Guitar craftsman Kazuo Yairi dies at 81

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GIFU (Kyodo) -- Guitar craftsman Kazuo Yairi, whose acoustic guitars have been used by famous musicians around the world such as Paul McCartney and Carlos Santana, died of multiple organ failure at a hospital in Tajimi, Gifu Prefecture, on Wednesday, his family said Sunday. He was 81.

A native of Kani in the prefecture, Yairi left for the United States in 1962 to learn guitar-making and established Yairi Guitar after returning home in 1965.

In the late 1960s, Yairi began collaboration with instrument maker and distributor St. Louis Music and jointly introduced Alvarez-Yairi guitars.

The guitars are still handmade in the Yairi factory in the town of Kani.

Yairi's guitars are also used by many Japanese musicians including Keisuke Kuwata and Masaharu Fukuyama.

March 09, 2014(Mainichi Japan)

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20140309p2g00m0dm043000c.html