Mark Blanchard went above and beyond the call of duty, way beyond. Our latest Blanchard Dream Series, number four, is the complete fingerstyle package. Mark’s Sequoia body with its generous 16” lower bout for bass and projection, a body wedge for player comfort (not to mention the Laskin-style arm bevel), multiscale fretboard (26.25-25.25”), EVO frets, soundport, cutaway—every feature you need for an effortless playing experience, no matter what crazy tuning.
Top shelf Brazilian Rosewood from our personal DG stash for the back and sides, and it’s paired with a creamy European Spruce top and Honduran Mahogany neck. We love just how easily this guitar plays from nut to saddle. The multiscale board allowed us to dip down into C territory without getting splashy, and it didn’t matter if we were plucking with fingers or picks: the voice was present, expansive, and enveloping. If there’s a flub note hidden in this Blanchard Dream Series, we haven’t found it yet, but we’ll keep playing just in case. For science. We’ll do other things around the office too. Honest.

Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, dream guitar, bespoke guitar, all the stops, custom guitar, fan fret, fanned fret, hoffee flight case

The goal of all of our Dream Series Limited Editions is very simple. We ask the luthiers to build there very best guitars and allow them the freedom to do it. This Mark Blanchard Dream Series Tamarack is a wonderful example of what can happen. Premium Old, Growth Brazilian Rosewood shaped into the Manzer Wedge Body, a perfect European Spruce top voiced to perfection and the first ever multiscale instrument from Mark Blanchard! We asked for a 25″-26″ fan on this one which makes the versatile Tamarack design even more so. This combination of scales is perfect for moving between Standard, DADGAD and Alternate Tunings, plus you get improved intonation and feel all the time. To complete this amazing instrument Mark Blanchard added a soundport and his famous ComfyCorner Armrest.

This beauty from 2016 is an every-note-counts kind of guitar. Tom Doerr’s such an accomplished builder, we love to spend time with any of his builds. Here’s a beautiful example of his upgraded Signature Series in the Legacy Select body (small jumbo for power, drive, and responsiveness in equal measure)—decked out with a striking set of Brazilian Rosewood for the back and sides and Adirondack Spruce on top. Ebony bindings tie them together, plus a svelte Ryan-style arm bevel for creature comforts.
And then there’s the multiscale setup. 26 inches at the bass to 25 at the trebles makes a great player for C tunings and right on up to Standard—it’s a fingerstyle masterpiece.

Other keywords: luthier, lutherie, guitarbuilding, doerr guitars, fingerpicking, modern guitar, gotoh, fan fret, fanned fret, multi scale, multi-scale

Now here’s a guitar that does. it. all. We’re big fans of multiscale instruments for all the reasons: better intonation and string tension across a wide range of tunings, easy playability for the left hand, and it looks so darn cool. Tom Doerr does it right, too. This is a Solace Select from 2012 that boasts a 27-25.25” multiscale fretboard! Sky’s the limit for tuning territory. The body is African Blackwood and Sitka Spruce—and Tom confided in us that this was the finest set of Blackwood he’s ever worked with. And we can see why: we’ve never seen ABW with such dramatic birdseye figure!
The tone is just incredible. Powerful, invigorating, room-filling. The bass register is huge, and with the 25.25” top end the trebles and mids strike a sweet balance between warmth and crispness. This Doerr works like magic in such a wide range of settings, we really think this Solact Select is a powerhouse all-around guitar.

Other keywords: luthier, lutherie, guitarbuilding, doerr guitars, fingerstyle, fingerpicking, modern guitar, gotoh

Glass smooth, and a dream machine with both hands on deck. Simon Fay’s Model One manages to pack a voluminous kind of power into an easy-playing body with only 15 inches across the lower bout, here with Madagascar Rosewood back and sides plus German Spruce on top for creamy mids and bell-like treble response. Playability is further enhanced with an understated arm bevel, florentine cutaway, and a 25.5-25″ multiscale setup. A slightly wider fingerboard with 1 13/16″ nut feels oh so comfortable for otherwise cramped chord shapes. We absolutely love this one in DADGAD, where that extended bass register really the room to stretch its legs. The voice is characterized by a smooth note-to-note balance and round trebles. Elegant Rodgers tuners at the headstock, EVO frets, and a custom Hoffee case with added Thinsulate layer for maximum protection rounds out the package.

Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, guitarbuilding, modern guitar, hoffe, fingerstyle

Simon Fay’s Model One is easy on the eyes, easy on the hands, easy on the ears. This multiscale beauty comes to us from 2015 in impeccable shape, Brazilian Rosewood back and sides, and German Spruce top. 25.5” on the bass to 25” on the treble, the fanned fretboard is a great candidate for standard pitch and more exotic tunings without confusing the left hand. Gold EVO frets insure longevity between fret jobs, and the slim neck profile is oh so smooth in hand. Bass response offers a sweet blooming effect after the initial attack, which lends itself well to DADGAD. This Simon Fay Model One is a prime example of the contemporary fingerstyle guitar: agile, responsive, and dynamic.

Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, guitarbuilding, fay guitars, brazilain, ameritage, fingerpicking multi scale, fan fret, florentine cutaway