Guitars
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2008 Circa 00-28 Brazilian/Adirondack (Red)
We’ve had a slew of gorgeous Circa guitars through our shop, each a masterpiece of traditional form, and this 00-28 fits right in! From the perfectly-laid Herringbone trim and Abalone torch headstock, to the chocolate-dark Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce top, you’re looking at perfection in a 00 body.
Built in 2008, this 00-28 has had plenty of time to open up, but it’s still got that new guitar smell every time you crack open the case! We found the setup to be splendidly silky and low, and the thunderous growl we experienced tuned up to standard rang just as clearly in lowered tunings. The middle registers notes are vibrant and expressive, and pair sweetly with the bell-like trebles to round out the voice for a guitar optimized for fingerstyle arrangements. Plus, once you consider that this Circa comes with a B-Band pickup system with an A2.2 preamp, and a Calton flight case, you’re looking at an instrument ready to travel to the ends of the earth in safety for your next gig.
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.38 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.31 in Woods Spruce - Adirondack (Red), Rosewood - Brazilian 
Circa 000-28 Brazilian/Adirondack (Red)
John Slobod’s Pre-War style guitars are in a category unto themselves. This 2015 Circa 000-28 lives up to that legendary reputation in its flawless fit and finish, its cozy size and playability, and its simple, modest appointments. Slobod used a set of richly figured Brazilian Rosewood for the back and sides, and voiced the 000 with Adirondack Spruce; the resulting tone is dynamic, articulate, and exceedingly well balanced.
Fingerpickers, listen up! If you can think of it, this guitar can play it, from a soft ballad to a bloodboiling Kottke-like arrangement. The 12-fret neck is made in the traditional style of the 1920’s and 1930’s–which means there is no truss rod–so the profile is a soft V to compensate for the string tension. This guitar already sounds absurdly beautiful, and it’s still opening up!
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.5 in Nut Width 1.78 in String Spacing 2.31 in Woods Spruce - Adirondack (Red), Rosewood - Brazilian 
2011 Circa OM Brazilian/Adirondack (Red)
If it’s a guitar from Al Petteway’s personal stable of instruments, you know you’re looking at one of the finest pieces of stringed art on the market. This 2011 Circa OM has been on of Al’s favorite guitars for several years now, but it’s time to pass the torch to the next player. John Slobod broke the mold with this OM: exhibiting an incredibly focused voice that manages to combine megalithic bass notes with sparkling trebles, this guitar remains lightly built, and ready for action. The sort of guitar which responds magnificently to both flatpicks and fingertips, this Circa can breathe new life into your Irish fingerstyle arrangements or add some lightning to your Bluegrass licks–again, with a lightweight build that’s effortless to play.
Worried about sheer volume? Worry be gone: this Brazilian-Rosewood-and-Adirondack-Spruce OM projects as though it had its own PA system, without losing any smoothness of the articulation when driven hard. If you’re interested in adding a lion to your own musical menagarie, you won’t find one with quite so rich a roar as this 2011 Circa OM, straight from Al’s hands to yours.
Watch this video for a lesson about playing “Banish Misfortune” with Al: www.youtube.com/watch
Watch this video for a lesson about using E-Bows with Al: www.youtube.com/watch
Watch this video for a lesson about bending strings with Al: www.youtube.com/watch
Watch this video for a lesson about harmonics from Al: www.youtube.com/watch
Watch this video for a lesson about creating acoustic reverb from Al: www.youtube.com/watch
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.4 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - Adirondack (Red), Rosewood - Brazilian 
New Circa Custom 12 Fret 000 Cutaway Panamanian/Palo Escrito/Adirondack (Red)
Came through the door in the morning and flew right back out again that same afternoon: this newest offering from Mr. John Slobod gave us beautiful music, and disappeared before we had the chance to play it a second time! Decked out with Panamanian Rosewood back and sides and an Adirondack Spruce top, this Custom 12-fret 000 Cutaway packed enough power under the unassuming Spruce hood to practically play itself.
This guitar is love at first sight to any fingerstylist–and believe us, we were crying as it disappeared out the door on its way to its lucky new owner. Come back! Don’t leave so soon!
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.5 in Nut Width 1.69 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - Adirondack (Red) 
New Circa Dreadnought Makore/Adirondack (Red)
Here we have a brand new Circa Dreadnought in Adirondack (Red) Spruce and Makore. John Slobod is the Brains and Luthier behind these exquisite Circa guitars. John has garnered quite a following among the pre war style guitar enthusiasts, pick one up and you will have no questions why. His guitars are light and responsive, just like the good old Martins. This Dreadnought will make any flatpicker proud with its open and loud voice. Single note leads just bark out of this thing, the people in the back will have no problem hearing you. John departed slightly from tradition by using Makore for the back and sides, apart from having beautiful figure, we find this would has a Rosewood like presence along with a mahogany like warmth.
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.4 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.19 in Woods Spruce - Adirondack (Red), Makore 
2001 Circa D-28H Shaded Top Cocobolo/Adirondack (Red)
Here we have a Circa D-28 Shaded Top in Cocobolo Rosewood and Adirondack (Red) Spruce. John Slobod is the man behind Circa guitars and we believe he is building some of the most outstanding pre war martin Style guitars you can find. This D-28 has a unique voice with all the power of the old Martins and a slightly modern complexity of tone that lends itself surprisingly well to fingerpicking. Playability is smooth and fast, the action is set low and the low profile shape of the neck really make playing this guitar a breeze. If you are looking for an all around guitar, with a huge complex voice, we think this one will suite you perfectly.
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.5 in Nut Width 1.77 in String Spacing 2.22 in Woods Spruce - Adirondack (Red), Rosewood - Cocobolo 
2012 Circa D-28 Madagascar/Adirondack (Red)
John Slobod, the luthier behind Circa Guitars is one of the top builders in pre war style instruments. Great players from all over the world choose Circa and it isn’t hard to tell why. We recently had a house concert with Steve Baughman where he played his own Circa guitar and it sounded gorgeous. This D-28 in Red Spruce and Madagascar Rosewood is a great representation of the incredibly high bar that John sets in his building, being flawless in tone and build quality. The basses roar and are tempered expertly by the fat singing trebles. This is an exceptional pre war style dread from a builder at the very top of the game!
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.4 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.28 in Woods Spruce - Adirondack (Red), Rosewood - Madagascar 
New Circa D-28 Madagascar/Adirondack SOLD
This fine Circa Dreadnought was custom made for one of our clients, so it isn’t for sale presently, but you can order one of your own to your tastes! Give us a call or message and we’ll be happy to talk to you about how you can get your very own custom instrument made by John Slobod or any of our other fine luthiers.
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.38 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - Adirondack (Red), Rosewood - Madagascar 
2010 Circa D-42S AAA+ Koa/Adirondack
John Slobod and his Circa Guitars have become a hot commodity in the guitar world. Slews of pro players have purchased Circa guitars including our own Al Petteway, Steve Baughman, Tony McManus, Ed Dodson and many others. These players are the best in the world and they choose guitars for tone, playability, reliability and quality, in that order. John Slobod has all of that in every guitar. This Circa D-42 is a stunner in AAA+ Flamed Koa and Adirondack Red Spruce. Power to spare and clear sweet trebles, this one is perfect for lead or accompaniment. John Slobod is one of the few builders that can truly capture the essence of a pre-war Martin. This guitar is a shining example of his work.
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.4 in Nut Width 1.81 in String Spacing 2.19 in Woods Spruce - Adirondack (Red), Koa 
Circa OM Flamed Koa/Engelmann
Here’s an exquisite OM from John Slobod at Circa Guitars. The Flamed Koa back and sides on this beauty speak for itself. The voice is big, open and mature. The Engelmann Spruce top pairs nicely with Koa to create a versatile voice suitable for many style. The cutaway is Brazilian Rosewood for an interesting contrast. Excellent playability, excellent tone; an excellent instrument.
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.38 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - Engelmann, Koa 
Circa 7/8ths Dread Cocobolo/Adirondack Red
John Slobod, builder of Circa Guitars, has made many instruments with Julius Borges and Dana Bourgeois and is one of the modern luthiers building guitars as good or better than the prewar giants. Here is this 7/8th Dread, John has designed a versatile guitar that can handle both flatpicking and fingerstyle duties with ease and is more comfortable to hold. The Cocobolo and Adirondack body put forth a strong voice, at once clear and warm. There is nothing this guitar cannot do. The craftsmanship is impeccable, something else Slobod is known for. These tend to fly out the door, so don’t miss your chance.
SOLD Sale! Read moreScale Length 25.4 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.19 in Woods Spruce - Adirondack (Red), Rosewood - Cocobolo 
New Circa D-42 Brazilian/Engelmann
John Slobod and his Circa Guitars have become a hot commodity in the guitar world. Slews of pro players have purchased Circa guitars including our own Al Petteway, Steve Baughman, Tony McManus, Ed Dodson and many others. These players are the best in the world and they choose guitars for tone, playability, reliability and quality, in that order. John Slobod has all of that in every guitar. This ravishing D-42 Sunburst is a stunner. The abalone really shines against the deep, dark burst. The top is old Engelmann Spruce and while not a bluegrass cannon, Engelmann gives this box a wonderful warm strumming voice and a richness that will suit singer-songwriters, accompanists and fingerpickers perfectly.
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.4 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.19 in Woods Spruce - Engelmann, Rosewood - Brazilian 
New Circa OM Beeswing Mahogany/European
Here we have a brand new Circa OM from John Slobod. Our own Al Petteway plays one of John’s guitars and this OM is a KILLER! Beeswing Mahogany and Master Grade European, this is a loud, strong guitar with pure vintage tone. All of us just love it. It is articulate and very strong and super easy to play as well. The Torch on the headstock and John’s impeccable craftsmanship make it a dream.
2003 Claxton EM-C, Brazilian Rosewood/Adirondack Spruce
Our latest Claxton comes in a sharp-dressed suit with a voice to match. This 2003 EM-C is decked out with Brazilian Rosewood back and sides, Adirondack Spruce on top, and a slick rosette of geometric patterns for a feather in its cap. Lightweight and agile, this Claxton has a bell-like quality to the trebles that helps cut right through the mix, and we found the bass and lower mids paired will to flesh out the voice. The setup is glass-smooth and a breeze on the hands; drinks up both flatpicks and fingertips like water on a hot day.
It doesn’t take much to get the Red Spruce top singing, and that’s regardless of if your in standard tuning or more adventurous territory. We get a special feeling when we come across an exceptional set of Brazilian Rosewood, and that’s exactly how we felt when we pulled the one out of the case. It’s got lovely curving grain patterns with black ink lines, but is not so dramatically figured that we’d worry about the wood holding up to the vagaries of time humidity. The neck carve is a touch on the slim side of life to help facilitate that aforementioned glassy playability, and there’s a standard 25.4” scale, 1.75” nut, and 2.25” saddle spacing that’ll feel familiar at first strum.
Does this 2003 Claxton EM-C have any drawbacks? Maybe, but for the life of us we can’t find one.Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, handbuilt, brazilain, emc, em c, cutaway, calton case, flight case
Additional Demo:https://youtu.be/z–NFOgzGsE
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.4 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - Adirondack (Red), Rosewood - Brazilian 
2012 Claxton EMC, Brazilian Rosewood/Spruce
Here we’ve landed a fantastic example of Ed Claxton’s EMC model from 2012 with dramatically figured Brazilian Rosewood back and sides, Spruce top, Padauk bindings and appointments, and a subtle combination of Snakewood and Brazilian Rosewood for the headstock veneers. Aside from a geometric mosaic rosette, Ed’s aesthetic emphasizes the equality and beauty of the woods themselves. This is an excellent example of a modern fingerstyle guitar that has a clean palette of tones, which is to say you can adapt this guitar for a wide range of styles very easily. Comes wrapped up in a custom Calton flight case for maximum security.
Other keywords: lutherie, fingerpicking, brazilain
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.4 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce, Rosewood - Brazilian