Shop

The extra O in this 0000 stands for “Ooooh yeah.” We’re excited to land a brand new 0000-BA in Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce from the fine folks at Preston Thompson Guitars, here with a lovely chocolate burst on top plus Bloodwood appointments to set off the fretboard and headstock. The voice is quick, lively, and expressive (we honestly can’t decide if we enjoyed fingerpicking or flat picking more, it handles both so well), with a punchy, direct quality that fires right out the soundhole. Projection is crisp and even across the registers, as is note decay. The BRW back and sides add color to the bottom end while keeping the trebles glassy, and the slim 0000 sides keep the midrange punchy and articulate. Basically, whatever you throw at it, this PKT soaks right up and offers it back to you, plus interest.

Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, guitarbuilding, flatpicking, bluegrass, dreadnaught, preston thompson guitars, pkt guitars, oregon, blue grass, flatpicker, 1818

i

We just can’t keep these on the shelf! Or in the case, as it turns out. Dan and Sean Bresnan are just killing it these days with the new builds they’re sending our way. We’re caught between a rock and a hard place: keep this 2021 OM for ourselves, or do the right thing and find it’s happy new home. A crisis! But we think you should have it. This features another set from Dan’s old Brazilian Rosewood stash, and is here paired with Swiss Moonspruce on top for that characteristic glassy sound and smooth clarity we’ve come to expect from Bresnan Guitars. The setup is also silk smooth and effortless, and with a long scale 25.4” setup this OM has just the right amount of pop and snap in the bass and mids to really make it sing. The rosette is a gorgeous number win BRW and Koa, and elsewhere Bresnan lets the quality of the woods speak for themselves, rather than inlay a ton of pearl. We love the understated aesthetic that that brings about. It’s like every facet of this guitar, tonally and visually: graceful and effortless.

Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, guitarbuilding, bresnan guitars, modern guitar, brazilain, fingerstyle, om2002, ameritage

James D’Aquisto aficionados will want to see this one. Several years back we had one of D’Aquisto’s rare nylon string prototype models, and now we’ve landed a steel string that’s wooed us even more. This Deluxe 16 Inch Flattop was built in 1977 (signed 12/23/77 inside), featuring tight-flame Maple back and sides with equally tight-grained Spruce on top, a chunky neck (at 1 15/16” nut width), and Jimmy’s signature inlaid at the headstock. An oval soundhole is trimmed out with Ivoroid to match the body and neck bindings, pairing with an irregular rectangular Ebony bridge and through saddle. The body is deep (just over 5” at the tail), and the added depth gives a powerful push to the voice that really opens up under a flatpick. That said, this D’Aquisto Flattop is also a fabulous guitar to play with fingers; in spite of its capacious dimensions this ones responds beautifully to a lighter attack, and has excellent clarity and sustain.
We’re proud to offer this rare piece of D’Aquisto history for its next happy home; please reach out with any and all questions.

Other keywords: daquisto, 106, petteway, archtop

Don Musser, well damn. This Dread is an articulate beast, a mix of crackling livewire energy and crisp note definition and smooth decay. Brand new to boot! Part of Don’s secret (aside from his invaluable voicing techniques) is his life as a tonewood dealer, giving him access to the best materials. Take the woods on this number: The Tree Mahogany back and sides, Colorado Blue Spruce top, Honduran Mahogany neck plus BRW headplate. And Curly Maple bindings to tie it all together (and a lovely sunburst on top to offset the Pearl trim and rosette). The setup is silk smooth and responsive to a light touch just as much as a heavier attack. It’s a powerhorse (that’s a powerhouse workhorse).

Other keywords: tone wood, fingerstyle, abalone, mop, mother of pearl, fingerpicking, dreadnaught, 25.5, 354, quilted mahogany

This is not your average Dreadnought. Wilhelm Henkes and Rudolph Blazer of Blazer & Henkes fame are true masters of lutherie, and this 2008 Phoenix 28 is here to prove it. Gorgeous Brazilian Rosewood back and sides, Austrian Alpine Moonspruce on top, and 28-style appointments in the prewar American fashion: this guitar has classic beauty, but there’s extra magic working under the hood with a forward shifted X and scalloped braces. The voice of this Dreadnought is exquisitely clear and resonant; it responds to every shift in attack, offering a crisp and articulate tone with blazing extra definition in the bass and trebles. The tonewoods have opened up handsomely in the past 10 years, and we love the neck carve and setup, it’s easy on the hands, easy on the fingers. We can’t find a single thing we don’t love about this Blazer & Henkes Phoenix 28.

Other keywords: luthier, pre-war, dreadnaught, flatpicking, bluegrass, vintage

The relationship between John Mayer and Martin has yielded a number of incredible models—and we’ve just landed a single owner 2018 D-45 John Mayer Signature that’s proof. Based off of a D-45 Mayer found in Japan in the 70s, he and Martin worked together testing out various wood combinations, eventually settling on Guatemalan Rosewood and Engelmann Spruce. The top has a hybrid bracing system of Adirondack Spruce cross braces with Sitka Spruce tonebars, a combo they landed on after several different iterations. And this beauty is number 32 of an exclusive 45 ever built! The neck is Martin’s vintage-style Full Thickness profile, which feels chunky and full in-hand. With a 1 11/16” nut, though, the play feel is still comfortable and effortless; this D-45 John Mayer plays handsomely. Wrapping up the package, we have Abalone trim on top and along the heel and endgraft, plus 45-style Abalone hexagram position markers along the fretboard.

Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, c.f. martin, martin guitars, 2175005, 45 style, signature guitar, dreadnaught

With a guitar from Jason Kostal, we know we’ve got a special treat in store. After apprenticing under the godfather of modern guitarbuilding, Ervin Somogyi, Kostal struck out on his own several years back, and he’s been hard at work honing his own style and voice. The result? This work of elegance from 2020. Here Jason lets the tonewoods speak for themselves—dark Indian Rosewood, pale German Spruce, Rosewood bridge and two-tone headstock veneers. At the soundhole he used his trademark Stained Glass rosette to add a splash of color (here a mix of purples, lilacs, and earthy pinks); otherwise, it’s the quality of the craftpersonship and the materials that dictate the aesthetic.
That understated quality is echoed in the voice to a degree as well. Note definition is smooth and balanced across the registers, and we love that the response is even and consistent along the fretboard. There are also some haunting treble overtones that come out under a delicate and spacious touch which we loved. The setup is silk smooth to the touch, just like every other aspect of this Kostal OM.

Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, fingerpicking, stain glass rosette, hoffee, 2-tone headstock, 171