Bookmark this page for frequent updates. (Please scroll down for additional guitars.)
Higuerilla and Port Orford Cedar
Cocobolo Rosewood and Engelmann Spruce
Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce
Bookmark this page for frequent updates. (Please scroll down for additional guitars.)
Brazilian Rosewood and Moonspruce
Flamed Maple and Spruce
East Indian Rosewood and Sitka Spruce
Magnetic Pickup with “C” Electronics
Cocobolo Rosewood and Bearclaw Sitka Spruce
Honduran Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce
Madagascar Rosewood and German Spruce
Koa and Flamed Maple
Pernambuco and Sitka Spruce
Brazilian Rosewood and European Spruce
Figured Honduran Mahogany and Bearclaw Sitka Spruce
Brazilian Rosewood and Cedar
Collaboration between Walter Lipton and Bill Tippin. Engraved inlay by Doug Unger.
Brazilian Rosewood and German Spruce
Cypress and Cedar
Brazilian Rosewood and Sitka Spruce
Koa and Spruce
Mahogany and Spruce
Brazilian Rosewood and Cedar
Ceylon Satinwood Back/Sides, Englemann Spruce Top, Alaskan Yellow Cedar Neck
Indian Rosewood and Sitka Spruce
Black Acacia and Cedar
Maple and Spruce
Maple and Spruce
Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce
Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce
Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce
Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce
Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce
Macassar Ebony and Bearclaw Sitka Spruce
Steel Body with Gold Crystalline Finish. 1.5 Tricone Neck. 
Mahogany and Adirondack Spruce 
East Indian Rosewood and Spruce 
Padauk and Spruce
Figured Maple and Adirondack Spruce 
Granadillo and Adirondack Spruce
Sinker Honduras Mahogany and Tulip Magnolia
Tasmanian Blackwood and Lutz Spruce 
East Indian Rosewood and Carpathian Spruce 
Brazilian Kingwood and Sitka Spruce 
Cocobolo Rosewood and Bearclaw Sitka Spruce 
Bookmark this page for frequent updates. (Please scroll down for additional guitars.)
Pernambuco and Sitka Spruce
Brazilian Rosewood and European Spruce
Figured Honduran Mahogany and Bearclaw Sitka Spruce
Brazilian Rosewood and Cedar
Collaboration between Walter Lipton and Bill Tippin. Engraved inlay by Doug Unger.
Brazilian Rosewood and German Spruce
Cypress and Cedar
Brazilian Rosewood and Sitka Spruce
Koa and Spruce
Mahogany and Spruce
Brazilian Rosewood and Cedar
Ceylon Satinwood Back/Sides, Englemann Spruce Top, Alaskan Yellow Cedar Neck
Indian Rosewood and Sitka Spruce
Black Acacia and Cedar
Maple and Spruce
Maple and Spruce
Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce
Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce
Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce
Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce
Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce
Macassar Ebony and Bearclaw Sitka Spruce
Steel Body with Gold Crystalline Finish. 1.5 Tricone Neck.
Mahogany and Adirondack Spruce
East Indian Rosewood and Spruce
Padauk and Spruce
Figured Maple and Adirondack Spruce
Granadillo and Adirondack Spruce
Sinker Honduras Mahogany and Tulip Magnolia
Tasmanian Blackwood and Lutz Spruce
East Indian Rosewood and Carpathian Spruce
Brazilian Kingwood and Sitka Spruce
Cocobolo Rosewood and Bearclaw Sitka Spruce
UPDATE: Paul’s personal baritone guitar built by Ken Jones and Mountain Song Guitars has been completed and added to the Dream Guitars website!! Sorry folks, this particular one is not for sale but you can order your own Mountain Song baritone through Dream Guitars! Click here for more info on Paul’s baritone and Mountain Song or click on one of the images below to watch Al and Paul jamming away on this beauty!
COMPLETED MOUNTAIN SONG BARITONE
ORIGINAL BLOG DURING THE BUILD
Ken Jones is up to it again – this time this guitar is going right to our own Paul Heumiller. Ken is building Paul a very special 
Baritone featuring Padauk, Carolina Red Spruce and fanned-fret neck. The scale lengths range from 28.5″ on the bass side to 27.25″ on the treble. The body is slightly smaller than Jumbo proportions with a 16.5″ lower bout and 20.5″ body length, and a 4.75″ body depth at the tail, tapering to 4″ at the heel. Ken also offers the same body shape in a full-Jumbo size of 17″ LB and 21″ body length, with a 5″ body depth at the tail and 4.25″ depth at the heel. Top bracing is also Carolina Red Spruce.
“I knew for certain that I wanted the body to be Padauk Wood. The finest baritones I have ever played were made from Padauk. It has an amazing clarity that really helps the bass notes maintain separation when they’re tuned down to A or B. In recent years I have been primarily playing Fanned Fretted instruments and knew that I wanted that element as well. I play in many alternate tunings and it is key for me to have the bass strings longer than the treble strings. It insures that my bass notes will be strong and never floppy, while at the same time the trebles maintain a pleasant tension and sweet tone. Ken had a chance to get some wonderful local Carolina spruce tops from legendary luthier John Arnold so he suggested we use that for the top as it is wonderfully stiff and has incredible tap tone,” says Paul Heumiller.
Other details include ebony headplate, fingerboard, and bindings, armrest bevel and ribrest bevel and a one-piece, carbon fiber reinforced Honduran Mahogany neck with double-acting truss rod.
Paul first played a Baritone guitar at Martin Simpson’s home in England many years ago. That very first moment he felt a wave of inspiration that has led him to continue to play in alternate tunings and on Baritones ever since. Paul states, “The most wonderful thing about the Baritone guitar is that you play exactly the same piece that you would in standard pitch but everything changes. The low register, rumbling bass and sweet, lucid trebles alter the mood and inspire the soul.”
“I started to play the guitar for the sole purpose of writing songs. While I can do a lot of things on guitar, I consider myself primarily a singer-songwriter. So whether an instrumental piece or accompaniment, my Baritone guitar offers me a voice that takes me into another world, another head space and invites me to write something I would likely never find at standard pitch,” says Paul Heumiller.
Paul continues, “When I decided to invite Ken Jones of Mountain Song guitars to build me a Baritone instrument we had long conversations about the many Baritones that I have been able to play in the shop over the years. I am in the very fortunate position of getting to play the finest guitars ever made every day of my life. I have played many Baritones by Lance McCollum, Bill Tippin, David Berkowitz, Steve Klein, Ralph Bown and so many other of the finest makers in the world. So having the chance to collaborate with Ken was like dropping a three-year-old in the middle of a candy store with a credit card!!”
“It’s been really enjoyable and informative collaborating with Paul on the various design elements, from the scale-length spread, to tonewoods, to the neck shape/profile. That was particularly interesting, since we were able to look closely at some of Paul’s favorite neck shapes, and come up with a hybrid that perfectly suits his needs. It’s essentially a D-shape with a slight V carved into the bass-side. We decided to keep the adornment to a minimum, with side dots only, and just a small inlay on the fingerboard at the twelfth fret. Being a large-bodied guitar, we agreed that an arm bevel was in order, as well as a super-comfortable ribrest bevel,” says Ken Jones.
“Paul has played more of the world’s finest guitars than just about anyone out there, and it’s been a pleasure and honor to learn from his insights what makes a truly great guitar,” Ken continues.
Great news! There are two more Baritones underway from Ken and Mountain Song Guitars – one in Quilted Maple and another in Cuban Mahogany. Ken is shooting to have these completed by the end of this year. These two will have similar features however it is still early enough for customizations.
Call today 828-658-9795 to reserve and customize your own Mountain Song Baritone Guitar!!
Dream Guitars is proud to bring you some exciting news from Tippin Guitars including a brand new model and incoming DG inventory!!
Bill Tippin’s New Forte Model
First off, Bill Tippin introduced his newest creation, the Tippin Forte, at the recent Healdsburg Guitar Festival in California. This is a new model from him and is one of his most creative projects to date.
The Forte, based on his Crescendo model, was inspired by Tippin’s own personal guitar preferences. He found a way to boost the richness of the Crescendo — he increased the width of lower bout while maintaining the balance — and it’s slightly wider (3/16th”) at its widest.
Our own Paul Heumiller and Al Petteway had the privilege of playing the new Forte while out in Healdsburg. “The new Forte model from Bill Tippin has everything I love about the Crescendo, balance, clarity, power and Bill’s trademark full trebles, but it adds a bit more fullness to the bass for the player that enjoys a bit more thump in the chest. Outstanding!” – Paul H.
The Original Tippin Crescendo Model
The Crescendo, which is considered to be the cornerstone of Tippin’s entire line of guitars, is large yet versatile. Imagine a 14-fret OMT with the rich tone normally found in an 00012-fret size. The Crescendo manages to combine the feel of a 14-fret OMT while preserving the rich tone of a 12-fret body model, replete with incredible tone, balance and projection.
Dream Guitars has a pre-owned 2005 Crescendo in stock featuring Brazilian Rosewood and Carpathian Spruce – contact us if you’re interested in acquiring!
And, by the way, our own Paul Heumiller is anxiously awaiting to take delivery of his personal, custom Crescendo. Paul’s model is made from Brazilian/Moon spruce with a cutaway, MOP sparkle trim. What makes this custom job so unique is that it includes a short-scale, Fan Fret design, which will perform well in Drop-D, DADGAD and standard tunings.
The Tippin Al Petteway Signature Model
Also, Bill has embarked on a new build of the Tippin Al Petteway Signature, also based on the Crescendo model. Check out this video 
demonstration of the Petteway Signature on our YouTube channel. This instrument is representative of Bill at the top of his game, and when you listen to our studio recording you’ll understand what we mean. Interested in purchasing the incoming Tippin Al Petteway Signature model? Contact us today to learn more about your reservation options.
We do also have a pre-owned Al Petteway Signature in stock as well if you would rather not wait for the incoming guitar. This 2008 Crescendo Al Petteway Signature was actually originally purchased by Al Petteway himself and was the first Signature model ever made! This beauty features brick red Brazilian Rosewood, Moon Harvested European Spruce, an armrest bevel, beveled cutaway, and new heel design. Click here to learn more.
This is exciting stuff, folks. We all know that Grit Laskin is one of the finest luthiers around and is widely considered as a master of inlay work. Today, Dream Guitars announces that he is working on a custom guitar that we have made available for reservation with delivery expected in December.
Our own Paul Heumiller worked with Grit to develop the basic inlay ideas and Laskin took off running. As you can see in these pictures, the design is amazing, intricate and just short of groundbreaking.
Here is some of what Grit himself had to say about this piece:
One of the most beloved and influential guitarists was the legend who passed away just last year, Doc Watson. I began thinking about Doc, and about the natural world and the title from Shakespeare popped into my head: ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ which takes place in a forest. The more I read about Doc, the more his life inspired me: His musical beginnings, the events in his life that shaped him and the fact that what gave him the musical bug was the shape-note hymns sung by his mother. My brain locked onto that seminal influence and also latched onto the literal meaning of the word shape — this old-style singing shaped his life, yes, but the notes themselves also provided physical shapes in which I could place scenes and elements from his life. Bingo.
“I’m putting a large p
ortrait of Doc picking a guitar on the headstock in the same realistic I used for John Lennon on the ‘Imagine’ guitar. Flowing down the fret board are the seven basic shapes of shape notes (do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti) large enough to place within elements such as Doc’s earliest musical instruments, his early solo album, ‘Southbound,’ which first brought him to prominence. In fact, the working title of the piece is ‘Southbound.’
Talk about creative thinking.
If you’re jazzed about this guitar and Laskin’s work no one would blame you if you missed our announcement, so here it is again: This guitar is available and you can reserve it now by contacting the Dream Guitars shop near Asheville, NC, right away. If you miss this opportunity, or want to see more of Grit Laskin’s work, check out the gallery on his homepage.
A while back, guitar great Al Petteway sat in front of the camera at our showroom in Weaverville, North Carolina, just outside of Asheville, and gave us all a lesson on how to play his own composition, “Tennessee Mountain Rag,” which is included on the “Dream Guitars, Volume 1, The Golden Age of Luthiers” CD and tablature book.
For the lesson, Al plays a Tippin Al Petteway Signature Model with Brazilian Rosewood and Moon Spruce, built by one of the great luthiers in the United States, Bill Tippin of Tippin Guitars.
“In this style of music, everything is out there to be had,” Al explains when discussing his writing method for this song, which taps into many other tunes and progressions in the genre, and the way he puts it all together to make it his own. This is songwriting, folks.
Al also details his chords as well as a cool “chicken picking” technique that he uses for a neat walk-down. He also details optional rhythm choices, which he points out are reminiscent of the style of Chet Atkins. He also shows you a neat lick he learned from listening to Atkins.
You can watch the video here on our Dream Guitars YouTube channel. The “Dream Guitars, Vol. 1” CD and complete book of tablature is available in our online store. All of this and more is available in the online shopping cart.
You should also visit his website at www.alandamy.com to learn more about Al Petteway, his wife, Amy.
In many ways, Dream Guitars is not just about buying and selling amazing stringed instruments. Sometimes, we help make music. In fact, we feel that the Tony McManus album, “The Maker’s Mark: The Dream Guitars Sessions,” may have been our finest moment.
Here’s how it all went down…
A few years ago, Dream Guitars’ top dog Paul Heumiller was at the Swannanoa Gathering, which included a week of playing, meeting other musicians and generally having a blast with amazing music in the background. There, Paul met the Celtic steel-string legend and the two hit it off in a big way. As the week drew to a close, Paul made Tony an offer he couldn’t refuse.
“Next time you make an album,” Paul said, “let me know and I’ll bring a bunch of [Dream] guitars.”
Tony called a few months later, and Paul quickly found himself loading up the car with 19 guitars before driving out from Weaverville, NC, to Nashville, Tenn., and the famed Compass Records recording studio, where all of the Outlaws music was recorded, a studio that had welcomed Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Hank Williams.
“What a great vibe,” Paul explained.
For a week, Paul prepped guitars and Tony made music with several guitars, including a Greenfield, a Wingert, and a Matsuda, among others, which he selected not only because of the sound but that Tony believed that each luthier’s guitar was the right instrument for a specific song and its character.
The result of this magical week was Tony’s album, “The Maker’s Mark: The Dream Guitars Sessions.” You can find the album in our Dream Guitars shop by clicking here. “Maker’s Mark” is also available on Amazon. Paul feels strongly that this is “one of the finest solo guitar records ever” because of Tony’s expert selection process.
Each unique musical piece brings tonal variety. For the final track, “Valse de Belugas,” or “Waltz of the Belugas,” Tony used all 19 guitars and added a beautiful, 12-string Veillette Gryphon.
For the record, Acoustic Guitar Magazine has said this about Tony and his music: “Few guitarists can present Celtic music with the gusto and nuance they possess when played on fiddles or bagpipes. Tony McManus is one of those few.”
The album won the Canadian Folk Music Award in the solo instrumental category that year, and we at Dream Guitars remain as proud now as we were then.
Tony has also just released his latest recording entitled “Mysterious Boundaries.” You can check it out by visiting Tony’s website.
Last month, Dream Guitars hosted the great Steve James for the latest house concert at our Weaverville, NC, headquarters… and the house was rockin’.
Steve played Sylvester Weaver’s “Guitar Rag,” widely recognized as the first slide song ever recorded (1923). Throughout the show, Steve played his own National Resophonic instruments, including a Resorocket Wood Body WB, an NRP Black Rust and an RM1 Mandolin. He also toured our showroom and selected a few guitars from the racks to use during the show: a 1964 Gibson Sunburst SJ-200 and a Mervyn Davis SmoothTalker, a wood body instrument that that has a resonator-like quality.
Steve also wowed us with a version of “Stagger Lee,” re-written from the perspective of Stagger Lee and his John B. Stetson hat. Incredible!
Dream Guitars hosts about six house concerts a year and in the past has hosted many amazing artists, including Al Petteway and Amy White, Woody Mann, Martin Simpson, Clive Carroll, Lawrence Juber, Paul Geremia, Robin Bullock and Mary Flower to name a few.
Our next show is set for July 7 with the amazing duo of Loren and Mark. Other upcoming guests include Paul Asbell (August 3) and the return of Clive Caroll (Feb 28).
Check out our Event Calendar for more information on our house concert series.
We host a number of events here at Dream Guitars. Just one of our many ways to give back to the community and share music with others who are passionate about it. We welcome you all to come join us at a House Concert, Guitar Clinic, Setup Saturdays and other events throughout the year. Come visit Dream Guitars and the wonderful Asheville area!
About Loren and Mark
Loren Barrigar and Mark Mazengarb, both virtuoso players in their own right, ran into each other several times over the years, first meeting in 2005 at Jorma Kaukonen’s Fur Peace Ranch guitar camp when working with Tommy Emmanuel. Loren was a seasoned player making his first deep foray into the world of acoustic guitars, while Mark was in the process of finishing his degree in classical guitar at the University of North Carolina. They met again in 2009 at the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society (CAAS) convention in Nashville, Tenn., and then they were late additions to the CAAS 2010 Saturday night finale performance lineup based on what the gathering of international guitarists had heard from them during the week. You can see part of that performance here.
Together, Loren and Mark run the gamut of acoustic guitar performances of both original and arranged music. With a background of bluegrass, jazz and Western styles, their thumb-picking technique harkens back to guitar greats such as Atkins, Merle Travis and Jerry Reed. When performing original compositions, Loren brings amazing vocals along with Mark’s stunning harmonies.
They have already recorded two albums together — the first of which won the 2011 SAMMY (Syracuse Area Music Awards) Best Album at the Northeast Music Industry Conference — and have been touring as a duo since 2011. For more on Loren Barrigar and Mark Mazengarb, visit their website http://www.lorenandmark.com.
Reservations required for all events, please email [email protected] or call us at (828) 658-9795.
How it works….
Future Concerts/Clinics
Paul Asbell, Mr. Versatility on Guitar, August 3
Clive Caroll, From England! February 28 (7 pm)
Dream Guitars is now a dealer for the incredible instruments of luthier Matt Artinger. Combining sophisticated design, elegant styling and outrageously great tone, Artinger Guitars are amongst the finest electric and acoustic guitars available.
We’ve spec’d out four very special instruments for delivery this year — and the first one is set to arrive soon. If you’d like more information on the upcoming guitars, or if you’d like to learn how a custom instrument can be built for you, please give us a call anytime. Dream Guitars is delighted to be associated with Matt Artinger and his extremely fine musical instruments.
Here are some of Matt’s shop photos of the first arrival – due late February/early March.
This is a beautiful, all original vintage 1956 Les Paul Goldtop with a carved maple top and mahogany back and neck. It features a bound rosewood fingerboard with trapezoid inlay, a pearl logo and Kluson tuners with tulip shaped tuner buttons. It has many advanced features such as the stop tailpiece and Tune-O-Matic bridge made famous on late 50’s Les Pauls. This guitar features 2 “Soapbar” P-90 pickups with cream colored covers. Since it is pre 1960 it has a nice full neck. This guitar has that worn in feel that cannot be reproduced. This is a lightweight Gold Top that screams. The neck is simply wonderful, and the entire guitar sings with a classic tone from a bygone era.
“Ok, now we are having fun! This is the real deal, a completely original, solid, lightweight, incredible soulful 1956 Les Paul Gold Top – The one to own. This one has to be played to be believed. The feel is that special and the tone from the original P-90s is powerful. We all hope this one sticks around a while because it’s just too much fun to play! This is the market to buy instruments like this. You’ll be happy you did 10 years from now, both because of all the fun you’ll have had, plus it is sure to increase in value.” – Paul Heumiller
One prime difference between Dream Guitars and other guitar sellers is that we regularly work one-on-one with the best luthiers on the planet – commissioning extraordinary, exclusive guitars with the very finest appointments. Our Dream Series builds are legendary, featuring superlative tone woods and design, and crafted for superb playability and utmost player satisfaction.
Quite often, these highly desirable treasures never even make it to our website, as they are quickly acquired by our walk-in clientele before they can be photographed and recorded. With that in mind, we are starting our new Incoming Guitars blog to keep you abreast of incoming instruments that are truly amongst the finest ever made. Please bookmark this page, or check back regularly for updates.
To see additional new arrivals, please see our Sneak Peek blog by clicking here.
Matsuda Guitars Model M1 Cutaway
Arriving soon: Model M1 by Michihiro Matsuda. This refined beauty is built with a stunning set of Brazilian Rosewood, hand selected by Dream Guitar’s own Paul Heumiller. The top is an exceptionally fine piece of Italian Spruce. Other specs include a 1 3/4″ nut 2 1/4″ string spacing. Please call for more details.
Matsuda M1 Cutaway - example, not actual incoming guitar
Keller Dream Series Rose Model SJ
One of our favorite builders – and one of the nicest guys in the guitar biz – is longtime luthier Michael Keller. We have had many spectacular Keller instruments at Dream Guitars over the years, and they are always impressive. We are so knocked out with Michael’s work, that we commissioned him to build the latest addition to our exclusive Dream Series. Starting with a flawless set of Brazilian Rosewood and an Adirondack top, this guitar is sure to be as wonderfully voiced as it is gorgeous! Please call for further information, and to reserve the Keller Dream Series Rose Model SJ for yourself.
Keller Dream Series - Brazilian Rosewood set
Keller Dream Series - Brazilian Rosewood back
Keller Dream Series - Brazilian sides
When chosing traditional tone woods, Pink Ivory is seldom the first species that comes to mind — primarily because it is next to impossible to find large enough pieces to build guitars with. But Pink Ivory is indeed a supremely fine wood — both visually and tonally. With that in mind, it is our extreme pleasure to show you this exceptional new Pink Ivory Crescendo, from the shop of Tippin Guitars.
Legendary luthier Bill Tippin, of Marblehead MA, makes extraordinary musical instruments that effortlessly blend sophisticated detail, advanced design, and remarkable tone. This guitar features a stunning black willow leaf inlay, which has held special significance throughout Chinese history, and was the inspiration for the Willow Leaf Saber.
Willo Leaf inlay
Tippin Crescendo - Pink Ivory
Tippin Crescendo - Pink Ivory
Luthier Bill Tippin
Dream Guitars is thrilled to offer this stunning museum quality Baroque style guitar by Israeli luthier extraordinaire, Elkayam Boaz. The amount of detailed workmanship in this instrument is mind-boggling — from the multi-piece back to the eleborate rosette, soundboard inlays, wooden bridge extensions, friction pegs with ivory seats, ivory strings stops, and back of neck inlays. This is a true work of art.
This very guitar was the subject of a wonderful article in Acoustic Guitar Magazine by luthier Rick Turner in November 1997. The Boaz Baroque Guitar’s voice is detailed and articulate, intimate and sweet, and of course, perfect for period music.
*Paul’s Pick is a new feature on the Dream Guitars website that highlights exceptional vintage and handbuilt guitars that deserve more attention — guitars with exceptional tone, playability, appearance and provenance. For more information on the featured guitar, or any instrument we offer, please call Paul or Steven at (828) 658 – 9795.
From Doug’s website:
Doug Young is a fingerstyle instrumental guitarist based in the San Francisco South Bay area. An active perfomer in the local acoustic guitar scene, Doug hosts a monthly guitar showcase that has featured performers like Dorian Michael, Thomas Leeb, Steve Baughman, Teja Gerken, and many more. So far, Doug has released one CD, Laurel Mill, featuring his solo guitar playing, compositions and arrangements. Mel Bay has published his best-selling instructional book: “Understanding DADGAD: For Fingerstyle Guitar.” He is a Contributing Editor for Acoustic Guitar Magazine, and has also been published in Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine. In his role at Acoustic Guitar, Doug has written numerous instructional articles, gear reviews, and interviewed many of today’s top guitarists including Tommy Emmanuel, Sergio Assad, Andy McKee, Laurence Juber and Pierre Bensusan.
To learn more about Doug, his gig schedule, and his array of reviews and quality products, click here.
Last week’s our new Paul’s Pick* segment showcased a stellar vintage Martin 000-45 from 1930. We figured that since we’re already discussing incredible old Martins, we’d be remiss if we failed to mentioned another exceptional classic that is currently in our shop; this gorgeous 1931 OM-28.
This is one of the all time great vintage Martins, a vintage, prewar 1931 Martin OM-28. 1 of 166 made that year and just 487 pre-war OM-28s ever made. Born over 80 years ago, this guitar has an incredible story. It was purchased by crew members of the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga for their superior just before the bombing at Pearl Harbor. The Saratoga was moved just days before the bombing and this beautiful Martin survived to delight the seamen throughout their tour of duty.
This wonderful vintage OM-28 has stunning Brazilian back and sides, an Adirondack top, and the purest sweet old Martin sound you’re going to find. Abolutely one of the best sounding guitars to ever grace our walls. This fine early example comes in a period correct case, and has superbly well dressed and crowned bar frets, that feel more like modern frets than the old-timers.
This vintage Martin OM-28 guitar is largely original, but like all these old timers has had some work done as described in the condition statement here. What you can’t see is the amazing voice, so put on your headphones and be sure to listen to this treasure. Playing this fine pre-war vintage 1931 Martin OM-28 is such a pleasure, it is far more than a collectible. This is a guitar that will work its way into your heart and never leave!
To hear audio of this guitar please click here!
“I’ve had the pleasure to play many fine prewar Martins, but this is the best OM-28 I’ve played to date for two reasons. First, the tone is etheral, so sweet, strong and resonant. It weighs nothing and just vibrates in your arms. Second is it’s playability. A superb setup was done with painstaking fret dressing. I guarantee you have never played bar frets that feel this good. Each fret was perfectly crowned and the ends rounded, so your finger slide over them as if they were modern frets. This is the vintage prewar Martin OM-28 we all dream of, now it can be reality. This is the time to buy vintage gems as they are devalued, but we all know they won’t stay that way…” – Paul Heumiller
Here’s a video of the the great Mary Flower playing this fine old Martin!
*Paul’s Pick is a new feature on the Dream Guitars website that highlights exceptional vintage and handbuilt guitars that deserve more attention — guitars with exceptional tone, playability, appearance and provenance. For more information on the featured guitar, or any instrument we offer, please call Paul or Steven at (828) 658 – 9795.
1930 Martin 000-45
This is a treasure. A well preserved 1930 Martin 000-45, quite simply one of the most collectible Martin Guitars ever made. Martin only made 21 of these in 1930 and only 341 in total. This pre war sweetheart embodies that Holy Grail tone all guitarist long for and all builders hold in esteem. Every note is alive and complete. This one plays like a new guitar and appears to be all original but for a pro refinish and proper replacement bridge. We are honored to offer this rare and special 1930 Martin OOO-45.
Please click here to hear this amazing guitar!
“We all feel very lucky to get to know this guitar if even for a short while. Just a moments play and you realize exactly why Martin Guitars from this era are held in such high regard. Big round bass, clear, present mids and bold and singing trebles make this as complete a guitar as a player could ever hope for. Collector’s will also be delighted by this vintage pre-war Martin 000-45, it is after all a Holy Grail of guitars.” – Paul Heumiller
This guitar is now sold.
Paul’s Pick is a new feature on the Dream Guitars website that highlights exceptional vintage and handbuilt guitars that deserve more attention — guitars with exceptional tone, playability, appearance and provenance. For more information on the featured guitar, or any instrument we offer, please call Paul or Steven at (828) 658 – 9795.
One of our favorite builders is the brilliant Jordan McConnell from Winnipeg, Canada. His guitars are impeccably crafted, and they offer stunning design and rich, articulate tones. Recently, Jordan informed us that he has developed a new model with the following dimensions.
Length: 19.5″
Lower bout: 15″
Upper bout: 11.25″
Standard scale length 25.25″
In Jordan’s words, “I like this shape for it’s versatility. It can be voiced to put the focus more in the midrange and trebles to create a very intimate and clear sounding guitar, but it doesn’t lack power and can still pack a pretty serious punch in the low end if that is desired. It’s a very comfortable size to play and can be more manageable than a jumbo sized body in a stage setting if someone is gigging a lot.”
If you would like to receive more information on this stunning guitar, or on any of Jordan’s other guitars, please give us a call. We’ll be happy to talk to you about these very special creations!
To see more photos, please click here.
Everyone knows that Al Petteway is an extremely fine guitarist, but what you may not know is that he is also an excellent guitar teacher. In this video Al instructs how to play his original tune “Tennessee Mountain Rag”. If you live in the greater Asheville area or just visiting, Al is available for one-on-one lessons that are sure to inspire. Give us a call anytime — we’ll be happy to schedule a lesson or two for you!
The talented Mary Flower stopped by Dream Guitars recently and spent the afternoon playing some of the fine guitars we have in stock. Mary plays a great combination of roots music, including ragtime, acoustic blues and folk. If you like these videos, be sure to check out Mary’s website for upcoming gigs, and information on her albums and instructional DVDs.
Steve James is a well known name among devotees of contemporary acoustic folk and blues; this notoriety based on numerous critically acclaimed recordings, a tireless international tour schedule and a sheaf of published work including articles, instruction books and videos. His instrumental versatility (on guitar, slide guitar, mandolin, guitar-banjo) also makes him a favorite at music camps and workshop programs.
Recently Steve stopped by Dream Guitars and played some of our great vintage and custom-made guitars.
Canadian luthier Jordan McConnell dropped by Dream Guitars last week and sat down for an interview with our own Paul Heumiller. For those who don’t yet know, Jordan is building outstanding, versatile instruments that are in high demand. As a touring professional guitarist with his band the Duhks, Jordan understands the needs of the guitarist, and his instruments deliver on all fronts.
"NPS Photo, Courtesy of Carl Sandburg Home NHS."
Recently I was invited to view the guitars of Carl Sandburg at the Carl Sandburg Home — a National Historic Site located in Flat Rock, North Carolina. In addition to being a famous writer and Pulitzer Prize winning poet, Carl Sandburg was an accomplished folksinger that helped preserve many of America’s great folksongs through his book The American Songbag.
"NPS Photo, Courtesy of Carl Sandburg Home NHS."
My guide for my tour of the Sandburg archives was Miriam Farris, a Museum Technician at the Carl Sandburg Home. Miriam took me to a large building that is completely air-conditioned and secure. This building houses Sandburg’s guitars and also his paintings, books, gun collections and other artifacts.
"NPS Photo, Courtesy of Carl Sandburg Home NHS."
One by one Miriam brought out the guitars that were owned by Carl Sandburg and used regularly in performances for his own enjoyment. One thing that was readily apparent as I viewed the guitars was that these were not fancy ornate instruments that collected dust. Rather, these were very simple guitars that were used daily and enjoyed by Carl Sandburg and his family. I can imagine him finding these instruments as he traveled across the country and bringing them back home with a smile on his face.
There are indeed some unique pieces in this collection including a Lyon and Healy Washburn Bell-Shaped guitar, model 5270, that was quite interesting. In addition, there is a pear-shaped English Lute that was very beautiful.
The home and the entire farm is extremely beautiful. I highly recommend that visitors to the Asheville area visit the Sandburg home and enjoy all that it has to offer. Tell them Dream Guitars sent you!
"NPS Photo, Courtesy of Carl Sandburg Home NHS."
"NPS Photo, Courtesy of Carl Sandburg Home NHS."
"NPS Photo, Courtesy of Carl Sandburg Home NHS."
