Delightfully opened up, this 1996 D-18S from Lynn Dudenbostel lends weight to the argument that older equals better. The voice speaks to the hundreds of hours of tunes that have already gone into these fine tonewoods: dry, cracklin’ bass from the Mahogany back and sides and a crisp set of treble strings with a toothy bite (a la Adirondack Spruce). With the 12-fret neck and Slope Dreadnought body, this Dudenbostel has an extra dose of warmth and sweetness that smooths the edges between respective registers, and the 1 25/32″ nut pffers a spacious left hand experience.

Want to fingerpick Appalachian-style in dropped tunings? This D-18S turns into a fingerpicking cannon at the turn of a few tuner knobs, responding as easily to a lighter touch as an aggressive flatpick. Have we mentioned that this Dudenbostel has opened up beautifully?

We hear this one loud and clear. E.J. Henderson’s building powerhouse traditional guitars in the spirit of her father, Wayne, but with her particular style and approach to alternative tonewoods. This 2015 Slope D features Oak back and sides and a Carpathian Spruce top, 12 fret neck, and a 1 25/32” nut for a touch roomier lefthand experience. The voice is crisp and quick! Notes fire right out of the soundhole with an even decay that keeps the voice clear rather than lush. The fretboard is decked out with southwest-style inlays, and elsewhere the guitar is trimmed out with Abalone.

Other Keywords: ej henderson, jayne, allen s hadd, 12-fret, 25.4, waverly

From the fine folks at Froggy Bottom, we have a 2018 H12 Limited All Koa. Dressed to the nines and equipped with a Fishman Rare Earth Soundhole/Microphone Dual Source pickup, it’s ready for the stage or studio. The H12 is a comfortable, medium-sized, full-bodied guitar with wide spacing perfect for fingerstyle playing. It combines classic vibes and aesthetics with modern attention to detail. This 12 fret guitar covers a lot of ground and is ready for almost any application.

Other keywords/misspellings: Luthier, lutherie, bespoke, handmade, slothead, hawaii, vermont

Sometimes like begets like. Here, the Froggy Bottom team decided to take Mahogany and pair it with yet more Mahogany, and the result is a unique mixture of woody warmth and precise note definition. String energy is quick and lively, extra impressive given the short scale setup at 24 3/4 inches. This beauty comes to us from 2021, is nearly new, but already quite wide awake. The C-12 body is the Froggy Bottom concert model, slender and easy in hand, and this one is dressed up with their Deluxe appointment package for added flair. Abalone fleur-de-lis position markers, plus Abalone at the rosette and backstrip; slotted headstock with nickel Waverly tuners; Curly Maple bindings throughout.

Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, guitarbuilding, michael millard, fingerstyle, tkl, c2269

Bookmatched Koa back and sides are gorgeous, and then there’s bookmatched Koa on top too! This 2018 Froggy Bottom H12 Limited is beautiful in the way only good wood can be. 12 frets to the neck, slotted Waverly tuners and Curly Maple bindings—and again, let’s take a moment to ponder the depths of all this fabulous Koa. This beauty is close to new, and it’s ready to get down to the business of making music! The voice is characterized by an even response across the strings and a meaty, dry crunch in the mids. 12 frets to the body and a short scale fretboard make for easy playability to boot.

Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, guitarbuilding, michael millard, slot headstock, all-koa, tkl, froggy guitar, fingerstyle, fingerpicking

Michael Millard outdoes himself yet again: this 1995 B12 is a cannon with strings. The classic combination of Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce works its usual magic here, giving the voice expansive depth and a fiery projection–but with a 12-fret neck, this B12 has a sweet little warm patch in the mids that balance out the tone. If you’re looking for a Froggy Bottom that is quick and responsive like a teenager on their third cup of coffee in the morning, this Froggy is practically calling your name.

Fingertips or flatpicks, the projection remains impressive, the voice vigorous and expressive. We put this Froggy through the ringer of altered tunings, and it handled each like the champion that it is. Decked out with some gorgeous Abalone across the fretboard, rosette, and back strip, this B12 also has a Mammoth Ivory heelcap scrimshawed with an owl in flight; when you add that to the Flamed Maple bindings, you’re looking at a tall glass of water on a hot summer’s day, if the glass was Adirondack and the water was Brazilian.