Agile in your hands, and equal parts dry response and sustain—this 2014 Mod D from Ray Kraut stole our hearts at first glance. The back and sides are a light-brown set of Walnut, with German Spruce on top and one of Ray’s purfling-and-burl rosettes terminating toward the Florentine Cutaway. This Mod D has a thin body that’s intimate to hold, and further there’s a body wedge that makes it even gentler on the right shoulder when you play. Black Alessi tuners seal the deal.
We love multiscale fretboards for how they allow for better intonation, and keeps the bass strings crisp and responsive in lowered tunings. Ray engineered a slight slant here that’s quick and easy to pick up, from the short-scale 24.9” treble strings to a standard long-scale 25.4” on the bass. An L.R. Baggs Lyric has been installed with the volume knob recessed beneath the soundhole, and the amplified tone is wonderfully clean. This Kraut has a truly impressive projection for a thin-bodied acoustic which competes with guitars much larger. Note separation is crisp without being harsh, from the bass to the trebles. Play with picks? This MD loves it when you dig in. For fingers, it’s articulate and balanced in a way that lends extra clarity to your arrangements.
How a single guitar can work so well, for so many applications? Ray’s got the touch.
This very Kraut belongs to California Guitar Trio’s own Bert Lams! You can see Bert performing with it here: https://youtu.be/6JTL3uxSYhI. And here: https://youtu.be/q5MIrHbZLOI.
Other keywords: Somogyi, apprentice, raymond kraut, md, modified dread, modified dreadnought
I love the Modified D body shape, as it offers big and beautiful bass that doesn't overshadow the trebles. Here with Walnut and German Spruce, Ray achieves a warm and punchy bass response and wonderful clarity on top. The wedge body and multiscale make this guitar very ergonomic so it’s easy to hold. The scales here are perfect for everything from standard to drop D to DADGAD. Truly wonderful. | Scale Length | 24.9 in - 25.4 in |
|---|---|
| Nut Width | 1.75 in |
| String Spacing | 2.25 in |
| Woods | Spruce - German, Walnut |
Agile in your hands, and equal parts dry response and sustain—this 2014 Mod D from Ray Kraut stole our hearts at first glance. The back and sides are a light-brown set of Walnut, with German Spruce on top and one of Ray’s purfling-and-burl rosettes terminating toward the Florentine Cutaway
I love the Modified D body shape, as it offers big and beautiful bass that doesn't overshadow the trebles. Here with Walnut and German Spruce, Ray achieves a warm and punchy bass response and wonderful clarity on top 