Smooth operator from tuner to tail. This 2017 Modified Dreadnought from Jason Kostal is truly a powerhouse guitar, with clarity, elegance, and precision to temper the raw strength of the voice. It’s worth it just to see the jaw-dropping Brazilian Rosewood back and sides Jason used, here paired with a creamy German Spruce top that absolutely sings. The bass register has a rich and rolling fundamental that fits in well with a warm midrange. The trebles are crisp and defined, and cut through the mix. A svelte florentine cutaway, combined with Jason’s trademark stained glass rosette, rounds out the picture of a perfect Kostal Mod D. Premium Hoffee flight case comes included to keep this beauty as clean and ready for action as day one.

Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, guitarbuilding, ervin somogyi, fingerpicking, modern guitar, gotoh

Jason Kostal nails the modern voice with his OM. This beauty is like new from 2020, and appointed like fine wine: dark, dark, dark. Gorgeous Macassar Ebony back and sides with Sinker Redwood on top—velvet-rich and warm. It’s exquisite for fingerstyle, especially Open G. The trebles have a sweetness and overtone bloom that really fills out the voice. Is it really basically new? Surprisingly yes, considering the voice is so rich and opened up. The setup is silky smooth to boot.

Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, guitarbuilding, ervin somogyi, fingerpicking, modern guitar, gotoh, hoffee, stained glass rosette

If it’s good enough for Michael Watts, it’s gotta be good enough for us! We love Jason Kostal’s work, and have happily followed his career for years now. This is a lovely 2012 OM done up in striking Brazilian Rosewood with a German Spruce top and Jason’s stained glass rosette and a Hoffee flight case. The neck carve has a full, generous carve to it that feels great in-hand, and on top Jason built a short, 25 inch scale fretboard to maximize playability and add a little sugar to the trebles at the same time. That sweetness pairs well with a warm and rolling bass response that fills up the voice, but doesn’t spill over into the other registers.

Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, ervin somogyi, fingerstyle, contemporary guitar, stained-glass, brazilain, gotoh, florentine cutaway

Sometimes elegance comes in small packages, like this 2018 Kostal 00. Jason’s smallest guitar punches far above its weight with a rich and focused bass response paired with glass-smooth trebles and exquisite string-to-string balance. This beauty comes to us with a striking set of Koa for the back and sides, and the calibre of German Spruce top that we’ve come to expect from Jason. 12-fret neck and 24.9” scale add a touch of extra warmth, and slip the setup into easy playing territory. Jason’s segmented headstock is here executed in Ebony and Mahogany; taken with the scalloped nut & saddle and “Stained Glass” rosette, the aesthetic of this Kostal 00 cuts a distinct figure that feels familiar and exciting at the same time. Wrapped up in a Hoffee flight case, this Kostal will be safe and sound wherever you take it.

Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, ervin somogyi, fingerstyle, parlor guitar, gotoh, EVO frets

Just when we thought our day couldn’t get better, this 2014 Kostal Jumbo strolled into the shop and taught us all what a Jumbo guitar can really sound like. This instrument is incredibly close to being the perfect guitar: from the desirably straight-grained Brazilian Rosewood and German Spruce to the flawless finish and glass-smooth setup, Jason Kostal went above and beyond the call of duty to create a Jumbo unique and powerful enough to bear his name. Played in a variety of tunings, the voice of this Kostal remains the same, teeming with profound bass notes and a panoply of overtones in the middle and upper registers. The treble strings in particular have a springy, energetic response that lends themselves to brightening up your fingerstyle arrangements.

Now we’ve seen many instruments over the years in wonderful condition, but this Jumbo might take the cake: there’s practically no evidence of any scratches or dings, and the action is delightfully smooth and effortless. Of course we have high expectations for anything that comes out of Jason’s shop, but this Jumbo blew us away–and what’s more, it’s the first Jumbo Jason ever built under his own label! You can find this exact guitar on his site to represent Jason’s Jumbo design. And, wrapped up in a Hoffee carbon fiber flight case, this Jumbo will remain in such a flawless state for years to come.

We’ve got a pair of lovely 2008 OMFS guitars from Lance Kragenbrink which were built as sisters, each with Cocobolo Rosewood for the back and sides, but with different top woods. This one is done up with an Engelmann Spruce top for projection and sustain–and brother, does the Engelmann deliver. With flatpicks, this Kragenbrink roars!

The trebles are fat and juicy, and are backed up by a present and articulate middle register that gives definition to your compositions. This OMFS is in superb condition with essentially no play wear, but has a sweet and opened-up tonality which makes it difficult to put down. We especially love Lance’s use of sapwood in these Cocobolo sets; the vibrant pop of yellow against red is a sight to see. Wrapped up in an Ameritage hardshell case, this Kragenbrink is perfectly safe and sound when not in use!

We’ve got a pair of lovely 2008 OMFS guitars from Lance Kragenbrink which were built as sisters, each with Cocobolo Rosewood for the back and sides, but with different top woods. This one is done up with a Cedar top for added warmth and depth, which helps to fill out the middle register of the voice and give this guitar a complex tone. Setup for fingerstyle, this Kragenbrink OMFS has an excellent string-to-string balance with trebles strings adorned with subtle overtones that add a lush color to your arrangements.

This OMFS is in superb condition with essentially no play wear, but has a sweet and opened-up tonality which makes it difficult to put down. We especially love Lance’s use of sapwood in these Cocobolo sets; the vibrant pop of yellow against red is a sight to see. Wrapped up in an Ameritage hardshell case, this Kragenbrink is perfectly safe and sound when not in use!