2009 Ryan Nightingale, Madagascar Rosewood/Caspian Spruce

Kevin Ryan’s guitars are known for being methodically engineered for fingerstyle music and dressed to the nines with ergonomic features. We recently landed a whopper that exemplifies all of that and more. This 2009 Nightingale was custom built for a client who needed a thinner body for playability, so Kevin reduced the depth of the sides by a half inch, and added his acoustic flutes and arm bevel and a short 25” scale fretboard to make this instrument as effortless as possible. Primo-grade Madagascar Rosewood make up the arched back and sides, which Kevin paired with a set of his Caspian Spruce (Picea Orientalis), and a rose inlaid into the headstock from none other than inlay virtuoso Larry Robinson. The neck is reinforced with graphite rods, which enabled Kevin to pare the neck carve down to a trim C shape that flattens slightly at the peak.

Additionally, there’s an L.R. Baggs Lyric pickup installed, a Calton flight case custom fit for this Nightingale’s unique dimensions, and a fresh set of frets ready for action. The voice has opened up into a sweet panoply of overtones and clear fundamental since 2009. The trebles have that round quality reminiscent of bells, and we love how silkily the bass notes roll out of this guitar. With Kevin’s acoustic flutes, the player gets a bit extra in their ear, which is a wonderful boon when you’re on stage, or playing with another musician. In short, this Ryan Nightingale is the complete package for playability with no sacrifice to tone and projection.

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