983 Concert represents Kohno at the height of his powers and his reputation.

The model name itself marks an important moment in the Kohno workshop's history. From around 1963 through the early 1980s, Kohno used a numerical grading system — No. 5, No. 10, No. 20, and so on — in which the number reflected the retail price in Japanese yen (a No. 20, for example, sold for 200,000 yen). As the Japanese economy grew and inflation made the numbers increasingly disconnected from any meaningful grade distinction, Kohno transitioned around 1982–1983 to a system of model names: Maestro at the pinnacle, followed by Special, Professional, and Concert. The 1983 Concert is among the earliest instruments to carry the new designation — one of the first in a category that from that point forward would represent Kohno's high-grade production.

Internally, the guitar uses a 6-fan bracing pattern with a quasi-lattice element — a development of the traditional Spanish fan-braced construction that reflects Kohno's continued refinement of his approach through the 1970s and early 1980s. The characteristic cashew finish — a Japanese lacquer derived from the cashew tree, lighter and more acoustically transparent than many Western finishes — is intact and beautifully preserved.

The spruce top has developed a warm amber color over four decades of aging. Indian rosewood back and sides remain exceptionally attractive, complemented by the detailed mosaic rosette and handmade purflings, tie-block work, and dark ebony fingerboard that give Kohno's Concert-grade instruments their quietly refined appearance.

Playability is excellent: 650mm scale length, 52mm nut width, action approximately 3.2mm bass and 2.5mm treble at the 12th fret, with approximately 2mm of saddle remaining.

Condition: Excellent, with only minor player wear consistent with its age. An unusually clean example for a 40-year-old concert guitar. Includes the original hardshell case and original documentation.