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What better way to celebrate four decades in the lutherie business than a limited run of your highest-calibre guitars? George Lowden’s 40th Anniversary guitars come in a range of body shapes, but each has its special designation as an anniversary guitar, and each and every one has been built without compromise, and with heritage-grade tonewoods. The Brazilian Rosewood back and sides on this O-35x feature an electrifying grain pattern that caught our eye right out the gate. Lowden then paired that with a Redwood top for warmth and color, and Koa bindings and arm bevel to tie it together.

This is Lowden’s biggest box, which gives extra authority and presence to the voice, not to mention increased projection and sustain. George’s GL standard neck profile is a generously curved C, and when paired with a 25 5/8” scale length and 1 3/4” nut makes for an easy playing guitar that soaks up lowered tunings like bread does butter. This is a unique breed of flattop that responds well to both picks and fingers; the dynamic range allows for both aggressive and light attacks without compromising note clarity and definition.
Lowden’s 40th Anniversary O-35x sounds as good as it feels, and it feels as good as it looks. The complete picture.

Other keywords: fingerstyle, finger style, flatpicking, ireland, irish, made in ireland, anniversary guitar, brazilain, brw, bra, O35x, 0-35x, 035x

But rarely do we find such consistent harmony between a builder’s visual and auditory aesthetics. But then, Michi Matsuda is that rare luthier. This M1 comes to us from 2007, in Brazilian Rosewood and Italian Spruce, with free arcing purflings and Spalted Maple accents on top. The Brazilian back and sides are rich and dark, with enough wildness to the grain to be eye-catching, but straight enough to be stable and true. Back on top, see how Michi sandwiched Ebony and Rosewood together for a two-layer bridge. We’re not sure of the last time a bridge design struck us as so contemporary, and so approachable at the same time.
Michi carves a swooping thumb rest out of the neck heel to get your left hand a bit closer to the fretboard extension, and the deep florentine cutaway helps even more. Such visual elegance is paired with lush, liquid trebles and surgical clarity in the bass and mids. Even a gentle touch yields up delicious, sweetly sustaining notes, and the setup is butter-smooth and equally tasty.
This Matsuda M1 is simply phenomenal.

Other keywords: lutherie, ervin somogyi, somogyi, fingerstyle, flattop, brazilain, gotoh, scalloped nut

This 2003 Schoenberg ES-Soloist comes from Bruce Sexauer, replete with Honduran Rosewood (dalbergia tucurensis, according to Bruce) back and sides, an Italian Alpine Spruce top, and Snakewood bindings for style. This Honduran Rosewood is beautifully straight-grained and quartersawn, and pairs well with the aged amber tint of the Alpine Spruce top. Together with Bruce’s lutherie chops, these coalesce into a well-oiled fingerstyle machine. Notes have excellent definition and color, with the treble strings having a particularly full and present timbre, and work well with a balanced bass and mid range response for an even-keeled playing experience.
Hefting this Soloist, you’ll be surprised to find such a featherweight instrument in your hands. This beautiful OM weighs only 3.5lbs. Waverly butterbean tuners help keep the weight down, but it’s really Bruce’s voicing and build style that make this Soloist so agile. The Italian Alpine Spruce top responds so well for both aggressive and lighter attacks, we found it difficult to find a style of fingerpicking that didn’t gel with it at the drop of a hat.
Long story short, this Schoenberg is fabulous. It feels easy, plays effortlessly, and has an immense tonal palette for the player to pick and choose from. The kind of guitar you simply don’t get tired of.

Other keywords: eric schoenberg, es-soloist, orchestra model, finger style, finger picking, 25.4, tkl

It’s perfect, really. This 2018 Somogyi OM comes to us as close to new as you can get without the wait list. Ervin’s Brazilian Rosewood stash still has a few quarter sawn gems that hearken back to prewar days, like the set used here. Chocolate-dark, straight and stable. Ervin paired that with a warm European Spruce top, bound it together with Brazilian Rosewood, and ringed in the soundhole with one of his segmented marquetry rosettes. The iconic Somogyi bridge also comes from Brazilian Rosewood, and the 14-fret Mahogany neck has a short, 24.9 inch scale for easy playability.
This Somogyi is a dream guitar, plain and simple. We know you hear that a lot, but there’s something about this OM that feels different, and sound different, than just about anything else. Ervin’s penchant for clarity, bass response, and sustain is here in full strength.
This 2018 Somogyi is a rare and precious guitar, and we can’t stress enough how beautiful it is with this guitar under your hands.

Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, contemporary guitar, responsive guitar, orchestra model, brazilain, euro spruce, fingerstyle

We love a smooth sailing guitar. One that plays easily, offers an even blend of clarity and color, and responds to a soft touch as easily as a harder hand. The sort of guitar which satisfies, pacifies, just feels good. After only a few moments with this 2016 Baranik Meridian, and we knew we were in the right place. This is a fabulous fingerstyle instrument with a dark set of African Blackwood for the back and sides, and a Colorado Blue Spruce top with Manchinga trim and Mike’s “Southwest Blue” appointment package.
Prefer lower action? Mike’s neck angle is fully adjustable with a hex wrench. Looking for a unique aesthetic to stand out from the crowd? This guitar sports sparkling blue inlays, Manchinga, Black Palm, Wenge, and Koa. Not to mention this guitar won’t be needing a fret job for a long time, thanks to gold EVO frets. Throw in a soundport for good measure, and a Cedar Creek case for safety, and there you have it: clean, smooth, beautiful: the Baranik Meridian.

Other keywords: michael baranik, meridian concert, abw, machinga, adjustable neck angle, florentine cutaway

How can one man manage to pull so much tone and understated beauty out of a few board feet of wood, a dash of bone, and a few frets? Every time a Traugott comes through our doors we ask ourselves this question anew. This 2011 Model R is, frankly, like having a six-string piano in your lap. The voice drips with butter-rich tone, but retains crystalline clarity across all the registers. Pluck the low E string, and your ear can pick apart the infinitude of over- (and under-) tones of the bass response–it’s like Jeff Traugott built an acoustic microscope instead of a guitar so you can hear an otherwise impossible degree of depth, color, and nuance.

The setup on the slim neck is gossamer, svelte as silk, and faster than you’d think. This Traugott R practically plays itself. Of course this guitar also features some of the finest Brazilian Rosewood and German Spruce available to any luthier in the world; we don’t know where Jeff managed to find all this incredible tonewood, but boy are we happy he did! You can ring the bells that are these trebles for days and not get tired. Regardless of tuning, style, picks or fingers, this Traugott performs like an extension of your arm–if your arm was so shapely, agile, and resonant.

Well how’s that for a tall drink of water on a hot summer’s day? We’ve landed a minty 2013 Collings OM2H that’s equal parts gorgeous and gregarious. Flamed Koa back and sides are paired with an Engelmann Spruce top for a crisp bass and midrange response, firecracker trebles, and an energetically-charged voice from fret 1 to 20. The soft V neck is a breeze to play, the Waverly tuners look great without adding unnecessary mass to the headstock, and it’s wrapped up in a green-lined Collings TKL case, perfectly snug.
It’s a joy to see such a well cared-for Collings with a crisp and responsive voice like this OM2H. The fit and finish are, as expected, flawless. The perfect deal.

Other keywords: bill collings, orchestra model, fingerstyle, fingerpicking, 0m, englemann, engleman, herringbone