Schwartz, Sheldon Learn More +
- Sort by Default
- Display 15 Products per page
-
Add to Compare2008 Schwartz Advanced Auditorium Cutaway Cocobolo/Engelmann Spruce
Sheldon Schwartz may just be a miracle worker–the voice of this Advanced Auditorium is seraphic. In pairing Cocobolo Rosewood back and sides with a gorgeous Engelmann Spruce top, Schwartz gave this Grand Auditorium-sized guitar a tonal palette which is rich but controlled, with a great balance across the registers. Flatpickers, rejoice: the Advanced Auditorium responds with resounding projection and clarity. Prefer your fingertips? Fingerstyle accentuates the balance and scope, letting the low-end mellow out and accompany the middle registers in perfect harmony.
Airy overtones in the trebles fill out the voice, lending the instrument a sweetness and poise that is matched only by Schartz’s appointments, from the figured Curly Maple bindings to the Mother-Of-Pearl and Shell vine inlays across the rosette and at the twelfth fret. Kept in immaculate condition, you won’t believe this guitar isn’t even a decade old. There are probably brand-new guitars out there with more scratches. Protected by an equally immaculate Ameritage hardshell case, there’s no need to worry about the instrument ever getting hurt in your travels.
Combining easy playability, rich tonality, and flawless condition, be prepared to play this Advanced Auditorium for many, many long hours.Here’s an additional demo with our own Al Petteway: https://youtu.be/7KMfzW_TImA
Here’s an additional demo with Paul from 2018: https://youtu.be/CVWOuGHfS64
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.5 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - Engelmann, Rosewood - Cocobolo 
Add to Compare2007 Schwartz Oracle Brazilian/Bearclaw Sitka
We don’t know what dark rites Sheldon must perform to make such magical, resonant, and enveloping tone machines like this Oracle, but we’re glad he’s willing to go to such lengths for his craft. This 2007 Oracle has the kind of huge, enveloping bass that shoots out of the soundhole and wraps you up in a trice. Notes have palpable weight, and these trebles! Clear fundamental, and heady sustain. We apologize if the language is a bit extravagant, but it’s hard to describe this guitar as anything less than incredible.
Gorgeous dark Brazilian Rosewood back and sides and a Bearclaw Sitka Spruce top are just the tip of the iceberg. For the Schwartz Oracle, Sheldon creates three offset soundholes, adds a Venetian Cutaway with an extended bevel, a bent-style arm bevel, 5-piece neck, and a 25.5” scale that accommodates everything from Standard to esoteric C tunings. There’s a K&K pickup installed via the rear access panel, and if you peek inside you’ll find the top has been lattice braced for excellent resonance, and we found it responded equally well to picks as well as fingertips, in spite of the fact that Sheldon designed this guitar with primarily fingerstyle in mind. A pinless bridge and Calton case round out the package.
The Schwartz Oracle stands in a category all its own.
Other keywords: brazilain, bear claw, elliptical soundholes, lutherie, luthier
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.5 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.31 in Woods Spruce - Sitka, Rosewood - Brazilian 
Add to Compare2003 Schwartz Advanced Auditorium Birdseye Maple/Cedar
A thundercloud built with Red Cedar and Birdseye Maple, this 2003 Advanced Auditorium from Sheldon Schwartz is an excellent guitar for just about every application. The setup strikes a neat balance for both fingerstyle and flatpicking, and we found that this Advanced Auditorium gobbled up lowered tunings for breakfast.
You’re looking at a guitar with a voice to fill rooms with ease, combing the rich and present bass register with fat trebles and a splash of overtones for big-bodied tone and projection. The tip of this tone-iceberg is gorgeous, too: Schwartz trimmed the top in colorfol Mother-of-Pearl which continues seamlessly along the fretboard extension and into the centermost ring of the rosette! Plus a five-ply Mahogany neck and Highlander IP-1 pickup, and the final result is gold for both your ears and eyes.
Add to CompareNew Schwartz Oracle OSJ Palo Escrito/Moonspruce
Sheldon Schwartz is building some of the most unique and astounding guitars we have seen! This particular Oracle is made in Palo Escrito Rosewood, and while not as well known as a tonewood, it gives its more commonly used Rosewood brethren a run for their money. The Italian Moon Spruce top is perfection, harvested according to the traditional methods of waiting for the proper moon phase to yield the least sap content in the timbers.
Every decision in the design of this Oracle was made with the player in mind, from the soft cutaway to the extremely comfortable Arm Bevel, the off-center soundhole–even the satin neck make this guitar a dream to play. Sheldon’s unique voicing and Carbon Fibe-reinforced lattice bracing system help set the voice of the guitar apart from the field. It is incredibly powerful and responsive, even to the lightest touch, and warmth, evenness, and sumptuous tone define the experience of playing the Oracle. This is a guitar that is well suited for modern fingerstyle arrangements, but can also pick louder and more vigorously than you’d believe possible. But don’t worry: hundreds of hours later, the Evo Gold frets will hardly show any wear at all–and if you’d ever like to experiment with different pickups, Schwartz built in an access panel on end graft of the guitar, so getting into the body of the Oracle is immensely easy.
SOLD Sale! Read moreScale Length 25.5 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - Moonspruce, Rosewood - Palo Escrito 
Add to Compare2008 Schwartz AAC Maple/Cedar
Sheldon Schwartz is one of our very favorite luthiers, quietly building some of the finest modern guitars you will find anywhere, and we are delighted to have this stunning 2008 Schwartz AAC model. This is a Jumbo guitar with an even-grained Cedar top for sweet, rolling warmth, and a rare and mesmerizing set of Birdseye Maple for the back and sides. Think of it as the perfect combination of warmth and lightning quick response. Despite its Jumbo size, the AAC has a sweet, expressive voice that other guitars of this size struggle to pull off, in addition to being surprisingly comfortable to play for extended periods of time. Sheldon also showcases his excellent detail work everywhere on this guitar, from the beautiful Select Paua Abalone purflings to the elegant hemispherical fret ends.
In the spirit of the great Maple-backed Gibson J-200s, this large-bodied guitar has a huge voice with tons of low-end response and shimmering highs which hang in the air. Thanks to the Cedar top, there’s a remarkable warmth and balance across all the strings and all along the neck. Thus, when the low E string is plucked, the player experiences a rush of warm, mellow vibrations emenating from this striking instrument in their hands. Moreover, this guitar is practically mint (thanks in no small part to its Calton Flight Case), looking as beautiful as it sounds.
Add to Compare2007 Schwartz Oracle Brazilian/Bearclaw Exciting Design!
The Oracle design by Sheldon Schwartz is one of the most exciting and original we’ve seen. This beauty in Brazilian Rosewood and highly figured Bearclaw Sitka Spruce incorporates a wide array of elements including triple offset soundholes, carbon fibre-reinforced lattice-braced soundboard, double walled side construction, carbon fibre reinforced “X” braced back and a 26 inch scale. Additional features include a beveled cutaway, the bent wood style arm rest, a 5pc laminated neck with 24 frets, a rear access panel.
Now for the sound… listen close and you can probably hear it wherever you are. This is one loud and strong guitar! The Oracle speaks like a Piano, with big, clear notes and tremendous bass response. The offset soundholes insure the player gets an earful and what you’ll hear is a joyful noise! Light players will be rewarded with big sound and heavy handed players have met their match. The Oracle by Sheldon Schwartz is simply remarkable!
SOLD Read moreScale Length 26 in Nut Width 1.78 in String Spacing 2.31 in Woods Spruce - Sitka, Rosewood - Brazilian
In 1992 I decided to pursue a full-time career in guitar building. Not having any real training, I enrolled in David Freeman’s guitar building course at Timeless Instruments. That’s where I built my first acoustic guitar. Shortly after the course I rented a space in a cabinetmaker’s shop and built three more acoustic guitars. My next shop was in the basement of my house. I was there for four or five years before having to get a bigger space.
In April of 2002, I moved into my new shop. This is an 1800 sq. ft. building, built specifically for guitar making. I hired an engineer to do the architectural drawings to my specs. Its very well insulated and provides an extremely stable climate for guitar building. I have north facing windows, which I have found to be the best light to work in and a clean room with a finishing area. I’ve got a lot of space… at least for now.