Sano Acoustic Guitar Mystery. Possible connection to Lowden or Yairi

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Hello all, as I get ready to send my youngest off to full time school, I may actually have more time to post here. Unless I get one of those job thingys. Let us hope not.

Here we have my newest acquisition.

I spotted this Sano Acoustic guitar as it reminded me a lot of my Lowden O-10 ( see the last picture). Then I ended up down the rabbit hole of google research. There is little to be found on the subject of Sano acoustic guitars. There is quite a bit about Sano amplifiers and their possible connection to Ampeg. 

Sano started off building accordions and were in the forefront of accordion amplification. They imported electric guitars from Italy in the 

1960s and started to focus on guitar amplifiers at the time. 

I did find some information that said there was possibly some Sano acoustic guitars build by Yairi in the 1980s. Lowden also built guitars with Yairi in the eary to mid 1980s. There was even a short lived brand of guitars that were Lowden designed sold under the name Artisan ( less than 1000 guitars ).

This guitar is amazing. Has all the balanced tone of my Lowden and is perhaps even better sounding when using a more aggressive strum attack. The top is solid cedar and the back and sides appear to be mahogany, but I cannot tell if they are solid or laminated. The fit and finish are quite good even if not quite as refined as the Lowden. And the trim work definitely suggests this guitar is worth more than I paid for it. 

A couple of interesting things on this guitar. The volute is the biggest pyramid volute I've seen in person, yet it's well placed enough to be unnoticeable while playing. The pick-guard is more unique than you may think upon first glance. It's rosewood, and it's actually inlaid into the cedar. In all my years of guitar obsession I've never seen this approach. 

Has anyone seen these guitars before. The only labelling or markings are a serial number on the neck block and a small label inside that says "Sano Craftsman Made". No country of origin, or any other markings. 

Be interested to see if anyone else has been as lucky to come across one of these guitars.

R.W. Haller

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