- Sort by Default
- Display 15 Products per page
-
Add to Compare2007 Circa D-28, Brazilian Rosewood/Adirondack Spruce
No one’s challenging John Slobod’s title as one of the masters of the traditional form, and here’s why: this D-28 is the spitting image of its vintage predecessor, with a voice to melt the heart of anyone with ears to hear. Dramatic waves to the Brazilian Rosewood grain and a perfectly toned Adirondack Spruce top, what more could a Bluegrass picker ask for?
The neck profile feels familiar at the first touch. Fit and finish excellent throughout, with a classic, understated traditional aesthetic with herringbone trim and squared off headstock. In fact, we’re hard-pressed to find anything less than amazing with this Dreadnought. It’s got a few years under its belt and has opened up very nicely, but it’s going to sound even better with a few more strums–if you’re in the market for as vintage as you can get without actually travelling back in time (or taking out a second mortgage), this Circa D-28 is one of the best deals you’ll find. Even beyond that, this Circa has the added presence, articulation, and balance of a modern maker at the top of his game, making this dreadnought right at home for even a light attack, fingerpicking, you name it.
Here’s an additional demo for your viewing pleasure: https://youtu.be/JK3z3hBJNb0
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.4 in Nut Width 1.688 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - Adirondack (Red), Rosewood - Brazilian 
Add to Compare2017 Robbins R.1, Cocobolo/Engelmann Spruce
This 2017 Robbins R.1ca slayed us. Gorgeous Cocobolo back and sides, Engelmann Spruce top, Ebony bindings; that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Tyler garnished the bass lower bout with a bold arm bevel, infused the segmented rosette with Cocobolo, added a Florentine Cutaway, and inlaid the back and endgraft with “sunken” Cocobolo veneers that are below the surface of the surrounding wood and filled in with clear epoxy. The effect is three-dimensional and allows the inset Cocobolo to really pop. The voice: excellent responsiveness, a little crackle in the bass for extra definition, an impressive panoply of overtones in the upper mids and trebles to flesh out chords. Even under a light attack, this R.1ca offers lush notes and heady sustain. To say we’re impressed would be an understatement.
Here’s an additonal demo: https://youtu.be/OQRB7aLazSs
Other keywords: lutherie, inlay, luthier, guidry, galloup, resin, fingerstyyle, gotoh, exclusive
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.5 in Nut Width 1.81 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - Engelmann, Rosewood - Cocobolo 
Add to Compare2017 Maingard OM, Brazilian Rosewood/Italian Spruce
Our 2017 Maingard OM has a smooth, enveloping voice that you usually only find in older, opened up guitars. Marc fit this one with a striking set of Brazilian Rosewood plucked as the pick of his dwindling supply of primo-grade Braz. That’s paired with one of the finest Italian Spruce tops Marc had, and a Venetian Cutaway, added both his arm and rib bevels to the mix, and capped it all with a 12-fret neck. Moving the bridge further down the top helps activate it for that extra oomph of richness, and the standard 25.4” long scale board keeps the bass crisp and responsive.
We found this Maingard to respond handsomely to a fingerstyle approach, especially in dropped tunings, and the setup is easy on the hands. If you let the trebles ring out, you’ll pick up a second wave of overtones that rise up once the initial attack decays—an asset when you want slower pieces to hang in the air. With a guitar like this, it’s easy to lose track of time.
Other keywords: south africa, marc maingard, lutherie, sapwood, 12 fret, OM-12, 000
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.4 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.188 in Woods Spruce - Italian, Rosewood - Brazilian 
Add to Compare1994 Olson SJ, Indian Rosewood/Sitka Spruce
The only thing better than an Olson? An Olson SJ that’s been played in and opened up for a few decades. This number from 1994 is just such a guitar—excellent articulation and balance, perfectly clear and engrossing. We love this one for fingerstyle in Open D, but honestly it’s a winner in any tuning. Indian Rosewood body with Sitka Spruce on top, plus tortoise-style bindings and herringbone trim. Setup is gossamer, and in really great shape overall, especially considering it’s almost three decades old! Snag this one before it’s gone, or we decide to keep it for ourselves.
Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, guitarbuilding, james olson, james taylor, 5-ply, fingerpicking, 25.4, 524
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.4 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - Sitka, Rosewood - Indian 
Add to Compare2001 Gibson AJ Custom Shop, Brazilian Rosewood/Adirondack Spruce
Take a load off and pick up this powerhouse Gibson AJ if you’re looking for a helluva time. You’ll need to hold on and keep up, because it’s got heaps of energy and it’s raring to go. This unique Custom Shop comes from 2001 and is so wide awake, it’s scary. Equally at home with fingers as with picks, and it plays great with both a light touch and a more aggressive attack. Kevin Kopp (of Kopp Guitars fame) was working in Gibson’s Custom Shop team when this order came down the line, so no surprise that this one’s got some extra heat in the sauce, so to speak. This beauty is dressed to the nines with Pearl trim, as well as engraved MOP position markers such as you’d otherwise only see on a Gibson banjo fretboard, and they went with a 30s-style sunburst in ultra thin Nitrocellulose Lacquer. As a result of said thinness, there are several finish checks, which we find only adds to the vintage vibes. Old growth Brazilian Rosewood back and sides—gorgeous stuff—plus Adirondack Spruce on top makes for an absolute beast of a guitar. Do yourself a favor, snag this one before it croons itself right out the door.
Other keywords: 02881078, allen shadd, al petteway, shade top, slope shoulder, slope dreadnought, fingerpicking, custom guitar
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.375 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - Adirondack (Red), Rosewood - Brazilian 
Add to Compare1999 Tippin JT, Sinker Mahogany/Adirondack Spruce
Wide awake! Raring to go, and packing quite a wallop. Here we have Bill Tippin’s OMT/JT design, a deep body OM, rigged up with Sinker Mahogany back and sides plus Adirondack Spruce on top, Ivoroid bindings, and an incredibly powerful voice. Great presence and projection, combined with Bill’s knack for clarity and note definition, comes together in this does-it-all guitar. Handles flatpicking with aplomb; fingerpicking just as well. This big ole beauty comes to us from 1999, and don’t we love to see how it’s opened up since then.
Ready for a hold-onto-your-hat kind of experience? This 1999 Tippin OMT has the keys in the ignition.Other keywords: bill tippin, tippin guitars, 0499107, schaller, mop, lutherie, fingerstyle
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.4 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - Adirondack (Red), Mahogany - Sinker 
Add to Compare2004 Taylor XXX-BE, Brazilian Rosewood/Engelmann Spruce
To honor Bob’s 30th anniversary building guitars under the Taylor name, a limited number of premium XXX-BE guitars were built. We’ve got number 126 of 150 here, an exquisite Grand Concert in Brazilian Rosewood and Engelmann Spruce that’s topped off with commemorative inlays across the fretboard extension and a slotted headstock on a 14-fret neck. Since 2004, this Taylor has been well-cared for with hardly a mark on her mirror-sheen body.
We were delighted to find an added layer of definition and sustain in the bass register which paired well with the smooth and crisp top end. Since it’s such an excellent fingerstyle guitar, we put it through its paces in a few open tunings, and found Taylor’s trademark playability to shine through in each. The body and rosette are trimmed out in dark Abalone, and the neck has a neck with a crushed velvet-like feel that remains smooth to the touch even after our hands warmed up, as can happen with a glossy neck.
It’s a wonder this Taylor XXX-BE has been so well preserved, and we’re proud to offer it in such fine condition.
Other keywords: anniversary guitar, andy powers, robert taylor, gc, xxxbe, englemann, brazilain
SOLD Read moreScale Length 24.875 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.188 in Woods Spruce - Engelmann, Rosewood - Brazilian 
Add to Compare1994 Olson SJ Cutaway, Indian Rosewood/Cedar
There’s magic, and then there’s magic. This 1994 Olson SJ Cutaway gets it on both ends: first, it’s got Jim Olson’s masterwork hands voicing every element to perfection, and second, it’s got the ineffable qualities of time and music. This Olson has been played extensively for nearly 30 years, and has blossomed oh so sweetly. The voice is immediately lyrical, rich and balanced. There are so many melodies under the strings and along the fretboard. Indian Rosewood body with Cedar on top, florentine cutaway, and Jim’s trademark MOP dove fingerboard inlays. Additionally, this one has been outfitted with a dual pickup system, combining a Fishman rig with a Sunrise soundhole pickup and two output jacks at the tail. Running both at once gives you a faithful sound, and the Sunrise pickup especially helps bring out tap style play.
Hands down, this Olson has handled a ton of good music, and it’s got room for so much more. Our repair staff has recently drop filled and buffed the top so it’s looking great, and they refretted it for effortless playability. Plus, this comes in an older, bombproof Calton case to keep it safe.Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, james olson, james taylor, 511, fingerpicking, strap lock
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.4 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Cedar, Rosewood - Indian 
Add to Compare2017 Tippin Forte, Brazilian Rosewood/Adirondack Spruce
Bill Tippin has been one of our favorite builders for just about as long as we’ve been in business. Why? A gorgeous aesthetic married with expressive, articulate voices that draw player and listener in every time. This 2017 Forte model is one to lose track of time with. Handles flatpicking with aplomb, but also sensitive enough for a light fingerstyle touch; at home in altered tunings without losing oomph and string energy. It does it all, and it does so exceedingly well. Then there are the upgrades: Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce, African Blackwood bindings and bridge plus rosette, arm bevel, subtle soundport. The fretboard is adorned with a spray of stone and pearl inlays, pairing up with delicate, slender pearl purflings at the body and headstock.
Bill Tippin takes the cake and brings an extra dose of buttercream frosting with this 2017 Forte.Other keywords: bill tippin, tippin guitars, 0716007, fingerpicking, abw, waverly, mop, lutherie
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.5 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.313 in Woods Spruce - Adirondack (Red), Rosewood - Brazilian 
Add to Compare1995 Collings D3BaaaA, Brazilian Rosewood/Adirondack Spruce
The D3 is one of Collings’ top of the line dreadnoughts, and this D3BaaaA comes upgraded with AAA Brazilian Rosewood back and sides, Adirondack Spruce on top, and an intricate flowerpot rendered in Abalone to offset the gold Waverly tuners. Such a voice on this one! Expansive projection, very lively and articulate bottom end, plus trebles that cut right through the mix. Truly, playing this Collings give you the sensation of holding a living thing. Built in 1995, this D3BaaaA has opened up heaps in the intervening years; ready for more action. Additionally, this dreadnought comes wrapped up in a sturdy Calton flight case to keep it safe and sound.
Other keywords: bill collings, 1608, ’95, dreadnaught, brazilain, adriondack, bluegrass
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.4 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.188 in Woods Spruce - Adirondack (Red), Rosewood - Brazilian 
Add to Compare2017 Froggy Bottom H-12 Deluxe, Mahogany/Adirondack Spruce
Built in 2017, wide awake, oh so raring to go. Here’s a Froggy Bottom H-12 Deluxe to write home to the folks about. Adirondack Spruce on top with Mahogany back and sides, 12 fret neck join and a 25 inch scale makes for easy playability; deluxe appointments include fleur-de-lis position markers and an engraved Froggy Bottom Abalone headstock logo. Curly Maple bindings plus a slotted headstock and nickel Waverly tuners complete the portrait of a powerhouse model H from Froggy Bottom. Get this livewire before it gets gone!
Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, guitarbuilding, michael millard, fingerstyle, tkl, h1976
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25 in Nut Width 1.73 in String Spacing 2.313 in Woods Spruce - Adirondack (Red), Mahogany 
Add to Compare1987 Martin Ltd D-18, The Tree Mahogany/Spruce
Of course Martin knows how to make killer Mahogany Dread. How much better then, when they put together their D-18 design with the fabled The Tree wood? Turns out, a lot better. This is number 10 of a very exclusive run of 15 guitars in 1987, and has opened up handsomely in the intervening years. 18-style appointments throughout, dots at the fingerboard and gold Martin tuners. Well cared for, this D-18 Limited Edition is in excellent shape and ready for more action.
Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, c.f. martin, martin guitars, 18 style, dreadnaught, 469135
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.4 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.188 in Woods Spruce, Mahogany - The Tree 
Add to Compare2004 Traugott R, Brazilian Rosewood/German Spruce
As it is with our own children, so it is with guitars: siblings stick together. When Jeff Traugott was approached with the concept of building two sister R Model guitars–one 6-string, the other 12–he saw an opportunity to create two guitars which would grow and sing in tandem and bring out the best in each other. These two guitars are built from matching sets of Brazilian Rosewood for the backs and sides which came from the same board that was saved from its droll life as a bookshelf and transformed into two astonishingly rich guitars. Similarly, the German Spruce tops are a matched pair, as are the Fossilized Ivory nuts and saddles.
The 6-string twin may have half as many strings, but it has half again as much bass and snap as its 12-string sister. Jeff’s taste for fine-grained Brazilian Rosewood, with its enveloping sonority, and his ability to voice the German Spruce top to accentuate the upper registers, combine in the form of a guitar with flawless separation of notes and a dynamic voice. Naturally a fingerstylist’s dream, this Traugott R exudes both sizzling responsiveness and sweet, subtle overtones.
Here’s an additional demo with our own Al Petteway: https://youtu.be/yigjQyo4MuM
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.4 in Nut Width 1.688 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - German, Rosewood - Brazilian 
Add to Compare2004 Traugott R 12 String, Brazilian Rosewood/German Spruce
As it is with our own children, so it is with guitars: siblings stick together. When Jeff Traugott was approached with the concept of building two sister R Model guitars–one 6-string, the other 12–he saw an opportunity to create two guitars which would grow and sing in tandem and bring out the best in each other. These two guitars are built from matching sets of Brazilian Rosewood for the backs and sides which came from the same board that was saved from its droll life as a bookshelf and transformed into two astonishingly rich guitars. Similarly, the German Spruce tops are a matched pair, as are the Fossilized Ivory nuts and saddles.
Jeff’s abilities continue to astound: here he’s made a 12-string R with all the focus and precision of its 6-string sister. This is a 12-string like no other: where most 12’s have a big, brash voice, this 12-string is clear and articulate; where many 12’s fill a room with the sheer force of their projection, Jeff’s 12-string envelopes the air with the bell-like clarity and focus of each string pair. In a word, this 12-string speaks directly to you when another would shout at you. Fingerstylists will adore how well-balanced the guitar is across the registers, and the myriad colors that can be discovered in alternate tunings.
Here’s an additional demo with our own Al Petteway: https://youtu.be/lqPQhYt8_a4
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.4 in Nut Width 1.81 in String Spacing 2.375 in Woods Spruce - German, Rosewood - Brazilian 
Add to Compare2016 Jackson Cunningham L5, Figured Maple/Adirondack Spruce
Here’s a chance to land a gorgeous interpretation of the classic Gibson L5, this time from Jackson Cunningham of Virginia. Red Maple back and sides with Red Spruce on top, Flame Maple neck with gold hardware and a spirit varnish sunburst finish. The neck profile is a little extra crazy, which feels very comfortable and easy in our hands, and the setup is effortless to boot.
Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, jazz box, l-5, the cunningham, shade top, 1612, waverly
SOLD Read moreScale Length 24.75 in Nut Width 1.688 in String Spacing 2.188 in Woods Spruce, Maple - Figured