Instruments
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Add to Compare1995 Greg Smallman Concert Brazilian/Cedar
Greg Smallman has been one of the top innovators in the Classical guitar building world for many years. Although his instruments may not seem all that different from the norm on the outside, strike one note and you will know straight away that something very different is happening beneath your fingertips. This 1995 Smallman Concert model in Brazilian Rosewood and Cedar is unlike any classical guitar we have ever played. It is exceptionally loud–even without having to drive it hard, this guitar will genuinely fill up a room with profound and complex tones. It maintains a beautiful and lush voice at full volume with no distortion or tubbiness to be found anywhere. Greg has achieved this sound by making radical changes to the inner structure of the guitar, utilizing lattice bracing and carbon fiber combined with an incredibly thin top plate. The Smallman guitar is so special in fact that Legendary concert performer John Williams has used a Smallman guitar for a large part of his performing career. This is a life-changing guitar that will make a perfect instrument for the concert perfomer.
“All the guitars at Dream Guitars are special and unique. Occasionally, a guitar lands here that is truly outstanding. The 1995 Greg Smallman is one such guitar. It has exceptional volume, power, balance and clarity. When I played this guitar, the sound seemed to congeal a few feet in front of the instrument and just hang there–for a really long time. The clarity and balance of each note within a chord is palpable, and the the notes just leap out of the instrument. The magic of this guitar is truly something to behold.” – David Stevenson
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.59 in Nut Width 2.06 in String Spacing 2.31 in Woods Cedar, Rosewood - Brazilian 
Add to Compare1958 Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120 Hollow Body Sunburst Maple/Maple
Here we have a 1958 Gretsch Chet Atkins Hollow Body 6120 in full Maple with that classic orange finish. The Chet Atkins Hollow Body is often hailed as the finest model of electric guitar to ever be produced by Gretsch, and with a legend like Chet claiming the model as his own you can be certain that that statement holds true. One of the biggest draws for the Chet Atkins Hollow Body is the sheer amount of versatility you can get out of it. With multiple pickup selectors and tone configurations to choose from you can easily go from Jazz to Country to Rock and it will all sound astounding on this guitar. This vintage Gretsch is in incredible shape and just raring for someone to run it through its paces.
Add to Compare2007 Gretsch Chet Atkins G6120 Maple in Orange!
Here we have a mint condition Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120 from 2007. This is the modern version of the classic 6120 Chet Atkins Hollow Body guitar. It features a 16″-wide, 2.5″-deep full hollowbody, rock maple neck, ebony fingerboard with Neo-Classic “thumbnail” inlays, dual High Sensitive Filter’Tron pickups, Grover Rotomatic machine heads, Adjusto-Matic bridge, and Bigsby B6G vibrato tailpiece. The F-Holes are painted so this guitar will not feedback. It sports the Leather belly pad, a zero-fret for easy action and a switchable Mute lever that activates a foam mute for great Rockabilly sounds. Oh What Fun!
Add to Compare2005 Gretsch G6040 MCSS Synchromatic Curly Maple/Spruce
From Gretsch – “Cat’s Eye. The G6040MCSS is a customized version of the original 400C Synchromatic™ with the addition of a single “High Sensitive” Filter’Tron™ pickup in the neck position. With its select curly maple body and fine-grained spruce top- the G6040MCSS Synchromatic Cutaway revitalizes musical history. The edges of the body, fingerboard, headstock and pickguard are fully bound in extra wide black and ivory celluloid. Other fittings include the easy-playing, oval ebony fingerboard with extra-broad nickel silver frets, Chromatic™ tailpiece and Synchronized™ bridge.”
Add to Compare1955 Gretsch Country Club Cadillac Green
One of the most traditional of the Gretsch line, The 1955 Country Club 6193 was the first to sport the cutout G Tailpiece and it was also the first year for the Cadillac Green color. The tone of the DeArmond Dynasonic pickups on this guitar is amazing. The condition is excellent as is the playability, this is so much fun it should be illegal. We love it!
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.25 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2 in Woods Acacia, Cadillac Green Laminate 
Add to Compare2017 Greven 1937 OM, Brazilian Rosewood/Adirondack Spruce
2017 John Greven 1937 OM model. Adirondack Spruce on top, Brazilian Rosewood back and sides, with classic appointments. This is the blueprint of the OM guitar style, offering a full vintage sound and feel—without having to break the bank to get an OM from the 1930s. It’s about as good as it gets. Waverly tuners, Koa bindings, and a superior case, all ready to go.
Other keywords/misspellings: Luthier, lutherie, bespoke, repro, matrin, preawar, orchestra model,
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.4 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.27 in Woods Spruce - Adirondack (Red), Rosewood - Brazilian 
Add to Compare2007 Greven The Vintage L-00v, Mahogany/Sitka Spruce
From 2007, we have a Greven “The Vintage L-00v” with a classic tonewood combo of Mahogany and Sitka Spruce. This little guy has some serious mojo, strong energy, and vintage vibes. The extra wide nut width and string spacing make this a fingerpicker’s dream. It features a robust sunburst stain, a classic Gibson Kalamazoo-style pickguard, and aged ivoroid appointments. It looks, feels, sounds, and plays like a classic. Check out the demo for yourself!
Other keywords/misspellings: Luthier, lutherie, bespoke, blues, folk, americana,
SOLD Read moreScale Length 24.9 in Nut Width 1.84 in String Spacing 2.28 in Woods Spruce - Sitka, Mahogany 
Add to Compare2010 Greven 000-42, Brazilian Rosewood/Lutz Spruce
One of but five 000-42 models ever made by the one and only John Greven! And what a treat. John picked out a colorful set of Brazilian Rosewood for the body and paired that with Lutz Spruce on top, a dark blue-green 42-style trim package, and caps the headstock with an intricately inlaid and engraved torch. Not to mention the intricate tree of life across the fretboard. John set this beauty up with a 1 13/16” nut and very soft V neck, plus a short scale setup of 24.625” for a warm, round, easy-playing effect. Built in 2010, this lovely Greven 000-42 has opened up handsomely and is ready for more action.
Here’s an additional demo of this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz6e9UaJVhk.
Other keywords: grevn, grevan, luthier, lutherie, fingerstyle, vintage style, brazilain, 12 fret, 2384
SOLD Read moreScale Length 24.625 in Nut Width 1.813 in String Spacing 2.313 in Woods Spruce - Lutz, Rosewood - Brazilian 
Add to Compare2016 Greven The 000-12 Custom, Brazilian Rosewood/Engelmann Spruce
Power and poise, in a petite package! This 2016 Greven is the real deal, folks, a powerhouse that loves an aggressive attack but has the responsiveness and dynamic range to bloom under a light touch too. Fingers and picks both welcome! We don’t often find guitars that really manage to work well for both, but this 000-12 Custom is one of those rare pieces. Moreover this beauty is outfitted with gorgeous, straight-grained Brazilian Rosewood and high-altitude harvested Engelmann Spruce, has a chunky and wide neck that’s oh. so. comfortable with its 1 25/32” nut, and subtle Abalone top trim to tie it all together. The voice pairs up a lively and warm bass response with a rich midrange and smooth, glassy top end. It’s a great choice for Standard as well as DADGAD and even C tunings. The Engelmann Spruce John used here came from a tree cut from the top of a range in the Rockies, and features incredibly tight grain. John typically preferred not using Engelmann, but these few sets had the qualities we associate with Adirondack—headroom, clarity, power—and John put them to proper use. The Brazilian is even more unique: this prewar straight-grain stock came from a 1937 log that yielded only a handful of sets. This lines up with Martin stock of the time as well, and as John believes, could have come from near where Martin sourced their coastal Brazilian Rosewood with its characteristic reds and dark winter growth lines.
Other keywords: grevn, grevan, luthier, lutherie, fingerstyle, vintage style, brazilain, 12 fret, 2297
SOLD Read moreScale Length 24.9 in Nut Width 1.78 in String Spacing 2.313 in Woods Spruce - Engelmann, Rosewood - Brazilian 
Add to Compare2006 Greven The Prairie State, Brazilian Rosewood/Lutz Spruce
How one man could manage to churn out so many hundreds of incredible guitars is beyond us, but here we have John Greven doing just that. This 2006 The Prairie State model is his 1,601st guitar—and that was 13 years ago. Custom built for a client who elected for John’s stash of primo Brazilian Rosewood and Lutz Spruce, this guitar also has dark green Abalone like you’d find on a prewar Martin, and a torch inlay at the headstock. The lower bout, in true homage to the Larson Brothers’ Prairie State line, is a handsome (handful?) 17 inches, but the sides are only 3 1/2 inches at the heel. The shallow depth gives extra punch and clarity to the voice, and that expansive lower bout helps bring out an energetic bass response. This beautiful Greven comes wrapped up in a custom Calton flight case to keep it safe on those rare occasions when you won’t be playing it (everyone’s gotta sleep, eventually, right?)
Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, guitarbuilding, guitar building, greven guitars, fingerstyle, fingerpicking
SOLD Sale! Read moreScale Length 25.4 in Nut Width 1.8125 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - Lutz, Rosewood - Brazilian 
Add to Compare1999 Greven FXN, Brazilian Rosewood/German Spruce
Power! With clarity. Check out this 1999 Greven FXN if you want a powerhouse 12-fretter that handles picks and fingers equally well. Gorgeously chocolate-colored Brazilian Rosewood back and sides and German Spruce on top in John’s 000+ body size makes for a vigorous and pronounced bass response; it’s an exquisite instrument for lowered tunings. We’re suckers for Open G here. It weighs just a little over four pounds and feels pretty light and agile in hand. Gold Waverly tuners in a slotted headstock gives the FXN a touch of added elegance, and John used a batch of his fine, micro-herringbone trim for the top. The neck has a vintage-style V carve that feels comfy in hand, and ties in nicely with John’s aesthetic style elsewhere with the body curves reminiscent of a 000 which has been coaxed wide across the upper and lower bouts. All wrapped up in a Calton case to boot!
Other keywords: grevn, grevan, luthier, lutherie, fingerstyle, vintage style, brazilain, 12 fret
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.4 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.125 in Woods Spruce - German, Rosewood - Brazilian 
Add to Compare2014 Greven 0-12-28 Vintage, Brazilian/Adirondack Spruce
From the man who has single-handedly built thousands of guitars, we’ve got a vintage-style gem in the shop now that stands out from the crowd. This 2014 0-12-28 Vintage is a parlor built after John’s 1935 style, which includes hide glue, tucked braces, unstained Mahogany neck and V profile, and pyramid bridge. The back and sides are referred to as “Barn Beam” Brazilian Rosewood, and on top there’s surprisingly tight-grained Adirondack Spruce. This guitar features the very last of Greven’s ultra fine herringbone around the top, and Grained Ivoroid bindings complete the picture against the zigzag backstrip and vintage-tinted finish. Finally, this Greven 0 comes in a custom Cedar Creek case wrapped in a faux ostrich exterior (which, like John’s micro herringbone, is no longer available).
This 0-12-28 delivers when it comes time to put finger to string. The balance between registers is consistent along the neck, with the 12-fret neck join granting extra warmth and color to the mids and trebles. We loved playing this Greven in open tunings, but it handles standard tuning with aplumb for blues, rags, and beyond. This beau only weighs 3lbs 10oz! You hardly notice it’s in your lap.
An easy playing Greven that looks and feels like the real prewar deal? This 0-12-28 Vintage, to a T.
Other keywords: grevn, grevan, luthier, lutherie, fingerstyle, vintage guitar, vintage style, adriondack, brazilain
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - Adirondack (Red), Rosewood - Brazilian 
Add to Compare1985 Greven #500 White Lady, Cocobolo/German Spruce
Few milestones are quite so handsome as John Greven’s #500 White Lady. From the baseline gorgeousness of brick-red Cocobolo and tight-grained German Spruce, the eye candy has only one direction to go, and that’s up. So much canvas to make use of, and John didn’t shy away. The fretboard, headstock, bridge, pickguard, purflings—all inlaid in Abalone and Mother-of-Pearl. A moon-silhouetted woman poses between the tuner posts, and an etched dragon lurks on the opposite side between the tuner machines. An Ivory face is inset into the heel, itself ornately carved and abutting the sides with Ivoroid and MOP, and Ivory for both nut and saddle. Thistles and vines twine across the length of the fretboard, populated by sprites and winged creatures.
The generous curves of the 16 inch lower bout lend the voice a heaping spoonful of extra bottom end that retains clarity and articulation. An incredible flatpicker; the slight V neck gives the left thumb a bit to hang onto. When we went south into dropped tunings, Greven #500 kept up without breaking a sweat. This is the sort of guitar which, the more you dig in, the more it gives back. It’s opened up handsomely over the past few decades, and after some recent neck and setup work by Pat Diburro, this swansong of a milestone is ready for many more years of action.
Believe us when we say there’s not another guitar quite like this one in existence, especially considering that John has since developed an allergy to Cocobolo–this is one of only a very small handful of Cocobolo Grevens in existence.
Other spellings: graven, grevan, white laydie, grevin, grevne,
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.4 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.1875 in Woods Spruce - German, Rosewood - Cocobolo 
Add to Compare1980 Greven 0000, Brazilian/Adirondack
A quality 0000 comes up for sale but so often, and one from John Greven even less so. This aged beauty comes to us all the way from 1980, and it’s got the mojo working with finish crazing, whip-crack bass, and a chunky C neck that verges on the softest V you’ll ever lay hands on.
The wood game is on point: brick-red Brazilian Rosewood and 1000 thread count tight-grain Adirondack Spruce on top. Rosewood peghead overlay, Rosewood bridge, and an L.R. Baggs Lyric pickup is the cherry on top (well, bridge plate to be exact). The Lyric is a lively fellow with a volume knob adhered under the soundhole, and captures the acoustic tone of the top while simultaneously canceling out the “boxy” tones other in-guitar mics suffer from.
The 0000 has some serious hips but slender sides, marrying projection with clarity. This Greven 0000 gives you all that in a sweetly opened-up package.
Alternative spellings: grevan, graven, oooo
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.156 in Woods Spruce - Adirondack (Red), Rosewood - Brazilian 
Add to Compare2014 Greven 1937-D-28V, Brazilian Rosewood/Adirondack Spruce
Don’t have the investment portfolio needed to afford an actual 1937 D-28? Try a spec-for-spec recreation from a master like John Greven. Gorgeous, straight-grained Brazilian Rosewood, Adirondack Spruce, V neck that rounds out as you approach the heel, yellow-toned Grained Ivoroid bindings and herringbone trim. All the I’s are dotted, the T’s crossed (with one extra T: this beauty comes with an adjustable truss rod).
The tone! This Greven 1937-D-28V has a bass response that goes down smooth, an articulate middle register with added note definition, and trebles that cut well but don’t bleed into the other strings. A primo example of a traditional-style Dreadnought.
John Greven’s got the chops, and we’ve got the guitar to prove it!
Alternative spellings: graven, grevan, d28, d28v, dreadnaught, dreadnot, dreadknot, martin
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.4 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - Adirondack (Red), Rosewood - Brazilian