Daisuke Kuriyama　[栗山　大輔] Class80　Barbero I Model

Product Description

Neck:Cedro
Fingerboard:Ebony
Finish(Top):Shellac
Finish(Back & Sides):Shellac
Tuning Machines:GOTOH
String Height(1st):3.0mm
String Height(6th):4.0mm

〔Luthier Information〕

Daisuke Kuriyama (b. 1981) began building guitars as a self-taught luthier while studying at Tokyo Zokei University. After graduating, he joined a major musical instrument retailer in 2003, where he spent more than ten years in the repair department. During this time, he had the opportunity to study numerous fine historical instruments from Japan and abroad, an experience that greatly refined his exceptional sense of tonal balance.

While working there, he was introduced to renowned Japanese luthier Kaoru Ono, and from 2010 received direct instruction in Ono’s workshop. After establishing his own workshop, Kuriyama has produced only six to eight guitars per year, each distinguished by meticulous craftsmanship and outstanding quality. Based on the traditional Spanish methods of Antonio de Torres, Domingo Esteso, and Marcelo Barbero I, his instruments faithfully capture the warmth, character, and resonance of the finest vintage Spanish guitars. Today, his guitars are highly regarded by musicians across a wide range of musical styles.

In 2020, both Kuriyama and his instruments were featured in Orfeo Magazine No.15, published by the French publisher Camino Verde.

<a href="https://www.guitarshop.jp/01search02.php?class=book&picture=000_orfeo_03&data_now=1&data_end=5&page_now=1&getflg=1&txtarea=%E3%82%AA%E3%83%AB%E3%83%95%E3%82%A7%E3%82%AA&cateno=5&filename=000_orfeo_03&keyword=%E3%82%AA%E3%83%AB%E3%83%95%E3%82%A7%E3%82%AA"target="_blank">Click here for the online shop page of Orfeo Magazine's special issue featuring Japanese luthiers.</a>

<a href="https://www.auranet.jp/salon/yomimono/orfeois-coming2020-04/" target="_blank">Click here to read our behind-the-scenes report on Orfeo Magazine's visit, featuring Daisuke Kuriyama, Yuichi Shimizu, and Aomi Nene.</a>

〔Instrument Information〕

This guitar was built by Daisuke Kuriyama, based on the celebrated 1954 Marcelo Barbero I, one of the finest masterpieces of the 20th-century Madrid school of Spanish guitar making.

Building upon the traditions inherited from his mentor Santos Hernández, Marcelo Barbero developed instruments characterized by an exceptionally lightweight body, an ultra-thin soundboard, and delicately crafted fan bracing. The result was a guitar with extraordinary responsiveness and remarkable musical expression. Even today, Barbero's instruments are admired for their quick attack, clear and focused tone, beautifully balanced overtones, and expressive dynamic range, representing one of the highest achievements of Spanish guitar making.

Kuriyama has carefully studied Barbero's design philosophy down to the finest details, faithfully recreating its unique acoustic character. The guitar responds instantly to the player's touch, producing a transparent, refined tone with rich harmonic content and excellent note separation, allowing even the most delicate musical nuances to be expressed with ease.

At the same time, it combines exceptional responsiveness with ample projection, making it equally impressive for both solo performance and ensemble playing.

Rather than simply reproducing the appearance or construction of the original, this instrument carries forward Barbero's acoustic philosophy and outstanding playability into the present day. Elegant in tone, highly responsive, and deeply rooted in the traditions of the Madrid school, it is a superbly executed modern interpretation of one of Spain's greatest classical guitar designs.