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
The Prairie State is well known to vintage guitar lovers. It was a jumbo size guitar made famous by the Larson brothers of the 1930s. Several makers have kept the legacy of the Prairie State alive, but few have made as many as John Greven. 17 inches across the lower bout, slim front to back: you get a powerhouse guitar perfect for blues in ragtime but that you can also hold comfortably. A guitar like this is pure fun, like driving a Maserati. | Scale Length | 25.4 in |
|---|---|
| Nut Width | 1.8125 in |
| String Spacing | 2.25 in |
| Woods | Spruce - Lutz, Rosewood - Brazilian |
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
The Prairie State is well known to vintage guitar lovers. It was a jumbo size guitar made famous by the Larson brothers of the 1930s 