This is not your average Dreadnought. Wilhelm Henkes and Rudolph Blazer of Blazer & Henkes fame are true masters of lutherie, and this 2008 Phoenix 28 is here to prove it. Gorgeous Brazilian Rosewood back and sides, Austrian Alpine Moonspruce on top, and 28-style appointments in the prewar American fashion: this guitar has classic beauty, but there’s extra magic working under the hood with a forward shifted X and scalloped braces. The voice of this Dreadnought is exquisitely clear and resonant; it responds to every shift in attack, offering a crisp and articulate tone with blazing extra definition in the bass and trebles. The tonewoods have opened up handsomely in the past 10 years, and we love the neck carve and setup, it’s easy on the hands, easy on the fingers. We can’t find a single thing we don’t love about this Blazer & Henkes Phoenix 28.
Other keywords: luthier, pre-war, dreadnaught, flatpicking, bluegrass, vintage