What is "yairi"

Yairi is the name of three Japanese luthiers, who build handmade acoustic guitars.

In the 1960s and 1980s Sadao Yairi, made guitars under the S. Yairi name. H. (Hiroshi) Yairi is Sadao Yairi's son, and made acoustic guitars under his supervision (and usually signed and/or stamped by S. Yairi). Sadao was Kazuo Yairi's uncle, the third one who built luthier guitars mostly under his own label K. Yairi.

S. and H. Yairi are marketed under a few names in the US: Yairi & Sons, Kohno, Shelly, and Wilson are some of the names. They also build guitars for other labels like Alvarez and in the 80-90's for the Irish George Lowden.

Yairi is now the name of the top line of Alvarez guitars. Alvarez Yairi guitars are handmade in the same factory as K. (Kazuo) Yairi guitars and are only sold under the Alvarez name in the United States.