Kazuo Sato　［カズオ・サトー］ Prestige

Product Description

Neck:Cedro
Fingerboard:Ebony
Finish(Top):Shellac
Finish(Back & Sides):Shellac
Tuning Machines:RUBNER
String Height(1st):2.7mm
String Height(6th):4.0mm

［Profile］
Kazuo Sato was born in Tokyo in 1946. From 1965, he studied guitar making for six years under Kuniharu Nobe, elder brother of Shoji Nobe, one of the pioneers of classical guitar making in Japan. He then moved to England, where from 1971 he further developed his skills in the workshop of the renowned luthier David José Rubio, working on both lutes and guitars. During this period, Sato was entrusted with making instruments bearing the Rubio workshop label and, on a limited basis, was permitted to mark instruments with his initials, “KS,” alongside fellow workshop craftsman Paul Fischer.

In 1974, Sato established his own workshop near Brussels, Belgium, before relocating to Germany in 1976, where he has continued his work ever since.

From the late 1970s through the 1990s, Sato produced well-crafted, traditionally oriented instruments strongly influenced by the Rubio school. Around 2000, however, he began developing new models incorporating elements of modern guitar design interpreted through his own aesthetic. Their high functionality earned broad support among concert guitarists, while their versatile expressive range and subtly old-fashioned tonal character also attracted players in crossover genres. This distinctive combination has set Sato apart from many other modern guitar makers.

Today, his son Hideo Sato also participates in the production of Sato Guitars. The lineup includes the entry-level Prelude, Concert models made by Hideo, and the high-end Prestige and Special models made by Kazuo himself. Although production remains limited in order to preserve a largely handmade process, Sato's guitars continue to receive increasing recognition for their unique balance of traditional musicality and modern functionality.

[Instrument Information]
Kazuo Sato 2003, Prestige No.751 – Used

The Prestige was Kazuo Sato's flagship model when it was fully introduced in the 2000s; at this time, the Special model had not yet appeared in the catalog. It represents a significant departure from the more orthodox instruments Sato had produced through the 1990s under the strong influence of Rubio.

Although the guitar can be categorized as a modern instrument in contrast to the Torres-based Spanish tradition, it possesses an unexpectedly old-fashioned tonal character. Sato's restrained aesthetic combines with a highly distinctive sound-producing mechanism to create an individual voice that is difficult to compare directly with conventional classical guitars.

One of the most remarkable features is the radial bracing system of the soundboard. Above the waist, two substantial harmonic bars are positioned above and below the soundhole, connected by shorter bars on either side. Below the soundhole, twelve braces are arranged symmetrically around the bridge plate. Five braces extend toward the soundhole, five toward the bottom of the guitar, and one shorter brace extends from each side of the bridge plate toward the adjacent side. The central braces are straight and aligned with the grain of the soundboard, while the outer braces are angled slightly toward the sides.

The construction of these braces is also unusual. The central six have a low, triangular profile, apparently incorporating carbon material, while the remaining braces are extremely thin, plate-like reinforcements, also apparently made of carbon or ebony. The entire system is precisely symmetrical around the bridge plate. The resonance is set relatively low, around E to F, below F, contributing significantly to the character of the bass response.

Radial bracing had been explored by other innovative makers around the same period, most notably Australian luthier Simon Marty. While Marty's system radiates directly from a central point beneath the bridge, Sato's arrangement consists of groups of braces positioned around the perimeter of the bridge plate, more closely resembling two opposing fan-bracing groups. Whether there was any direct influence between these developments is unclear, but the emergence of such alternative approaches during the same period of experimentation with lattice bracing and double-top construction is an interesting point in the history of modern guitar making.

The resulting sound is highly distinctive. At the moment of attack, the soundboard flexes and rebounds with a vivid, almost “snapping” response, while the large soundbox resonates with considerable depth and movement. Despite this spacious resonance, the sound image remains remarkably clear and focused.

The bass has a low center of gravity and considerable breadth, clearly benefiting from the low resonance setting. From there, the sound rises toward the treble with striking clarity and definition, producing an almost dramatic sense of upward movement while maintaining a strong overall structural balance. There is also a natural warmth and softness characteristic of wood, giving the instrument a somewhat classical, even subtly lute-like tonal quality. This combination of modern structural principles with an almost archaic tonal character is one of the most fascinating aspects of Sato's aesthetic.

Its modern character is especially apparent in the extremely fast response to the player's touch. Notes react almost instantaneously to changes in articulation, allowing the vivid attack to develop into fluid melodic lines with a strong sense of drive, agility, and flexibility.

This instrument has a 640 mm scale length, a fingerboard extending to 20 frets on the treble side, and a conventional D-shaped neck with a comfortable, standard grip. The neck is almost straight, and the frets show very little wear, maintaining excellent playability.

String height at the 12th fret is approximately 2.7 mm on the 1st string and 4.0 mm on the 6th string, with approximately 1.0–2.0 mm of saddle remaining. The original Rubner tuners are fitted and are functioning properly.

There is no significant history of cracks, major repairs, or modifications. The soundboard does show a moderate amount of playing wear, particularly around the fingerboard edges and soundhole. There is a noticeable scratch approximately 10 cm long on the treble side of the soundhole, as well as a concentration of smaller scratches below the bridge, including one approximately 3 cm long around the 3rd-string area.

The back and sides remain in generally clean condition, with only minor shallow rubbing marks in the area where the player's chest contacts the instrument. The back of the neck has some fine scratches, but these are neither intrusive to playing nor particularly noticeable visually.

The guitar retains its original thin shellac finish, with no history of refinishing.