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This is the first guitar we have had in the shop from North Carolina-based luthier Wes Lambe, and boy are we impressed. Just holding this Jumbo 000, you really get a sense of the passion Wes has for building guitars. Wes has a great ear when its comes to voicing his instruments, and this particular one has a full and rich tone with a panoply of pleasing overtones. The time-honored combination of Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce has been utilized to full effect here, and the evenness of tone and power from string to string, up and down the fingerboard, is remarkable. Without a doubt, this is a perfect fingerstyle guitar, with enough headroom to be really dug into with a plectrum if needed. Wes has garnered some high praise from incredible players like Pat Metheny, Charlie Hunter, Mark Kelly, and quite a few others, so you know his guitars can really sing. Grab this little gem while you can, it won’t be around long!

This Martin custom shop 0-28VS is built from Carpathian Spruce and Amazon Rosewood, and represents the cream of the crop that comes out of the Martin Guitar factory. It is incredible how much tone they were able to pack into such a little body. The basses are warm and full, betraying the fact that this is not a large body guitar. Trebles and mids blend perfectly with a little top end shimmer. Blues and ragtime feel right at home on this guitar, but it handled more modern pieces with beauty and grace. This is a perfect guitar for intimate playing sessions, or joining up with the banjo and washboard.

Here we have an R. Taylor style 1 in Red Spruce and “The Tree” quilted Mahogany. We currently have a twelve string here from R. Taylor made from the very same wood combination, and it has been interesting to see how the two different versions compare. This six string has a full voice with plenty of headroom thanks to the Red Spruce and an underlying woodiness that we expect from Mahogany. This really is an incredibly comfortable guitar to play, great for intimate practice or the big stage alike.

The R.Taylor division of Taylor guitars really knew how to build a perfect guitar, this style 1 is flawless. Built from a great set of Sinker Redwood and East Indian Rosewood, this guitar has chocolatey tones in appearance and sound. Balance is the major draw of this guitar, the basses and trebles work in harmony, never competing with one another. It is easy to get lost in the music while playing this guitar, playing is effortless. Yet another fine guitar from the R.Taylor shop.

This is an absolutely stunning Taylor Custom Dreadnought in Redwood and East Indian Rosewood. All the hallmarks of an exceptional Taylor are here, perfect execution of build quality, playability, and that Taylor tone. Redwood isn’t a tone wood that gets used a whole lot, and it’s hard to understand why, it imparts a beautiful warmth of tone. The combo of Redwood and Rosewood is a knockout pairing on this guitar, all the crispness of the Rosewood is tempered by the Redwood. The trebles are clear and blend perfectly from the mids, and from there to the basses. Also another nice touch on this Taylor is the green in the purflings, which is something we don’t see too often from Taylor. Come check it out!

There’s a very good reason why players keep an eye out for Franklin guitars built by Nick Kukich. These things have got some serious tone in ’em! This beautiful Franklin Jumbo was built in 2003, and it has all the characteristics of a standout instrument. Great tone, wide dynamic range, and easy playability. It’s hard to imagine a situation where this guitar wouldn’t shine. Whether you’re a fingerstylist or singer/songwriter, this guitar will be a great fit.

Kim Walker is a heavy hitter we get incredibly excited about around the Dream Guitars shop. Kim is known for his vintage style guitars with an incredible pre war tone. Kim is a living legend in the Lutherie community, his guitars are as close to perfect as any human is likely to get. This 000 is made with premium East Indian Rosewood and one of the finest sets of Sitka Spruce we have encountered to date. We stopped counting grain lines when we were 200 years in and had gone less than 3.5″ across the top. The silking in this top is practically luminescent, shimmering uniformly across the board. Every detail on this piece is flawlessly executed and Kim even mixes his own varnish recipe for some of the finest finish you’ll ever see on a guitar… ever.

While looks and reputation are important, it’s truly the voice of this thing that sets it apart from the rest and just might shatter your preconceptions of what a good guitar is. It has a warmth and brilliance to it that fascinates and draws you into its sound. It is exceptionally rare to find such a balanced tone, one where every string has a full bodied voice. It’s a pleasure to listen to, even when plucking a single note and just letting it ring. But when you play the strings together, this Walker sounds heavenly, with a ringing chorus of tone that emanates from the sound hole whenever you strike a chord. This is a guitar from one of the big boys, and it lives up to its reputation.