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Brand New Applegate SJ, Indian Rosewood/Engelmann Spruce
Right out the gate, our latest SJ from Brian Applegate is raring to go. Quick and energetic voice, very snappy response that adds a bit of electricity to your playing, and all in a lightweight package (under four pounds) that feels like so many feathers in your hands and on your lap. Brian decked this beauty out with a 26.25-24.9″ multiscale, so you’ve got lots of room to tune to C on the bottom end, but the trebles stilll play easily with a short scale setup. Indian Rosewood body with Engelmann Spruce on top, EVO frets, cutaway, and Brian’s interlocking Abalone diamonds rosette (plus a subtly twisted series of purflings on the back) dress things up with some good sparkle, but let the quality of the tonewoods and the clean curves of Brian’s design to shine even more.
Check out this additional video featuring Al Petteway on this amazing Applegate SJ: https://youtu.be/1N9Mo362IIo
Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, fingerstyle, fingerpicking, englemann, engelman, gotoh
$8,035 Add to cartScale Length 26.25 in - 24.9 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - Engelmann Add to Compare2017 Bashkin SJ, Oregon Myrtle/Italian Spruce
Such a delight to visit with this beauty. Michael Bashkin builds premium grade modern fingerstyle instruments, just like this 2017 SJ with Myrtlewood back and sides plus Italian Spruce on top.The voice is characterized by clarity, balance, and smoothness, equally at home in Standard tuning as it is in DADGAD and some C tunings (thanks to the 26-25.4″ multiscale fingerboard). Frets are dressed with semi-hemispherical fret ends, making for a very smooth playing experience under your fingertips. At the headstock you’ll find a delicate inlay scheme with micro purflings looping across the headplate veneer and between the Waverly tuners. All of this comes wrapped in a Hoffee flight case with an added layer of Thinsulate for maximum protection.
And when you aren’t playing this slice of sweet lutherie from Michael, check out his Luthier On Luthier podcast for extensive, in-depth interviews with some of our favorite builders on the scene today!
Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, guitarbuilding, fingerpicking, 145
Sale Price: $9,629.98 Sale! Add to cartScale Length 25.4 in - 26 in Nut Width 1.781 in String Spacing 2.219 in Woods Spruce - Italian, Myrtlewood Add to Compare2023 GR Bear Guitars Build Slot
Our 2023 build slot with GR Bear Guitars is currently available! Simply purchase this deposit price, and we will reach out to discuss your custom build, what your needs are, and any special features you’re interested in exploring.
Our process is straightforward:
1. Place the deposit amount to secure the spot on the calendar
2. Paul will get in touch directly to make additional choices of materials and upgrades
3. We will stay in touch all the way until deliveryA note from Paul on the build process:
I really enjoy the process of custom building instruments for players. I got into this whole business because I’m a player first and a songwriter. As a player, I have intimate knowledge of what makers, body shapes, woods, and other attributes of a guitar will most help a player get to their dream instrument. It’s really important to me that a guitar inspires a player to make music. That’s the whole reason I started this business long ago.
I see this process of working with a client and a builder as service. To me, it’s an important part of my life and something I’m really passionate about. The process along the way can be as detailed or relaxed as you want and I guarantee you it is always fun. We start usually by talking about the woods that will get the tone that you want after I hear more about what you play and what you’d like to be able to play. Then we will go on to looking at photos of actual sets of materials and talk about everything from the nut width to the saddle width to the case color that you want. We will then get into the details of the instrument as far as the feel goes and the ergonomics. There’s a lot to talk about here and we have a lot of experience again because of all the guitars we’ve played over the years. We’ll talk about the contour of the neck and we have a special process for that where we use a tool that we can send you to give us shapes of your favorite guitar necks which we can then use as a basis or even completely copy.
Another big value that Dream Guitars has to offer in this process is our shop full of amazing guitars. After we get your initial specs down, you’re welcome to visit the shop as sometimes we will have months before the build starts. You and I can sit and play the world’s finest guitars and confirm that the choices we made are right for you as far as the wood types and specs and you also might find some ideas you want to Incorporate, maybe an armrest bevel, a soundport, or even something you’ve never tried before. Along the way my team and I will be talking to the builder on your behalf and making sure that you get exactly what you want in the end.
The custom guitar world can be really confusing. There’s so many makers now and so many different materials and body shapes, you need someone to really guide you through all the options. One of the big parts of my job is to go to various guitar shows every year all around the world so that I can see what’s happening. I meet with all the makers I’ve been working with for sometimes decades and I stay in touch with what they’re changing, what their new models are, what they have to offer, and what their sounds are evolving into. I also get a chance to visit many of the maker’s shops so that I can be very familiar with what they do, what they love to do, what they don’t want to do, what woods they like, what woods they don’t like, so that I can give you really objective third-party advice all along the way.
By working with you directly myself I allow the builder to stay at the workbench whittling wood and making guitars. While this frees them up a bit, they are always available as well should you really want to have a conversation with the builder. We will facilitate that as well. We always see it as a three way partnership.
Another thing that’s really important to me is the personalities involved in each instrument so I get to know the makers really well year year after year, every time I visit with them at guitar shows, visit their shops, or just have a meal with them. I think their personalities come through in the end result of the guitar so as I’m getting to know you and matching you with the builder I’ll be keeping all of that in mind as well.
The bottom line is this. I’ve been playing guitar since I was ten years old. Every time I have the opportunity to help a client find a guitar of their dreams, that inspires them to make music, it feels like my life’s purpose.
I look forward to helping you build a guitar that will inspire you and I promise we’ll have fun all along the way.
$3,750 Add to cartAdd to Compare2015 Beardsell 3GMS25/27, Leopardwood/Lutz Spruce
One look, and you’re intrigued. One note, and you’re hooked. This powerhouse 2015 3GMS from Allan Beardsell‘s shop is here to dazzle the eyes and humble the ears. Let’s start with the basics. You know, like the double soundports which pour sweet active bass notes right into your ear. Or the oval soundhole and its spiderweb-like rosette, or the arm and back bevels which meld smoothly with the bindings. And let’s not forget the unique three-piece Selmer-style cutaway or the multi-scale Ebony multiscale fingerboard with 27″ scale length on the low E and 25″ on the high E. As if all that wasn’t enough, the back and sides are made of a beautiful set of Leopardwood, and the top is lightly figured Lutz Spruce. When these woods (and that exhaustive list of options) combine, the effect is overwhelming: this is a guitar with an electrified, energetic voice that pops, sizzles, and screams. The low-end, in particular, is very crisp and loud, thanks to the multiscale arrangement, and the middle and upper registers have heaps of headroom. Overall, the 3GMS/25/27 exhibits the kind of agility and responsiveness, perfect for fast, smooth playing, that one would expect from a much smaller build.
Here’s an additional demo with Al Petteway: https://youtu.be/010dSDWlzAE.
And here’s another demonstration, this time with Beardsell’s neighbor and fellow luthier extraordinaire, Jordan McConnell: https://youtu.be/ZjxoyGpd-58
Sale Price: $4,660 Sale! Add to cartScale Length 25 in - 27 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - Lutz, Leopardwood Add to Compare2020 Big Hollow 00, Cocobolo/Moonspruce
This 00 from Bevan Frost of Big Hollow Guitars is a beauty, dressed up with Cocobolo back and sides and a Moonspruce top. This guitar is an incredibly comfortable instrument in hand, very dramatic curves that lend to that comfort. As well as being comfortable to play it has so much power for an instrument so petite. An excellent blend of tradition and modernity.
Other keywords/misspellings: luthier, lutherie, evo, guardian, herringbone, slot head
$7,725 Add to cartScale Length 25.4 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.313 in Woods Spruce - Moonspruce, Rosewood - Cocobolo Add to CompareBrand New Blanchard Pinyon 00, Brazilian Rosewood/Lucky Strike Redwood
Lucky Strike Redwood and Brazilian Rosewood are some of the most coveted tone woods in the realm of guitar. Mark Blanchard delivered the ultimate example as to why that is. This 00 Pinyon is so sweet, comfortable and enchanting– Dressed with abalone and Brazilian rosewood appointments, as well as Evo Frets. This guitar will surely inspire for many years to come.
Other keywords/misspellings: Luthier, lutherie, hoffee, slot head, venetian cutaway,
$17,305 Add to cartScale Length 25 in Nut Width 1.8125 in String Spacing 2.3125 in Woods Redwood - Lucky Strike, Rosewood - Brazilian Add to Compare2020 Blanchard Sequoia Dream Series, Brazilian Rosewood/European Spruce
It’s humbling to see such consistency in a builder’s work, with exquisite voicing for fingerstyle playing that focuses on note clarity and definition. This is Mark’s Sequoia body shape with a generous 16 inch lower bout, and here he’s upgraded it with a body wedge and arm bevel for ergonomics, a soundport in the upper bout, and a multiscale setup that’s perfect for everything from C tunings to Standard (26.25-25.25”). The Brazilian Rosewood back and sides come from our own secret stash, and Mark used a creamy European Spruce top to match.
Here’s an additional demo with our own Duane Simpson: https://youtu.be/QH0MUw0ZGYQ.
Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, dream guitar, bespoke guitar, all the stops, custom guitar, fan fret, fanned fret, hoffee flight case
$14,935 Add to cartScale Length 25.25 in - 26.25 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - European, Rosewood - Brazilian Add to Compare2008 Blanchard Bristlecone, Mahogany/Carpathian Spruce
Mark Blanchard’s Bristlecone is one of those models that always feels comfortable, and always sounds great. This 2008 Bristlecone is no less than any of that! Carpathian Spruce top with Mahogany back and sides offers a crisp voice with great transparancy and clarity across the registers; ergonomics include a venetian cutaway and a Manzer body wedge. A K&K Pure Mini pickup has been installed (sounds fantastic), ditto for gold EVO frets and a strap button.
Other keywords: lutherie, fingerstyle, blanchard guitars, 10-07
$7,210 Add to cartScale Length 25.5 in Nut Width 1.688 in String Spacing 2.281 in Woods Spruce - Carpathian, Mahogany Add to Compare2010 Blazer & Henkes Déjà Vu San Antonio 28, Brazilian Rosewood/Austrian Moonspruce
How sweet can a guitar be? Apparently, just a little bit sweeter. This 2010 Déjà Vu San Antonio 28 from Blazer & Henkes is what dessert would be if it also contained all the richness, vitamins, and nutrients of a three course meal. Which is to say, this B&H OM is the complete package. Receptive to a light attack, plus headroom for heavier, gorgeous tonewoods throughout, and an expansive midrange that makes for an enveloping voice that feels instantly familiar to your ear. The back and sides are Brazilian Rosewood, and on top they’ve used a set of Austrian Alpine Moonspruce with a bit of bearclaw figuring for added drama. Elsewhere, vintage 28-style appointments. Now, the practice of using moon-harvested Spruce goes back for hundreds of years, and Willi and Rudolph have garnered their premium supply from loggers who harvest strictly according to the traditional moon calendar for forestry, namely during a new moon phase when the water content inside wood cells is at its lowest and in the fall when Spruce trees are in their resting period. The result is a quality of Spruce that dries faster, matures more quickly, and is less prone to shrinking damage over time. We’ve always loved Moonspruce because, well, it sounds great! But there’s so much more that goes into making it such a premium top wood offering.
Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, guitarbuilding, 19, fingerstyle, om-28
Sale Price: $18,540 Sale! Add to cartScale Length 25.4 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.281 in Woods Spruce - Moonspruce, Rosewood - Brazilian Add to CompareBrand New Borghino Shakti Deluxe, Ziricote/Alpine Spruce
A work of art in quite its own category, and one which engages with the player and audience to create new sonic experience—the Borghino Shakti Deluxe. Designed in collaboration with John McLaughlin, this instrument couples a Jumbo flattop body with a fast neck and seven sympathetic strings strung diagonally across the soundhole. The fretboard is scalloped and set up with light strings to facilitate frictionless runs and added latitude for bending vertically and horizontally.
The sympathetic strings are also also to be strummed, or plucked depending on your attack and use of fingers or picks, in addition to serving to add sympathetic resonance. This latter effect leads to an intensely enveloping voice that is quite honestly a thing unto itself.
Borghino has installed a Barbera Soloist pickup system for both sets of strings to best capture the complexity of the Shakti sound (including several audiophile reference cables for maximum fidelity), and added dramatic arm & rib bevels to the body for added comfort when playing. Additionally, the body has been built with a subtle Manzer Wedge, meaning the bass side is narrower than the treble side, pivoting the top back towards the player and allowing for easier right arm access. Tightly figured Ziricote back and sides pair with Bearclaw Italian Spruce on top, extensive Abalone appointments, and a custom case to house this feat of lutherie.
In collaboration with John McLaughlin, Mirkho Borghino will donate $3000 of the sale of Shakti Deluxe #1 to the Cancer Institute of Miano, Italy: https://www.istitutotumori.mi.it/en/home.Other keywords: fingerstyle, luthier, 1 of 10, modern guitar, indian jazz, indian classical, carnatic, 2019
$41,200 Add to cartScale Length 24.5 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.125 in Woods Spruce - Alpine, Ziricote Add to Compare2008 Bourgeois Country Boy Deluxe NAMM, Tree Mahogany/Adirondack Spruce
When it’s NAMM, you gotta pull out all the stops. And with The Tree, those are some pretty hefty stops. The Bourgeois team decided to go all in for this 2008 Winter NAMM special Country Boy Deluxe with Tree Mahogany back and sdies, Adirondack Spruce top, and an explosively powerful voice. Excellent note separation and clarity, with a top end that’s crisp to cut through the mix, and an energetic midrange and bottom end to fill it out. Premium condition, ready for more action, number eight of only eight.
Other keywords: dana bourgeois, dreadnaught, will saylor, 004491
Sale Price: $13,900 Sale! Add to cartScale Length 25.5 in Nut Width 1.719 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - Adirondack (Red), Mahogany - The Tree Add to Compare1994 Bown Parlor, All-Koa
Koa, Koa, Koa! This beautiful 1994 Ralph Bown Parlor guitar features a Koa back, sides, and top and an incredibly punchy, balanced, singing tone. Mahogany neck and Ebony fretboard deliver the standard in superb action all the way up the neck. Originally owned by Martin Simpson, and his then wife, Jessica Simpson. Ralph Bown builds for Clive Carroll, John Renbourn, Martin Simpson and many other UK greats. This guitar is a treat to look at (and play) and is very hard to put down. Sweet in every way.
Check out this additional video featuring Al Petteway on this Bown parlor: https://youtu.be/JKbr5WAsUNw
Check out this video of Clive Carroll performing an Elizabethan lute tune, “Preludium” here: www.youtube.com/watch
Sale Price: $6,955 Sale! Add to cartScale Length 25.25 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Koa, Koa Add to Compare2012 Breedlove OM Deluxe Custom, Brazilian Rosewood/Red Spruce
For this 2012 OM Custom model, the Breedlove team opted for a more traditional aesthetic, and they nailed it. Classic OM curves plus squared off headstock, plus Brazilian Rosewood body and Red Spruce top, with a clear and articulate voice that works well for fingers and pick work. Satin neck with a very soft V profile; open back Gotoh tuners; weighs in right at four pounds. This OM Custom comes to us from the Jayson Bowerman era of Breedlove guitars.
Other keywords: fingerstyle, orchestra model, brazilain, 12742
Sale Price: $3,940 Sale! Add to cartScale Length 25.5 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.313 in Woods Spruce - Adirondack (Red), Rosewood - Brazilian Add to Compare2021 Bresnan GS Brazilian Rosewood/Moonspruce
Gorgeous Brazilian Rosewood body with Moonspruce on top for added precision and clarity, here in Bresnan’s GS body for a midsized guitar offering lots of power in an easy-playing package. Alessi tuners bring a touch of added elegance to the headstock, and Dan rings in the soundhole with one of his intricate, interwoven rosettes. His attention to detail is exquisite; the fit and finish is flawless here. Couple that with a slick setup, and you’ve got a candidate for World’s Best Guitar.
Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, guitarbuilding, bresnan guitars, modern guitar, brazilain, fingerstyle, gss2103, ameritage, 2021
$7,725 Add to cartScale Length 25.4 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - Moonspruce, Rosewood - Brazilian Add to CompareBrand New Bresnan GS, Brazilian Rosewood/Adirondack Spruce
Gorgeous from tuners to tail, our latest brand new Bresnan GS is sharp dressed and packing serious tone. Brazilian Rosewood back and sides with some sweet figuring pairs with Adirondack Spruce on top for crispness, power, and headroom. This GS holds up handsomely under a heavier attack, thanks to this stiff Adi top. The voice combines a warm bass response with a wide midrange and focused trebles for a clean, dynamic response. The GS body occupies that sweet spot between big and small, allowing the player an extensive palette of different tunings and attacks.
Other keywords: lutherie, dan bresnan, sean bresnan, fingerstyle, 2102, brazilain, adriondack
Sale Price: $8,190 Sale! Add to cartScale Length 25.4 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - Adirondack (Red), Rosewood - Brazilian