This item was made in 2008 and purchased used from a shop that was sold by Kurosawa Musical Instruments in 2009. The lacquer is beautifully preserved, and it's in excellent condition with only slight surface scratches rather than noticeable playing wear, so minor that they don't show up in the images. The lacquer is slightly thinner in the area shown in the last image, about the size of the second knuckle of a pinky finger. The hard case is the same model as the one I have for my 38, so I believe it's an older model. It has minor scratches and signs of aging.