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We had the honor of interviewing veteran luthier Dan Bresnan of Bresnan Guitars on topics including his craft, voicing, building style, and more. Please find following our full interview with Dan. Enjoy!

LW: After some time away from the bench, you’re back in action. Can you fill us in on your life journey from the intervening years? What took you away from building, and what brought you back?

DB: Beginning in 2015, I went through a series of very unsuccessful major surgeries. During the final of those surgeries, a surgical accident occurred which left me with a very serious spinal cord injury. As a result of that injury, I was unable to walk, play guitar, or perform many normal daily tasks. The rehab has been extensive, and continues to this day. It wasn’t until 2018 that I had sufficient motor recovery to confidently work safely in the shop again. Also at that time, My son, Sean, a Berklee College of Music grad, and a great luthier in his own right, joined me in my shop which took some of the pressure off on the more physically demanding steps. So, since 2018, Sean and I have been back at it, and having a lot of fun with it!

LW: Please describe your goals in voicing an instrument. How did you first find your voice, and how do you continue to experiment?

DB: I have been an active performer for several decades and Sean for almost 15 years. Our approach to voicing is rooted in what we ourselves look for in the instruments that we play. We voice our guitars for a deep, rich tone with even response across all the strings, as well as up and down the fretboard. In many types of fingerstyle playing, the bass strings drive the momentum of the piece, and a deep articulate bass is very important, particularly so when not using a thumbpick. When I first started building guitars, I experimented with many different elements. I always like to think of the guitar as a physics problem; how to build with as much stiffness as possible, with as little mass as possible. That approach to design led me to develop several techniques in bracing and structure that, as far as I know, are unique to Bresnan Guitars. The resulting voice has been the basis of our “sound” for quite some time. We do continue to evolve our design with new ideas and are always striving to make our instruments even better.

LW: Where do you think your building style will take you in the next five years?

DB: Currently, we offer four models; OO, OOO, OM, and GS. Over the next five years, I see us adding to our model lineup. We’ve explored a number of ideas including some neat hybrid designs.

LW: Working with your son must be a unique experience. What is your working dynamic in the shop?

DB: Working with Sean has been awesome. Sean is a really talented luthier, with a great eye, and hand, for perfection. He challenges me on design and process issues and we have very lively debates at times! In addition to spending a lot of time in the shop together, we also spend a lot of social time together, hiking with the dogs, going to a concert, or taking in a movie and such. He’s my best buddy, so it’s very cool to be able to spend time with him at work in the shop as well.

LW: What do you enjoy doing outside of building instruments?

DB: I am a regularly performing guitarist and vocalist. So, most of my time outside the shop is consumed by practice. I am also a big hiker. We have four dogs, and we love hitting the trail with our furry buddies!

LW: If you had not become a guitar maker, where do you think life would have led you?

DB: Making music has always been the driving force of my life, whether through songwriting, singing, playing guitar, or working as an engineer in recording studios. I entered guitar building as an expression of my lifelong love for music in general, and for the guitar in particular. If I were not building guitars, I would be more deeply involved in these other avenues of musical expression, and most likely with a greater emphasis on performance. But, I’m pretty happy with what I’m doing right now.

LW: What music are you listening to right now?

DB: For the past couple years, I’ve been really getting into soul music. Soul and R&B music dominated the AM radio in my hometown when I was growing up. So, I already knew most of the tunes. However, at that point in my life, I had fallen in love with the acoustic guitar, and was heading more toward the Folk/Americana direction, so I don’t think I was able to really appreciate how amazing so much of it is.

LW: If you could choose only one tool to work on guitars, what tool would that be?

DB: A hand chisel. I love a direct connection with the wood, and that feels the closest, to me.

Kim Walker Waiting List Closed Again

A luthier’s ability to succeed depends on a host of factors, not the least of which is their reputation, which can be a precarious thing. They need good tools, the best wood, a perfectionist’s disposition and a jeweler’s eye for detail. They need to be self-motivated, marathon woodworkers—and they need to be able to deliver on their promises. A luthier with a reputation for incomplete builds and exorbitant delays will not be long for the world of fine instruments. If, however, you have a reputation as ironclad and golden as Kim Walker’s, then you might just find yourself with eight years’ worth of builds on the calendar, and what do you do then? Close the book, and get down to business, which is precisely what Walker’s just done—again.

How has Walker achieved such a legendary status? Through years of honing his ears and his hands with an unwavering dedication to lutherie. Starting with George Gruhn and his repair shop, then graduating to Guild’s R&D department and custom shop, before launching his own Walker Guitars label in 1994, Walker has been at the forefront of both vintage restoration and contemporary innovation for his entire career. As such, Walker is one of a very select group of luthiers who successfully straddle the line between traditional and contemporary guitar building, the result of which enables his instruments to appeal to all audiences, from pre-war Martin collectors to the devotees of bleeding-edge luthiers like Steve Klein and Ervin Somogyi. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that Walker has felt the need to close his waiting list again, in order to buckle down and dedicate his complete and undivided attention to the guitars already on his bench. Because Kim insists on working alone, he is able to ensure that every aspect of these guitars is 100% an expression of himself and his art. His way isn’t a school’s, or a builder’s with apprentices: this is one man with two hands, premium wood, and a studio space in which to create. 

Given his sterling reputation and master skills, it’s hard to put a price on an instrument of this calibre, and as the opportunities to own one of Kim Walker’s guitars become fewer, the respective worth of any one of his instruments is correspondingly increased. The resale value of a Walker often exceeds the original cost of the instrument (a fact Walker himself notes on his website) because demand is so high: no one wants to get rid of theirs, once they’ve managed to beg, borrow, and steal to get it in their hands in the first place. In the world of high-end guitars, a Walker is worth its weight in gold, and nearly as rare. Will Walker open up his waiting list again? That’s certainly the hope, but who knows just how many years in the future he’s already booked himself: it could be a lifetime in the waiting.

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2003 Walker Guitars SJ in Brazilian / Adirondack

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2015 Osthoff Woodstock FS

Higuerilla and Port Orford Cedar

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2015 Oxwood Carmen

Cocobolo Rosewood and Engelmann Spruce

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1997 Collings OM3-BaA

Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce

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2012 R.E. Phillips Single Cone Resonator

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Schoenberg Soloist OMC

East Indian Rosewood and Sitka Spruce

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As mentioned in a previous post, Leonardo Buendia, one of Ervin Somogyi’s current apprentices and an amazing up and coming builder, is wrapping up his 3 year apprenticeship with Ervin and is moving to his own shop in Oakland, California.

We caught up with Leo and asked him a few questions regarding his new shop.

1) Where will the shop be located? Why did you pick there?

Leo: My new workshop is located in East Oakland.  I was offered the space by Lewis Santer, whom I’ve known for 3 years and who for a long time shared this same space with Michi Matsuda.  Lewis has been in this shop for 10 years and it’s well-equipped and already set up in a very smart way.  It’s a pleasure to be able to work with Lewis, who was also Ervin Somogyi’s shop manager for many years.  The transition is going smoothly – I’m getting back into my rhythm quickly.

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2) How are you configuring your shop? Why will it be configured this way?

Leo: Since everything was already set up for the construction and repair of guitars, I’ve only had to put together two benches–one in the dry room and one in the common space.  In the dry room I’m going to keep all of the wood I will be using for the guitars commissioned for these next few years.  The dry room is also where I will be doing all of the gluing.  I will be using the bench in the common space for shaping, scraping, sanding, etc.

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3) Any sources of inspiration that you can point to in your new shop?

Leo:
Ervin Somogyi’s shop, of course, is a big inspiration for how I would like my shop to look. I love the use of different workstations and I’m emulating that.  It allows my work to be very efficient.  I also took away from my experience at Ervin’s that it’s extremely helpful to have plenty of backstock of blocks, braces, fingerboards, pre-bent sides, pre-bent binding, etc.

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4) Any neat facts about your building process in your new shop that you’d like to share?

Leo: In the near future I will be working on designing a different kind of headstock.  So far I’ve been molding the heads in the style of a classical/Spanish guitar.  In Argentina we play Spanish guitars, so I’ve always liked the headstocks I learned to make with Ervin, which are reminiscent of these. Now that I will have more time for experimentation and designing, I am going to make headstocks with a more modern style, while still avoiding the symmetrical and conventional.  This new design is more like that of my fanned fret guitar.  Another change that’s coming is that in about 6 months I will begin with a new model, the OO.  The big sound that it makes is very surprising given its small body. In fact, it’s the guitar I plan to make for myself.

Click here to learn more about an Incoming Leonardo Buendia OM Build

Click here to watch Paul interview Leo Buendia at this year’s Memphis Acoustic Guitar Festival.

Bookmark this page for frequent updates. (Please scroll down for additional guitars.)

 

2011 Tippin Staccato

Brazilian Rosewood and Moonspruce

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Collings MT20 Mandolin

Flamed Maple and Spruce

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2014 Gaffney OM

East Indian Rosewood and Sitka Spruce

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2007 Rick Turner Model 1

Magnetic Pickup with “C” Electronics

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2010 Muiderman Steel String

Cocobolo Rosewood and Bearclaw Sitka Spruce

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John Kinnaird “East”

Honduran Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce

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2007 Ramirez 1a #2 of 125

Madagascar Rosewood and German Spruce

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2014 Lame Horse – Jenkins & Son Gitjo

Koa and Flamed Maple

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2010 Olson SJ

Pernambuco and Sitka Spruce

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1963 Danelectro U2

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2005 Brandt Concert

Brazilian Rosewood and European Spruce

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Bourgeois Banjo Killer Slope D

Figured Honduran Mahogany and Bearclaw Sitka Spruce

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2003 Carrillo Gabriela

Brazilian Rosewood and Cedar

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2010 Lipton “C” – 16″ Body Exhibition Grade Whyte Laydie

Collaboration between Walter Lipton and Bill Tippin. Engraved inlay by Doug Unger.

Brazilian Rosewood and German Spruce

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1979 Ramirez 1a Flamenco

Cypress and Cedar

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2001 Charles Fox C-Sierra Nylon

Brazilian Rosewood and Sitka Spruce

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2002 Bown Stella 12-string

Koa and Spruce

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1995 Franklin Stella 12-string

Mahogany and Spruce

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1972 Kohno 15

Brazilian Rosewood and Cedar

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2010 Petros Yellow Rose FS Cutaway

Ceylon Satinwood Back/Sides, Englemann Spruce Top, Alaskan Yellow Cedar Neck

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1997 Klein M.43

Indian Rosewood and Sitka Spruce

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Buscarino Grand Cabaret

Black Acacia and Cedar

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1932 Gibson L Century

Maple and Spruce

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1957 Gibson J-200

Maple and Spruce

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1995 D-28S

Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce

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2005 Tippin Staccato

Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce

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2003 Martin D-45GE

Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce

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1988 Gibson Chet Atkins CEC

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1933 Martin 00-40H

Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce

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2012 Froggy Bottom Special Order C

Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce

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2002 Doolin OM

Macassar Ebony and Bearclaw Sitka Spruce

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2014 National Dueco Tricone Gold

Steel Body with Gold Crystalline Finish. 1.5 Tricone Neck. sneakpeek

2006 John Walker “Wise River”

Mahogany and Adirondack Spruce sneakpeek

2007 Dupont Prelude

East Indian Rosewood and Spruce sneakpeek

2014 Ennis Unibody

Padauk and Spruce

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2011 Borges L-00

Figured Maple and Adirondack Spruce sneakpeek

Keystone Mod-D

Granadillo and Adirondack Spruce

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MacCubbin CS-012 Tulip Magnolia

Sinker Honduras Mahogany and Tulip Magnolia

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R. S. Muth S16J

Tasmanian Blackwood and Lutz Spruce sneakpeek

R. S. Muth S15

East Indian Rosewood and Carpathian Spruce sneakpeek

MacCubbin CBG-02 Heron Sunset

Brazilian Kingwood and Sitka Spruce sneakpeek

Wilborn Orchestra/C

Cocobolo Rosewood and Bearclaw Sitka Spruce sneakpeek

 

Bookmark this page for frequent updates. (Please scroll down for additional guitars.)

 

2010 Olson SJ

Pernambuco and Sitka Spruce

P1540762

 

1963 Danelectro U2

sneakpeek

 

2005 Brandt Concert

Brazilian Rosewood and European Spruce

sneakpeek

 

Bourgeois Banjo Killer Slope D

Figured Honduran Mahogany and Bearclaw Sitka Spruce

sneakpeek

 

2003 Carrillo Gabriela

Brazilian Rosewood and Cedar

sneakpeek

 

2010 Lipton “C” – 16″ Body Exhibition Grade Whyte Laydie

Collaboration between Walter Lipton and Bill Tippin. Engraved inlay by Doug Unger.

Brazilian Rosewood and German Spruce

sneakpeek

 

1979 Ramirez 1a Flamenco

Cypress and Cedar

sneakpeek

 

2001 Charles Fox C-Sierra Nylon

Brazilian Rosewood and Sitka Spruce

sneakpeek

 

2002 Bown Stella 12-string

Koa and Spruce

sneakpeek

 

1995 Franklin Stella 12-string

Mahogany and Spruce

sneakpeek

 

1972 Kohno 15

Brazilian Rosewood and Cedar

sneakpeek

 

2010 Petros Yellow Rose FS Cutaway

Ceylon Satinwood Back/Sides, Englemann Spruce Top, Alaskan Yellow Cedar Neck

sneakpeek

 

1997 Klein M.43

Indian Rosewood and Sitka Spruce

sneakpeek

 

Buscarino Grand Cabaret

Black Acacia and Cedar

sneakpeek

 

1932 Gibson L Century

Maple and Spruce

sneakpeek

 

1957 Gibson J-200

Maple and Spruce

sneakpeek

 

1995 D-28S

Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce

sneakpeek

 

2005 Tippin Staccato

Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce

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2003 Martin D-45GE

Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce

sneakpeek

 

1988 Gibson Chet Atkins CEC

P1540386

 

1933 Martin 00-40H

Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce

P1540297

 

2012 Froggy Bottom Special Order C

Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce

sneakpeek

 

2002 Doolin OM

Macassar Ebony and Bearclaw Sitka Spruce

sneakpeek

2014 National Dueco Tricone Gold

Steel Body with Gold Crystalline Finish. 1.5 Tricone Neck. sneakpeek

2006 John Walker “Wise River”

Mahogany and Adirondack Spruce sneakpeek

2007 Dupont Prelude

East Indian Rosewood and Spruce sneakpeek

2014 Ennis Unibody

Padauk and Spruce

sneakpeek

2011 Borges L-00

Figured Maple and Adirondack Spruce sneakpeek

Keystone Mod-D

Granadillo and Adirondack Spruce

sneakpeek

 

MacCubbin CS-012 Tulip Magnolia

Sinker Honduras Mahogany and Tulip Magnolia

sneakpeek

 

R. S. Muth S16J

Tasmanian Blackwood and Lutz Spruce sneakpeek

R. S. Muth S15

East Indian Rosewood and Carpathian Spruce sneakpeek

MacCubbin CBG-02 Heron Sunset

Brazilian Kingwood and Sitka Spruce sneakpeek

Wilborn Orchestra/C

Cocobolo Rosewood and Bearclaw Sitka Spruce sneakpeek

 

“The guitar itself has always been my best teacher.  She has always revealed herself to me bit by bit, taking her own sweet time.  I’ve been the student.” – Ervin Somogyi

We are extremely fortunate to have three Somogyi Guitars in-stock at the moment so we decided to record all three for another special video which we have named, “Three Decades of the Somogyi Sound!”

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Click here or on the video image above to watch “Three Decades of the Somogyi Sound!”

“Ervin Somogyi has long been one of my favorite builders. He was one of the original luthiers 80-somogyi-mod-dto create the open modern voicing that we now all think of when we hear fingerstyle guitar recordings. In the 1970s and 80s when artist like Alex De Grassi first started to record fingerstyle guitar, they went to Ervin Somogyi and asked him for guitars with more open voicing that would be more appropriate to make recordings with. The factory guitars of the day were simply not expressive enough for solo guitar pieces. To this day Ervin is considered one of the masters of guitar voicing and he has taught his ideas and techniques to many of today’s top luthiers the world over.” – Paul Heumiller

Here at Dream Guitars we have been a dealer for Ervin Somogyi for many years and he is constantly a favorite for our clientele. It is a sheer delight to have three of his guitars in the shop right now, each from another decade.

We simply could not resist recording them side-by-side to share with the world. Somogyi’s voice is one that all lovers of guitar should know and understand. It has so influenced modern guitar perhaps more so than any other single builder.

We asked Ervin Somogyi himself for a few thoughts on how his building has evolved over the last few decades and here’s what he had to say:

“Lately, some guitars of mine from the eighties and nineties have come on the market, and some of them have come to my shop for visits, checkups, or for a tweak or repair . . . or because the original owner was no longer playing guitar and wanted to see if I knew anyone who would want to buy their baby.  And so on.

I have been pleasantly surprised in every instance by how well they’ve held up.  Yes, they’ve had signs of wear and tear — if not in small scratches and such, then most notably in the look of the lacquered finish.  Lacquer has the capacity to separate from its underlayment, over time; and these guitars show small spots of lacquer separation/bubbling from the wood underneath.  This is not in the least bit serious; it’s cosmetic and easily fixable; a guitar simply looks not-brand-new in this regard.

Happily, not one of the guitars that I’ve seen or heard about, from this period, has been mistreated: they seem to be structurally sound.  And I’ve been pleasantly reminded of how far back I was using certain elements of decoration, or arrangements of bracing, that now seem to me like the most intelligent way to carry out this work.” – Ervin Somogyi

 

Click here to view our in-stock Ervin Somogyi guitars.

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 portrait 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.

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.

Singer-songwriter Danny Ellis has had an interesting life to say the least. After growing up in an orphanage in Ireland in the 1950s, Danny found music and it saved his life. He began his professional career as a trombone player with “The Boyne Valley Stompers,” a Dixieland band touring Ireland. From there, Danny expanded his horizons, his singing and playing and started a diverse musical career that has taken him all over the world as a trombonist, keyboardist and guitarist as well as a professional songwriter.

Flash forward to today and Danny is opening for for many musicians, including the great Bonnie Raitt for her recent show at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center. Bonnie is a great fan of Danny and his music and personally invited him to fill the opening slot.

Danny now maintains a studio in Asheville, NC, just down the road a spell from our Dream Guitars headquarters in Weaverville. We have built a solid professional relationship with Danny and he granted us some of his time to record a lengthy video interview with our own Paul Heumiller to talk about singing, songwriting, musicianship and his latest role as a teacher, which he conducts out of his studio in person as well as on Skype. In fact, Paul himself has spent plenty of time learning from Danny, studying the finer points of singing and songwriting. Paul considers Danny a mentor and a friend as well as a teacher. You can get more information about Danny’s teaching career and how to become a student by visiting his website and checking out his lessons page (www.dannyellismusic.com/musiclessons.cfm).

We have two videos on our YouTube Dream Guitars channel, one the full-length interview (22:28) and a short highlight reel of the same (5:31). Check them both out, then take a trip to Danny’s site, where you can read about his history, his discography, find links to his Facebook and YouTube pages as well as learn more about his teaching methods and how to contact him for lessons.

When Steve James spent time with us at Dream Guitars just before his rocking house concert performance at our Weaverville, NC, offices, not only did he demo several amazing National Resophonic guitars, he also taught us all a lesson in bottleneck slide playing the legendary “Guitar Rag.”

Your moment of musical history for today: Sylvester Weaver’s “Guitar Rag” is recognized as the first recording of slide guitar. That was way back in 1923, though Steve’s classic style is more than simply reminiscent of the period.

Now you can learn a thing or two from James himself right here at our YouTube channel, study the master’s moves and styles. There is an awful lot of information here and you’ll be able to apply what you learn as you progress as a player. Steve takes the time to demonstrate basic hand placement, string contact, touch, pick technique, vibrato, chords and more as he teaches the viewer how to play like a pro.

Steve James is world-renowned as an expert slide guitar master, not only touring and recording his own material and but acting as a sideman for such legends as Bo Diddley, Kinky Friedman, Buddy Guy and John Hammond. For more information and cool stuff, visit Steve’s homepage… after you learn how to play “Guitar Rag” his way — arguably the best way!

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!

INFO

Loren and Mark in Concert!

Sunday, July 7 @ 7 pm

Pre-Show Pot Luck @ 6 pm

Tickets $20, Reservations required

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….

  • Come join us at 3 pm and bring a dish to share and a bottle of your preferred beverage. It’s always a wonderful array of treats!
  • Show starts at 4pm and performers play two sets with an intermission to mingle and meet the artist!
  • Guitar demos available in the shop before and after the show.

Future Concerts/Clinics

Paul Asbell, Mr. Versatility on Guitar, August 3

Clive Caroll, From England! February 28 (7 pm)

 

With an average wait time of two years, players and collectors don’t often get the chance to get into William “Grit” Laskin’s building schedule… until now.

Dream Guitars has opened the door to Grit’s shop and will now make a single slot in Laskin’s busy production schedule available to one discerning and lucky collector . This is a chance to own a custom-made Laskin, replete with his world-renowned, superb and unique inlay design.

Oh, and by the way, the turnaround for this deal is just six months. That means you’ll be playing your custom Grit Laskin guitar this December. Nice.

Plus if you act quickly, you can completely customize this guitar including your model choice and inlay design!

Grit is widely recognized as one of the top inlay artists in the world. Add to it the opportunity to have the back and sides your guitar made with approved Brazilian Rosewood not only enhances the look and quality of the guitar but it vastly improves the resale value, assuming you would ever want to part with one of these babies.


Click Here to View some of Grit’s Works

The Base Model price includes Sitka spruce wood for his soundboards and East India Rosewood for the back and sides. The guitar also comes standard with a Hoffee Carbon Fibre custom case, Abalone-ringed rosette and the famous Laskin armrest bevel.

Base price is $15,400 retail. Brazilian Rosewood upgrade, starts at $3,000. Inlay art priced upon request.

Contact Us Today to Reserve!

 

 

 

 

Take a Tour of Grit Laskin’s Workshop

 

 

 

 

View Laskin Guitars Previously Sold at Dream Guitars

 



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.

MICHIHIRO MATSUDA GUITARS

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

 

MICHAEL KELLER GUITARS

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

“This is the kind of guitar that makes your heart stop. It is so beautiful and so wonderfully crafted that it is mesmerizing. I simply cannot walk by it without holding it and playing it. Boaz spent countless hours tirelessly creating this museum quality piece, he even cut the Abalone from the shells. The details are too many to mention so be sure to carefully study the photos. The tone is majestic and warm, delightful in every way. This will be a prize in any serious collection.” – Paul Heumiller

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.

 

    Measurements 

  • Body Size: Medium
  • Scale: 650 mm (25.6 in.)
  • Nut Width: 53.2 mm (2.1 in)
  • String Spacing: 55 mm (2.15 in)
  • Body Length: 17 3/4 in.
  • Upper Bout: 9 5/8 in.
  • Lower Bout: 12 3/8 in.
  • Body Depth @Neck Heel: 3 in.
  • Body Depth @Tail Block: 3 1/8 in.
  • Frets to body: 12
    Woods & Trim 

  • Back/Sides: Brazilian Rosewood, Maple
  • Top Wood: German Spruce
  • Fingerboard: Ebony
  • Neck Wood: Mahogany
  • Bridge: Ebony
  • Rosette: Abalone & Wood
  • Binding: Rosewood
  • Fingerboard Bindings: None
  • Headplate: Ebony
  • Headstock Bindings: None
  • Headstock Inlay: Custom
  • Top Trim: Abalone
  • Back Strip: Custom
  • Fret Markers: Custom
  • Tuners: Friction Pegs
  • Tuner Finish: Ebony

 

 

*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.

“This guitar represents one of the interesting stories in the guitar world. How instruments come to be is as exciting as the music they make. The story of Dave of England is a great one in the guitar world. You can definitely sense the commitment to Tony Zemaitis’ work in this Queen of Hearts guitar designed by artist and author Paul Schmidt and built by Kevin Parsons and Dave Brewis. Very lightweight and energetic, this one is a joy to play and to behold.” – Paul Heumiller

Dave of England "Queen of Hearts"

The guitars of the late great Tony Zemaitis are the stuff of legend! And with good reason too — they were played by some of the biggest names in the history of Rock and Roll. George Harrison, Keith Richards, Ron Wood, Eric Clapton amongst them — Rock royalty does not get bigger than that! Sadly, Tony Z passed on in 2002, but before he did, a gentleman named David Brewis contacted him with hopes of commissioning a guitar. Tony explained that he was now retired, and he would no longer be building, but he graciously offered Brewis one of his official jigs in which to build a guitar. Within weeks Brewis was given 10 jigs and patterns, and permission to build guitars with them utilizing the talents of luthier Kevin Parsons. In so doing, Brewis was dubbed “Dave of England” and “Keeper of the Jigs and Keeper of the Patterns”!

Dream Guitars is fortunate to have one of these fine and rare guitars to offer. This is a Queen of Hearts guitar designed by artist and author Paul Schmidt and built by Dave of England guitars. With it’s distinct styling and imaginative lines, this guitar could easily have been built by the hands of the master himself. But it is more than an interesting piece, it is also an extremely toneful one. The neck is on the slender side, and the guitar itself is lightweight. It has a fine fast attack, superb for Townshend-esque strumming — but played softly, it has a sweet remarkable tone that is very responsive to dynamics. In all, it is a wonderful guitar with a distinct look and a truly special voice.

    Measurements 

  • Body Size: Jumbo
  • Scale: 25 in. (635 mm)
  • Nut Width: 1 5/8 in. (41.4 mm)
  • String Spacing: 2 1/8 in. (54.1 mm)
  • Body Length: 20 3/8 in.
  • Upper Bout: 12 1/4 in.
  • Lower Bout: 16 3/4 in.
  • Serial #: One of Five
  • Body Depth @Neck Heel: 3 3/4 in.
  • Body Depth @Tail Block: 4 3/8 in.
  • Frets to body: 14

    Woods & Trim 

  • Back/Sides: European Sycamore Maple
  • Top Wood: Sitka Spruce
  • Fingerboard: Ebony
  • Neck Wood: Mahogany
  • Bridge: Ebony Smiley Face
  • Rosette: Abalone Heart Shaped Rosette
  • Binding: Maple
  • Fingerboard Bindings: Ebony with Paua Perflings
  • Headplate: Rosewood
  • Headstock Bindings: None
  • Headstock Inlay: Metal ‘Queen of Hearts’ Plaque by Danny O’Brien, Metal ‘Art of Music’ Truss Cover
  • Top Trim: Wood Lines
  • Back Strip: None
  • Fret Markers: Paua Hearts at 12th Fret
  • Tuners: Grover Imperials
  • Tuner Finish: Chrome

For more information on this superb guitar, or any of the fine guitars listed on this site, please call Paul or Steven at (828) 658-9795.

 

 

 

Frequent visitors to the Dream Guitars website have no doubt noticed our recent fine classical guitar demos, all compliments of one extremely talented guitarist, David Stevenson. David is both a skilled performer and an immensely gifted composer. On May, Arise Stevenson and percussionist River Guerguerian collaborate on a engaging set of music that showcases  instrumental mastery, as well as great emotional depth.

May, Arise by David Stevenson with River Guerguerian

The songs have a transcendent uplifting quality that sound contemporary and immediate, while simultaneously conjuring images or the ancient and arcane; no mean feat indeed! Guerguerian’s skillful performance, featuring a wealth of global percussion, supports and enhances the material wonderfully.

For guitarists, David Stevenson’s playing is an inspiration. Technically brilliant, the sound of his custom Abe Wechter guitar propels May, Arise with skillful execution from the very first track to the CD’s extremely satisfying conclusion. We highly recommend this very fine CD! For more information about David, and to purchase May, Arise please click here.

Check out the following clips:

1) Eastern Anthem

2) 11/8

3) Bulldozing for Zen

4) Resolution

Dream Guitars is extremely pleased to have a player of David’s high caliber to demonstrate our nylon string instruments. Look for more information about David, including video lessons and performance video in weeks to come!

Recently Doug Young dropped by Dream Guitars and taught this great 3 part guitar lesson on arranging Amazing Grace for fingerstyle guitar. To follow along with the tablature, please click here.

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.

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!

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.