ACOUSTIC GUITARS
What is MAP? MAP means the "minimum advertised price.” This refers to the minimum price at which manufacturer will permit a retailer to advertise something, in print or on-line. Sometimes (often) the prices at our showroom are actually lower than what we are allowed to show in print (the MAP). You are invited to call us (718 981- 8585) or email (mandolin@ix.netcom.com) us to learn our actual selling prices on any item that presents as just “List” and “MAP.”
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HOW TO NAVIGATE OUR WEB PAGE: When you are on, say, our Acoustic Page, click “Control F.” This brings a box to the middle of your screen. Type (say) “D-28” in that box and click “Find Next.” Your computer will take you to the first listing on the page for a D-28 guitar and, as you keep clicking “Find Next,” it will take you to all the listings for D-28 on the page. We call this occult knowledge “The Secret of Life” and so will you, once you try it. If you have a Macintosh Computer you can do the same by combining the "Apple" key with F. The Apple key is called the Command Key.
76-8676 Gibson (used, 1939) Advanced Jumbo, #EG5789, sunburst, in very good condition
with original but worn hard shell case. This Adirondack spruce-topped rara avis sports rare Gibson rosewood on the back, sides, fingerboard and bridge – a wood specified in the Gibson archives at that time to have come from Brazil but, even if it is not actual Dalbergia Nigra, then at the very least it could be Bolivian, Honduran or some similar rosewood. The Gibson Advanced Jumbo is a legendary prewar instrument that most people have read about but have never actually seen in person. According to the incredibly useful book Gibson’s Fabulous Flat-top Guitars by Whitford, Vinopal and Erlewine, (Miller Freeman, 1994), “The Gibson catalog of 1937 says: ‘Do you like a deep, throaty guitar – one that has a bass so deep, rich and full that it can be “felt” as well as heard – and a treble that responds to the bass with harmonious singing brilliancy? The new Advanced Jumbo is that guitar.’ Gibson, the book says, was telling the truth for when their craftsmen designed the AJ in 1935 they set as their goal the best-sounding, most powerful flattop to date. And, in the opinion of many, they were successful, absolutely and totally. The resulting Advanced Jumbo was an amazing guitar, with no compromises, unsurpassed in pure firepower.” Well. That’s certainly an impressive introduction. The Gibson AJ first saw the light late in 1936 -- it was, like its mahogany predecessors, a slope-shouldered dreadnought with that famous and ferry tisirable fire stripe pickguard. The guitar was 16” in width and had simple one-ply top and back binding. However, the rosewood fingerboard was bound in celluloid and said fingerboard and the unbound, ebony overlaid headstock were bestowed with a never-before-tried triple arrowhead and diamond pattern that we have always said looks like “fast backward - stop- fast forward” on something once prevalent, called a cassette tape recorder. It has metal button Grover open-gear tuners, a sunburst finish, a long scale of 25.5”. The Advanced Jumbo was made only during the final months of 1936, all of ’37, ’38 and ’39 and then only two of them were shipped in 1940. That doesn’t allow for a lot of production, which is why they hardly ever turn up today.Another reason so few were made is that this instrument cost $80 at a time when the original Gibson Jumbo cost $60 and the J-35 cost only $35. Very few people had $80 during the Great Depression. You really need to get a copy of the Fabulous Flattop Guitars book and read the entire story of the AJ on pages 47 through 50. It is a story worth retelling, over and over, as well as reading to small children at bedtime. This guitar, which has a small rosewood rectangular bridge, displays two long top cracks, two back cracks; the crème colored neck binding is split on the bass side above the third fret. When we received it, the bottom screw holding in the 3rd string tuner was stripped and this same sad tuner was missing its ferule (grommet) around the capstan. We doweled the hole and reset the screw. There is almost no finish left on the back of the neck between the second fret and 12th fret, and finish worn through at the center behind the first fret as well. It shows chips, dings, nicks, scratches, scuffs and finish checking. There are areas in which finish is missing (worn away, eroded) including on the bass side near the neck heel, on the back of the neck at bottom above the added strap pin at the center of the heel of the neck, on the back of the guitar from the belt buckle in the lower treble bout.
When we received it there was a 3/8” of binding missing on the back bass side at the waist, considerable pick wear below the fire-stripe pickguard and also on the bass equivalent section above the bridge and below the soundhole; there is also wear around the soundhole in several places. The black bell-shape truss rod is original, it has the script Gibson straight-across pearl inlaid headstock logo below the center dip headstock, and below that the twin arrowhead and diamond center inlay. This three-part inlay is repeated on the rosewood fretboard on frets 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, and 15. The case is apparently original but worn out, one hinge is gone, it has the word “Tennessee” and a large star stenciled on the lid. We suppose that the original owner called himself or herself the “Tennessee Star.” The lid on the inside pocket is no longer being held up by the neck support; the center locking clasp no longer locks. Nevertheless the case fits the guitar just fine and it is, as we said, apparently original, so we like it. Our professional team of dedicated repairpersons will have repaired the top and back cracks, reglued the bridge, refretted that fingerboard, reset that neck, reattached the binding. When this comes up from the repair shop (oh, some time around June) it will be one of the most incredible sounding (and rarest) instruments you will have ever heard and played. Those of a mind to treat themselves to something so rare that none of them are available on display at the San Diego Zoo’s “Vintage Guitars in Captivity Collection” might want to phone or email and ask us questions about it. $41,235 or, at our cash discount price, $39,995.
76-8278 Collings (new) OM3CA, #15767, with plush lined hard shell case.
This exceedingly fancy guitar has an Adirondack “Red” Spruce top with a soft Venetian cutaway and a plush lined hard shell case. The OM-3 has the same appointments as the Collings OM-2H, without the herringbone border and with the addition of select abalone, black/white wood and nitrate strip rosette, bound fingerboard and double-bound peghead, no fingerboard inlay, gold Waverly tuners. Just so you know the standard appointments of the OM-2H include these appointments: The Orchestra Model (OM) guitar is an interpretation of the Martin short run of instruments made between 1929 and 1933. These feature a 000 size body with a 14 fret neck. Mandolin Brothers orders all of them with the option of the 1 ¾” nut width. The other dimensions are: Scale Length: 25 1/2", Body Width: 15", Body Length: 19 1/4", Body Depth: 4 1/8", Total Length: 39 1/2". Our Discount Price is $5,591.00 and Our Cash Discount Price is $5,423.00.
76-8286 and 76-8287(sold) CA Guitars (new) Cargo RT (no pickup) #C2090829 and #C2090822, in charcoal with a zipper gig bag.
As CA Guitars says: The award-winning Cargo is a breakthrough in a small-bodied, travel-size guitar, comfortable to play whenever and wherever you are. It's a portable guitar with an offset soundhole (for better projection) that provides its lucky owner the playability, sound and satisfaction of a full-size guitar. But, in this instance, you can take it anywhere, expose it to changes of humidity and other environmental variables (hold it up before the Northern Lights if you wish, or the full moon), and if it could it would heartily laugh, and laugh long – it is, after all, impervious to the things that most mortals fear. The Composite Acoustics List Price is $1,232.00 and Our Price is $999.00.
76-8265 Composite Acoustics Baritone HG (BT-HG), #BT109062-2, in charcoal with hard shell case.
This guitar gas a rigid one-piece neck/body construction for long-term stability and is impervious to climate for consistent performance, wherever you go. It has a carbon fiber neck for consistent playability (no truss rod adjustments needed, EVER!), proprietary carbon fiber bridge and saddle materials, premium electronics for easy and clear amplification, HG finish - paua top inlay dots and paua sound hole ring, center sound hole with performance-tuned lightweight carbon fiber bracing, Composite fingerboard with 20 medium stainless frets, ultra-precise black Gotoh™ tuning machines.
76-8285 Gibson (used, June 2001) Custom Shop “1940 SJ-200” #01811002, sunburst top, in excellent condition with original Gibson black hard shell case.
This very special Brazilian rosewood and AAA grade Sitka spruce top jumbo guitar comes with a laminated hang tag from the Gibson Montana facility that reads: “1940 SJ200 Triburst, hand-selected and built for Guitar Gallery” (a store in Pennsylvania). “1) AAA Stika spruce top, scalloped bracing, 2) flame maple neck and Brazilian rosewood body, 3) ebony fingerboard and moustache™ bridge with 4-bar mother of pearl inlay, 4) traditional ‘40s logo in mother of pearl, 5) custom tri-burst lacquer finish, 6) Imperial gold tuners. This special card is signed (on both sides) by Ren Ferguson.This is an ultra-deluxe variation on the Super J-200; it has a special pickguard that has the blossoms and the vines and the flowers but the ovary for each flower is more colorful than we remember any J-200 having – the first one is mint green, the second one a deep yellow, the third one a navy blue, the last one is white and there are 12 colored gynoecia all together; in addition the pickguard is bordered in two white lines; the top in 6 rings of crème and black, the back in four-plies, the neck and heel cap in 2-plies and the headstock and sides in one-ply. The center-dip headstock is 3 11/16th” wide from point to point at the top, has a colorful, refracting fat Gibson prewar script inlaid logo with a Gibson crown there under and a white-white bordered black bell-shaped truss rod cover. The fingerboard, in keeping with tradition, is inlaid with 8 mother of pearl crowns in rosewood so black it almost looks like ebony and the bridge is an open moustache™ with twin dots and four pearl curved blocks. The crème-bound soundhole is ringed with two ivoroid and black decorated circles, and the backstripe is geometric design in crème and black. Tuners are large-back gold-plated Grovers with metal keystone buttons; there is a Gibson “Custom Shop” decal on the back of the headstock. Two things (besides its inordinately, uncommon elegance and originality are the bookmatched and beautiful Brazilian rosewood back and sides that set our heartbeats a-beating), and the two piece figured maple burnished sunburst back of neck (with the center stripe of what could be Brazilian or mahogany) which is so tasteful and in balance with the rest of the instrument that one can only exhale loudly and say “whoa” with the full Mitkowskian inflection. This guitar is as sweet as a nitrous oxide Popsicle, and as fulfilling as a euphoric prophesy in which, at the end of the prophetic parable, the diaphanously attired nymph hands you a sticky bun. $7,732 or at our cash discount price, $7,500.
76-8261 C F Martin (used, 2003) D-28GE, Brazilian and Adirondack, #938915 with an individual number in the series of 440, in near mint condition “with tags” and original hard shell case.
The Martin GE series, when the guitar specifies rosewood, gets nothing less in stature than Brazilian rosewood – also known as God’s Gift to the acoustic guitarist. We consider its use in a guitar’s back and sides to be the highest and best use of dalbergia nigra, grown in the Rainforests of Brazil and apparently (and unfortunately) no place else. It provides the instrument a sound that is clear and present with punch and a level of articulation last heard during Barack Obama’s Grant Park, Chicago election-night speech. This guitar is in “virtually unplayed” condition showing some extremely light and inconsequential scratches on the back, the smallest sign of fretwear imaginable but none of the usual types of signs of use that one might expect to see on a guitar made 6 years ago. It has herringbone top border, multi-ply soundhole rosette, jet black ebony fingerboard, old style C F Martin black-bordered gold headstock logo, teardrop shape tortoise-shell color pickguard, belly bridge with “through” saddle of (we believe) fossil ivory, with matching color bridge pins, actual Waverly brand nickel-plated butterbean-button tuners, and wide grained Adirondack on the face combined with swirly and scintillating Brazilian on the sides, back and headplate so beautiful that would make a sinewy, grizzled woodsman cry (we’ve seen it – 14 tissues – 14!) It is so outspoken, so vocal, so straight-from-the-shoulder that, hearing or playing it, you may think you are enjoying a Broadway version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Sir Lawrence Olivier as Oberon, Suzanne Somers as Hermia and Dustin Hoffman as Puck. $9,274 or at our Cash Discount Price, $8,995.
76-8295 C F Martin DCX1E Acoustic Dreadnought guitar, #1341152, no case.
This comes equipped with the Fishman Sonicore pickup system at no additional charge. It has a solid Sitka spruce top with a hand rubbed finish, and a mahogany pattern HPL (High Pressure Laminate with Textured Finish) back and sides. It has a modified low oval neck shape, a white Corian® nut, a 1-11/16" nut width, a Morado (also called Pau Ferro, Ironwood, Bolivian rosewood even though it’s nut exactly a rosewood) fingerboard and bridge and a white Tusq® compensated saddle. It sounds quite good and best of al it can be plugged into any good acoustic amp or PA system and you’re ready to roll and rock. The C F Martin List Price $999 and Our Price is $699. Please add $48 additional for a Levy’s/Mandolin Bros. zipper gigbag.
76-8305 Martin (new) D18V, #1327776, Vintage Series dreadnought with Geib (#545) style hard shell case.
Vintage Series dreadnought, solid Sitka spruce top, solid genuine mahogany back & sides, scalloped 5/16'' top braces, modified V neck shape, solid black ebony fingerboard & bridge, 111/16'' nut width, 25.4" scale length and Gotoh Nickel Open Geared with Butterbean Knobs The C F Martin List Price is $3,349.00 and Our Price is $2,499.00.
76-8304 Martin (new) DC16RGTE Aura, #1342478, cutaway dreadnought,
gloss top, Indian rosewood back & sides, Sitka spruce top, modified low oval neck shape, 1-11/16'' neck width, Fishman Prefix Aura system and #345 hard shell case. The C F Martin List Price is $2,349.00 and Our Price is $1,749.00.
76-8302 CF Martin (new) JC-16RGTE AURA, #1342519, with #380 hard shell case.
This guitar has a J-14 fret body with cutaway, a solid Sitka spruce top, with solid East Indian rosewood back and sides. The scale length is 25.4'' with a 1 3/4'' nut width. It has satin finish on the back and sides, chrome (with small buttons) tuning machines, a Tortoise color pickguard and Fishman Onboard Aura electronics.
76-8266 Gibson (used, April 2007) SJ-200TV model which means “True Vintage,” #00957055, in near mint condition, vintage sunburst, with original special brown Deluxe hard shell case.
Gibson says about the “TV” series of acoustic guitars: The True Vintage series models are crafted as historic reproductions of some of the guitars that built the Gibson name, with authenticity, character and accuracy as the luthiers’ guiding principles. The top five acoustic models in Gibson’s celebrated history were chosen and Gibson Montana’s luthiers set out to create exacting replicas of each: the Hummingbird, J-185, J-45, SJ-200 (which is this one) and Southern Jumbo. A truly drool-inducing lineup of acoustics, each one was chosen because of its popularity with today’s acoustic players, as well as its lasting heritage as a cornerstone of acoustic music. Able to draw upon a history that few modern manufacturers possess, Gibson Montana set out to make these five models appealingly authentic in both sight and sound. The choice woods and dedicated construction methods are where the heart, soul, and sound of each TV model begins. Premium spruce, mahogany and maple are used, appropriate to the individual model. The soundboard, body, and neck are crafted using tried-and-true techniques like dovetail neck joints and hand-carved braces for powerful dialed-in tone.The finishing touches for each True Vintage model are found in details that should make any guitar lover’s heart go pitter-pitter-pitter-pat-pat-pat-pat-pat. (Doctor, I feel so strange). Madagascar rosewood is used for the bridge and fingerboard and the fret ends are bound, then (and only then) a specially formulated toner is sprayed over the guitars to give them a dark, aged lacquer finish like a vintage Gibson acoustic. As a demonstration of how far Gibson went to ensure all the appointment details were historically correct, the pickguard on the SJ-200 model is vintage-cast style, made from the original vintage die-cast molds. Finally, each guitar gets set-up with a bone nut and saddle, detailed with a historically accurate orange label and packed into a vintage-style case. These are the finest SJ-200 guitars that Gibson Montana has ever produced, each being made with the utmost care and craftsmanship, in the Gibson tradition, of course. This guitar is certainly the epitome of all that dedication – every detail is painstakingly accurate – and its Madagascar fingerboard and bridge looks almost identical to the Brazilian board and bridge this style would have had in, say, 1955. Words cannot describe what a pleasure it is to play such an accurate reproduction. The “True Vintage” option is true to the tradition, and redolent of venerable vintage verisimilitude, dude. The original List Price was $5786. You’ll love this: Your cost is only $3087 or, at our Cash Discount Price, $2995.
76-8670 Guild (new) GAD-30RE Orchestra Model Acoustic guitar, serial#GAD41772, gloss finish,
Solid Indian Rosewood back & sides, Solid Sitka top, 1-Piece Mahogany neck, Ebony fretboard & bridge, 1-3/4" nut width, 25-1/2" scale length, bone nut & saddle, Grover Sta-tite tuners, chrome hardware and a Deluxe hard shell case. The Guild List Price is $1449.99 and Our Price is $1079.
76-8271 Guild (new) GAD-F-40P 16" wide Grand Orchestra Body
(based on the1955 F-40 Valencia), serial#GAD389935, 12 fret neck, all solid wood, African Padauk back & sides, Sitka Spruce top, Indian rosewood fingerboard & bridge, bone nut & saddle, 1-3/4" nut width, wood bindings and hard shell case. The Guild List Price is $1199.99 and Our Price is $900.
76-8272 Guild (new) M-20E mahogany concert guitar in natural, with Fishman electronics,
#GAD40774, small concert style body with a 13 3/4" lower bout, solid mahogany top, back and sides, 24 3/4" scale length, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, bone nut and saddle, mahogany neck, pearl dot inlays and hard shell case. The Guild List Price is $1149.99 and Our Price is $860.
76-8273 Guild (new) GAD F-20E in Natural, #GAD39151, with hard shell case.
Small-bodied bliss! Guild’s vintage-style GAD-F20E features a concert-style body with a 13” lower bout, solid spruce top, solid mahogany back and sides, flame maple binding, mahogany neck, 24 ¾” scale length, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, bone nut and saddle, mother of pearl dot inlays and a Fishman® Matrix™ under-saddle pickup with endpin jack. Available in only in Natural top. The Guild List Price is $1349.99 and Our Price is $1000.
76-8293 Guild (new) GAD-25, #GAD40544, with the wonderful Guild hard shell case.
Guild Acoustic Design (GAD) series instruments are designed to be the right tool for the job. They are high quality, all-solid wood instruments that offer exceptional value. Experience the legendary sound of Guild at a more affordable price than ever, and get the instrument that will help you craft the perfect performance. The handsome-looking, great-sounding GAD-25 has a dreadnought body, solid mahogany top, back and sides; bone nut and saddle, wood bindings, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, pearl logo and pearl dot inlays. Available only in Natural finish mahogany. The Guild List Price is $899.99 and Our Price is $680.00.
76-8259 Huss & Dalton (new) Custom Traditional OM in Brazilian Rosewood and Bearclaw, #2701, with hard shell case.
This has everything any fingerstyle player either wants or needs: a fabulous and demonstrative aging-tonered Bearclaw Sitka spruce top that’s actually moderately wide grained (wide grain is thought to increase tonal range while Bearclaw figure is thought to increase stiffness and therefore upper mids and highs), a magnificent and matched set of Brazilian rosewood back and sides – approaching straight-grained in the central section of the back -- more impressionistic on the sides, and a matching Brazilian rosewood headplate colorfully decorated with an intensely pretty script “Huss & Dalton” pearl logo. Said squared corner headstock proffers Waverly brand #1129 Special Issue metal oval button tuning machines; the unbound ebony fingerboard displays 5 etched diamond inlays; the abbreviated, beveled edge pickguard is tortoise shell colored and the top is ringed in wooden herringbone purfling set against a black background. The back stripe parquetry is “zipper,” the end piece and heel cap grained ivoroid and the sides and back are bordered in ivoroid and black. This gorgeous and indescribably amazing sounding Orchestra Model is housed, in the H&D tradition, in a fine, plush lined tweed hard shell case. Our Discount Price is $6,129 and Our Cash Discount Price is $5,945.
76-8662 C F Martin (new) D-16RGT Acoustic Dreadnought guitar, serial#1337371,
East Indian Rosewood back & sides, gloss Sitka Spruce top, modified low oval neck shape, 1-11/16" nut width, 25.4" scale length and #345 hard shell case. The C F Martin List Price is $1699 and Our Price is $1249.
76-8298 C F Martin (new) 000-16GT gloss top, all solid woods acoustic guitar, #1332523.
This is an all-solid-wood, beautifully made acoustic guitar. It happens to be very fine sounding since it is constructed from a solid mahogany back & sides, solid Sitka spruce top. It has a handsome Herringbone rosette, modified low-oval neck shape, a white Corian® nut, 1-11/16" comfortable nut width, a Black Micarta® fingerboard, a 25.4" scale length, a compensated White Tusq® saddle, a tortoise color pickguard and it comes to you in a well-made model #330 black hard shell case. The C F Martin List Price is $1449 and Our Price is $1049.
76-8677 Martin (new) 00-42 Linda Ronstadt Model, #1333164, with Geib case,
If you like low numbers, this one is Individual No. 17 in the short, numbered run of just 150 instruments. The 00-42 Linda Ronstadt Ltd. Ed. Guitar closely approximates an original Martin 00-42 from the turn of the previous century, with the elongated body, 1 13/16th” fingerboard width at the nut, having a shorter 24.9” scale length. Its slotted headstock and graceful 12-fret design provide extraordinary rich, balanced tone. This certainly could be due to the notion that the back and sides are made of Madagascar rosewood which showcases a tone that has deep dark color and full, powerful timbre nearly identical to the now-endangered Brazilian rosewood, while the Adirondack spruce top paired with one-quarter inch width scalloped Adirondack top braces contributes clarity and dynamic range. The modified V neck with diamond dart is carved from genuine mahogany. The appointments closely follow the famous -45 except that the select abalone pearl that encircles the rosette and the top (including the bottom border around the fretboard peninsula) does not circumnavigate the sides and back as does the illustrious -45 model. All of the pearl is accented by fine black/white purfling, the back stripe is a multi-colored mosaic, the “C Martin F” headstock letters are abalone inlaid into polished Madagascar; the body, headstock and neck are bound together in grained ivoroid. The black ebony pyramid bridge is fitted with abalone pearl-inlaid white bridge pins while, to the north, elegant Waverly™ tuners with engraved polished bronze side plates and grained ivoroid buttons provide precision tuning. Aging toner on the top, and Martin’s perfect polished glossy finish throughout highlight the abalone and pearl appointments in spectacular style. Linda’s inlaid facsimile signature appears (subtly) between frets 18 & 19. The sound (he kisses his pursed fingers and says “tsk”) is scrumptious, supple and sonorous, just like the singing of this world famous artist, herself. It comes housed in a Geib style #525 plush lined hard shell case. The C F Martin List Price is $9999 and “Our Price” is $7999.
76-8250 C F Martin (new) HD-28V, the Vintage Series, with advanced X, forward
shifted scalloped bracing, aging toner top, etched diamond fingerboard inlays, squared headstock, old style Martin decal, old style pickguard, modified V-shape neck, herringbone top border, and many other accoutrements of the prewar guitar, #1321214, with Geib style hard shell case. The C F Martin List is $4099 and “Our Price” is $3099.
76-8297 Martin (new) D18 Authentic 1937, #1313850, the finest recreation of a prewar D-18 that Martin (or any other maker) has to offer!
And we’re not just saying that – come to our showroom and try it out and you will begin shaking like a tempest tos’d twig in a tropical typhoon. Four words will flicker through your consciousness: “I must own this!” It ain’t just the solid genuine mahogany back & sides, or the solid hand-selected Adirondack “Red” spruce top, or the solid Adirondack scalloped 5/16" circa1937-style braces. It can’t be that is has a tortoise type end graft (though it can’t hurt) that’s fashioned in the seldom seen narrow 1937 shape. It has an actual, bona fide and genuine mahogany (!) neck with a unique contour. The fingerboard, bridge and heelcap are solid black ebony, the nut is made of quite dead fossilized ivory, the black bridge and end pins are that way because they’re ebony. It has a 1930's style belly bridge with a long saddle, a 25.4" scale length, a 1-3/4" nut width, Waverly brand nickel plated open-geared prewar style tuners and 1930's style hard shell case. All that notwithstanding – this guitar is made using hide glue – not a material that luthiers like to use since it takes a great deal longer to dry and for that reason is not the model of production efficiency – but the sound this guitar produces is a testament to its sonic tumescence. The other factor to be considered is that the neck is not modified V-shape, it’s Prewar V-shape, so when you buy this guitar, you might want to also buy one of those nifty finger exercisers and possibly follow up on those emails you’ve been getting about making your extremities longer. This guitar sounds like the recordings we all own of our guitar playing heroes. It sounds like no other new Martin (or any other) guitar you have ever heard – but have all your life dreamed of hearing. It sounds like at least as good as a prewar D-18 sounded when it was new and probably a lot closer to what one sounds like now than can be imagined. The C F Martin List Price is $8,599.00 and the Martin MAP is $6,899.00.
76-8288 Martin (new) OMCRE, #1303841, 000-14-fret cutaway, equipped with the Jeff Babicz fully adjustable action system, made with a solid
Carpathian (Transylvanian Adirondack) spruce top, a style-28 headstock overlay, standard ''X'' scalloped, a solid Sitka spruce top that’s ¼” braced; the back, sides and headstock overlay are made of East Indian rosewood. It has Gotoh nickel-plated open-geared high quality tuners with butterbean knobs. This guitar comes nestled in a Martin #430 model hard shell case, and we are pleased to say that it features Fishman Aura Pro electronics which is wonderful sounding and highly sophisticated, just like you. Not only does this instrument sound great, play great and is made to be played with or without an amplifier, the fact that the action can be adjusted to your personal liking, song after song, in seconds, has not been lost on us slow-to-catch up Luddites. The C F Martin List Price is $3,499.00 and “Our Price” is $2,699.00.
76-8665 RainSong (new) Black Ice Series 6-string acoustic guitar, #10546, a brand
new model having the all-graphite "Black Ice" soundboard crafted using RainSong's Projection Tuned Layering™ technique. It don’t need no stinking soundboard braces, but it does sport an attractive Abalone rosette, an all-graphite “N2” neck and a composite fingerboard fabricated using RainSong's Performance Shape Casting™ as a single piece. Finally, after years of Stan’s nattering, this model comes with an adjustable truss rod, and for you fans of carnivorous fishes with heterocercal caudal fins and tough skin covered with small tooth like scales it has the beloved custom mother of pearl sharks. This has a Tusq™ nut and saddle, mother-of-pearl inlaid Tusq™ bridge pins, UV protective, high-gloss, clear urethane finish, and a customized hard shell case. The RainSong List Price is $3295 and “Our Price” is $2499.
76-8311 Santa Cruz (used, November, 2005) Custom Shop Style F in flamed/quilted Sycamore, #878, in near mint condition with original hard shell case, “with tags.”
Every so often an instrument comes along that nearly defies description. This instrument, when taken out of its plush lined case, causes all those who were speaking in the room to come to a dramatic, simultaneous halt. If you want to amaze and dazzle your peers you have only got to pick up the phone and order this instrument and we’ll do the rest. It is made from virtually perfect grain German spruce and leopard-dot Sycamore -- a rare and exotic wood on the back, sides and neck that would cause even the most jaded guitar-o-philes to sigh wistfully, their breath coming in short pants. This custom style was first introduced at a NAMM Expo where it dominated the isles. It all begins with a graceful, curved cranium – the FS-style peghead, which is overlain in spaulted maple – desiccated like my Aunt Freda into a pattern that resembles topography in blacks and browns – and the soundhole is bordered in a circle of the same phylum. Somebody said that this maple looks like an impressionistic painting of the Sylvan Lake of Eternal Relaxation. The German spruce top is tight and bright – and perfectly parallel. The back, sides and neck (with its Eddy and Flo pattern) are not your residential Staten Island Sycamore – it is northern California Sycamore, the wood having come from within miles of the Santa Cruz factory. It has black fingerboard binding on the jet black ebony board; said board has no inlays except the “Scgc” logo inlaid in white pearl on frets 12 and 13. The top is bordered in six-plies of crème and black, there is a dual black framed sycamore panel at the center of the back (continuing as the end graft) and the heel cap is likewise contrasted in black. It has tiny three-ply binding on the sides. Tuners are Gotoh 510s with their Terminator type buttons; the bridge pins and tail pin are ebony with abalone dots. The tone is full, even and radiant and, in every way, like the appearance, captivating beyond all description. Supreme well-being, rapturous pleasure for a modest and manageable monetary requirement. $6,180 or at our Cash Discount Price, $5,995.
76-8290 Taylor (used, 2006) Model 914CE-LTD, a limited edition model, #2006100404,
in excellent plus condition with original hard shell case. Suffice it to say this guitar is stunning, made with Cocobolo on the back and sides that retains its sap wood so that the forward edge of the sides is a crème, almost koa-colored phylum. The top is close-grained spruce of high degree; the top, back, neck and headstock bindings are flame maple, the headplate is polished black ebony bearing the script “Taylor” logo with a fancy flower inlaid at the center and matching entwined floral depictions on the ebony fretboard at frets 3,5,7,9,12, and then a continuous vine with flowers on frets 14 through 18. Tuners are gold-plated Taylor sealed backs with ebony buttons, the mahogany neck is three piece with fingerjoint behind the nut and a scarf at the heel; the heel cap and the back stripe are curly maple, Taylor provides the guitar a gold-plated strap pin in the treble side of the neck heel and the highly sophisticated Expressions pickup and preamp system, a comfortable low action and a sound like the church bells in the highest spire that surveys the rolling hills of Rhymney, a town located in the county borough of Caerphilly in south-east Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. The top and the soundhole are bordered in kaleidoscopic abalone. Yes, friends, there are a few infinitely small dings and minor small scratches and none of these are any distraction. The important thing is that it sounds utterly incredible and it plays inordinately easily – your fingers become an infinitely fast Mag-Lev train hovering just above the fingerboard, taking you in new musical directions like a Ouija Board with a mind of its own. With only this guitar, a medium rare steak dinner with capers, sweet peppers, truffles and at least two other subterranean fungi, a walk on the moonlit beach, a 1927 bottle of Chateau Lafitte, a romantic conversation, and paying 75 cents at a gas station to inflate your anatomically correct companion, life will truly be sublime. I have said (out loud) that the first person who comes in and plays this guitar will probably buy it. It’s that’s good. $4,015 or, at Our Cash Discount Price, $3,895.
76-8581 Bill Collings (used, 2006-’07) Custom OM-1AC #13282, near mint with original plush lined hard shell case.
This guitar presents with an Adirondack spruce top and a Venetian cutaway; it is in virtually unplayed condition, obsessively well-kept. Not only is this the ideal combination of a soft cutaway, a 1 ¾” nut width, the finest top wood from which a guitar can be built (“Red” spruce), and that it is a Collings – itself a work of perfection, grace and beauty – the pinnacle of the vibratory arts – but also it was originally ordered with a carved ebony pyramid bridge! It has a squared (very squared) polished ebony-veneered headplate, six sturdy Waverly brand, butterbean-is-a-betterbean-button tuners, a modified V-shape neck that’s oh-so-comfortable, three mother of pearl fingerboard inlays of diminishing size, an Addy top so straight-grained and woody – wide at the extremes and closer at the center – as the prophets all unanimously decreed, an abbreviated tortoise shell apostrophe-shaped beveled edge pickguard, tortoise bindings (no actual tortoise was injured in the preparation of this celluloid), the most select, perfect, pulchritudinous solid mahogany you ever sawed for the back, sides and neck, ebony for the heel cap and end graft, and ebony & spruce decorative inlaid rings ‘o’ fibre around its soundhole and top. The action is impossibly low – yet there’s still plenty of saddle room on the bone. When played, it is an instrument to make one involuntarily suspend breathing – as it produces clarity without disparity, depth for those who are never inepth, aural density for which you have a propensity, projection in every tonal section, a sound so clean it must be seen, at a price so right you’ll stay all night. We haven’t asked Collings for proof but we believe that a new one with these appointments could easily list for around $5325. It couldn’t be more perfect. How does this sound to you: $4119 at our Discount Price, $3995 at our Cash Discount Price.
78-7958 Bill Collings (new) Model OM-3CA, #14774. This exceedingly fancy guitar has an Adirondack “Red” Spruce top with a soft Venetian cutaway and a plush lined hard shell case.
The OM-3 has the same appointments as the Collings OM-2H, without the herringbone border and with the addition of select abalone, black/white wood and nitrate strip rosette, bound fingerboard and double-bound peghead, no fingerboard inlay, gold Waverly tuners. Just so you know the standard appointments of the OM-2H include these appointments: The Orchestra Model (OM) guitar is an interpretation of the Martin short run of instruments made between 1929 and 1933. These feature a 000 size body with a 14 fret neck. Mandolin Brothers orders all of them with the option of the 1 ¾” nut width. The other dimensions are: Scale Length: 25 1/2", Body Width: 15", Body Length: 19 1/4" , Body Depth: 4 1/8", Total Length: 39 1/2". Expensive, yes, a bit perhaps, but it more than makes up for it in elegance and incredible sound. On the OM3 with the cutaway and the Adirondack Our Discount Price is $5,498 and our Cash Discount Price is $5,333.
78-7757 Bill Collings (new) Model OM-2HC #14526, Herringbone trimmed Cutaway, ordered with the option of a 1 3/4" nut, with plush lined hard shell case.
For the contemporary player seeking extra access that only a cutaway can convey, this instrument excels at reproducing the entire range of sonic spectrum with a 15" Auditorium-sized body. Since Collings doesn't make many cutaway guitars, and their delivery time is greatly lengthened, this one is both striking and singular in welcome and wonderful ways. The OM-2H is specified by Collings to be made from East Indian rosewood back and sides, a select spruce top, grained ivoroid binding, prewar scalloped bracing, crosscut grained ivoroid and black/white nitrate strip purfling, herringbone border, crosscut grained ivoroid and wood strip rosette, tortoise style pickguard. Other features include a gloss-finished mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard and bridge, rosewood peghead overlay with mother of pearl Collings logo and a traditional diamond and square inlay and nickel-plated Waverly brand tuners. This is a guitar that is beloved by all of those fortunate enough to own one. Our Discount Price is $4,129 and Our Cash Discount Price is $4,005.v
76-8574 Collings (new) DS2HA dreadnought guitar, #15671, an outstanding quality, unbelievably beautiful dreadnought 12-fret, slothead, made to a level of perfection that you may not be able to find on other examples of the same type of instrument.
It is housed in a deluxe TKL “American Vintage Series” plush-lined, retro-looking hard shell case. This model is made from exemplary East Indian rosewood on the back and sides, a select Adirondack “Red” spruce top; it has grained ivoroid binding, prewar style scalloped bracing, a herringbone top border, crosscut grained ivoroid and wood strip rosette, a tortoise style pickguard. Other features include a gloss-finished mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard and bridge, slotted peghead with rosewood peghead overlay, mother of pearl “Collings” logo, traditional diamond and square fingerboard inlay and nickel-plated Waverly brand slot-head tuners. For those who are statistic-o-philes the nut width is a comfortable 1 13/16th”, the scale length is 25.5”, the body width is 15 5/8”, the body length is 20 7/8”, the body depth is 4 7/8th”, the total length is 40 1/8”. The level of the instrument’s physical perfection is Michaelangelo-like (much like our own), the playability is without effort, and the sound [he kisses his middle, first finger and thumb in the French manner] is, because of the elongated body and the approximately 61 additional square inches of moving air, is at the highest possible level of excellence (for East Indian rosewood). $4,732 at Our Discount Price or $4,590 at Our Cash Discount Price.
76-8602 Collings (new) C-10 Western, #13444, with the decorative rope purfling around the top and the Western Shading on the face.
This has the 1 ¾” nut width and the OM-style neck for which Collings is famous for being comfortable, and no wonder it’s comfortable, living as it is within a plush lined hard shell case. This guitar harkens back to the time when cowboys rode the range and roped dogys which, we are led to understand, has something to do with cows. Actually a dogy is a motherless calf in a herd of range cattle, also spelled “doggie” with a less-known synonym of “leppy.” Betcha didn’t know that. We don’t know it. The alliteration “get along little leppy” would have been good, but not as good as this guitar! This guitar will make you think twice about small guitars. This is other than it’s udder-warming color, a standard description Collings C-10 which is described as being made from mahogany back and sides, select spruce top, prewar scalloped bracing, and according to the prophesy it has simple ivoroid top and back binding and rosette, this special variant has no pickguard, a gloss-finished mahogany neck with rosewood peghead and a mother of pearl colorful script Collings logo; it has an ebony fingerboard and bridge, small dot markers of decreasing size and nickel-plated Waverly brand mini-tuners. The dimensions are: Nut Width: 1 11/16", Scale Length: 25 1/2", Body Width: 14 ¾”, Body Length: 19 1/4", Body Depth: 4 1/4" and Total Length: 39 1/2". This guitar may be small (slightly bigger than a Martin 00) but it sounds big, broadly based and boisterous. $3,874 or, at our cash discount price $3,758.
76-8649 Guild (new) GAD-30R orchestra model acoustic guitar, # GAD38220, gloss finish, with a deluxe hard shell case.
This comfortable fingerstyle guitar is made from solid Indian rosewood back & sides, solid Sitka top, 1-piece mahogany neck, ebony fretboard & bridge, 1-3/4" nut width, 25-1/2" scale length, bone nut & saddle, Grover Sta-Tite tuners, chrome hardware. The Guild List Price is $1199.99 and Our Price is but a lowly $900.
76-8650 Guild (new) GAD M-20 mahogany concert guitar in natural, #GAD38921, small concert style body
with a 13 3/4" lower bout, solid mahogany top, back and sides, 24 3/4" scale length, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, bone nut and saddle, mahogany neck, pearl dot inlays and hard shell case. The Guild List Price is $899.99 and Our Price is $680.
76-8648 Guild (new) DV-6 Acoustic guitar, #MAN901015, rosewood dreadnought,
made not exactly in the USA but, then again, not too far away – in Ensenada, Mexico -- and housed in a plush lined hard shell case. Behold a natural top, all solid Indian rosewood back and sides, solid Sitka spruce top guitar with scalloped Sitka bracing rosewood fingerboard and bridge, tortoise body binding and finished in a special hand-rubbed gel varnish. Did you say “Wow?” The Guild List Price is $1199 and Our Price is $900.
76-8647 Guild (new) DV-4 mahogany dreadnought in natural, #MAM901018,
with a fine hard shell plush lined case. Guild’s DV Series guitars are stripped down, no-nonsense tone machines. They offer exceptional balance, volume and playability at an exceptional price. DV guitars feature Guild’s exclusive hand-rubbed satin gel varnish finish, which really lets the wood breathe and results in exceptional resonance and projection. The imported DV-4 is an all-solid wood dreadnought model with a solid spruce top, solid mahogany back and sides, scalloped spruce bracing, mahogany neck, tortoise body binding, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, and a bone nut and saddle. The Guild List Price is $1099.99 and Our Price is $830
76-8653 Guild (new) D-55 rosewood dreadnought in Natural, #NM027005, made in the USA with a solid spruce top,
solid Indian rosewood back and sides, abalone rosette, mahogany neck, bone nut, bone saddle, bone bridge pins, ebony fingerboard and bridge, pearl "Shield" logo, pearl and abalone block inlays, lacquer finish, gold hardware and hard shell case. The Guild List Price is $3199.99 and Our Price is $2400
76-8663 Guild (new) GAD-G212 12-string acoustic dreadnought guitar, #GAD33648, natural finish, solid Mahogany back & sides,
Solid Sitka top, 1-Piece Mahogany neck, Indian Rosewood fretboard & bridge, 1-11/16" nut width, 25-1/2" scale length, bone nut & saddle, Grover Rotomatic tuners, chrome hardware and a hard shell case. The Guild List Price is $1199.99 and Our Price is $900
76-8587 Huss & Dalton (new) Custom Traditional OM Rosewood, #2687, Red Spruce Top, Brazilian Rosewood back and sides,
Waverly Model 1129 Special Issue Vintage Oval tuning machines, with hard shell case. $6593 at Our Discount Price or $6395 at Our Cash Discount Price.
76-8568 CF Martin (new) OM-21 Special, #1332331, 000-14 fret, beautiful beyond words and housed in a fancy 533E Geib style hard shell case.
We are exceptionally fond of this model, made as it is with a solid Sitka spruce top, solid East Indian Rosewood back and sides, a short 25.4" scale length, 1 3/4" nut width, finished in polished gloss with Vintage Toner on the top; it has a satin finish neck, Gotoh nickel-plated open-gear tuners with oval buttons. It is beautiful, easy to use and quite fantastic sounding for its modest price. The C F Martin List Price is $3799 and “Our Price” is $2899.
76-8571 and 76-8572 C F Martin (new) HD-28, #1316007 and #1317631,
Martin’s basic scalloped-braced dreadnought guitar displaying the herringbone top border, made from solid Indian rosewood back & sides and a solid Sitka Spruce top, having a low profile neck, 25.4" scale length, 1 11/16'' nut width, Schaller chrome-plated tuners with large knobs, solid ebony fingerboard and bridge, a bone nut & saddle and housed in a Martin Molded (#640) hard shell case. The C F Martin List Price is $3449 and “Our Price” is $2599.
76-8585 C F Martin (new) D-16 Dreadnought guitar, #1327766, an affordable alternative but still excellent sounding this mortise-and-tenon model is made from solid Sapele
for the back and the sides, solid Sitka Spruce top, it has a modified low oval neck shape, 1-11/16" nut width, solid striped ebony fingerboard, 25.4" scale length, polished gloss finish on back, sides & top, semi-gloss finish on neck and a black, wooden #345 hard shell case. It sounds mahvelouth. The Martin List is $2199; “Our Price” is $1599
76-8588 CF Martin (new) OMC18 Laurence Juber, #1321044, with hard shell case.
This utterly gorgeous guitar is also phenomenal sounding. Martin has outdone itself by offering a special cutaway OM guitar made of solid genuine mahogany, and when you combine this magnificent stuff with an Adirondack “Red” spruce top (straight from the hills of Appalachia up to central/eastern New York State) so wide-grained that it resembles the polished teak deck on a twenty million dollar executive yacht, it makes for some bodacious synergy. Due to its wonderful woods and workmanship you get an instrument that sustains nearly forever, and makes a sound so full of complex harmonic and overtonal convergence that the experience of either playing it or hearing it is chilling beyond all belief. Other appointments include the jet black unbound solid ebony fingerboard with abalone dots at the 5th, 7th and 9th, combined with white side markers in seven positions to guide us through our existential dilemma, multi-ply black-white top inlay, and old style wood fiber inlaid rings around the soundhole. It has a Madagascar (boy, does it look like Brazilian) polished headplate bearing the old style, black bordered gold script “C F Martin & Co., Est. 1833” label of yore, the sides are bound in tortoise color brown, the back stripe is, well, it’s just a black line; there is a serious diamond dart on the back of the headstock to represent the barriers and impediments that stand before us in our private, individual routes to refined socialization. It sports “C F Martin” logo Gotoh burnished gray tuners with the butterbean buttons we loves to suck on. The heel cap and end graft are grained ivoroid; nut width is 1 ¾”, 12th fret width is 2 ¼” and string spacing at bridge is the same; the neck shape is “modified V”; bridge and end pins are carved of blackest ebon. The bone bridge saddle is compensated (rolled like a drunken sailor) at the B string, the action is like non-existent, man, and the 25.4” scale and soft Venetian cutaway combine to make it effortless to use. This guitar sparkles, and so will your eyes if you own it. The Martin List is $4799; “Our Price” is $3799
76-8594 C F Martin (new) Model MC-DSM, #1256236, the guitar designed by C F Martin’s District Sales Managers, including our own hero of the wholesale, Ralph Chreiman -- in flamed Hawaiian Koa wood and solid Italian Alpine spruce top, in a Geib #570 hard shell case. This guitar charms every person who has the honor of playing it. It rings and sings and sustains in ways other guitars can only dream of. It is an M, formerly known as Colonel Quadruple-O when it served in the French Foreign Legion, a fourteen-fret to the body cutaway. It is not ornate in the usual ways but timeless tastefulness is evident in every pore of its being. It has, for example, a single ring of herringbone around its soundhole; the Sitka spruce ¼” (high-definition) bracing is standard X-scalloped and forward shifted. The back is purfled in ebony with black-white Boltaron trim, the end piece in solid black ebony, the body in black-white Boltaron. The neck is “selected hardwood” and carved low profile, the bone nut is 1 ¾” wide; the headstock is solid, square tapered with square corners and capped with polished black ebony that bears the C F Martin script logo in select abalone. The scale is long, the fingerboard measures 2 ¼” at the 12th and the bridge string spacing is the same. All surfaces (except fretboard and bridge) are polished and glossy including the back of the neck. Fingerboard markers are William Foden Special style; tuners are actual Waverly brand with oval buttons; and the bridge is “straightline” with a drop-in saddle (drop in any time). It comes standard with no pickguard; the saddle is 16” radius, compensated and made of bone. Bridge and end pins are solid ebony with abalone pearl dots and it is housed in a Geib 570 five-ply case. Only 100 are being made, and this one is #19. It is an instrument to be treasured and pleasured. The Martin List is, well, it’s $7,999 (don’t ask) and the Martin MAP is $6,399.
76-8604 CF Martin (new) DX1E, D-14 fret body, #1340441, with no carrying case (a Mandolin Bros/Levys Gigbag is optional for $48 additional).
We like these because they are made with a solid Sitka spruce top which adds warmth and winning woodiness to the tone. The back and the sides are constructed of mahogany pattern HPL (High Pressure Laminate) with a textured photographic finish. This pickup-equipped dreadnought is designed with a standard 25.4" scale length, chrome-plated tuners with small buttons, a tortoise color pickguard, and did we mention that it comes with no case? The C F Martin List Price is $889 and Our Price is $649.
76-8605 C F Martin DCX1E acoustic dreadnought guitar with Fishman® Classic 4 Sonicore pickup system, #1336584, solid Sitka Spruce top
with a hand rubbed finish, mahogany pattern HPL (with Textured Finish) back & sides, modified low oval neck shape, white Corian® nut, 1-11/16" nut width, Morado (also called Pau Ferro, Ironwood, Bolivian rosewood even though it’s nut a rosewood) fingerboard & bridge and white Tusq® compensated saddle. Please add $48 additional for a Levy’s/Mandolin Bros. zipper gigbag. The C F Martin List Price is $999 and Our Price is $699
76-8632 C F Martin (new) D-16GT dreadnought acoustic guitar. #1334733, gloss top, Solid Genuine Mahogany back & sides,
Solid Sitka Spruce top, Herringbone rosette, scalloped braces, Modified Low Oval neck shape, Black Micarta® fingerboard & bridge, 25.4" scale length, 1-11/16" nut width and hard shell (345) case. The CF Martin List Price is $1449 and Our Price is $1049.
76-8645 and 76-8646 C F Martin (new) 000-15S 12 fret acoustic guitar, #1337995 & #1338027, satin finish, solid Sapele or genuine mahogany back, sides and top,
Gold & Black Style herringbone rosette, modified low oval neck shape, solid East Indian rosewood fingerboard & bridge, 25.4" scale length, 1-3/4" nut width, Schaller Chrome w/ Acrylic Knobs tuners and #331 hard shell case. The CF Martin List Price is $1629 and Our Price is $1249.
76-8643 and 76-8644 C F Martin (new) LX-1E Little Martin with pickup, serial #MG86322 & MG86329,
Mahogany Pattern HPL Textured Finish, Solid Sitka Spruce top, Modified Low Oval neck shape, 23'' scale length, 1-11/16" nut width and Martin padded gig bag. The C F Martin List Price is $499 and Our Price is $360.
76-8641 and 76-8642 C F Martin (new) D-15 Dreadnought Acoustic guitar, #1338041 & #1338044,
Back, sides and top are solid Sapele or mahogany, it has a 1-11/16" nut width, modified low oval neck shape, a rosewood fingerboard and bridge, tortoise color pickguard and hard shell case. The CF Martin List Price is $1249 and Our Price is $949.
76-8656 C F Martin (new) 000C-16GTE Premium Acoustic Auditorium-size guitar (with Fishman Prefix Premium Blend Pickup System) #1337350,
made from solid genuine mahogany back & sides, solid Sitka spruce top, polished gloss finished top, bold herringbone rosette, modified low oval neck shape, 1-11/16" nut width and it comes with a black covered wooden #330 hard shell case. The C F Martin List Price is $1999 and Our Price is $1499
76-8640 C F Martin (new) D-21 Special dreadnought acoustic guitar, #1326168, solid East Indian Rosewood back & sides,
solid Sitka spruce top burnished with aging toner to a lovely color, polished gloss finish, low profile neck shape, 25.4" scale length, 1-3/4" nut width, bone nut, ebony fingerboard & pyramid bridge, Gotoh nickel-plated open-geared tuners with oval buttons, and #545E hard shell case. A very special guitar indeed – these things sound amazing. The CF Martin List Price is $3849 and Our Price is $2899
76-8639 Santa Cruz (new) FireFly acoustic guitar, #85, with deluxe Ameritage hard shell case.
Paraphrased from the Santa Cruz Company - Santa Cruz Guitar's New Fire Fly Model is the actualization of a traveling session ace's dream. It is a “real” guitar to travel with that you'll be proud to play when you arrive. It features a professionally voiced 24" scale, suitable for tuning in concert pitch, this stunning little guitar is a professional tool with remarkable volume and complexity. The FireFly outshines most of the travel or “Parlor” offerings on the market, delivering more sophistication in its little 16.5” long by 13” wide body than some of its full size counterparts. You actually need to hear it to believe it. Features include an ivoroid-black polished ebony headstock and the same as fingerboard binding plus four-plies of the same around the dainty top. It has an abbreviated tortoise shell color pickguard, two rings of purfling around the 3 5/16” diameter soundhole. The fingerboard measures a nice, normal 1 11/16th” at the nut; the neck shape is low profile. The back of the neck is entirely gloss finished over genuine mahogany; the tuners are “Super Machine Head – 510 – 1:18 gear ratio” with fanciful “terminator” type buttons, the heel cap and body binding is grained ivoroid and the back stripe and end graft are multicolored wood and celluloid marquetry forming a long, repeating arrowhead type of formation in many colors. Most important is the sound which, like many Santa Cruz guitars we have played, sings with the lyrical, lilting complex voice of a string quartet. All this in an infinitely small package you can stuff down your pants (or skirt) and walk around stiff legged with all afternoon while attending high level meetings with the executives of high level pharmaceutical companies. “And now I’d like to play you a little tune about technical advances in pharmacology. I shall use my Santa Cruz Fire Fly.” And that’s when you whip it out. $3665 at Our Discount Price or $3555 at Our Cash Discount Price.
76-8579 R. Taylor (new) Style 3 acoustic dreadnought guitar, #010-2009, with deluxe hard shell case.
Something brand new in a fine acoustic dreadnought guitar, made from East Indian Rosewood back and sides, Adirondack Spruce top, mahogany neck, rosewood binding with pinstripes, Adirondack Spruce bracing. Per the R. Taylor web site: “The Style 3 is a body design that is close to the hearts of many players, Bob Taylor included. While the R. Taylor shop is known primarily for building “modern” guitars, this timeless design has been on our minds since we began crafting instruments. With a respectful nod toward tradition, our luthiers have applied their experience as craftsmen and musicians to create an instrument that will captivate guitarists who crave a traditional design and tone. The Style 3 is capable of everything that vintage D-style instruments are known for, and then some. This guitar delivers all the volume, punch, projection and downright chest-rumbling low end that collectively have endeared many players to a D-style instrument. By applying our construction techniques to this time-honored design, we have crafted an instrument that presents every single note with unprecedented clarity and volume. We’ve also kept things simple. The Style 3 features one bracing pattern (Modified X) and one top geometry (65-foot radius). No cutaway will be offered.” If you are seeking to order one of these with special specifications (excluding cutaway) -- all of the normal R. Taylor’s standard wood choices are available on the Style 3, along with a choice of nut widths, neck shapes, binding and other appointments. Just inquire. In the meantime, this one's extraordinary. $4,355 at Our Discount Price or $4,224 at Our Cash Discount Price.
76-8630 Taylor (used, March 1997) Model 710CE, #970305130, in excellent plus condition with original black thermoplastic hard shell case.
This is Taylor's standard dreadnought model in East Indian rosewood and Sitka spruce (some 700 series Taylor guitars have a cedar top, but perhaps the dreadnought is mainly spruce top). It is moderately dressy for a guitar that's "middle of the line" - it has glossy finish on top, back and sides, glossy black binding with a white purfling line on the sides (classy touch) and around the back, and the face is festooned with black-white-black purfling around its perimeter. It has an abalone inlaid three ring soundhole rosette and a carved ebony bridge with six pearl inlaid ebony bridge pins. This was made at a time when Taylor used a Fishman Prefix Onboard Blender pickup system with a panel on the bass upper side that has controls for Notch, in case your notch needs adjusting, Volume, and sliders for bass, contour (so you can get into those straight leg jeans come Springtime), treble, frequency (it tells you how often to practice) plus a blend between mic and picup, plus a Phase toggle in case you are just not feeling right and a Battery Low light. This is a "quick open" panel to allow for rapid battery changing. The back of the neck is matte finish and the entire neck is made from one piece of mahogany - no fingerjoint, no splices - amazing. Tuners are Grover Rotomatic and appear to be chrome plated. Taylor provides a nickel plated strap pin in the heel of the neck (in the proper place). The back stripe is crème-red-crème. A nickel-plated tailpin-strap depends from the bottom side. $2056 at our Discount Price or $1995 at Our Cash Discount Price.
76-8631 Taylor (used, July 1998) Model 614CE, curly maple sides and back with a Sitka spruce top, #980706112 with original Taylor wooden brown pebble finish hard shell case.
This guitar is in excellent plus condition showing little sign of having been played. It has the Fishman Prefix Onboard Blender preamp system and gold plated hardware. It has flying bird fingerboard inlays in 6 fret positions, white side binding with black-white-black purfling, single-black purfling on the back and 5 ply black-white top purfling with an abalone rosette. The headplate is polished ebony with the white script pearl Taylor logo, the truss rod cover is ebony with matte finish, and the bridge is carved ebony with ebony pins hosting pearl dots. $2263 at Our Discount Price or $2195 at Our Cash Discount Price.
THE GUITAR OF DA MUNT FOR FEBRUARY 2009:
*76-8506 Composite Acoustics XSC Cargo travel guitar, charcoal, serial #C209008-5, with gig bag.
As CA Guitars says: The award-winning Cargo is a breakthrough in a small-bodied, travel-size guitar, comfortable to play whenever and wherever you are. It's a portable guitar with an offset soundhole (for better projection) that provides its lucky owner the playability, sound and satisfaction of a full-size guitar. But, in this instance, you can take it anywhere, expose it to changes of humidity and other environmental variables (hold it up before the Northern Lights if you wish, or the full moon), and if it could it would heartily laugh, and laugh long – it is, after all, impervious to the things that most mortals fear. The Composite Acoustics List Price is $1232 and our Discount Price is $999.
*76-8563 Collings (new) D-1A Varnish Finish guitar, #15521, with hard shell case.
Collings guitars are famous for a lot of things – but they are especially well known for making some of the best sounding guitars on earth – guitars that rival the sound of the prewar source of all things good that vibrate. And you know what that is. After spending decades of setting a new standard for what’s possible in a nitrocellulose finish instrument they now turn their attention to making instruments that are finished in the same type of coating that Lloyd Loar F-5 mandolins are finished – yes, the unvarnished truth is that this stuff is not merely a viscous rumor – it is a material containing both a solvent and an evaporating (or oxidizing) binder that results, when used, in a surface that sports a transparent, glossy, hard film, and it is exactly this film that vibrates in such a way as to make a six-string dreadnought guitar sound like the New York Philharmonic in your living room. Well, sir, son, we have the D-1 with the Adirondack top that you have been searching for all of your life (to date) and we’d like you to hear it. So come on over, and bring your ear trumpet – you really need to take a gander at the new commander. $6,078 at Our Discount Price or $5,895 at Our Cash Discount Price.
76-8021 C F Martin (new) M-21 Steve Earle, #1292451, Individual No. 18, with hard shell case.
Steve Earle is, of course, a Texas-raised singer-songwriter who wrote “My Old Friend The Blues” (which is a title that really needs a comma but, of course, it never had one) – one of the best cowboy-type singer-songwriter songs we’ve heard. Martin says, in a photo caption, “Prodded by the sonic superiority of his various M-sized Martin models, Steve Earle chose to preserve everything important to tone while discarding decoration. The result is a plain but powerful stage and studio guitar suitable to the professional player.” We note no less than five alliterations in those two short sentences and we applaud that. Martin describes the guitar as follows: The top is Italian Alpine spruce , revered for its clear, rich tone, and the addition of 5/16” forward-shifted scalloped top bracing enhances balance and responsiveness. The back and sides are East Indian rosewood for warmth and power. The 1 11/16th” nut width low profile neck is carved from genuine mahogany. The headplate, fingerboard and bridge are East Indian rosewood. This hybrid blends Style -18 and -28 appointments plus a few from the Style -21 – It has a Style -18 rosette and -28 checkerboard back stripe, but it has the Style -21 top and back purfling and tortoise-color binding, a polished headplate, the old style logo, and (thankfully) Waverly brand butterbean button tuners. The fingerboard is inlaid with progressively smaller dots; the bridge pins are Style -21, being black with white dots. This special model arrives at your doorstep in a special blue fiberglass case. We have always been partial to the understated -21 Series Martin instruments, and also to the mid-sized “M” series guitar (wider than a dreadnought but much thinner, front to back, with a waist you can embrace when invited to partake in third encounters of the close kind. The C F Martin List Price is $4299 and the C F Martin MAP is $3999.
76-8520 CF Martin (new) D-28M Merle Travis, #1327498, 14-fret, Solid Adirondack Spruce top, Solid Madagascar Rosewood back and sides,
Solid Madagascar Rosewood sides, Grained Ivoroid binding, Unique Bigsby Shape headstock, 25.4'' scale length, Polished Gloss w/ Aging Toner finish on the top, Satin w/ Polished Headplate neck finish, Grover Nickel Vintage Deluxe 6-In-Line Kluson Style tuning machines, Bone w/ Tortoise Dots bridge pins, 545E hard shell case. The C F Martin List Price is $7999 and the C F Martin MAP is $6399.
76-8531 C. F. Martin (new) OM-28 Marquis acoustic guitar, Madagascar Rosewood back & sides,
Adirondack Spruce top, polished gloss finish, serial# 1257616 , herringbone top inlay, Modified V neck shape with 30's style heel, Ebony fingerboard & bridge, 1-3/4" nut width, 25.4" scale length, fossilized ivory nut & long saddle (16" radius), Gotoh nickel open geared tuners with butterbean knobs and a #533E Geib style hard shell case. The C F Martin List Price is $7599 and the C F Martin MAP is $5699
*76-8540 & 76-8541 C F Martin(sold) (new) 000-28EC Eric Clapton model, #1315849 & 1316049, with the Geib style #533 plush lined hard shell case.
This is one of the most popular fingerstyle acoustics we offer. Just to give you an idea of how popular, it is probably safe to say that when Martin embarked on this new model around a decade ago they probably never thought that by February 2009 they would have made 14,935 of them, but that’s the individual number on the interior paper label of 76-8540. Each of these is constructed from actual East Indian Rosewood back & sides, has a Sitka spruce top, a 1-3/4" neck width at nut, a 24.9' scale length, a polished bone nut & saddle, a modified V neck, an ebony fingerboard & bridge. The sound is remarkable, and being short scale the reaches from chord to chord are just a little easier to make. Come to our showroom and try it for yourself, or call and make an arrangement to have it shipped to you on a 3-day approval basis. The C F Martin List Price is $4349 and the C F Martin MAP is $3299
*76-8547 & 76-8548 C F Martin (new) LX-1 Little Martin, #MG84665 & MG84654, each with a very nice padded zipper gigbag.
These small and portable instruments each have a mahogany pattern HPL textured finish back and sides, combined with a solid Sitka spruce top. They also have an easy-to-play modified low oval neck shape, a 23'' scale length, a 1-11/16" nut width and highly favorable and listenable tonal quality and volume. The HPL makes it especially durable, and its light weight and small size make it a guitar you can play at traffic lights, waiting for the green. The C F Martin List Price is $419 and Our Price happens to be $302
*76-8549 CF Martin (new) OMCE Claro acoustic-electric guitar, serial 1323224,
Claro Walnut back & sides, Sitka Spruce top, the new Fishman Matrix Infinity onboard electronics, modified low oval neck, 25.4" scale length, Macassar ebony fingerboard & bridge, abalone pearl rosette, grained ivoroid binding, small button gold-plated tuners and hard shell case. The C F Martin List Price is $2999 and the C F Martin MAP is $2199
*76-8551 C F Martin (new) 00-18V, #1326968, Grand Concert-sized acoustic guitar, housed in the Geib style #534 hard shell case.
One of our favorite small-bodies, this instrument is part of the Martin Vintage series which means it has many affectations of the prewar, but retains the solid Sitka spruce top of the modern era. It is made using bona fide, solid mahogany on the back & sides, and it has 1/4" scalloped braces, a modified V-neck, a bone nut and saddle (said bridge component being drop in/long saddle), an ebony fingerboard & bridge, a shorter 24.9" scale length, 1-3/4" nut width, tortoise-type pickguard, Gotoh nickel-plated open gear tuners with the curious case of butterbean buttons and the Manufacturer’s Limited Lifetime Warranty. The C F Martin List Price is $3349 and the C F Martin MAP is $2499
*76-8546 C F Martin (new) D-15 dreadnought acoustic guitar, #1334469, with 300 Series hard shell case.
The back, sides and top on this fourteen fret dreadnought are made from solid Sapele or genuine mahogany, Martin isn’t telling; it has a 1-11/16" nut width, a modified low oval neck shape, an East Indian rosewood fingerboard and bridge, a tortoise-like color pickguard and a great deal of tonal range and volume. It is for its modest price, a remarkable achievement in production luthiery. The C F Martin List Price is $1249 and the C F Martin MAP is $949
76-8562 Martin (new) D-18 75th Anniversary Edition, #1329527, D-14 Fret body size, solid Adirondack Spruce top, Old Style 18 rosette,
solid genuine mahogany back, solid genuine mahogany sides, 25.4'' scale length, polished gloss back and sides, satin neck, Waverly Nickel with Butterbean Knobs tuning machines, Delmar Tortoise Color pickguard, and #545V75 Harptone w/ 75th Anniversary Edition Embroidery case. The C F Martin List Price is $5199 and the C F Martin MAP is $4199.
*76-8515 McPherson (new) MG 4.5, in fancy Granadillo back and sides with a bear claw Sitka spruce top, #1472,
with the L. R. Baggs RTS-II pickup system, housed in the Super Deluxe Ameritage hard shell case. Extremely fine sounding, with delicate nuances other guitars can only dream of producing, (they can produce only old ances) this McPherson is made from woods so gorgeous and rare that it is stalked by xylophone builders who skulk around the neighborhood after dark trying to look inconspicuous. $5,361 at Our Discount Price or $5,200 at Our Cash Discount Price.
*76-8533 McPherson (new) MG 4.0XP, #1482, cutaway in flamed maple back and sides & Port Orford cedar,
with the factory provided L. R. Baggs RTS-II pickup system, with Ameritage deluxe hard shell case. There are a number of notables about this guitar. First of all, McPherson rarely makes any 4.0 guitars – they are as rare as squirrel shoes. The 4.0 refers to the width of the body at the bottom side. McPhersons, with their unusual tapered body (it’s slimmer at the neck joint to allow for a more comfortable ergonomic experience) come in four depths-at-bottom and they are 3.5, 4.0 (you hardly ever seen ‘em), 4.5 and 5.0. The other big surprise is that it’s made from flamed maple – one of the most impressive (and also one of the most beautiful) woods to make a guitar from. This wood is, as they say, aggressive yet mellow and balanced (that is, having all the natural elements in good harmony). It is, at one time, crispy and clean, prickling the palate with its carriage and confidence. This is a guitar that must be sampled to be fully appreciated. Come, friend, come to our sylvan island and be as one with the palm trees, the pineapples and the agreeable trade winds. $6,392 at Our Discount Price or $6,200 at Our Cash Discount Price.
76-8979 Michael Dunn (new) Mystery Pacific, #566, with hard shell case.
Behold a late 1930s inspired jazz monolith, with its solid cedar soundboard, this Django Reinhardt homage made in British Columbia, Canada makes us stand silently in awe of its gaping D-shaped soundhole and the internal baffles that allows the music to go round and round, up and down, around the town, whoa-oh-ho-ho, oh-ho and it comes out here! The beautiful Bubinga back and sides, the solid mahogany neck, the black ebony fingerboard, the exotic satinwood/purple heart/ ironwood reflector, the copious rosewood and maple strip purfling, the Indian rosewood tailpiece block, the Maccaferri-inspired rosewood and ebony bridge, the actual copper truss rod cover, the Indian rosewood headplate with its Sperzel machine heads, all combine to make an instrument that inspires us to become a much better guitarist, just to keep up with it. $4,500 at Our Discount Price or $4,365 at Our Cash Discount Price.
*76-8539 George Lowden (new) S-32Jazz Nylon string electric-acoustic guitar, #16429, housed in a Hiscox thermoplastic black hard shell case
Based on the S series, the S-25Jazz model is the result of a pioneering development which merges for the first time in one instrument the characteristics of a master concert guitar, a steel strung guitar and the innovative design features created by George Lowden. The wider cambered neck and slotted headstock set the appearance of this guitar apart from the rest of the range while the bracing pattern has been voiced to facilitate the nylon strung, electro-acoustic nature of this instrument. This grand concert sized, matte finish instrument made out of all solid woods -- East Indian rosewood on its back & sides, with an elevated grade of Sitka Spruce top, a black ebony fingerboard, gold-plated Gotoh tuners, a 5-piece mostly mahogany neck,. Even with the costs of bringing it in from Northern Ireland, it’s still priced grand and well-planned, and attainably offered at $4,802 at Our Discount Price or $4,658 at Our Cash Discount Price.
*76-8527 Taylor (new) Baby (BT-1) 3/4 scale little dreadnought, serial #20081118313 , made from laminated back and sides of Sapele,
with a solid Sitka Spruce top, tropical American Mahogany neck, ebony fretboard & bridge; it has a 22-3/4" scale length, 1-11/16" nut width and comes with gig bag. The Taylor List Price is $398 and Our Price is $299.
FYI DEPARTMENT: A discussion of Collings Guitar Company’s “Vintage” option vs their “Vintage Now” option.
These appointments have, until now, been shrouded in mystery. It’s time to end the confusion and provide you a discussion of just what’s what: Both the "Vintage Now" and standard Vintage neck options cost $100 list, but require the 1 3/4" nut width option ($75 list). The total price is $175 including the nut width. See below for descriptions and comparisons of our standard non-vintage neck, "Vintage Now" neck, and Vintage neck. side from the neck shape and bridge spacing, there is no difference between a vintage and non-vintage model.Collings offers three different neck options for their dreadnoughts that vary in size and shape. The easiest way to understand the differences between our neck profiles is by looking at the saddle spacing. With wider saddle spacing, the neck gets bigger as you move up towards the body. Our standard (non-vintage) neck has 2 3/16” spacing at the saddle. This neck has a modified V shape and is available with a 1 11/16”, 1 23/32”, or 1 ¾” nut width. The neck depth (including the fingerboard) is typically .840” at the 1st fret and .930” at the 9th fret. The fingerboard width measures 2.195” at the 12th fret. The next size up is the profile called "Vintage Now" which has slightly wider spacing at the saddle (2 ¼”) with 1 ¾” at the nut. This neck is slightly deeper than the standard (non-vintage) profile, but is not quite as large as some of the chunkiest vintage Martin necks. This neck has more of a vintage feel, but is more palatable than their standard Vintage neck (see below) to a lot of players. The neck shape is slightly rounder (less V) in the lower position and moves towards a modified V shape as you go up the neck. The neck depth (including the fingerboard) is typically .845” at the 1st fret and .960” at the 9th fret. The fingerboard width measures 2.195” at the 12th fret.
The chunkiest neck option is the standard Vintage neck profile, which has 2 3/8” spacing at the saddle with 1 ¾” at the nut. This neck profile was modeled after several pre-war Martin's and is a noticeably larger neck. Like the “Vintage Now” neck, the neck shape is slightly rounder (less V) in the lower position and moves towards a modified V shape as you go up the neck. The neck depth (including the fingerboard) is typically .960” at the 1st fret and 1.020” at the 9th fret. The fingerboard width measures 2.240” at the 12th fret. Other than the neck and saddle spacing, there is no difference between a "vintage" and "non-vintage" model.
76-8564 Veillette (new) acoustic baritone 6-string guitar, #541, DTAR WaveLength pickup/preamp, tobacco burst finish, black/tortoise tuners, with gig bag.
$3392 at Our Discount Price or $3290 at Our Cash Discount Price.
TWO GUITARS-OF-DA-MUNT FOR JANUARY 2009 – A Martin 1941 and a Gibson 1954!
76-8981 Gibson (used, 1954) Model J-160E acoustic-electric guitar. factory order number X9349-21, with apparently original brown alligator Gibson style chipboard case.
This illustrious guitar, which model is associated with John Lennon, is a very clean, first year example of Gibson’s second foray into the electric-acoustic flattop guitar market (the smaller body CF-100E Cutaway came out in 1951). Gibson reasoned that they could come out with a larger bodied model based on the combination of the J-45 acoustic guitar and the trapezoidal fingerboard inlays of the post-1945 version of their L-50 archtop guitar. (Students of history will note that the pearloid trapezoid pattern was subsequently provided the Les Paul Model Gold Top starting in 1952.) This is a ladder-braced 16” slope-shouldered jumbo, having a solid spruce top and laminated mahogany back and sides. Said fingerboard is Brazilian rosewood and bound in crème ivoroid, and so are the sides. The top is bordered in crème and black and there is no purfling on the back. This model, like the CF-100E, had a black single-coil pickup permanently mounted under the bottom of the fretboard, above the soundhole, that had six adjustable pole pieces, and was held in place by two roundhead nickel-plated Phillips screws. The black plastic pickup surround has a carat facing down. There are two gold cylinder knobs in the lower treble bout for volume and tone. The rather flat Brazilian rosewood bridge has a belly facing up, two very large round corrugated adjustment knobs for bridge saddle height and two large pearl inlays that undoubtedly covers bolts. There is a corresponding “floating” device under the bridge to allow all of this newfangled stuff to work. The guitar has a 24 ¾” scale, 15 frets to the body joint (that was different) and 19 frets total. The headstock glistens with a pearl postwar script Gibson logo and there under the Gibson flat frog or crown. Celluloid tulip button tuners are original unsigned Klusons with an oil hole and 12 raised stripes. Overall, other than a few very minor and light small dings and considerable finish checking, string changing marks and a few nicks on the headplate, this guitar is in remarkable condition – far cleaner than most examples. The following year, 1955, the top became laminated and the acoustic sound, which on this guitar is actually quite fine – it has good volume and excellent tone – disappeared. In that second year the guitar got an extra 20th fret and by 1960 those huge adjustment screws were replaced with normal sized ones. This original year example has a simple two-ply, black-crème soundhole rosette, by 1963 the model received an additional ring. This guitar has a slightly smaller than typical dark tortoise shell celluloid pickguard.Ultra Cool Department: Inside the case is an envelope from the Jenkins Music company of Kansas City, 42, Missouri with a receipt for a $75 down payment, a sales contract dated November 29, 1955 for an original purchase price of $224.40 with tax and amplifier, and an “Insurance Information Certificate” from the same retailer with the same date. There was no charge to the buyer for this insurance against all hazards during the 12 month period of payments on the installment contract. Those were the days! This J-160E, which model the Beatles used copiously, is historically important, being first year, and having all of the original (and short-lived) features. In 1954 Gibson shipped 456 of this model flattop; this is without a doubt one of the finest examples remaining. Our repair staff will have polished the frets and cleaned the fingerboard and electronics, they will have reglued the Brazilian bridge (it happens), and performed one of their legendary set-ups. It will play like greased mercury. $6701 at our Discount Price, or at our Cash Discount Price, $6500.
76-8898 Collings (new) D2HA, a a truly magnificent modern Dreadnought
made with the greatly desired option of the Adirondack “Red” Spruce Top, having another option of a 1 3/4" carved bone nut, bearing serial number #15628, and housed in a TKL AVS series hard shell case. Unbelievable sound combines with great beauty. $4,431 at our Discount Price or $4,298 at our Cash Discount Price.
76-8515 McPherson (new) MG 4.5, Granadillo back and sides & Bear Claw Spruce, #1472, with the L. R. Baggs RTSII pickup system and housed in a the Deluxe Ameritage hard shell case.
Extremely fine sounding, with delicate nuances other guitars can only dream of producing, (they can only produce old ances) this McPherson is made from woods so gorgeous and rare that it is stalked by xylophone builders who skulk around the neighborhood after dark trying to look inconspicuous. $5,361 at Our Discount Price or $5,200 at Our Cash Discount Price.
76-8901 Composite (new) Acoustics 8MCE-COT, a cutaway acoustic-electric, ergonomically designed model
“formerly known as GX-Performer” with the option of the Crown of Thorns special metallic sun-flare (intensely red ring) around the soundhole. Its serial number is #GX108337-5COT, and it comes in a professional hard shell case. This guitar, which is impervious to changes in the environment, is both wonderful sounding, fun to play and use. And, you don’t have to be Jewish to love this distinctive and iridescently decorated model (a rye comment.) The CA List Price is $3,098 and the CA MAP is $2,788.
76-8913 Bryan Galloup (new/demo model) Solstice Cutaway, #0715, acoustic sloping cutaway with hard shell plush lined case.
What makes a guitar great? Through thirty years of craftsmanship, Bryan Galloup has answered that question with the Galloup Guitars line: some of the finest handcrafted instruments available anywhere. The Solstice is especially suitable for fingerstyle and drop tunings. Tonal balance is where the Solstice shines: full, clear, well-rounded tone with a sweet chimey high end. The Solstice’s nicely articulated highs are ideal for recording, with clear cutting volume and a 25.7" scale that’s perfect for fingerstyle and drop tuningsThe scale length is 25.7”, the bridge pin spacing is 2.25”, the nut width is 1 ¾”, the body width is 15.5”, the body depth is 4.5”, the shoulder width is 10.375”, the body length (thought you’d never ask) is 19.750” and the overall length is 41.125”. Now you know. Way more important that all of that is the fact that this guitar is made out of utterly magnificent, nearly straight-grain (but with a twist) Brazilian rosewood for the back and sides, with a Bear Claw Sitka spruce top. It has maple and ebony purfling, a carved ebony bridge and an maple and ebony bound fretboard. Yes, Virginia, there is a carved bone nut and saddle and bone bridge pins. It bears the Galloup highly asymmetrical peghead shape with the inlaid stylized “G” in pearl, it has six offset “Super Machine Head 510” ultra-precise sealed-back tuners with Terminator metal buttons, a neo-classical fingerboard with no inlays but there are subtle side-dots. Oh yeah, it has a built in ebony arm rest so that one’s right wrist can park in a comfortable manner, and it has the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel backstripe, that, like the major highway construction that bears its name, has two areas where the purfling stops to allow large ships to sail through. With this guitar your playing will sail, also – it is thrilling and chilling, with an acoustic palette seldom encountered in the world of illustrious six-strings. The reason it’s called a “demo” is because Bryan brought it to guitar shows, but it is in “as new” condition and comes with Galloup Guitars’ warranty. $7,217 at our Discount Price or $7,000 at our Cash Discount Price.
76-8944 James Goodall (used, 2004) Concert Jumbo, RCJC3895, in Adirondack spruce top, East Indian rosewood sides and back, with hard shell case.
This guitar is in ‘near mint’ condition. It would be difficult to tell that it isn’t new. James Goodall, formerly of The Big Island, Hawaii, has sculpted the six-string guitar into an instrument of great refinement. He has smoothed out sharp edges and angles, and made his lines flowing and lyrical. He has done much the same with the sound, which conveys a more open presence, a more woody timbre than most guitars, and which some have compared to sounding like an entire orchestra with only six discrete strings. This guitar, smaller than a “Jumbo” and larger than an “Auditorium,” measures 15 ¾” in width and nominally 4 ¼” in depth at the lower bout, having a 1 ¾” nut width a 2 ¼” string spacing at the bridge. It features an ebony headstock overlay bound in crème, black and then Koa binding which bears the large mother of pearl and abalone “flying G,” six chrome-plated “Super Machine - 510” 18:1 ratio tuners with ebony buttons. And then there is the ebony spear-point truss rod cover held in place securely by one black chrome roundhead Phillips screw. Our workshop has performed its standard (and much desired) set-up and restring with Elixers, as is specified in the prophesy. It plays with zero effort and produces a wide tonal range and unlimited volume. When you add the soft cutaway you may be describing the perfect, previously owned, guitar. $3,706 at Discount Price, or, at our Cash Discount Price, $3,595.
76-8949 C F Martin (used, 2001) D-45GE "1937" Brazilian, #814498, the ultimately appointed dreadnought, in excellent original condition
showing only finish checking on the face, some normal scratches on the body and headstock, some light smudges and scuffs. It is housed in a custom Alligator type TKL hard shell case that has Mandolin Brothers’ script logo on the plate on the front side. We are impressed. This Brazilian and Adirondack instrument is exquisitely beautiful – gleaming, as it is, with classic prewar panache and the palpable poetry of timeless elegance. Every nuance except one is true to the prewar 1937 D-45 - that one appointment being the adjustable truss rod, and, well, the fact that it’s a “modified V-shaped” neck and not a Chicago Cubs cudgel - but it is 1 ¾” in nut width as was the original. Martin made only 9 D-45 guitars in 1937, 91 total prewar, and after 1942 they made no other D-45 guitars until 1968. The D-45 has abalone trim around the top, the fretboard peninsula, each of the sides, the neck heel, the back, the end graft. This era D-45 has diamond, snowflake and cats-eye fingerboard inlays in abalone starting from first fret, and the “C Martin F” headstock logo in a Brazilian overlay with an ivoroid-black-ivoroid border. It has gold plated actual Waverly open gear, butterbean button tuners, a prewar style tortoise shell colored teardrop pickguard (beveled edge, and over the finish which is a third departure); it has a fossil ivory not and “through” bridge saddle as well as large abalone dot inlaid fossil bridge pins; it has wildly swirly and altogether stunning-to-speechless level grade D-4 Brazilian rosewood, and wide-grained Adirondack for the top that produces a level of tone and volume that makes grown men and women groan. The “C F Martin & Co. Nazareth, PA” logo is pressure stamped on back of headstock, and the back stripe is multi-colored wood marquetry. The instrument exudes confidence – every chord one plays on it sounds like a fully provisioned symphony, every individual note sounds like a 1699 Stradivarius violin in its highs, a 1760 Guadagnini cello in its mids and bass. It is a guitar to keep that may make one weep. $20,615 or at our cash discount price $19,995.
76-8934 C F Martin (used, 2003) Model 000JBP Jimmy Buffett Pollywog, #953183, Individual number #238 of 305 made, in excellent plus original condition with original brown Martin 535 series hard shell case.
This Signature Series, Limited Edition, long ago sold out guitar, co-designed by and signed by Jimmy Buffett, himself, is a 000-12 fret in solid Sitka spruce and solid mahogany sides and back, being fairly dressy in tortoise shell celluloid side binding itself bordered in black-white Boltaron®, having black-white-black “rope” top purfling, and an blue Paua pearl soundhole rosette with black-white-black purfling on each side. The scale is lengthy at 25.4”, the nut width is 1 13/16th”, 12th fret and bridge spacing generously appointed at 2 5/16th”. The C F Martin logo is imprinted on the back of the headstock. The dark, polished East Indian rosewood headplate is inlaid with a raised gold foil, black ebony, and various shades of mother of pearl depicting a porthole surrounding a palm tree on an island with the turquoise blue water below and the sky above. A large mother of pearl ship’s wheel is depicted in inlay at the fifth fret; the teardrop, beveled edge pickguard is tortoise shell color; the rectangular bridge is fitted with a drop-in, compensated, saddle. Tuners are Gotoh gold-plated with butterbean metal buttons. The wood on the back and sides is exquisite, said back being bisected by a black line, and the end graft at the bottom is celluloid bordered in white. The interior paper label depicts a navigation map motif, and it is hand-signed by Mr. Buffett and C F Martin IV. The case is a special 535 Geib style™ with honey “Winn Skai Oxen” leatherette covering. The condition is solidly excellent plus, which is like saying “near mint” showing virtually no sign of having been played. This guitar sings with the heart of the sailor/singer-songwriter/author whose work ethic and Joie de vivre inspires us all. $4,119 or at our cash discount price, $3,995.
76-8951 C F Martin (used, 2008) HD-28V Semi-Custom, #1289115, in near mint condition, with original hard shell case.
This one-of-a-kind Martin guitar was made for the 2008 IBMA convention (International Bluegrass Music Association) in Nashville, TN bears the special inlay of “IBMA” at the thirteenth fret and “2008” at the 14th with a slight modification in the position of the etched diamond fingerboard inlay pattern to allow for it. It is otherwise a Martin HD-28V having the old style Martin decal on the sort of squared corner East Indian rosewood headplate, C F Martin logo open-gear butterbean button tuners, a black ebony fingerboard and carved ebony bridge with removable long saddle, crème bridge pins with tortoise shell dots and a matching beveled edge tortoise hued teardrop pickguard. It has herringbone top border, multi-layered fiber crème-black concentric rings around the soundhole, grained ivoroid binding on each side, heel cap and end piece, two-ply back binding and a zipper back stripe. It plays easily and with its Advanced X Forward Shifted scalloped bracing sounds much bigger than new dreadnoughts are usually thought to sound. This one of a kind Martin instrument is $2,319 or, at our cash discount price, $2,250.
76-8891 C F Martin (used, 1999) D-28GE “Golden Era” #718254, Individual No. 135, in solidly excellent condition with original special Geib style hard shell case (no case key or Martin papers inside).
This Brazilian and Adirondack, herringbone bordered expediter of euphoria is C F Martin’s last incarnation, prior to the advent of the Authentic Series, of a prewar D-28 reborn. Other than having the adjustable truss rod feature that Martin first stumbled upon in 1985, this instrument is quite close, in materials and sound, to that vaunted Authentic, but without the hide glue, at less than one-third the price. The Brazilian rosewood is straight-grained at the center of the back for approximately 1 ½ to 2” on either side of the back stripe, and the rest of the back is swirly to the point of being mildly erogenous. The sides are remarkably straight-grain. The Adirondack spruce top is evenly spaced – not the widest Adi but comfortably wide to elicit that prewar precision of tone for which every player yearns. It has a modified V-shape neck that feels a bit larger than usual because the fretboard is 1 ¾” at the nut (and the bridge spacing is 2 5/16th”.The condition is solidly excellent. There are some scratches and dings – the sign of a guitar taken extremely good care of but occasionally played. We count at least a dozen minute scratches (lightly on the surface only) and the same number of tiny dings on the top, and trace others on the continuation of the carapace; several scratches on the side, a nick on the neck (we always wanted to say that), a scratch or two on the headplate, however it shows scarcely any sign of fret wear. This guitar came with Waverly brand tuners and we do love them Waverly’s. Of course this has the Advanced X- Forward Shifted Scalloped Bracing that you would, naturally, want inside of every guitar, including yours; it has the 6 etched diamond fingerboard inlays, the Brazilian headplate with the old style “C F Martin & Co., Est. 1833” script logo in burnished gold with a black border. It has the grained ivoroid side binding, heel cap and end graft, the zipper wood parquetry back stripe. It sounds like thunder over the Grand Canyon. $8609 at our Discount Price, $8350 at our Cash Discount Price.
76-8889 C F Martin (used, 1982) HD-28, #436900, excellent condition with original hard shell case (missing case key).
A nice, clean, original Martin herringbone top trim D-28, with the scalloped braces. This conforms to the standard description of this model having the white body binding, the scalloped bracing, the unbound ebony fretboard with the 8 dotmarker inlays, the rounded headstock with the transition Martin logo – matte gold script with a black border. Its tuners are standard for this time period being large metal button sealed-backs bearing the Martin logo; the pickguard is a black plastic teardrop, the back stripe is zipper wood marquetry; the end graft and heel cap are ivoroid. C F Martin didn’t discover the adjustable truss rod until 1985 so this has the T-bar rod, which tends to increase amplitude and tonal density. The neck is straight and this guitar plays like Mercury himself on uppers. There are some scratches from the plectrum on the bass side of the soundhole, on the black pickguard and on the treble side of the pickguard. Not down to the wood, just scratches. There are minor scuffs and a few tiny dings; after all it’s a nearly 27 year old guitar. The bridge chosen by C F Martin (because the owner says he never brought it in anywhere for work) appears a bit thinner (top to back) than what we’re used to seeing, but there’s room left on the saddle and the bridge pins (crème with black dot) and saddle have turned a lovely shade of crème. Our workshop has performed its world-renowned set-up. The guitar sounds good, plays good and would make a fine addition to anybody’s stable of mature dreadnoughts. $2159 or, at our cash discount price, $2095.
76-8871 C F Martin (used, 1993) “Custom 15,” #530213, in excellent condition showing only tiny signs of use:
some scratches here and there including a few on the back of neck, a small bit of lacquer pushing up in front of the bridge (it happens), a completely inexplicable line tracing the contour of the lower treble side of the bridge, having the greatly despised and widely repudiated nickel-plated strap pin in the heel, the most minor scuff marks and dings on the back, sides, at least one small ding on back of headstock, a miniscule scrape between the ampersand and the “C” in “Co.” on the logo, (yeesh, we’re getting picky). In other words – it was occasionally played. Our shop will have performed a light fret dress and this render them frettles rounded and smooth, and of course they will this set up for effortless fingering. The story behind the Martin “Custom 15” which is not, by the way, labeled as such, but only as “Custom,” is quite interesting and one we love to tell the smallest children in the family on the night before the anniversary of C F Martin, Sr. coming to America. Now, children, in the winter of early 1977 a Staten Island company that had become a C F Martin Guitar dealer only six months earlier – before that they had sold just vintage instruments – pulled into Nazareth for a meeting with then president Frank Herbert Martin. We (why yes, that would be Stan Jay and Hap Kuffner, the original Mandolin Brothers) proposed, even though C F Martin did not have a Custom Shop, that Martin especially build us, on an exclusive basis, 250 “1934 Reissue” D-28 Herringbones (based on the woods and techniques that were available in 1977) and 91 “1939 Reissue” D-45s. Remember that no guitar company at this time had ever come out with any sort of “Reissue” style guitar. Frank Herbert thought about it for about 45 seconds and said “Sure, we can do that.” And so it transpired that Martin began shipping guitars to this audacious New York firm and guess what? Every single guitar sold within days or a week of arriving. Our customers went crazy for them! We couldn’t get them fast enough.
This happy history continued unabated and without incident for around three years. It took exactly that long a period of time before “other dealers” around the country realized that they were missing something important and so they began to gather around the Martin factory, at night, in loin cloths with lit torches and primitive drums made from coconut shells and squirrel hides demanding to know, if the Martin Company could make such exciting new previously unheard of guitars for Mandolin Brothers, why couldn’t they make similar guitars for them? C F Martin had an exclusive with us for those guitars and they couldn’t make these guitars for other suitors, so they did the politically acceptable thing and in 1980 came out with a new model that had no name, just “Custom” on the neck block, and called it “Custom 15,” possibly because it was the 15th prototype they might have produced – we really don’t know the actual reason for the name; we’re just supposing. Other dealers were apparently satisfied to get access to an HD-28 made to some, but not all, prewar specifications including an aging toner Sitka top, East Indian rosewood sides, back and headplate, a tortoise shell type teardrop pickguard with beveled edges, scalloped bracing, a long, glued-in, bridge saddle, grained ivoroid body bindings, heel cap and end graft, a square-ish headstock design, six modern tuners, 7 etched diamond and snowflake fingerboard inlays in 5 fret positions, a modified V-shaped neck, a 1 11/16th” nut and bridge string spacing of 2 1/8th”. This interim “Custom 15” model remained in the line until 1995 at which time the name changed first to HD-28VR (because it had rosewood sides and back but all D-28s are rosewood) and then to the more likely name of HD-28V.
One thing that our special guitar had (that Martin ceased doing on the “Custom 15” around 1984) was that it had a slightly larger V-shaped neck (at a time when none of the regular line Martin guitars had any kind of V-shaped neck) and a non-adjustable square bar truss rod which combination, as you know from hearing the D-18 Authentic, is a gift from the gods to acoustic six-string players. A larger neck and a non-adjustable truss rod are to guitars as Dolby Stereo was to movies starting in 1976. It makes the sound vibrant, airy, transparent, punchy and powerful. Our original approximately 341 guitars have become legendary in the history of 20th Century production lutherie. They bring collector prices and the people who are lucky enough own them swoon nightly from unbridled emotion. But we digress. This being a 1993 “Custom 15” it has the adjustable truss rod feature which will bring comfort to many users, the modified V-shape neck and, because it is achieving mid-adolescence, at the age of 16, it’s sound is coming to fruition in a most savory and agreeable manner. (To the tune of “Happy Birthday”J): It is pleasing to play, effervescent to the ear, it looks vintage and venerable, so let’s go have a beer. $2,366 or at our cash discount price $2,295.
76-8890 C F Martin (used, 1979) OM-45, #414563, in very good plus condition (once the required work is done), with original black Martin 640 Thermoplastic hard case
(slightly worn, oxidation on the latches, some white marks on the black case, and whose cover to the case pocket is loose, and it is missing the case key). This OM-45 shows normal playing wear. There are normal nicks, scratches, dings, scuffs and mars. Around each of the washers under the capstans on the front of the headstock finish is a bit sunken in. There is a small (very tiny but evident) impact crack on the treble bottom side around 4 ¼” from the tailpin. There are some nicks on back of neck, tiny marks around the Grover Rotomatic tuners on back of headstock (are these the original tuners?) (They could be but then why the sunken areas around the washers and small scratches on the back, and why massive Grover Rotomatics on a delicate OM-45?) There’s considerable pick wear above and around the pickguard there are even some small splinters on the treble side of the soundhole at 3:00 position. We are completely unused to seeing wear like this on a -45. Most owners of -45 series Martins worship them on a revolving pedestal (the guitar, that is, not the owners, although I suppose it’s possible that some owners own a revolving pedestal. Me, I’d get dizzy.) We have shipped this guitar to its manufacturer in the hopes that they can talk some sense into it. We would like Martin Company to do all the repairs they feel are required and we are hopeful that, when the guitar is returned to us it will look fully rejuvenated, play effortlessly and sound like the sophisticated jewel of a musical instrument from a collectible period that it is. This is, after all, a Martin OM-45 -- the top of the line Martin Orchestra Model (other than the same in Brazilian rosewood). It is extremely rare – in the postwar period, in total, Martin made 6 in 1969 (Brazilian), and then 102 between 1977 and 1982 (in ’79 they made a record 63 of ‘em), and another 26 between 1984 and 1993. People who buy this model purchase it for its beauty as well as for its top grade, hand-selected tone woods, and the lovely transparency and definition of its remarkable tone. Most people would treat this level Martin with kid gloves, if not the entire actual bunny suit with the white furry gloves. Whoever wishes to provide us a $100 “right of first refusal” shall have the right to purchase this guitar when it comes back from “re-meeting its maker.” Please phone us to express this devout wish and we will be happy to tawk witchoo. $6,181 or at our cash discount price, $5,995.
76-8865 C F Martin (new) OM-21 acoustic 14-fret guitar, #1320393, East Indian rosewood back & sides,
Sitka spruce top, 1/4" scalloped braces, bone nut & saddle, 1-3/4" nut width, a low profile neck, 25.4" scale length and #630 molded thermoplastic hard shell case. The Martin List Price is $2,699 and the MAP is $1999.
76-8860 CF Martin (new) OMC-18L Laurence Juber Model, an extremely fine sounding cutaway mahogany acoustic guitar, #1291634, with hard shell case.
The Martin List Price is $4,799 and the Martin MAP is $3,799.
76-8867 C.F Martin (new) HJ-38SG Stefan Grossman model, #1317567, with hard shell case.
The Martin List Price is $5,199 and the Martin MAP is $4,199.
76-8929 C F Martin (used, 2007) Custom Shop OM-21C, #1236736, with Geib style hard shell case.
Made expressly for Mandolin Brothers, this is one of the neatest fourteen fret, 1 ¾” nut, comfortably low-action fingerstyle guitars in our inventory. Behold the understated appointments of the Martin OM-21 combined with a soft Venetian cutaway, East Indian rosewood sides and back. This superb sounding source of sensual satisfaction is constructed with the devoutly desired dove-tail joint, all solid woods and an Adirondack spruce top that’s scalloped braced and so it vibrates like a full-frequencied orchestral calliope. Great beauty combines with simple design and fine woods to result in a guitar that’ll make you sing its praises to anybody who will listen. $2,366 or, at our cash discount price, $2,295.
76-8957 C.F Martin (new) OMC AURA, #1321881, with 630 molded hard shell case.
This extremely fancy, pearl inlaid (face) and brilliant sounding acoustic-electric features a solid Sitka Spruce top, solid East Indian Rosewood sides and back, a Fishman Onboard Aura pickup and preamp system. It sounds amazing and it plays with ease. The Martin List Price is $3849 and the Martin MAP is $2899.
76-8899 and 76-8942 C F Martin (new) J-15 Jumbo Acoustic guitar, # 1327889, and #1329204, each in a Martin #380 black covered hard shell case.
This Jumbo model is only 16” in body width, making it a Small Jumbo by most company’s definition, and its top, sides and back are made from either solid sapele or possibly genuine mahogany, it’s hard to say and Martin’s choice entirely. Its top has a gold and black herringbone style rosette, a modified low oval neck shape, 1-11/16" nut width, 25.4" scale length, a solid East Indian rosewood fingerboard and bridge, and chrome-plated tuners with small buttons. It has a gold and black herringbone rosette. Good sound, a fast neck, and an affordable price, the Martin List Price for each guitar is $1,249 and the Martin MAP is $949.
76-8920(sold) & 76-8959 C F Martin (new) 00-15 acoustic guitar, # 1329026 and #1331652, each with hard shell case.
This guitar’s back, sides and top are configured with either solid Sapele or genuine mahogany. It boasts a 1-11/16" nut width, a modified low oval neck shape, a 25.4" scale length, a rosewood fingerboard and bridge, tortoise-type pickguard and a 350-series black hard shell case. The Martin List Price is $1,249 and the Martin MAP is $949.
78-7609 Taylor (used, May 2004) Model 814-CE, #200405113131 in excellent plus wholly original condition.
The only difference between this guitar and what Taylor is making currently is that they have finally done away with the finger-joint headstock to neck connection and, in newest examples, substituted a Spanish splice. This fine sounding instrument is pretty close to spotless – showing little indication of having been owned. Yes, one can see where the strings contacted the frets making them perhaps a bit shinier in those places, and there are a few minor smudges here and there, perhaps the smallest suggestion of contact between an unsheathed body part and this guitar’s languorous, downy surface, but it is, by and large, a well cared for vibrating entity. The white bound ebony fingerboard is inlaid in 6 positions with mother of pearl flourishes; the white-bordered East Indian rosewood headstock is inlaid with the Taylor logo and fitted with six gold-plated Taylor logo tuners with ebony buttons; the straight-grained Sitka spruce top (with all those medulary rays) is inlaid with an abalone rosette, a small tortoise shell plastic pickguard and five plies of black-white top binding, as well as a carved ebony bridge which invited six pearl inlaid ebony bridge pins to its party. On the upper bass side the Expressions System is personified by the three tiny rotary knobs affecting volume, bass and treble. $2159 or, at our cash discount price, $2095.
76-8921, 76-8922, 76-8936, 76-8937 C F Martin (new) 000-X1 acoustic guitar,#130999 and #1330998, #1331477, ##1331476,
each having a solid Sitka spruce top, mahogany pattern HPL textured finish back & sides, modified low oval neck shape, 25.4" scale length, 1-11/16" nut width, Morado fingerboard & bridge, a Corian® nut, compensated Tusq® saddle and chrome plated tuners. Martin X-series guitars come with no case. We recommend that you consider purchasing an optional Levys/Mandolin Brothers logo gigbag. The Martin List Price is $719 and Our Price is $519.
76-8938 & 76-8939 C.F Martin (new) 00-18 Tim O'Brien Model, #1326683 and 1326685, each with plush lined Model 534 Geib style hard shell case.
Two guitars out of a limited run of only 100 signed instruments -- we present to you a replication of an earlier age version of the Martin Grand Concert except that this is, surprisingly, a 14-fret to the body, long scale guitar which combination simply didn’t happen very often in the past, in a 00, if at all. It is made with a superb sounding solid Adirondack Spruce top, as well as solid and also genuine mahogany back and sides; it has a welcome e1 3/4" nut width, Waverly nickel-plated tuning machines with oval buttons, a tortoise color teardrop pickguard. It is a guitar co-designed by one of the finest singer-songwriters in the country idiom, and a fine guitarist/mandolinist besides. Based in tradition but utilizing the finest production values of the current era, it is visually impressive as well as responsive. We have played it and we love it, we do; and so will you. The Martin List Price is $5,499 and the Martin MAP is $4,399.
76-8956 C F Martin (new) HD-16R Adirondack acoustic dreadnought, #1321939, with the black-covered #345 hard shell case.
This surprising and remarkable sounding affordable instrument is made using East Indian rosewood back & sides. It is surprising because it has a bona fide Adirondack top – usually an option adding around $900 to the price. It’s body features a gloss finish, its face reveals a fine herringbone top inlay, it has a modified V neck shape, a striped ebony fingerboard and bridge, a 25.4" scale length, a generous 1-3/4" nut width, and chrome-plated, large button tuners. It’s quite a package – sound, an homage to historical features, the Adi top and an insanely low price. The Martin List Price is $2,999 and the Martin MAP is $2,199.
76-8977 and 76-8978 C F Martin (new) LX-1 Little Martin, #MG84144 and #MG84154, mahogany pattern HPL (High Pressure Laminate)
textured finish back & sides, but with a solid Sitka spruce top for sound excellence, with a modified low oval neck shape, a 23'' scale length, 1-11/16" nut width. All this comes to you with a padded gig bag. The C F Martin List Price is $419 and Our Price is $302.
76-8503 C.F Martin (new) MC (0000C) Adirondack-1 acoustic guitar, #1248764 , with a special Slate Gray molded hard shell case.
This fine sounding cutaway Size M guitar is made from solid Spanish Cedar back & sides, it has a greatly yearned for Adirondack spruce top, herringbone top inlay, a modified low oval neck shape, an ebony fingerboard and bridge, a 25.4" scale length, a 1-3/4" nut width, and gold-plated enclosed tunes. For the modern player seeking a cutaway, this is an wonderful choice. The CF Martin List Price is $3999 and Our Price is $2999.
76-8884 Guild (new) GAD F-20E in natural mahogany, with a factory provided pickup, #GAD37242, with hard shell case.
Our Price $970.
76-8885 & 76-8886 (sold)Guild (new) GAD F-20 guitars in natural mahogany, acoustic only,
small bodied guitars, #GAD35453 & GAD35440, with hard shell case. Our Price for each guitar is $790.
76-8882 & 76-8883(sold) Guild (new) M-20 in natural mahogany, #GAD39663 & #GAD39322, with hard shell case.
Our Price for each is $660.
76-8893 Huss & Dalton (new) Custom Traditional Dreadnought, #2645
This TDR or Traditional Dreadnought in Rosewood, is made from glorious and magnificent Brazilian rosewood back & sides, with the favored Adirondack “Red” spruce top wood - presenting its appearance before us with no aging toner. We love Huss and Dalton for their straightforward approach to superlative American luthiery. When they set their minds to making a traditional dreadnought out of optimum materials it satisfies the yearning that permeates every pore of the professional picker’s personality (and fulfills all performance prerequisites). The two-piece, perfectly bookmatched back is highlighted in golden rays that rival the beauty of a September sunrise, the sides approach straight-grain status with just a bit ‘o’ swirl. The headplate is likewise bathed in Brazilian batter and inlaid with the scintillating “Huss and Dalton” moniker. The ebony-bound ebony fingerboard hosts 7 etched pearl diamonds; the sides and back are bound in ivoroid and ebony, the backstripe is a slim zipper. Its through-saddle and nut are mutually bone while its heel cap and end graft are grained ivoroid. The top is shown in herringbone, the soundhole’s rings concentric. Tuning ability is enhanced by its wearing Waverly model 1129 Special Issue Vintage machines with oval, nickel-plated buttons. Surrounding its carapace when it is not very far apace is a fine TKL tweed, plush lined hard shell case. Best of all is the sound – which entices, caresses, cajoles and obsesses – it makes you want to hear, in an entirely new way, the same songs as you have played ten thousand times before on your older guitars – all this the bewitching benefit of having made the journey into the remarkable realm of restricted rainforest refinements. A steal at only $6,593 at our Discount Price or $6,395 at our Cash Discount Price.
76-8872 McPherson (used, c. 2007) MG4.5XP in Madagascar rosewood sides and back with an Adirondack spruce top
, #0944, in near mint condition (it shows a few infinitely teeny dings and scratches), with original Ameritage deluxe hard shell case. McPherson is one of our favorite brands of guitars. They have not been around all that long, having emerged into a world consumed with ennui in 2002, but they have certainly shaken up the expectations of six-string guitarists worldwide, and notably, our customers. Many of our clients have grown up on a traditional diet of guitar shapes, sizes, bracing, wood choices, sonic capabilities and design influences that derived from the 1920s, ‘30s, ‘40s, ‘50s, and even the ‘60s. These nostalgic patterns have been recreated by both newcomers and their original companies into what one firm calls “Modern Classics” which, although being a true oxymoron, accurately describes what the tradition-based guitars are about. McPherson carries none of that baggage. Starting with a blank slate, or a tabula rasta as they say in the Islands, Matt McPherson has redesigned the acoustic guitar. The result is an instrument that plays the same songs as we used to play on our conventional instruments, but it does so at a newfound level of visceral pleasure and aural amazement as has not been seen since Vladimir Horowitz’ bar mitzvah. Every feature, every nuance of a McPherson guitar is visually stunning to the extent that simply bringing one into the room will cause every player therein to stop the music and stare at the guitar unceasingly while copiously slavering on their own instrument. It’s quite a sight. This guitar has it all – it has the ineffably beautiful Madagascar rosewood: Dalbergia greaveana, sister to Dalbergia nigra, the Brazilian benchmark of Bacchanalian bounty, whose color and grain combine to make a wood so radiant that there is no need for central heating in the domain in which it dwells. And then there’s the Adirondack Spruce, in the genus Picea from the Pinaceae family of Pinole, Pennsylvania. “XP” means that the D-shaped offset soundhole is deliberately made larger during the design process to cause the gestalt to glow with euphony, intensity and gusto, LLC. They joke that those initials means “extra presence” but it goes way beyond that. Having endless sustain and a complexity of tone you could deconstruct for hours doesn’t hurt either. All body and fingerboard bindings are flame Koa, the soundhole is tastefully ringed in Madi. The “4.5” refers to the depth of the body at the bottom side. Just like software upgrades, McPhersons come in 3.5, 4.0, 4.5 and 5.0. But in this specifically assigned (Ameritage) case, a body depth is chosen that matches the players ergonomic preferences. Gold-plated Schaller tuners gleam maniacally against the solid black background of the simple yet stately polished ebony peghead overlay. The script, white pearl “McPherson” logo there inlaid showers the audience like a beacon broadcasting soul-soothing serenity. $6,696 or at our cash discount price $6,495.
76-8875 McPherson (new) MG3.5 made from Striped Macassar ebony for the sides, back and headstock overlay,
with a top made from light, bright Engelmann Spruce, #1354, with the incredible L. R. Baggs Model RTS-II pickup system, and with a deluxe Ameritage best-of-all-possible-worlds hard shell case. I know that the phrase “one of the best acoustic guitars we have played this month or in any recent month” tends to sound like hyperbole, but we feel extremely special when we play any of the many variations of exotic tone woods that they send us. This one, with the crispiness of its Engelmann top, is effervescent with sonic ebullience. We are, indeed, in love with McPherson guitars’ blistering bite and clarity while still retaining scrumptious and articulate lows and mids, for their effortless fretting and for the pleasure of seeing the look on the face of a guitarist that encounters that McPherson “zero-action” feeling under his or her fingers, and, as well, for one of the best interior sound systems we have encountered – one that no other manufacturer seems to have discovered – a sound so real and enrapturing, so unreserved and rejuvenating as to give the lucky person that gets to own this instrument a whole new outlook on life. Well, then, if you are seeking such astounding articulation, this is the guitar for you. $5,671 at our Discount Price or $5,500 at our Cash Discount Price.
76-8918 McPherson (new) MG3.5, East Indian Rosewood, Western Redwood, #1426, RTSII Sound System, with Ameritage hard shell deluxe case.
$4,536 at our Discount Price or $4,400 at our Cash Discount Price.76-8505 McPherson (new) MG 4.5, in Cocobolo and Western Redwood, #1453, RTSII, with deluxe hard shell case.
$6135 at Our Discount Price or $5950 at Our Cash Discount Price.
15-6415 C F Martin (used, 2003) Model OM-28GE, #963763, in Brazilian and Adirondack, in excellent plus and wholly original condition with original hard shell case.
NOW ON SALE! C F Martin has been making some of the finest guitars is the known universe for the past 174 years. None of them have ever been in more demand than the original run of 487 guitars made between 1929 and 1933 – only five years. With considerable infrequency C F Martin makes guitars to the specifications of the original issue – having the original tone woods of rosewood from the heart of the Brazilian rainforest and Red Spruce from the Adirondack mountain range, from the genus Picea rubens that grows over a wide area of the northeast from western North Carolina to East of Quebec. The definition of an OM (Orchestra Model) guitar are that it must have an auditorium sized body – only 15” in width at the lower bout, it must have a long scale neck of 25.4” from nut to saddle, and it must have a 1 ¾” nut width. This guitar has every feature for which your family yearns – the herringbone, grained ivoroid, the Brazilian headplate, the old style decal, the five small etched diamond inlays in the jet black fingerboard, the old style soundhole rosette, the equally old style zipper back stripe, the through belly bridge saddle. A Martin Golden Era is like a trip back in time to the years immediately following the Roaring Twenties. If purchased new this guitar would have a List Price of $20,000 and a Martin MAP of something like $15,125. Be that as it may, this guitar WAS $10,310. It is now ON SALE for $7729 or at our cash discount price $7,495.
76-8861 Rainsong (new) DR-1000L LEFTY dreadnought, #10324, acoustic-electric non-cutaway with hard shell case.
The original carbon fiber, professional quality traditional dreadnought in graphite composite – the guitar that is impervious to environmental change, the guitar that has the factory provided pickup system and sounds wonderful played either way, is now available in LEFTY at Mandolin Brothers for $2,007 at our Discount Price or $1,947 at our Cash Discount Price.
83-7796 Jeff Robertson (new old stock, demo, may have a few minor signs of playing time) D-20W, #5400, walnut and Sitka, with plush lined hard shell case.
Back in the last decade of the 20th Century there lived a guitar builder (made ‘em himself, start to finish, in the bustling metropolis of South New Berlin, NY. Mrs. Robertson cut the mother of pearl. A cottage industry in the most literal of senses. His guitar was extremely fine – well made, dovetail joint construction, made of extra fine woods with meticulous workmanship. This one, for example, is a high-end dreadnought (you’d not know this from the price), having figured maple body bindings, an ebony dot inlaid fingerboard that measures 1 ¾” at the nut with a string spacing at the bridge of 2 2/16th”, with a brilliant, one-quarter inch wide abalone rosette, a Sitka spruce top so select that it is awash with medullary rays, a carved ebony bridge with six pearl inlaid ebony bridge pins. Oddly, the end pin is just black ebony. Tuners are large back-Schallers with large metla buttons. And now we come to the tour de force. The back and sides of this guitar are made of some of the most outstanding, breathtaking cathedral-pattern American Walnut as our tired orbs have ever set upon. The two-piece back forms a “rooftop” or church ceiling effect, and it is radiant in horizontal flame grain, the sides are, a well, swirly pattern with horizontal curl. The whole effect is dramatic and memorable, and so, for that matter, is the sound, which is solid, warm, loud, powerful and yet mellow and melodious. Jeff Robertson made incredible guitars for reasonable prices – and you, lucky person,, can get one for a price so small that it’s almost like getting an unexpected gift from a fondly remembered aunt. THIS WAS $2395, but is now ON SALE for $2057 or at our cash discount price $1995
76-8965 Santa Cruz (new) Tony Rice Model D, ordered custom with an Adirondack “Red Spruce” top, #5898, with professional, plush lined hard shell case.
Tony Rice is the master of contemporary bluegrass guitar. If you haven’t already purchased his new album, Night Flyer, a compilation of his singer-songwriter material with three unreleased tracks – just buy it – it’s superb! Tony Rice has enhanced his traditional background with influences ranging from Clarence White to John Coltrane, thereby creating a style that demands more from a guitar than a typical vintage dreadnought can offer. Tony's legendary 1930s D-28, previously owned by Clarence White, served as the model for an instrument design that combines the bass presence of the old D-28 with more substantial midrange and treble response, which is necessary for Tony's modern lead work. The sophisticated tone in the higher ranges of this guitar will inspire flat pickers to explore new territory. The Tony Rice Model is the result of a twelve-year collaboration between Richard Hoover, SCGC CEO and Tony Rice, and is the epitome of a contemporary bluegrass guitar. When you add an Adirondack spruce top to the mix – watch out – as Tony sings in the song “Sweetheart Like You” – everybody will be jealous of you! World class performance domination for only $4,867 at our Discount Price or $4,720 at our Cash Discount Price.
76-8964 Recording King Model ROS-627, #0807650086, a 12-fret slothead traditional guitar made from solid East Indian rosewood sides and back with a solid Sitka spruce top,
having hand-buffed nitrocellulose finish, hand-shaped scalloped spruce x-bracing, a slotted headstock, a one-piece mahogany neck with Vintage "V" profile, grained ivoriod body binding, herringbone top purfling, a pyramid style ebony bridge, Grover butterbean button tuners, and a good quality hard shell case. How can do all this for only $1,067 at Our Discount Price or $1,035 at our Cash Discount Price.
76-8958 Renaissance (new) RS6-STD, 6-string steel-string guitar, by Rick Turner of Santa Cruz, CA, #08-2657, a chambered electric guitar with acoustic-electric sonic properties, constructed of walnut and cedar, with a Renaissance gig bag.
The manufacturer says: “The Renaissance line of guitars and basses has never been "for everybody". Rick Turner has designed and built each model to fill a specific need. You won't see these guitars in every club, at every studio and on every stage... instead you'll find them in the hands of a few discriminating performers who have discovered that they can solve real-world problems with intelligent, superbly musical solutions. These guitars reproduce full-frequency acoustic tone for recording and performances - a job that true acoustics are not cut out for! Their thinline bodies are built like that of a fine acoustic guitar, but with an added mahogany center block to cut feedback. A Turner piezo bridge pickup feeds full-spectrum signals to an 18-volt Highlander pre-amp.” This guitar Willie Mays you. Come to our showroom and try it out. $2,213 at our Discount Price or, $2,147 at our Cash Discount Price.
ACOUSTIC OF THE MUNT’ FOR DECEMBER ’08 (“GFAO” CATEGORY):
76-8803 C F Martin (used, 1971) Model S 000-28 S, #283788, with what appears to be the original black hard shell case.
This model guitar was completely unknown to the Martin Company until we pointed it out. They researched it and found that a total of only two were made, in 1971, simultaneously, with consecutive serial numbers for a “Coast SF” Company in San Francisco. It has never been annotated in any Martin history book. The “S” prefix means Special Order; the “S” suffix means “12-fret slothead.” In case you haven’t guessed, this is a 12-fret to the body, slotted headstock, East Indian rosewood and Sitka spruce Auditorium-sized guitar. It has the longer scale of 25.4” nut to saddle. It is in excellent condition showing only lightest signs of playing time, but for the following – there is a small crack on the side of the headstock below the low-E string tuner (probably from the screw) which isn’t traveling and is quite minute. The action is fine and it plays with ease and sounds wonderful.We should point out there is a listing in Mike Longworth’s Book Martin Guitars: a History, for a single example of a fancy model S-000-45 in 1975, but of course that top of the line model has abalone inlay on every possible border and fancier bindings and purflings. There is no mention of any S 000-28 S. This is a -28 so it has an unbound headstock and fingerboard, crème-white trim on each side, five-ply black and white top purfling, with similar alternating soundhole rosette; it has an etched diamond, snowflake and cat’s-eye inlaid ebony unbound fingerboard, a rounded-corner headstock whose East Indian rosewood headplate is inlaid with the large, early 20th century Martin flowers-and-torch pearl pattern. The woods chosen for this instrument are high quality – the top is “clear” – meaning it largely free of grain aberration, though it does show a few pick marks. The sides and back are straight-grained East Indian rosewood, the tuners are individual, open-gear side mounts with large pearloid buttons, the back stripe is standard Style -28 with alternating crème and black rectangles. The back is bound in white-black, the heel cap in ivoroid, and the end-graft in white-black bordered ivoroid. This guitar has a standard ebony belly bridge with a drop-in (probably) bone saddle and crème bridge and end pins each with an abalone dot. There is no reason to think that this guitar isn’t completely original, showing just minor signs of wear.
The first post-1932 twelve fret 000-28S guitars were made as follows: 7 in 1974, 2 in 1975, 5 in 1976 and 17 in 1977. Thirty one in total were produced but not until 3 years after this prototypical guitar was made. Those 000-28Ses are also very rare. A regular 1971 Martin 000-28 would not have the torch headstock or snowflake, diamonds and cats-eyes fingerboard inlays that this has. Only one other C F Martin guitar extant (assuming it has not been crushed under the calloused feet of a renegade East Indian elephant) exists in this woild with this model designation. This guitar sounds wonderful, is nearly unique, and was built long before there was anything resembling a Martin Custom Shop. Back on those days Martin would apparently make a custom guitar if you said the right words in the right order, but they also named it, stamping the special name into the neck block. A San Francisco dealer wanted a 12-fret slot head 000-28 (which was not being made at that time) and they thought about it and said “Oh, come, let us adorn it.” And Martin did. “GFAO” means “Go find another one.” Please let us know if you do. $5,150 or at our cash discount price, $4,995.
76-8792 C F Martin 1933 OM-18 – an actual prewar Orchestra Model with an original sunburst top, #52821, mahogany sides, back and neck, Adirondack spruce top, in very good condition with a (I’m beginning to genuflect just from the concept) sunburst finish top.
The guitar, which sounds like nothing you have ever experienced, shows normal signs of use – pick wear in the upper treble bout, finish checking over virtually all surfaces, scratches, dings, scuffs, scrapes, dings and chips. It was, as we say, well-played but not deliberately abused. It had one owner – the grandfather of the person who brought it to us. His name was Victor and he lived in New Jersey and, the story goes, was working at a gas station during the late Great Depression. A customer who couldn’t afford the cost of a repair bartered the guitar to cover the expense. Victor proceeded to learn to play guitar on this instrument. Eventually he traveled around New Jersey performing in shows. With this guitar.The Martin Orchestra Model is, of course, the first model this company made that had fourteen frets to the body. It also had a scale length of 25.4” nut to saddle, but some 12-fret slot head (the older style) guitars have this also. This small difference makes a big difference in the sound and the market value. The fact that this guitar has the shaded top is extremely unusual – it is not known how many guitars Martin made with the sunburst top. Martin unfortunately didn’t keep records of the top color. The OM is one of the rarest and most ferry tisirable of all Martin guitars. Here is the straight poop: Martin made 89 OM-18 in 1930, 251 in 1931, 225 in 1932 and 200 in 1933. That’s all she wrote for a total of 765 eunuchs. According to Mike Longworth, the OM series was suggested to C F Martin Company by Perry Bechtel from Atlanta, GA. Since a large number of plectrum (22-fret) banjo players were switching to guitar, there was a groundswell of interest in a guitar that had 14 frets to the body. Martin started with the 000-model which, up until then was 12-frets with a 24.9” scale. The OM-18 was first cataloged in 1930; it had the same woods and appointments as a regular Style -18, but it had a 14-fret neck which was also narrower (1 ¾” at the nut) than the regular 12-fret models (1 7/8”). In the first year it had banjo pegs with white ivoroid buttons; in the last year in which it was listed in the catalog, 1932, it was finally available with regular machines and it had a larger pickguard. The continued to make it, and its sister, the OM-28, until 1933. The OM model Martin in many ways changed the course of western civilization – without having 14 frets we might never have had enough space to play “Here Comes The Sun” with a capo.
Our workshop, populated with incredibly highly qualified and hamish luth-ee-yays will have performed a long overdue neck reset (i.e. removed the neck, and reset it at the angle to the body it was originally when the guitar was new), and, while the neck was anesthetized, they will have repaired the long top crack adjacent to the treble edge of the fretboard. They will have reglued a loose brace in the upper treble bout, repaired the bridge plate that underlies the bridge, removed and reglued the ebony bridge, replaced the bridge saddle with a replica in bone, removed the ebony nut that has been filed down to a nubbin and replaced it with a replica (they will have put the original nut and saddle in a baggie in the case pocket). They will have removed the bar frets and, to extent they could, reseated them in their slots so that they ended up level, high and even. If any could not be replaced we will have substituted C F Martin bar fret wire that matches. Bar frets are extremely difficult to work with – but to the extent they can, they must be retained to preserve originality, if you know what I mean. Our workshop, under the direction of our supervisor, Leroy Aiello, does work whose quality is known all over the globe. When this guitar comes up from repair, possibly around March, it will sell for $33,500 at Discount Price, or, at our Cash Discount Price, $32,500. The person who places the $100 “ROFR” deposit on it gets to try it first and buy it should he or she wish to.
76-8790 C F Martin (used, 1936) Model 0-18, #63456, in very good condition with a modern oversized imported flat-lid hard shell case. You remember the 0-18.
At one time Size 0 was the largest size in the Martin roster. Of course that goes back to the mid 19th century – 1854 to be precise. The first 00 Grand Concert came out on June 29, 1877. As time went on players demanded larger instruments. I know we did. The earliest fourteen-fret Martin flattops appeared in 1929 with the OM series, and by 1934 many formerly 12-fret models had made the change-over to the longer neck. This then, is one of the earlier examples of the fourteen fret Size 0, model 18. It has mahogany sides, back and neck, and tortoise color celluloid top and back bindings.This guitar is completely refinished (Refreshed by Immersion in the Primordial Goo, or “RIPG” as we say). Our workshop is presently performing a much-needed neck reset and refret, regluing some loose braces. Although the neck was, in the past, reset the guitar requires another neck reset and refret and it also has three loose braces inside which need to be reglued (and they will be). A new “through” bridge saddle is being made as we speak. New strings will even be installed. It has what appears to be its original pickguard, crazed beyond recognition, mostly under the new finish although it is separating a wee bit around the edges. There is a repaired 4 ½” long top crack from the bass side of the bridge upward; the suggestion of a repaired or incipient seam separation down the back center light damage to the wood on the lower bass bout of the face, two repaired back cracks (at each the waist on the bass and treble sides), a repaired old fissure at the bass side waist, and a repaired formerly broken out area of wood at the lower bass side. Thankfully the guitar retains its original Grover open-gear, oval metal button, tuners, its old style gold C F Martin & Co. decal on the Brazilian rosewood headplate, its Brazilian rosewood fingerboard hosts 6 mother of pearl dotmarkers of decreasing size, it sports four-ply white-black top purfling and tortoise color celluloid side bindings. Overall it shows the usual nicks, scrapes, dings, dents, scuffs and scratches. Once the new neck reset is performed and the new frets installed, it should actually be a very nice “player” (not collector) guitar. It is, notwithstanding the reptile dentistry, a fine guitar of an excellent vintage. $3,608 or, at our cash discount price, $3,500.
76-8789 Taylor (new) Baby Mahogany, #20081030332, a tiny 3/4 scale little dreadnought, made from Sapele laminate back & sides,
American tropical mahogany top, tropical American mahogany neck, having an ebony fretboard and bridge, a 22-3/4" scale length, 1-11/16" nut width and it comes with a rather nice gig bag. About this Taylor says: “An alternate version of the original Baby Taylor substitutes a solid mahogany top, giving this ¾-size Dreadnought a dark, attractive complexion and a mid-range boost.” The Taylor List Price is $398. Our Discount Price is $299. ALTERNATE PHOTOS: CLICK ON 76-8054
76-8797 Taylor (new) Baby – a diminutive, 3/4 scale little dreadnought, #20081002331,
with gigbag. Made from Sapele laminate back & sides, with a solid Sitka spruce top, tropical American mahogany neck, ebony fretboard & bridge, a 22-3/4" scale length, a 1-11/16" nut width and a fetching little gig bag. Taylor says “The Baby Taylor is the ultimate travel companion, delivering volume and tone that surprise for its diminutive dimensions. At three-quarters the size of a full-sized guitar, the Baby Taylor lives for the road. It also loves little hands, which makes it an irresistible choice for kids taking lessons.” The Taylor List Price is $398. Our Discount Price is $299. ALTERNATE PHOTOS: CLICK ON 15-6694
48-4892 Taylor (new) Big Baby 15/16" Dreadnought #20060504403 with gigbag.
Taylor says: “Big Baby - Slightly bigger than a Baby Taylor but just shy of a full-size guitar, the Big Baby is ideal for easy-playing, great-sounding guitar fun. Sporting a solid spruce top, sturdy laminate back and sides, and genuine Taylor craftsmanship, the Big Baby is pure acoustic bliss” Top: Solid Sitka Spruce or Mahogany (Baby-Mahogany). Back/Sides: Laminate Sapele. The Taylor List Price is $568. Our Discount Price is $449.
76-8837 Dana Bourgeois (used, 2007) Vintage D, Adirondack spruce top, #004345, in near mint condition with original pebble finish hard shell plush lined case.
Bourgeois Guitars says of this model that the Vintage Dreadnought in Adirondack and Indian Rosewood is one of their most popular models. They go on to say that the best thing about the Vintage Dreadnought is that you don't have to imagine what it might sound like if you custom ordered it with an Adirondack spruce top. They claim that this is the only standard herringbone-style dreadnought that can make this claim. Adirondack spruce, also known as Eastern Red Spruce, was the legendary top wood used on most pre-war American-made guitars. Properly sawn, Adirondack is much stiffer than Sitka and Engelmann spruce, both along and across the grain. This allows Bourgeois to make thinner, lighter tops, resulting in lightning-quick response and power to spare. Most guitar grade Adirondack spruce these days comes from their own backyard, that being the state of Maine, which still has large stands of original and second growth softwood forests. To maintain a vintage look, they select only the highest grade of East Indian rosewood, perfectly matched and quartered with tight, straight grain and darker-than-average color.This guitar has a squared headstock, a 1 23/32nd” nut width, that Adirondack spruce top, a zigzag back stripe, ivoroid top and back binding, herringbone top trim, black fretboard binding, five etched diamond fingerboard inlays, no headstock binding on the rosewood veneered head plate bearing the script, mother of pearl Bourgeois angled logo. The belly bridge is ebony, the tuners are nickel-plated Waverly and the top is finished in vintage toner. This guitar has the remnant of a sticker (of some kind) on the back of the headstock. To round out the visual package, the Vintage Dreadnought also features herringbone top trim, ivoroid body binding, slotted squares and diamonds inlay, premium tortoiseshell pickguard, vintage-style top toner, and nickel-plated Waverly tuners. It is a gorgeous instrument and one that is worthy of your attention. $3294 or, at our cash discount price, $3195.
76-8838 Bourgeois (used, 2008) Vintage OM, with a gorgeous shaded, sunburst Adirondack top, a dark, prewar celluloid faux-tortoise teardrop pickguard, #004393, in near mint condition with original hard shell pebble finish plush lined case.
Here’s what Bourgeois has to say about this model: Behold the stately Vintage OM in Adirondack & Indian Rosewood! You can think of the Vintage OM as a smaller version of our Vintage D -- or maybe it's the other way around. The OM, you see, is really where it all started. Here's what Dana has to say: "Back in the early 80's I had a great opportunity to work on very many pre-war OMs. Due to their lack of metal neck reinforcement, almost all were totally unplayable. They had probably been so for quite some time, which would explain why, as a group, they appeared to be in otherwise spectacular condition. In spite of appearances, however, most of these guitars didn't sound as good one would expect. Over time I found that stabilizing the rigidity of the neck and setting it to the proper complimentary angle--relative to the degree of flexibility of the top (or it's present state of deterioration, in some cases--could transform a ho-hum OM into a monster. Remember, these are small guitars. I found that the best OMs can sound almost as big as a dreadnought, but you've got a much narrower window in which to make all the parts work as a unit." The Bourgeois Vintage OM is a culmination of Dana's decades of experience in repairing, restoring and building the legendary Orchestra Model. It comes standard with an Adirondack spruce top--just like the originals--and is appointed identically to their Vintage Dreadnought, with ivoroid binding, herringbone top trim, short pattern squares and diamond inlays, tortoiseshell pickguard, vintage style top toner, and nickel Waverly Tuners. Premium quartersawn, straight-grained Indian Rosewood is the standard material for the back and sides, and Brazilian rosewood is offered as a popular optional upgrade. The OM is the only model in which this august company scallops both sides of the X brace, as a result of its natural need for a little extra help in bottom register. Because of its characteristic superb balance, clarity of voice, and sustaining top register, the OM was once thought of as the quintessential fingerstyle guitar. It still is. It's not surprising, however, that more than a few players have begun to realize that these same characteristics are also highly employable for a diverse variety of applications. (Bourgeois says that they have, in fact, built a reputation on their ability to make Dreadnoughts sound like giant OMs--which is exactly what contemporary bluegrass players are screaming for. Don’t you hear it – way in the back there – the screaming? If you don't need to compete with fiddles, banjos and mandolins, however, the Vintage OM might be just the guitar you've been looking for.This guitar has a squared headstock, a 1 ¾” nut width, that Adirondack spruce top, a zigzag back stripe, ivoroid top and back binding, herringbone top trim, black fretboard binding, five etched diamond fingerboard inlays, no headstock binding on the rosewood veneered head plate bearing the script, mother of pearl Bourgeois angled logo. The pyramid bridge is ebony, the tuners are nickel-plated Waverly and both the heel cap and butt wedge are ivoroid. This guitar is incalculably beautiful, and one that would make a welcome addition to anybody’s stable of thrilling thoroughbreds. $3454 or, at our cash discount price, $3350
76-8828 Composite Acoustics CA (used, 2008) 5iM-CE or earlier "5MiE", #08092-2, more recently called a GXi-RT in the Road Tough finish with offset soundhole, in wine color, with original zipper gigbag.
This carbon fibre guitar is in original condition; other than a few extremely minor smudges on the top that might even polish off, it seems quite close to newish. It has the oval soundhole positioned in the upper bass bout, the textured binding around headstock and face, the contoured back that has ergonomic benefits to portly players, the medium depth body, the CA in the oval pearl inlaid headstock logo, the Gotoh black chrome tuners with metal buttons, the 1 ¾" nut width with the 2 3/16th" bridge spacing. The nut is black and could be graphite, the bridge and its removable compensated saddle are black also. A remarkably fine sounding instrument that is impervious to environmental changes. $1,395 or at our cash discount price, $1,353.
76-8760 Collings (new) OM2HA acoustic guitar, #15453, with plush lined hard shell TKL Deluxe case.
We order these with the special option of the Adirondack “Red” Spruce top because we know that this wide-grain wood produces tone like no other top wood. It is the wood of choice on the original “Golden Age” guitars of 1934-1944, but, unlike those guitars, this is made using East Indian Rosewood for the back & sides, grained ivoroid bindings, it has prewar style scalloped bracing, a herringbone top border, crosscut grained ivoroid and wood strip rosette, a tortoise style pickguard, gloss-finished all solid mahogany neck, an ebony fingerboard and bridge, a 25-1/2" scale length, and we also choose the option of the 1-3/4" nut width. It has a mother of pearl inlaid Collings logo and a traditional diamond and square inlaid fingerboard, plus nickel-plated Waverly brand tuners. It is, indeed, the best of all possible combinations of specification, tone wood and detail and he or she that shall own this benevolent visitor from another time and another dimension (Austin is an hour behind us) shall know what it is like to approach true perfection and to rise like a bolus [a ball-shaped mass] of helium up and up to the next level, and then the next one after that when they can jump up and down and point down at their friends with gesticulations of mockery and mindless belittlement. $4,431 at our Discount Price or $4,298 at our Cash Discount Price.
76-8857 Collings OM2HA with cutaway, #15344 , Indian rosewood back & sides,
Adirondack top, grained ivoroid binding, prewar scalloped bracing, herringbone border, crosscut grained ivoroid and wood strip rosette, tortoise style pickguard, gloss-finished mahogany neck, ebony fingerboard and bridge, 25-1/2" scale length, 1-3/4" nut width, mother of pearl Collings logo and a traditional diamond and square inlay and nickel Waverly tuners and hard shell case. $4965 at our Discount Price or $4815 at our Cash Discount Price.
76-8771 Collings (new) O-2H, #15246, East Indian rosewood back and sides,
select spruce top, grained ivoroid binding, prewar scalloped bracing, crosscut grained ivoroid and black/white nitrate strip purfling, herringbone border, crosscut grained ivoroid and wood strip rosette, tortoise style pickguard. Other features include a gloss-finished mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard and bridge, rosewood peghead overlay with mother of pearl Collings logo and a traditional diamond and square inlay, nickel Waverly brand tuners and deluxe hard shell case. $3,433 at our Discount Price or $3,330 at our Cash Discount Price.
76-8836 Collings (new) D2H Dreadnought guitar, #15579, east Indian Rosewood back and sides,
select spruce top, grained ivoroid binding, prewar scalloped bracing, crosscut grained ivoroid and black/white nitrate strip purfling, herringbone border, crosscut grained ivoroid and wood strip rosette, tortoise style pickguard, a gloss-finished mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard and bridge, rosewood peghead overlay with mother of pearl Collings logo and a traditional diamond and square inlay, nickel Waverly tuners and hard shell case. $3,433 at our Discount Price or $3,330 at our Cash Discount Price.
76-8767 Composite Acoustic 7iMCE (Gxi) Carbon Fiber Grand Auditorium Cutaway,
25 ½” scale length, 1 ¾ nut width, 16” body, acoustic guitar, #Gxi108303-6, in a luminescent blue medium sized body with a sharp cutaway, equipped with a pickup and an offset sound hole, housed in a premium hard shell case. The CA List Price is $2,998 and the CA MAP is $2,699.
76-8827 Gibson (used, 1964) LEFTY SJN (Country-Western), natural spruce top, mahogany sides and back, original hard shell case.
The Gibson Southerner debuted way back in 1944 as a round-shouldered dreadnought with rosewood sides and back. Almost immediately it changed to mahogany sides and back. In 1954 the natural top finish became an option, in 1956 they added the “crown” headstock inlay and in that same year the natural finish version was renamed “Country-Western.” In 1961 the bridge became “adjustable saddle.” Late in 1962 Gibson changed the spec to a full (square) shouldered dreadnought and the pickguard first became “three-point.” The Brazilian rosewood bridge on this guitar has the belly facing upward but in 1969 the belly fell to the downward persuasion and they replaced the adjustable white plastic saddle that this fellow has with a non-adjustable saddle in 1970. This guitar shows normal signs of use and wear, in the form of relatively light scratches, dings, and a good deal of finish checking. There are some chips around the headstock. Tuners are original Kluson Deluxe sealed-backs with small crème plastic buttons. A prior owner added a clear pick guard on the treble side of the soundhole. It has the black headstock overlay with a pearl inlaid postwar script Gibson logo, a Gibson crown and a white bordered bell-shaped truss rod cover. The white celluloid bound dark Brazilian rosewood fingerboard is inlaid with double parallelograms in 8 positions. There are some breaks in the bindings here and there. 5 of the bridge pins are replaced; one lone survivor might be original. The top is bordered in six plies of white and black, and the sides in four ply. The guitar has had a prior neck reset (not done quite as nicely as it could have been) and there are areas where the neck binding is slightly wiggly over the body – not a major distraction. Country Western Gibson guitars are extremely hard to come by and lefty examples are nearly impossible to find. $4118 or at our cash discount price $3995.
76-8821 Goodall (new) E.I Rosewood Standard Cutaway guitar, #RSC5807, with plush lined hard shell case.
James Goodall does it again – we wanted a guitar that could be used for bluegrass, for fingerstyle, for songwriter accompaniment, for virtually any type of music that a steel strung guitar can be played. We wanted it made with a hand-selected Sitka Bear Claw top because we know the sonic properties of this material and we anticipated that its breathtakingly clean, clear, articulate presence would render sinewy blacksmiths unable to speak. And, playing it for the first time today, we have to say that we are not in the slightest bit disappointed. It’s amazing. It has the long 25.5" scale, the greatly favored 1.75" width fingerboard at the nut, AAA-grade Sitka that even the bear, himself loved to claw, a festive abalone rosette, a diamond sparkling fretboard inlay, and a bent custom cutaway. For ease of use this guitar is equipped with superfine Gotoh 510 chrome tuners with ebony buttons; for consistency and sonic superiority it has Curly Koa bindings, an honest-to-goodness mahogany neck, and it is housed in a Deluxe Ameritage brand humidity controlled hard shell case that would be appropriate to take with you on the Starship Enterprise. All this opulence and sonority, and yet only $4,889 at our Discount Price or $4,742 at our Cash Discount Price.
76-8826 Guild (used, 1974) D-40 acoustic, natural top, mahogany sides and back, #104655, in very good plus condition
showing normal signs of use, scratches, scrapes, dings, nicks and well, yes, smudges, finish checking, nicks around the headstock, and so forth. The case is a worn and torn Harptone black hard shell of this period. It’s possible that Guild may have supplied this case to the original owner. This guitar has the wide headstock with the rooftop Guild logo with the scepter underneath in pearloid, large, clunky chrome-plated sealed-back tuners, an East Indian rosewood fingerboard and bridge, 6 dotmarkers in the former and six crème bridge pins in the latter. The soundhole is encircled by three sets of concentric rings, the black pickguard is the standard Guild pickguard shape. This guitar sounds good, plays good, and it’s from a good period. Just set-up by our staff of trained luthiers, this sounds WAY better than you might expect at only $1,438 or at our cash discount price $1,395.
78-7568 C F Martin (used, 1963) Model 00-21NY, #191009, in Brazilian rosewood, very good condition with a poor, imported, lightweight hard shell case -- perhaps we can provide it a better case.
The Martin Company designated this extremely fine sounding model as a “New Yorker” (“NY”) when it was braced lightly enough to take either nylon strings or silk-and-steel strings. This booming, looming first class sound distributor guitar has a 1 7/8” nut width and generous 2 5/16th” string spacing at the bridge. It has a slotted headstock (with rounded slots), a small black-bordered gold C F Martin & Co. headstock logo at the center of its Brazilian rosewood headplate, three-on-a-plate open-gear tuners with ivoroid buttons, a Brazilian rosewood fingerboard with white side dots but no fretboard markers, black-white-black-spruce purfling around the top with tortoise shell binding on the sides of the body. The top is Sitka spruce and the back and sides are glorious (and even magnificent) Brazilian rosewood. Said back has a repeating crème-black geometric pattern marquetry stripe. This example shows normal signs of use and wear, including dings, scratches, light buckle marks, chips and nicks, including some on the back of the neck. It once had a double clear pickguard (on each side of the face) but that was later removed leaving the underlying finish a bit shinier than the rest of the face. This outstanding sounding, superlative songster has just received, at the hands of our workshop, a neck reset, a fret dress, a new perfectly fitted saddle and, yes, strings. It now has a reasonably high saddle, a low comfortable action, and it may even play better now then it played when it first left the Martin factory in 1963. $5,671 or at our cash discount price $5,500.
76-8819 C F Martin (used, 2005) Custom Shop D-41, #1098080, in solidly excellent condition, with a Geib style 500 series case.
This is a guitar of Mandolin Brothers’ initiation – it is not something that the Martin Company makes on their own. It is a Custom D-41, one of Martin’s most beautiful and striking designs -- being a full-sized dreadnought having mother of pearl border around the top and the soundhole, having small abalone hexagon fingerboard inlays in 9 positions, the “C Martin F” headstock inlay style into East Indian bordered by white-black-white. Tuners are large, sealed back, gold-plated with large metal buttons. The fingerboard is bordered in white, both sides are bordered in white Boltaron®. The pickguard is tortoise shell celluloid with beveled edges; the bridge is carved ebony with crème colored bridge (and end) pins with abalone dots. The back stripe is multi-colored parquetry. In addition to having a greatly favored Adirondack (wide-grained) spruce top – the top wood of choice and the wood that Martin mostly used from 1833 to around 1947 when they stopped (it became too expensive), this guitar also has advanced X – forward shifted prewar bracing, and the bracing is Adirondack, it has one-quarter inch bracing (most Martin dreadnoughts have 5/16th”) and it has a Geib style hard shell case. It is in every way a “turbo-charged” guitar, whose sound seems to rise faster than that of any other dreadnought one might choose to play, whose sustain seems to continue forever, and whose beauty is known where the Truckee runs down to the Carson Valley Plains (and in Virginia City, too). This guitar would be “near mint” except for a series of small dings at the bottom side, some light dings on back of neck, other infinitely small signs that it was held and played. Upon hearing this guitar being played (especially if you’re the person playing it) you may be moved to utter a fervent and heartfelt “Hallelujah.” One of the best modern six-strings in our sumptuous succession of the sublime. $3,706 or at our cash discount price $3,595.
78-7028 C F Martin (new) Custom Shop OM-21C, #1236734, having the best of all possible top woods – Adirondack “Red” Spruce – scalloped bracing, the beauty of all solid woods, all this and a Dovetail Joint, with a plush lined Geib style hard shell case.
Made expressly for Mandolin Brothers, this is one of the neatest fourteen fret, 1 ¾” nut, 1 4/16” bridge string spacing, comfortably low-action cutaway fingerstyle guitars in our inventory. Martin makes very few high-end (Standard Series and up) cutaways. Behold, if you will, the understated appointments of the Martin OM-21 combined with a soft, unintimidating Venetian cutaway, solid East Indian rosewood sides and back, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, constructed with the devoutly desired dove-tail joint, all solid woods and an Adirondack spruce top that’s scalloped braced and so it vibrates like a full-frequencied kettle drum. Great beauty combines with simple design and fine woods to result in a guitar that’ll make you sing its praises to anybody who will listen. It is, by anybody’s measure, one of the great guitars of the future, available now. We have two of these in stock in natural top and they are $2,804 at our Discount Price, $2,720 at our cash discount price. We have just one in stock (15-6782) with a dark 1935 style sunburst top, and this sunburst example is $3,064 at our Discount Price, $2,972 at our Cash Discount Price. You must come to our showroom and try it out (or we can ship it to you for a three-day in-home trial). It will impress you beyond all measure.
76-8825 C F Martin (used, 1971) D-35, #290583, in excellent condition with original hard shell case.
This guitar sounds just great and plays with ease, probably because it had a neck reset in the past. Our repair shop will have done some minor bridge plate work to allow the ball ends to sit a bit lower inside the guitar. This is a beautiful instrument having the fancier features that the D-35 enjoys. The neck and body bindings have yellowed to a lovely luster, the black ebony fingerboard hosts 8 dotmarker pearl inlays, the headstock is rounded with the old style gold script Martin decal, the tuners are the original “Pat.Pend.” Grover Rotomatics, the top is bordered in four ply of white-black, the sides are also and the back in two-ply; the double V-shaped back stripes are likewise white-black-white. The teardrop pickguard is black and pointy and the bridge is ebony with crème bride pins with black dots and the end pin is the same. The condition is solidly excellent with these distractions: there is an incipient pickguard crack on the bass edge of the pickguard, there are binding disruptions on the back on both sides of the heel cap, a slight separation of the white celluloid binding on the back under the heel cap where it probably originally joined, two areas of repaired binding that used to be pulling at the waist (but not any more). Although somebody with excellent eyesight may note a few minor signs of use including light scratches, dings, smudges and marks it is, on the whole, solidly excellent condition and ready for another 186 years of happy performance. $2,469 or at our cash discount price $2,395.
76-8777 Martin (new) Arts and Crafts-2, #1295840, a Solid German White Oak back and sides,
whose grain forms as a very unusual "Cathedral" or herringbone pattern, Individual No. 41 of 100 made total, solid Engelmann spruce top Auditorium housed within a plush lined hard shell case. We loved the first Arts and Crafts model Dreadnought but we wish that it had been made with a 1 ¾" nut width. Well, guess what? The A&C-2, which is a tastefully decorated 12-fret 000 with a solid headstock for easier/faster string changing has a 1 ¾" nut width. Structural features include mahogany internal blocks with a dovetail joint, herringbone with black/maple fiber purfling. The top braces are ¼" Sitka spruce, the end piece and the bindings are East Indian rosewood. The top is bordered in bold herringbone, the low profile neck is "selected hardwood" and the nut and saddle are carved of bone. The headplate is solid East Indian rosewood hosting the "C Martin F" block gold mother of pearl logo, and an inlaid pearl Ginkgo leaf floral border. This is a long-scale guitar being 25.4" nut to saddle, it has 20 frets total, a string spacing of 2 ¼" at the 12th fret and 2 ¼" at the bridge. The fingerboard is inlaid in the Arts and Crafts style of American furniture, architecture, decorative arts and interior design, or Pre-Raphaelite in the fine arts, being Ginkgo leaves inlaid in gold mother of pearl at frets 5,7,9 and 12, with a mother of pearl border. The aging toner top, as well as the sides, back and back of the neck are all finished in Polished Gloss lacquer. Bridge and end pins are solid black ebony. The bridge is a Pyramid Stauffer style tuners are Gotoh Antique gold machines with large buttons; the guitar is housed in a Geib style #535AC five-ply plush lined wooden case. This guitar was designed without a pickguard. The interior label is signed by C F Martin IV and this one bears the individual number 14 of 100 such guitars made (there are certainly not a lot of them being made). In keeping with the Arts and Crafts movement, the back stripe is made up of a repeating Rosewood & Oak Dovetail Design and adjacent to the heel of the neck are inlaid four rosewood squares with a repeating sequence at the end graft. The entire effect of this guitar, being made of Oak and being influenced so greatly by this aesthetic movement that occurred between the eras of Art Nouveau and Art Deco at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries (call it 1880 to 1910), is one of stately, timeless beauty. If you have any questions about this or wish to hear it being played over the phone (subject to prior sale of course) you are invited to phone us. The Martin list is $6,499 and the Martin MAP is $5,199.
76-8783 C F Martin (new) 00-18V, #1315946, solid mahogany back & sides, solid Sitka top acoustic Grand Concert guitar
having 1/4" scalloped braces, a modified V neck, a bone nut and saddle (that would be a drop-in long saddle), an ebony fingerboard & bridge, a 24.9" scale length, a 1-3/4" nut width, a tortoise color pickguard. It is equipped with fine Gotoh nickel-plated open geared tuners with butterbean knobbies and it is housed in the deluxe Geib style (model 534) hard shell case. The Martin list is $3,149 and the Martin MAP is $2,399.
76-8799 C F Martin (new) M-36 (formerly 0000 and before that M) acoustic guitar, #1303210.
One of our favorite models, the M is wider than a dreadnought but slimmer front to back, and it has a waist. It also has a polished gloss finish, Indian Rosewood back & sides, Sitka Spruce top, low profile neck shape, 25.4" scale length, 1-11/16" nut width, bone nut & saddle, Gotoh chrome tuning machines and it comes in a Model #570 Geib style hard shell case. Sound fine? You bet. Play like budd-ah? Faster and faster all the time. The Martin list is $3,349 and the Martin MAP is $2,499.
76-8814 C F Martin (new) OM-28V vintage series acoustic guitar, #1304136, Indian rosewood back & sides,
Sitka spruce top, bold herringbone top inlay, modified V neck profile, bone nut & drop-in saddle, ebony fingerboard & bridge, 25.4" scale length, 1-3/4" nut width, Gotoh nickel open geared tuners with butterbean knobs and #533E hard shell case. The Martin list is $4,099 and the Martin MAP is $3,099.
76-8813 C F Martin (new) HD-35 dreadnought acoustic guitar, #1316028, a full-fledged scalloped-braced ready-for-battle Dreadnought,
in solid (and genuine we might add) East Indian rosewood sides and three-piece back, having the highly favored ¼” bracing that gives it soul and substance, power and projection, and enhanced sensitivity. Naturally (pun intended) it has a solid Sitka spruce top finished in polished gloss. This sports the bold herringbone top trim, a low profile neck, a 1-11/16" nut width, the bone nut & compensated saddle, an ebony fingerboard and carved bridge, the 25.4'' scale length, Gotoh chrome tuners with large knobs and the Martin logo #640 molded hard shell case. It plays good, and it sounds incredible. The Martin list is $3,699 and the Martin MAP is $2,799.
76-8814 C F Martin (new) OM-28V vintage series acoustic guitar, #1304136, in attractive and practical Indian rosewood back & sides,
Sitka spruce top, with the herringbone top inlay, a modified V-neck profile, a bone nut and a drop-in saddle, an ebony fingerboard & bridge, 25.4" scale length, 1-3/4" nut width, Gotoh nickel-plated open-geared tuners with butterbean buttons and it is housed in a fine, Geib style #533E hard shell case. The Martin list is $4,099 and the Martin MAP is $3,099.
76-8833 Martin (new) Custom Shop 00-21GE – a superb and beautiful 12-fret Grand Concert acoustic guitar, #1311553, with the Geib Style #525 hard shell plush lined case.
Made at Mandolin Brothers instigation, this traditional and tasteful guitar captures the melodiousness methodology of the prewar 00-21 whose reputation is legendary (but which almost never turns up anywhere for sale). This modern interpretation varies from the prewar in that, as a cost-saving measure it is made from solid East Indian rosewood back and sides, but, like the original it has the Adirondack “red” spruce top. It has a mahogany neck, in a modified V neck shape, scalloped 1/4" Golden Era braces for speed and sparkle, faux tortoise binding, B/W/B/W/B Boltaron top inlay, a black ebony fingerboard and bridge, a short 24.9" scale length, a comfortable yet roomy 1-13/16" nut width, actual Waverly brand Model #4063 nickel side-mount tuners, a bone nut and saddle and finer sound and easy of playability than you may ever have thought possible. This guitar will sent your imagination off – the tunes you’ve always wanted to play will suddenly alight on your cranium for inclusion into your ready repertoire. Inspiration and intimacy at an infinitesimally smaller price than you’d pay for, say, a 1934 example of the same guitar. Our Discount Price is $3087 and our Cash Discount Price is $2995.
76-8831, 76-8832, 76-8839 & 76-8840 C F Martin (new) LXM Little Martin acoustic guitar, #MG82776, #MG82765, #MG82382,
#MG82363, each made in mahogany pattern HPL textured finish on the back & sides, having a spruce-pattern HPL textured finish top, a 23"scale length, with 14 frets clear of the body, a 1-11/16" nut width, a modified low-oval neck shape and housed in a padded gig bag. The Martin list is $399 and Our Price is $288.
76-8850 & 76-8852 CF Martin (new) DX1, with the mortise and tenon neck joint, #1328837 & #1328993, with no case.
This is your basic Style D-14 fret body size, with the solid Sitka spruce top that makes it sound like a guitar that’s twice it’s price. It has a multiple black/white Boltaron binding with a red fiber rosette, a mahogany pattern HPL textured finish back, mahogany pattern HPL textured sides, solid Morado or solid East Indian rosewood fingerboard, a 25.4'' scale length, 14-frets, a 1-11/16'' nut width, and chrome tuning machines with small button. It also has a, tortoise colored pickguard, and did we mention - no case? We recommend the Levy’s/Mandolin Bros. gigbag – not expensive but very nicely made. Our requirement for just the guitar is $519 at our Discount Price or $503 at our Cash Discount Price.
76-8848 RainSong (new) JM-1000 non-cutaway jumbo guitar, #10327,
incredibly fine sounding (our motto: “you’d never know it ain’t wood”) all-graphite composite guitar includes a graphite soundboard, abalone rosette, all-graphite neck and an epoxy fingerboard (hard to believe I know, it looks so ebony-like). RainSong guitars have those proprietary mother of pearl shark fingerboard inlays. It also has a comfortable 1-3/4" nut width, a 25.4" scale length, the Fishman Prefix Stereo Blender, which is a dual source piezo pickup and mic that provides the player tremendous versatility. It is housed in a professional hard shell case. The RainSong List Price is $2995 and the RainSong MAP is $2249.
76-8788 Santa Cruz (new) Arlen Roth Model OM Acoustic guitar, #3765(1MB), with hard shell case.
Santa Cruz Company says: "Have you heard Arlen Roth's stunning guitar work? Sure you have! Probably several hundred times as his discography includes contributions with many of the coolest guitar players you can think of. Arlen's debut album won the Montreaux Critics Choice Award. He was the coach behind Ralph Machio in Crossroads and his current work with Levon Helm covers an impressive spectrum of styles. Versatility was Arlen's top requirement in a signature model -- an instrument that would be exemplary for fingerstyle or flatpicked lead work, jazz phrasings or a classic repertoire. It was not much of a stretch to choose the adaptability of the trusty OM as the foundation for this aesthetic delight. The vintage Sitka spruce soundboard on the top grade Indian Rosewood body is treated with an elegant amber sunburst fade. Arlen's signature is tastefully engraved in mother of pearl at the seventeenth fret. This hot rod instrument is voiced for an even balance with a slight predominance in bass volume. You can fearlessly tread anywhere with this one." $4,188 at our Discount Price or $4,062 at our Cash Discount Price.
76-8798 Santa Cruz (new) Tony Rice Pro top-of-the-line dreadnought, #5772 , Brazilian rosewood with hard shell plush lined case.
This guitar fancies a German spruce top, it is made with a hand-tuned German spruce top, a 25.25" scale length, a 4-9/16" soundhole, delightful herringbone rosette and hand-installed purfling. Grasp that easy to play 1-11/16" nut width, play a few power chords and go completely crazy from the sound. We mean that. “The Tony Rice Professional Model includes certain design elements that further customize the guitar for those players seeking to emulate the style of this legendary bluegrass player and his predecessor, Clarence White. The shorter scale length of 25-1/4" provides a slightly more supple feel and a sweeter tone. The soundhole on this model has been enlarged to 4-9/16" which provides a stronger response in the upper ranges. Other features include ivoroid/black/ivoroid binding on the fingerboard and peghead, and SCGC tuners.” Our prices are: $9402 at our Discount Price or $9120 at our Cash Discount Price. You may think that sounds like a lot but if you play it you will be whipping out your wallet with cheerful eagerness.
76-8823 Taylor (new) Model 114CE guitar, cutaway with pickup, #20081104833,
Made from layered Sapele and solid spruce, the former being a type of African mahogany, this is a Grand Auditorium that bears the ES-T system factory installed, and comes with a hard shell case. More sound than you ever thought possible for this modest requirement. The Taylor List Price is $1098 and the Taylor MAP is $799.
76-8795 Veillette (new) Gryphon miniature acoustic 12-string guitar, #551, a tiny, all solid wood guitar, hand-made by a consummate builder.
Joe Veillette of Woodstock, New York makes the neatest fretted instruments you have ever encountered. This one is approximately 32” long and 12 3.16th” in width measured slightly diagonally since the treble lower bout is slightly lower on the body than the bass lower bout. Okay, since you asked there is a certain Salvador Dali “The Persistence of Memory”-ness to this. Maybe it’s the boomerang-shaped soundholes, or the pointy headstock, or the kidney bean asymmetrically-shaped body or the zero fret, or the slightly triangular fingerboard end, or the fact that the nut width is 2” and the scale length is 18 ¼” – but there is definitely an other-worldly quality to this luthiers luxurious luth-ness in creating a new tradition. While this instrument is tiny (one can easily slide it into one’s pants and walk around stiffly for the rest of the afternoon) it produces a level of clarity, articulation and tintinnabulation last heard in the penultimate sequence of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” when one of the street characters looks up from below says of Quasimodo, “the name is not familiar but the face rings a bell.” Stunning in its physical beauty this instrument is constructed with intensely close-grained Sitka spruce, flamed sycamore for the back & sides, (that sure looks like maple), a neo-classical black ebony fingerboard with no markers on the front but with 8 white dots in 7 positions on the bass edge, it has black chrome plated tuners with tortoise shell celluloid buttons, an ebony bridge, ebony bridge pins, a black celluloid end graft, black top and back binding, and housed in a lovely and practical zipper gig bag. It is indeed the sound from The Better Place, down here on Earth, today for your personal, finger and flat picking pleasure. $4,145 at our Discount Price or $4,020 at our Cash Discount Price.
76-8816 Veillette (new) Baritone twelve-string acoustic-electric, #547, in the deep sunburst finish, with its sophisticated pickup and preamp system, and with a zipper gigbag.
The tuners are black chromed and the buttons are tortoise shell celluloid. This is an outstanding instrument that produces a sound so haunting you may not be able to rest comfortably without owning it. It is like no guitar you have so far played, Veillette (pron.Vay-Ette) is the best bet yet to get in Layfayette. Except he’s not in Lafayette. He’s in Woodstock. Your cost on this is $4000 or, at our cash discount price $3880.
76-8743 C F Martin 1948 D-28 #104915, in excellent condition with some smallish changes, with apparently original hard shell case.
This is a clean example of an uncommon and extremely desirable period Martin D-28. It is a guitar that has survived better than most of the 427 that Martin made, and, when played and heard, is beyond-words fine sounding. The examination by our repair department reveals that it has a replaced bridge, it has had a previous neck reset, it has a newer nut. It retains its original Kluson Deluxe “Patent Applied For” tuners -- rectangular backs with small oval metal buttons. In addition, its neck was oversprayed, it has its original pickguard which our shop has reglued. It has a pickguard crack whose repair was not performed as well as it could have been, and which was touched up, and the guitar was buffed up.Even though the guitar is in astonishingly clean condition for a '48, the finish shows scratches overall and two marks from an old strap -- one on the top and the other on the treble lower side bout. The neck is shiny, the original tuners are barely tarnished. It has a new bone saddle. There is no warping or deflection in the top which has its normal arch of .078". There is a previously repaired pickguard crack that was just filled with glue and not closed up first, so it's black and has poor touchup, but structurally it is ok. There was another crack in the top -- 7 ¼” from the fifth string position on the bridge to the bottom edge of the face, and there is a 1/2” hairline starting from the bottom edge of the face one inch to the treble side of the long repaired crack. The long top crack has been glued and clamped as were very small, very limited cracks in the wood surrounding the soundhole near the fingerboard extension. There is a cosmetic mar more or less over the finish in the lower treble bout of the face and there are, overall, nicks, dings, mars, scratches, belt buckle on the back, nicks on the back of the neck and nicks and scrapes on the headstock. There is glue around many of the braces that underlie the top and glue around the bridge plate. The bridge and end pins are modern replacements. The fingerboard is ebony with 8 mother of pearl dotmarkers; the Brazilian rosewood on the back, sides and headplate is straight-grained and beautiful; the “C F Martin & Co. Est. 1833” gold headstock logo is gleaming, shimmering, bright and strong. This guitar is in quite solidly excellent condition -- it plays comfortably and sounds superlative.
January of 1947 was the last month for herringbone top trim on the D-28 guitar, and Martin’s later 1947 and 1948 D-28s are considered quite similar to the herringbone D-28 of late 1944, when Martin ceased scalloping the braces and dropped the etched diamond fingerboard inlays. In other words, if owning a ‘40s D-28 herringbone with its (up to) $50,000 to $60,000 price tag is stretching it just a little – if you are seeking a guitar whose sound, presence, clarity, aural alacrity, volume and bona fide boisterousness is completely mind-blowing, a guitar that Martin built a total of only 427 in 1948, a guitar whose model and year rarely turns up for sale and in which condition you just about never see them (this guitar is spectacularly clean compared to most) then this, mon ami, is precisely the guitar for you. This one’s $14,429 or at our cash discount price $13,995.
AVALON SECTION: We presently have a notable selection of new Avalon guitars.
The interesting thing is that, since prices of instruments made in Ireland, the UK and Europe have risen so dramatically in the past year, these are considerably under priced by comparison to what new Avalon guitars sell for. For example, our L-32 below is priced at $2712 at the Cash Discount Price, and a new one is, um, $4,950. At these much lower prices ours comprise quite a deal. Please email or call us at 718 981 8585 and order yours now.
48-3519 Avalon (new) D-200 Gold Series dreadnought (acoustic), #A-00919, dreadnought made in Ireland, with hard shell case.
Your cost on this is $1999 at our Discount Price, $1745 at our Cash Discount Price.
48-4086 Avalon (New Old Stock) Gold Series, Model A-200CE, an Auditorium-size acoustic guitar, made in Northern Ireland, with a soft cutaway & Fishman Prefix Pro pickup system, serial #A-00928, with hard shell case.
This extremely fine sounding guitar is made from solid East Indian rosewood back & sides, has a solid Sitka spruce top, a solid mahogany neck, and actual rosewood body bindings. It’s fingerboard is black ebony inlaid with 7 small mother of pearl dotmarkers in 6 positions, the bridge may be ebony as well. The soundhole is ringed with a three-ply rosette comprised of what appears to be East Indian rosewood and spruce, and so is the facial perimeter. The headplate overlay is East Indian rosewood and bears the stylized golden “A” and the “AVALON” block letter’d logo; the tuners are sealed backs with the Avalon logo, with large ebony buttons. This guitar plays easily and comfortably in every fret position. It has a clear pickguard and a clear, loud voice that is louder still when you plug the guitar into any fine acoustic amplifier – it is immediately engaged for the stage. Even though new Avalon guitars are list-priced between $5,750 and $10,500 (plus $600 to $800 for the cutaway) you can get this extremely fine example from us for $2213 at our Discount Price, or at our Cash Discount Price, $2146. Now THAT’S a good price! The first one to email or call walks away with the belle of the ball.
48-4099 Avalon (new) D-200CE Gold Series Dreadnought (acoustic-electric with cutaway), #A-00938, made in Ireland, with hard shell case.
Your cost on this is $2213 at our Discount Price, $2146 at our Cash Discount Price.
88-2889 and 88-2023 Avalon (new) Legacy Model A325C-FS Auditorium, Fingerstyle Cutaway, Made in Ireland, Serial # A000465 and #A00467, each guitar being East Indian rosewood back and sides, cedar top, with Hiscox hardshell case.
EACH WAS $4120 Discount Price with a Cash Discount Price of $3996, but NOW each guitar is ON SALE for $3820 Discount Price with a Cash Discount Price of $3696.
88-2929 Avalon (new) L-32, L-Series Avalon guitars are full 17” jumbo body guitars, this Made-in-Ireland guitar is comprised of Sitka Spruce with East Indian rosewood sides and back, with the black Hiscox thermoplastic case.
This is insanely low priced at $2796 at our Discount Price, $2712 at our Cash Discount Price.
15-5305 Avalon (new) Jacques Stotzem Signature Edition auditorium-sized cutaway guitar in East Indian rosewood and Sitka spruce, A-00836, with hard shell case.
Only $2,474 at our Discount Price, $2,399 at our Cash Discount Price.
15-5306 Avalon (new) AS200CE, Acoustic-Electric with cutaway, #0506853, rosewood and Sitka Auditorium sized imported guitar, with a zipper gig bag.
Imported from the Far East but very nice quality for an affordable price. Priced at $776 or, at our cash discount price, $753.
76-8701 Bourgeois (new) Signature OM Premium, serial #4780, with plush lined hard shell case.
This advanced and specially appointed model is comprised of the combination of Eastern Red Adirondack spruce and Madagascar rosewood, curly maple, Signature herringbone purfling, a Brazilian Rosewood headstock veneer. Said headstock houses the Bourgeois logo inlay; the neck is 14-fret, its nut measures 1 ¾”in width, it has Waverly brand gold-plated tuners, a Madagascar butt wedge (wood that they all did) and also heel cap, bone bridge pins and that lush and plush hard shell case. The sound is like that of the angels, themselves. $4,450 at our Discount Price or, $4,316 at our Cash Discount Price.
76-8135 Collings (new) O-1A, #14593, Adirondack Spruce top, 1 3/4th nut width, with hard shell case.
A very small guitar with a truly huge sound (for its size). The Adirondack spruce top brings out the complexity and the increased sonority of its tone. Very small, but very hard to pass up. $4199 at our Discount Price, or at our Cash Discount Price, $4073.
76-8154 Collings (new) Baby 2H with a 1 ¾” nut, serial #15239 with hard shell case.
Collings makes what many consider the most outrageously powerful, loud and full-frequencied travel guitar on the face of the planet earth. We present to you a very small-bodied acoustic guitar, #15303, only 13 11/16th” in body width, 24-1/8" in scale length, and this one happens to have a 1 3/4" nut width. Details include that it has a glossy finished Brazilian rosewood headplate inlaid with the script Collings white pearl logo, six Waverly brand nickel and brass open gear, butterbean button highly accurate tuners, a glossy-finished mahogany neck with five etched diamond mother of pearl dotmarkers, a fourteen fret to the body ebony fingerboard and a matching carved ebony bridge, six pearl dot inlaid ebony bridge pins and one matching end pin, herringbone top rim, twin multi-ply rings of wood fiber and ivoroid comprise the soundhole rosette, and the back stripe is wood zipper marquetry. The solid and select Sitka spruce top is moderately wide-grained and hosts a small, tortoise shell color, beveled-edge teardrop pickguard. The neck shape is modified-V; it’s an efficient and comfortable neck – it feels like an old friend from Day One. This is a professional instrument on every level but it’s small enough to hopefully go into the overhead compartment on the plane. We’ve sold this model to itinerant (and famous) recording artists who write songs in their hotel rooms whilst on the road, and we’ve sold them to regular people who own actual full-size guitars, many of which don’t sound half as good as this top-level, triumphant, tonal tour de force. $3,503 at our Discount Price or $3,398 at our Cash Discount Price.
76-8198 Collings (new) D2H, serial #15234 with a hard shell case.
The full-bodied dreadnought, with the herringbone, with the perfectly chosen woods, with the exquisite workmanship that knows no flaw, with the scalloped bracing and the sound from the commonwealth of West Heaven. Come to our showroom and compare this melodious monster with the other several hundred high-end acoustic guitars on display here and then you can tell us (with a straight face) that you’ll pass. We’ll see. Betcha you don’t pass. Betcha can’t stand not owning it. We’ve seen that look before. $3433 at our Discount Price or $3330 at our Cash Discount Price.
76-8726 Collings (new) Baby-2H, East Indian rosewood, standard 1 11/16th” nut, #15303, with plush lined deluxe hard shell case.
So tiny and yet so strong and aurally supple. This guitar surprises anyone who comes within 10 yards of it. Take this out in a crowd of guitarists and, seeing it, they may poo poo (or they may be continent). Play it, however, and that smug smile on their various visages will disappear. This guitar makes new friends where ever it goes. $3,433 at our Discount Price or $3,330 at our Cash Discount Price.
CA GUITARS ANNOUNCES NEW Xi WITH INTEGRATED TOP BRACING TECHNOLOGY™
(Lafayette, Louisiana, September 18, 2008). CA Guitars is excited to announce the newest addition to its line of great sounding, ultra-durable, high-end carbon fiber acoustic guitars featuring Integrated Top Bracing Technology ™ (ITB™). The new Xi guitar is a thin-body cutaway featuring revolutionary technology in which the bracing is built into the top rather than made separately. Adhesively bonded. ITB™ represents the most recent advancement in bracing technology and is a result of over 10 years of CA research and development. The new Xi instruments have the tone and warmth common to great acoustic guitars, with enhanced low end response. The CA team would not settle for just a big bottom end – and neither would their personal trainers. These had to have good balance and excellent range. Using the Acoustic Tailoring™ process, the new Xi instruments have clean mids and sparkling highs in addition to a bigger bass response, and no cuffs or pleats, acoustically speaking. The new Xi guitar comes standard with an active under-saddle pickup system and is available in a road tough (RT) scratch resistant finish in Red, Wine, Green, Blue and Charcoal (at $1998 List price) or in high gloss finish in Red, Blue or Carbon Burst (at $2266 List price). Please call or email for Mandolin Brothers’ discount pricing on these pieces, and, if you have the time, go to CA Guitars’ Web site to obtain more information: http://www.caguitars.com
76-8218 Composite Acoustics 8M-CE (GX-HG), serial #8ME08274-8, with hard shell case.
The CA List Price is $2,998 and the CA MAP Price is $2,699.
76-8131 Composite Acoustics (new) 8M-CE, #8ME08240-1, with hard shell case.
The CA List Price is $2,998 and the CA MAP Price is $2,699.
76-8692 & 76-8713 (sold) Composite Acoustic (new) 7iMCE (GXi) Carbon Fiber acoustic guitar, serial # GXI3082827 & GXI3082827, Tobacco Burst, medium body with cutaway, pickup and offset sound hole, and premium hard shell case.
The CA List Price is $2500 and the CA MAP Price is $2062.
76-8705 Composite Acoustics 7iM-CE (Gxi-HG), in red, serial #Gxi108287-8, with hard shell case.
The CA List Price is $2500 and the CA MAP Price is $2062.
78-7568 C F Martin (used, 1963) Model 00-21NY, #191009, in very good condition with a poor, imported, lightweight hard shell case.
perhaps we can provide it a better case. The Martin Company designated this extremely fine sounding model as a “New Yorker” (“NY”) when it was braced lightly enough to take either nylon strings or silk-and-steel strings. This booming, looming first class sound distributor guitar has a 1 7/8” nut width and generous 2 5/16th” string spacing at the bridge. It has a slotted headstock (with rounded slots), a small black-bordered gold C F Martin & Co. headstock logo at the center of its Brazilian rosewood headplate, three-on-a-plate open-gear tuners with ivoroid buttons, a Brazilian rosewood fingerboard with white side dots but no fretboard markers, black-white-black-spruce purfling around the top with tortoise shell binding on the sides of the body. The top is Sitka spruce and the back and sides are glorious (and even magnificent) Brazilian rosewood. Said back has a repeating crème-black geometric pattern marquetry stripe. This example shows normal signs of use and wear, including dings, scratches, light buckle marks, chips and nicks, including some on the back of the neck. It once had a double clear pickguard (on each side of the face) but that was later removed leaving the underlying finish a bit shinier than the rest of the face. This outstanding sounding, superlative songster has just received, at the hands of our workshop, a neck reset, a fret dress, a new perfectly fitted saddle and, yes, strings. It now has a reasonably high saddle, a low comfortable action, and it may even play better now then it played when it first left the Martin factory in 1963. $5,671 or at our cash discount price $5,500.
76-8741 & 76-8754 & 76-8762 Composite Acoustics XSCE “Cargo” travel guitar, charcoal color, with a factory-provided, built-in Fishman or Baggs pickup, #CE208294-9& # CE2082967 & CE208301-1, with a zipper gig bag.
Please see the description of the XSC Acoustic “Cargo” number 76-8506 – this is the same guitar but with an optional pickup – with a hidden volume and tone control in the offset soundhole. We see red and black wires inside so we’re presuming it’s a Fishman Pickup. These guitars are just “too much fun.” The CA List Price is $1332 and Our Discount Price is $1099.
76-8232 Epiphone (used, 1959) Model FT-79 “Texan” #A-1875, Factory Order Number V8666-12, a slope-shouldered dreadnought in mahogany and spruce, in very good plus condition with no case.
(This makes it: Hard Case to be Provided or HTBP for you initialismists). The Gibson Company bought the Epiphone Company in 1957 according to the folklore and the Texan, which was retained from the Epiphone catalog as an FT-79 came out the following year, 1958. This has a blue Kalamazoo, Michigan rectangular label, that states “Guarantee void if number is defaced,” “Style,” “Epiphone (the code for the style) and “Number” and then “Epiphone Inc, Kalamazoo, Michigan.” It has an A-prefix, four-digit serial number on the rectangular paper label (A-1875) and we know that Epiphone guitars have a different A-prefix numerology than Gibson A-prefix numbers. The Texan is a slope-shouldered dreadnought with crème and black purfling around the top, crème-black-crème around the soundhole and just single ply celluloid around sides and back. The unbound Brazilian rosewood fingerboard has 6 single parallelogram pearl inlays, the center indent unbound headstock has a thick, script “Epiphone” logo in pearl with a sort of pearl rectangle with a bump on the top and bottom sides at the center of the headplate. Tuners are the original three-on-a-plate Kluson Deluxe with small ivoroid buttons; the truss rod cover is original with a raised central section, held in place by three screws; the bridge is Brazilian rosewood with its belly facing up. Our workshop has glued loose braces, reglued the bridge and set the guitar up to extremely comfortable and playable. The instrument shows considerable finish checking, normal scratches, nicks and dings, and a small area of pick wear into the wood below the pickguard. Although this model is said to have had an Epsilon (slashed C) on the dark tortoise shell apostrophe-shaped pickguard this one appears to have never had one. This guitar has a 1 11/16th” nut width, 2 2/8” bridge spacing, and a long scale of approximately 25 1/3”. It will, as the result of our set-up work, play beautifully and sound unimaginably great. This was made in one of Gibson’s finest years of production. The end result of its inherent quality and our repair shop’s skills is a guitar that would have made John Lennon proud. $4,118 or at our cash discount price, $3,995
76-8203 Gallagher (new) “Modified Doc Watson” acoustic, a special variation made with a slotted headstock, extremely fine sounding 12-fret guitar, serial #3297, with gold-plated tuners and plush-lined hard shell case.
You might not find this model listed in the Gallagher catalog but it sure sounds fine, as Doc might say. It has the French curve shape at the top of its ivoroid-bound headstock with the inlaid gothic font “G”, gorgeous Schaller side-mounted tuners with ivoroid buttons. Its fingerboard measures 1 ¾” at the nut with a bridge string spacing of 2 3/16th”. Said fingerboard displays 8 etched diamond fingerboard inlays; the top and soundhole are bordered in small herringbone against an ebony background, the back stripe is zipper wood marquetry; the tortoise shell color pickguard is apostrophe shaped; the bridge is carved of ebony and houses six dark amber translucent bridge pins (and matching end pin) each with a mother of pearl dot inlay. It’s back and sides are exquisitely beautiful mahogany, the nut and saddle are carved of bone, its sides and back are bordered in single-ply ivoroid and there is a lovely little diamond dart carved behind the nut at the bottom of the headstock. Heel cap and end graft are ebony. For the player requiring room in which to work, and the thunderously loud, room-filling sound of the longer-bodied 12-fret slothead guitar, this instrument will shake up the room in which it is played. $4,005 or at our Cash Discount Price, $3,885.
76-8727 Gibson (used, 5/13/97) “’60s Dove,” with a natural Sitka spruce top, cherry finish maple sides and back, #90597003, in excellent condition with original hard shell case.
During the 1990s the Gibson Montana acoustic guitar facility desired to make guitars in very much the style of the originals, which is why this guitar is called a “’60s Dove” and not just a “Dove.” It has a black-bordered white truss rod cover etched and blackened with the word “D O V E” vertical. The headstock is black overlain and has the “Gibson” postwar script logo in mother of pearl and the Gibson crown below, but both inlays were prepared ahead of time and then routed into the headstock in a block, which outline is quite visible to the naked eye. The East Indian rosewood fingerboard is inlaid with double parallelograms in 8 fret positions (thankfully with no filler or outline); the top is bordered in 5 plies of black and white purfling, the back and the heel cap in two-ply and the sides and neck in single ply (crème ivoroid). The pickguard is the large pointy one (10.5” measured diagonally) with the 3 ½” Dove inlaid amidst the leaves and the branches. The winged bridge is large and rosewood, with two vaguely birdie shaped mother of pearl large inlays. The saddle appears to be bone and it’s compensated, the nut appears to be Tusq. This guitar is largely free of normal signs of use and wear – there are a few very minor scratches, infinitely small dings and scuffs that may polish out. The two-piece back separated by a geometric (rectangles of varying size) back stripe is mildly curly maple but the sides are tiger stripe flamed and the sections of the 5-piece neck are curly. All of the original warranty materials, Pre-Pack Checklist, and other Gibson paperwork and paraphernalia remain in the case. It is an exceedingly fine sounding instrument, and it plays as easily as smoothly and easily as chicken fat on a fruit rollup. $2010 or at our cash discount price, $1950.
76-8229 Goodall (new) Crossover Nylon String Guitar, #PEX5467, with deluxe Ameritage hard shell case.
We present to you one of the finest sounding hybrid (a classical guitar made for the steel string player) guitars in the universe – this instrument has a comfortable 25.5" scale, a nut width of 1.875" width. It is constructed from glorious Palo Escrito for the back and sides – a premiere quality material chosen for use by the indigenous luthiers in the Paracho region of Mexico. It is actually from the Rosewood family but it has wider and more demonstrative grain and figure and it is, as well, lighter in weight. It is a perfect tonewood for a nylon string guitar. Also provided is Master Grade Port Orford Cedar for the top, plus East Indian rosewood for the body bindings, headplate and heel cap. Port Orford is a name for Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, which was discovered on the California-Oregon coast back around 1850. Also known as “white cedar” and “Lawson Cypress” the wood wants it made clear that it is NOT a cypress and in fact no cypress seeds have ever found their way into its gene pool. No, wait a minute, actually Port Orford Cedar IS a cypress and it is the crazed cedar-philes that want you to think it is a cedar. This wood is durable and light in weight. For this reason, in Japan it is widely used for making coffins, as well as in the building of temples and shrines. It has a highly straight grain and for this reason finds its way into use as arrow shafts. Remember: Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like bananas. The bell-curve-shaped headstock hosts the hefty mother of pearl inlaid “flying G” for Goodall. There are no fingerboard inlays in its black ebony ‘board but there are, happily, white side dots to light your way into the future. It has a custom radius padauk rosette, this being a beautiful red wood that comes from central and tropical West Africa, in an area running from southwestern Nigeria to Zaire. This padauk rosette is bordered on each side by 5 plies of ebony and cedar. The mitered back stripe appears to be Indian rosewood, buffered with three-ply purfling; its lithe, oval-slotted headstock sports floral engraved-plate Gotoh classical black tuners. Inside its concise14.25” wide body James Goodall provides its future owner an LR Baggs I-Beam nylon string pickup with a hidden volume control in the soundhole, and it comes to you ready to travel with a comforting Ameritage humidity-controlled hard shell case. For all this sonic affluence (and it sounds utterly amazing) this superb guitar can be yours for only $6,119 at our Discount Price or $5,579 at our Cash Discount Price.
76-8703 Guild Aragon (new) F-30E in Natural, serial #TK059019, with hard shell case.
An American-made mid-sized instrument having the Orchestra Model body, solid Adirondack Red Spruce top and bracing, 1 11/16th” nut width, solid mahogany back and sides, bone bridge pins, tortoise bindings, a bone nut and saddle, pearl dot inlays, an East Indian rosewood bridge and fingerboard. It is completed with lacquer finish. Also included from the factory is the highly sophisticated D-TAR® Wave-Length™ Load 'N Lock Pickup System. The Guild List Price is $2499 and the Guild MAP is $1875.
76-8722 & 76-8755 Guild (new) GAD40-CE, Iced Tea Burst, all solid mahogany dreadnought guitar with a Sitka spruce top, a factory provided pickup and a cutaway.
Their serial numbers are GAD35607 & #GAD37773 with hard shell case. For each guitar the Guild List Price is $1379.99 and the Guild MAP Price is $1030.
76-8750 Huss & Dalton (new) Traditional Custom Dreadnought, rosewood, Indian rosewood back and sides, red spruce top, Waverly 1129 Special Issue Vintage Oval tuning machines, #2613, with hard shell tweed case.
$3809 at our Discount Price or, $3695 at our Cash Discount Price.
76-8189 Huss & Dalton (new) Custom Orchestra Model, Cutaway, Engelmann Spruce Top, Claro Walnut back & side woods, Waverly 1129 Special Issue Vintage Oval Tuning machines, serial #2569 with hard shell tweed case.
$4287 at our Discount Price or, $4158 at our Cash Discount Price.
76-8231 Huss & Dalton (new) “FS” Fingerstyle Standard, #2603, cutaway, housed in a tweed high quality hard shell case.
This guitar has it all: an Engelmann Spruce Top, fine East Indian Rosewood back & sides, a shallow body depth, 00-style bracing, abalone rosette, a 3-7/8" sound hole, wide pattern black-white-black top purflings, a “neo-pyramid bridge,” 2-5/16" bridge saddle spacing, 1 3/4" vintage fretboard taper, 25.4" scale, a low-profile neck, a reverse taper (MJ) peghead shape, maple bound body & fretboard, small abalone dot fretboard inlays, the Huss & Dalton logo peghead inlay. It has a matte finish neck, gloss finish peghead, and a clear pickguard. A review by Pete Madsen states (paraphrased): The FS is the result of this company’s aspiration to delivery a sound comparable to its popular 00 model with a more modern style and feel; the FS has the body shape of their CM model, the depth of an OM and the light top bracing of the 00. I expected a guitar costing nearly $4, 000 to be a fine-looking instrument but the FS is positively sublime. The quatersawn Engelmann spruce top displays a shimmer and even grain that attests to its quality. The cocoa-brown Indian rosewood back and sides are elegant, revealing a rich, relatively loose, and speckled grain. The FS was designed as a fingerstylist’s guitar and will appeal to those who seek a contemporary tone. Bass strings ring out with the same vibrancy and clarity as the treble but with no boominess, making the guitar strikingly well-balanced. The U-shaped neck, both fast and easy to navigate, and the 2 5/16th string spacing gives fingerpickers room in which to work. The Maccaferri-style cutaway enables access up to the 19th fret, facilitating adventurous exploration of the higher registers. The Huss & Dalton FS is a perfect instrument for the experienced contemporary fingerstylist who can appreciate the delicate nuances of a finely made guitar but it will also reward anyone with a delicate touich who seeks a ringing, harmonically rich tonal palette. $3,572 at our Discount Price or $3,465 at our Cash Discount Price.
76-8233 Huss and Dalton (used, July 2001) Model MJC, a small jumbo cutaway, sunburst top, East Indian rosewood and Adirondack spruce, in excellent minus condition with original tweed hard shell case.
The Huss and Dalton factory has repaired a top crack that ran from behind the bridge at the high E string to the bottom. It has been repaired and cleated; they also humidified it. Using a flashlight, one can just about see the crack. The factory setup is extremely good. The finish on the face and back does reflect (pun intended) that it was stored in somewhat dry conditions for the first 7 years. Nevertheless, it plays easily; it sounds just wonderful. This extremely handsome guitar has the long scale neck of 25.4”, a nominally 1 ¾” nut width, a comfortable low-profile neck shape, fancy banjo-style fingerboard inlays forming repeating “flying-bat-of-doom” figures – six of them -- starting from the fifth fret that get progressively larger until the last one at the 12th fret which is actually fearsome, and then which becomes smaller again at the 15th. It is fairly unique having “rope” (alternating black-white) wood marquetry around the perimeter of the face, and double rope and black-ivoroid-black around the generous 4 ¼” diameter soundhole. The bridge is carved of ebony with countersunk pearl inlaid, black bridge pins; the back stripe is wood “zipper” pattern; the back and sides are bordered in polished rosewood with black-white purfling lines and the end graft is also the same with mitered purfling border. The headstock is essentially snakehead-esque with the “Huss and Dalton” pearl inlaid logo of many colors; tuners are gold-plated Schaller minis with ebony buttons. The condition is (except for that one minor beautifully repaired crack) solidly excellent, showing some dings, scuffs and light scratches here and there but far fewer than one might expect. It sounds clear, clean and refreshingly good, it is is beautiful beyond normal intensifiers, and it plays effortlessly. $4,119 or at our cash discount price $3,995.
78-7647 Lowden (used, circa 2002) Model O-32 non-cutaway, #12193, in excellent or even excellent plus condition, with aftermarket Fishman Matrix pickup and original hard shell case.
Lowden Guitars, currently located in Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland is a legendary story. Their story is related on Wikipedia in far more detail than I have room for, but you can read all about it by clicking on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Lowden. The gist of it is that George Lowden has dedicated most of his life to designing and building some of the finest acoustic guitars in the world. In or around 1976, at the age of 24, he began his luthiery career and supervised the building of guitars until 1988 at which time the ownership of the company was transferred to a consortium which continued George’s designs with the designer acting as a consultant. On January 1, 2004 the ownership of the company reverted back to George. At no time during the interim did quality flag – all of the Lowden guitars that were made in Northern Ireland are, in our opinion, of professional quality and beautiful to boot. This guitar has both of those qualities. It is a full jumbo-sized instrument measuring 16 3/8” in body width, 4 ¾” in depth at the bottom end. It has a long scale of approximately 25.4”, a nut width of 1 ¾”, a bridge string spacing of 2 3/16”. The woods are magnificent – East Indian rosewood for the back, sides, bridge and headstock overlay, high grade Sitka spruce (with considerable medullary rays) for the face, 5-pieces of mahogany and walnut for the neck, ebony for the fingerboard, and what appears to be ebony, spruce and walnut for the top purfling. The soundhole rosette is an approximately 5 1/8” diameter ring of colorful abalone bordered with ebony and spruce. The fretboard is neo-classical meaning it ain’t go to markers but, happily, it has 8 white side markers. The headstock is inlaid with the colorful pearl script, underlined, Lowden logo; tuners are gold-plated sealed-backs with the Lowden Guitar logo and amber buttons that look like semi-precious stones; body bindings are all maple. As you probably know – leading Lowden users include phenomenal fingerstyle guitarist Pierre Bensusan, the group Acoustic Alchemy, Richard Thompson and Shawn Colvin. That Fishman pickup, installed by its prior owner, sounds wonderful and, acoustically, this O-32 sings with the voice of the Leprechauns. $2985 or, at our cash discount price, $2895.
78-7193 Huss & Dalton (new) Custom DM, with Koa body bindings, Bearclaw Sitka spruce top, Mahogany sides and back, #2410-1MB, with plush lined hard shell case.
The sound is extraordinary – it very much pops with presence and sound pressure when you play it, as if the notes can’t get out of the guitar fast enough – they explode with sonic density. I would have expected no less from Bearclaw but the kudos go to Huss and Dalton for creating such an exquisite and beautiful instrument. The nut width measures just about (slightly less than) 1 23/32nds, making it just a little bit wider than 1 11/16ths but not as wide as 1 ¾”. For me this is the perfect width. $3,336 or, at our cash discount price, $3,235.
76-8740 New C F Martin 00-18V, serial #1311631, small bodied acoustic guitar, solid mahogany back & sides
and solid sitka top, 1/4" scalloped braces, modified V neck, bone nut and saddle (drop in long saddle), ebony fingerboard & bridge, 24.9" scale length, 1-3/4" nut width, Tortoise pickguard, Gotoh nickel non geared tuners w/ Butterbean knobs and Geib style (534) hard shell case. The CF Martin List Price is $3349 and the CF Martin MAP Price is $2499.
15-5697 C F Martin (new) OM-42FM “Flamed Mahogany,” Individual No. 19 of 30 made total, #1177753, with Geib style hard shell case.
Every now and then the C F Martin Guitar Company comes out with a model that is made with wood so scarce that they can make only a tiny number of them, often, as here, a run of just 30. Some of the other phyla they’ve chosen include Tulipwood, Amazon and Cambodian rosewoods, Tasmanian Blackwood and German White Oak for the Arts & Crafts 2 Model. Not only is the wood from their (really really) special stash – the collection of wood that they keep under lock and key, behind a curtain of half-inch steel drapery, and visitors are not allowed to take pictures of this stuff (not making this up – we’ve been in the inner sanctum and that’s what we saw and that’s what we were told), but also they dress the guitar up in finery not seen since the last crown coronation. In this instance you have an Orchestra Model guitar with its 1 ¾” nut, 2 1/4th” bridge spacing according to Martin and 2 3/16th” from 6th to 1st string according to our Magic Ruler) and a low-profile, and the de rigueur long scale of 25.4” nut to saddle. The wide-grained, perfectly clear (no bearclaw, no run-out) top is solidly Adirondack “Red” Spruce, as its friends call it; the soundhole has the Style -45 Roseete with abalone at the center of three concentric circles. Being a -42 means that it also has abalone trim around the face and, as well, the perimeter of the fingerboard peninsula -- but that’s just the beginning. The black ebony, ivoroid-black-ivoroid bordered fingerboard is inlaid from the first to the last fret with the “Vine Of Harmonics” pattern, designed By Dick Boak who we commend, as well as for the excellence of his work in Martin design and artist’s relations, for the originality of this inlay pattern’s name. This inlay pattern has a lot of thorns and sharp edges, a wishbone at the top, dual flowers at the fifth, 12th and 16th, a glowing starburst at frets 3,7,9 and 15, a single flower at the 2nd, and crossed stems on the 19th and 20th. The polished ebony headstock is jet black, triple bound with grained ivoroid outermost, and starkly bears only the script abalone C F Martin & Co. Est. 1833 inlaid logo. Tuners are gold plated “C F Martin/510” logo sealed backs with large ebony buttons. We’ve never noted the “510” legend before. The neck is attached to the body in the dovetail fashion using actual mahogany blocks. The pickguard is abbreviated and tortoise color with beveled edges, the back and sides are solid Flamed Mahogany which looks like tiger-striped flame maple except that it’s really mahogany. Wood like this doesn’t grow on trees, y’know; it’s hard to find and harder still to part with. The interior paper label is hand-signed by C F Martin IV. This is a guitar for a connoisseur, for a lover and appreciator of rare materials, great sound and extremely rarity in the annals of C F Martin collectible guitars. The Martin List is $9999 and the Martin MAP (the minimum advertiseable price) is $7999.
76-8699 CF Martin (new) OM-30DB Pat Donohue, serial #1299884, with a special Geib style hard shell case. Pat Donohue is the guitarist on A Prairie Home Companion.
The model that he helped design and that bears his name inside is refreshingly uncommon and surprisingly articulate, made, as it is, with one-quarter inch Adirondack scalloped braces and an Adirondack spruce top. The surprising part is that it has a deeper body than most OM guitars being around one-half inch greater in depth. It has the tasteful initials “P D” inlaid at the 12th fret, and it comes with a special case to accommodate that deeper body. It sports Style -30 fingerboard inlays which are similar to a -42 except for having a snowflake at the 5th and a slotted Maltese cross. You need to try this one out in person – it may inspire you to create new music at the extremely high level of creativity and performance panache as has its namesake. The C F Martin List Price is $6799 and the CF Martin MAP is $5399.
76-8073 C F Martin (new) D-21 Special, #1291735, with hard shell case.
This Martin new polished-gloss body dreadnought model really is special; it abounds with surprises. First of all, it sounds absolutely incredible! We have not been as impressed by a Standard Series Martin acoustic guitar in quite some time. It hosts a dovetail joint construction, the old, squared Martin headstock shape with a large, old style black, bordered gold script decal logo. It has faux-oxidized oval-button pewter-color Martin logo open-gear tuners and, on the 14-fret-to-the-body-joint fretboard, four etched diamonds in a black ebony background; it has a long scale, a welcome 1 ¾” nut width a a 2 5/16th generous bridge spacing. The back stripe and the soundhole rosette are both herringbone in maple; the bridge is an ebony pyramid style (which we applaud); the body bindings are solid East Indian rosewood and the end graft, bridge and end pins are ebony. It displays nothing but wood – everywhere you look – and this, we believe, is what gives this guitar its extraordinary sound. And yet it is priced SO modestly: The C F Martin List Price is $3699 and the C F Martin MAP is $2799.
76-8123 C F Martin (new) HJ-38 Stefan Grossman, #1292528, individual Number 71 in the series, with hard shell case.
Behold a small pattern-herringbone trimmed, jumbo-bodied behemoth in Madagascar rosewood sides, back and headstock overlay, with a select Sitka top sporting a Style -45 abalone rosette and medium deep aging toner. It has the favored 1 ¾” nut width and the 2 5/16th” bridge spacing. It has grained ivoroid body, neck and headstock bindings with the crème-black purfling, it has a multicolored -45 style back stripe, and etched diamond, snowflake and cat’s eye fingerboard pattern, an abalone vertically-inlaid “C Martin F” logo and, not unlike my uncle Alistair, a two-ply bordered ivoroid butt wedge. It has actual Waverly brand gold-plated butterbean-button open-gear tuners, a modified V-shape neck and a sound that rolls forth from the proscenium of the Grand Auditorium in West Heaven. What a great combination of fine wood and deluxe appointments, what a sound! Stefan signs the square paper label. The guitar (at least when it is brand new as it is on this day) is redolent of the cedar kerfing your great grandmother used to frame the octagonal stands she made from worn out firkins, on which she used to mount her Halloween pumpkins. An exceptional piece, you should come visit our showroom and try it for yourself, or call us up and we’ll play the guitar for you over the phone and moan quietly at the appropriate moments. The C F Martin List Price is $4999 and the C F Martin MAP is $3999.
76-8152 C F Martin (new) 000-18GE, #1302480, with hard shell case.
The other side of the spectrum from the regular 000-18, this guitar bestows its owner with an Adirondack spruce top, and advanced X forward shifted Golden Era scalloped bracing. This guitar has it all: it is a fourteen fret to the body guitar having ¼” Adirondack bracing under the top, genuine mahogany for the sides and back, a solid Brazilian rosewood back stripe (though you would never in a million years know that to see it), and Brazilian headplate with squared edges and the old style burnished gold script “C F Martin & Co.” logo, It is made with mahogany blocks and a dovetail neck joint, has a black ebony fingerboard, bridge and heel cap, a short scale of 24.9”, a 1 ¾” nut width and a 2 5/16th string spacing at the bridge, a 1930s style belly bridge with a long saddle of fossil ivory, as well as a fossil ivory nut, Gotoh nickel-plated open-gear tuners with oval buttons, the interior label was signed by C F Martin IV. The pickguard is Delmar tortoise color, beveled and polished. It sounds amazing. On this brand new one the C F Martin List Price is $4099 and the C F Martin MAP is $3099.
76-8151 and 76-8150 C F Martin (new) 000-18 Norman Blake, #1269957, and #1248429, each with Geib style hard shell case.
One of our favorite models, this is a 12-fret wide-neck with a solid headstock for fast, easy string changing. The combination of the mahogany sides and back with the Adirondack spruce top produces a sound that is both thrilling and chilling. So fine! The C F Martin List Price is $4599 and the C F Martin MAP is $3699.
15-6513 C F Martin (new) D-28 Marquis, #1223058, sunburst top, with Geib style hard shell case.
The Martin Marquis model combines select, solid East Indian rosewood with an Adirondack spruce top, in this instance in a dreadnought model made to conform to most (but not all) of the specifications of a guitar made in, say, 1938. It retains an adjustable truss rod, it has a modified V-shape neck and not the full-V, and the glues used to keep it all together are aliphatic modern glues and not the animal kind, but be that as it may, it still sounds absolutely incredible and is 13.5% the price of the next one up – the D-28 Authentic (which we have, by the way, if you’d like to visit it). Contrast and compare. Resist if you dare. The C F Martin List Price is $5399 and the C F Martin MAP is $4049.
76-8153 C F Martin (new) OMC-28 with Ellipse AURA System, serial #1246386, with hard shell case.
A well thought out fingerstyle guitar in the OM body with a cutaway; made of all solid, gloss finished, East Indian rosewood and Sitka spruce, this also has one of the most sophisticated pickup systems extant – tuned to work perfectly with this very guitar. The best of the old (the OM was invented in 1929) and the best of the new (you can’t ignora, it’s an Aura). The C F Martin List Price is $3699 and the CF Martin MAP is $2799.
76-8178 C F Martin (new) D-18 (Standard Series) acoustic dreadnought guitar,
serial #1307599, mahogany back & sides, Sitka spruce top, a low profile neck shape, a bone nut & saddle, 1-11/16" nut width, 25.4" scale length, rosewood fingerboard and bridge and #640 thermoplastic, molded hard shell case. The C F Martin List Price is $2499 and the CF Martin MAP is $1899.
76-8185 CF Martin (new) D-35 dreadnought, serial #1307538, the Standard Series guitar with the lighter ¼” bracing – what a great sound (!) with Martin 640 thermoplastic hard shell case.
The C F Martin List Price is $2949 and the CF Martin MAP is $2199.
76-8177 CF Martin (new) Car Talk Special, serial #1303032, with hard shell case.
The CF Martin List Price is $6499 and the C F Martin MAP is $5199.
76-8729 C F Martin (new) D-18 (in the illustrious Standard Series) acoustic guitar, #1314179, the stately dreadnought mahogany back & sides,
Sitka spruce top, having a low profile neck shape, standard non-scalloped bracing to emphasize the midrange, a bone nut & saddle, an 1-11/16" nut width, a 25.4" scale length, an East Indian rosewood fingerboard and bridge and a Martin Model 640 thermoplastic hard shell case. The C F Martin List Price $2599 and the C F Martin MAP is $1999.
76-8227 C F Martin (new) 00-21GE Custom Shop, #1304864, with Geib style hard shell case.
Those of us who had a melancholy desire to own a prewar, a ‘50s or even a ‘60s 00-21 from back in the folk boom era can now hold up their heads, arms and wallets in preparation for ownership of what is one of the most exciting six-string small-boded new instruments to hit the runway since the Martin Company made a very small number of them in March of 1999. These Adirondack spruce top misleadingly petite objects of celestially reciprocating mechanical motion have at times been compared with a nine-foot tall paint-mixing machine that resides the corner of your bedroom for use on those nights that sleeping seems elusive. More than just an ordinary guitar, this wide neck slothead 12-fret will allow both your spirit and your self-confidence to soar. This gorgeous and astonishing sounding instrument is, if you cast your mind back, a guitar that Martin once made but makes no longer – the Grand Concert, 14.5” wide with an actual waist (and what a waist!) and it is housed in the beautiful (and intelligent) #535 Geib style hard-shell plush-lined case. This is the delightful, profoundly powerful (yet small) throw-back to the earlier era that has the wooden four-ply ebony and spruce top purfling, the tortoise shell celluloid top and back binding, in solid East Indian rosewood and solid Adirondack “Red” spruce top, that has the square-slotted, squared headstock with the small old style black-bordered gold “C F Martin & Co.” logo, 1 13/16th” nut width, generous 2 3/8” bridge spacing, the prewar appointment of four small abalone etched diamond fingerboard inlays in a jet black ebony fingerboard, scalloped ¼” Golden Era bracing, black-white Boltaron® top purfling, black ebony fingerboard and bridge, real Waverly #4063 nickel side-mounted tuners, herringbone soundhole rosette and back stripe, a short scale of 24.9”, old style, beveled edge tortoise shell type pickguard, squared headstock with squared slots, modified V-shaped neck and a white bordered black end-graft with an ebony heel cap. It produces outstanding volume and tone and it does so from a small platform. How much would you pay for a sofa of this quality, I though I heard somebody ask. Because this is a Martin Custom Shop Guitar we are allowed to tell you the actual selling price, which is kind of a bargain at only $3087 at our Discount Price, or $2995 at our Cash Discount price.
76-8197 McPherson (new) MG 5.0XP, Granadillo & Bearclaw Sitka woods, L. R. Baggs wonderful RTS 2 Pickup System, serial #1339, with deluxe Ameritage hard shell case.
$4,536 at our Discount Price or $4,400 at our Cash Discount Price.
48-3978 RainSong Advanced Series A-WS1000, in the red finish graphite top, #8322, with a gigbag.
This is “New Old Stock” (NOS-Feratu for short) – an Auditorium body, cutaway, six-string instrument made entirely using Carbon Fiber/Graphite composites; having a brace-free soundboard and Projection Tuned Layering™ for pristine detail, warmth and volume of the classic Carbon tone. They say “Clear, rich and resonant, similar to a piano, with a treble that rings with crystalline clarity and a base [sic] that is warm without being muddy.” The ultimate workhorse - like other RainSong guitars we sell this instrument is impervious to changes in temperature and humidity; it has an adjustable, super fast graphite neck with low action and no dead spots. The soundboard will not belly, sink or crack (would that we could say the same about ourselves) due to changes in the environment. It comes with the manufacturer’s Limited Lifetime Warranty, and it is made in the USA in, of all places, Woodinville, Washington. THIS GUITAR IS NOW ON SALE. At the time we bought it the List was $1499, and the MAP $1199. THEN RainSong raised the List and MAP and now it’s $1875 List and $1399 MAP. But it’s been in stock since October 5, 2005 and that was over two years ago. So it’s ON SALE. Please call or email for how ON SALE this is. You will be so pleased! Thanks.
76-8134 and 76-8144(sold) RainSong (new) OM-1000, #10193 and #10199, each with hard shell case.
A superb sounding all-graphite composite construction cutaway instrument with a built-in Fishman Stereo Blender pickup system. The List Price is $2,995 and the RainSong MAP is 2,249.
76-8693 Renaissance (new) RS6-Standard Deuce Model, #08-2636, specially-ordered in Koa and Cedar, with a zipper gigbag. Rick Turner is and has always been an American Original.
Through his exciting line of “Ampli-Coustic” guitars Rick redefines the capabilities of the six-string amplified instrument. About this series he says that these guitars serve the very real need to reproduce full-frequency acoustic tone in electronic recording and performance settings - a job that, ironically, true acoustics are not cut out for! The thinline body is built like a fine acoustic guitar, but with an added mahogany center block to cut feedback. A Turner piezo bridge pickup feeds full-spectrum signals to an 18-volt D-Tar pre-amp. This line is available in 6-string steel or nylon classical, 12-string steel, and 6 or 12-string baritone. What’s interesting is that we have nearly all of these variations in stock, in our inventory. You must stop by and try them. And then, just to keep it really interesting, Rick produces variations on the theme – in this instance he takes the regular RS-6 (Renaissance Steel String Six-string) and he adds a special Seymour Duncan built-in humbucking pickup that’s mounted slightly closer to the bridge than to the neck.Rick Turner (himself, the genuine antarticle) would like to add that the pickup system is now a D-TAR (Duncan/Turner Acoustic Research) "Timberline" du dix et huit (“from the ten and eight”) volts. The scale length is 25 1/2" or 25.50", if you're more machine shop-oriented, and no, we don't speak no stinkin’ Napoleonic metric here. . .and the center block in the body is Western Red Cedar, the stuff prized for classical and some steel string guitar tops. It is a magic wood. I know, I know, the wood doesn't matter, so sayeth thems that doesn't hear; but we changed from mahogany to cedar and the guitars suddenly sounded more "acoustic" plugged in as an ultimate irony. And that's the truth...
The RS6 is generally described as having a cedar top with a clear polyurethane finish – exceedingly thin – only .008” film thickness; the back and sides are usually walnut or cherry finished with oil-modified urethane but in this case the guitar was specially made with gorgeous Hawaiian Koa wood. It utilizes New Zealand Paua shell dots and side markers in its East Indian rosewood fretboard – and while the board has 14 frets to the body on the bass side, with its 3 5/8” deep cutaway the player can access every fret right down to the last, 24th one. That’s two full octaves, friends. On this guitar you will find black matte finish top binding to contrast gently with the golden-hued Koa, no neck or headstock binding but a Koa wood headplate that may freeze you in your tracks. Said headplate bears the gold and black encircled lion with sharp teeth and his tongue sticking out in the manner of Gene Simmons. It has six spectacularly accurate sealed-back tuners, each bearing the Stylized “R” logo which could stand for Renaissance, with shiny black metal buttons. It has a dual-action truss rod so you won’t have to worry about adjustment issues, a 24 1/2" scale, a nut width of 1 11/16". This model comes factory-equipped with expensive Thomastik-Infeld Spectrum Bronze strings. Let us not forget about the Turner-designed piezo bridge pickup in combination with the18-volt Turner pre-amp, or that the tone controls each have 11 detent positions and are designed to be as Low-Noise in performance as volume and tone controls get. The guitar has twin phone-plug jacks on the treble side which when played through two separate amplifiers expand the proscenium to wall-to-wall and enable a player to negotiate from the sweet sonority of the piezo to the Tasmanian Devil-style bone-crushing aural attack of the splendid Seymour pickup with the eight raised magnets to the west and the four “we’re hiding” poles on the eastern border. This is not an instrument for the timid or the tame -- on the contrary it is a guitar for a musician who seeks to control the room and drive the band. The price, with its well-made Renaissance gigbag included is very (very) reasonable at only $2388 at our Discount Price, or at our Cash Discount Price, $2316.
76-8136 Santa Cruz (new) Bob Brozman Baritone D model, #5736, with hard shell case.
The Santa Cruz Bob Brozman model is, in our opinion and that of actual magazine writers who review things like this, the leader in the under-$4000 price range, the stentorian potentate, the prince of presence, strength and tone; it is melodious yet it takes up most of the space in the room when it speaks with radio-announcer articulation. The reason it is so good (and powerful, like a merciful monarch) is because it has the 27” scale and the wider neck suitable for baritone playing. It is plentiful with the herringbone topography, border and soundhole, a zipper back stripe, and it has the tasteful position markers of four etched mother of pearl diamonds. Its tuners are gold and side-mounted on the squared-slot open peghead, its bridge pins are inlaid and countersunk and once you have felt these low-rider pins under your palm you may never want to go back to the silent cylindrical sentinels that stand stout and tall and are useful if you wish to demonstrate stigmata. With the Brozman Baritone you can play at any volume including wincingly loud, you can sound like a cello or a growling lion, whichever metaphor scratches you under the chin (and behind the ears). The Brozperson-Barry sounds like no other six-string you have ever heard or will hear, and owning it will set you apart from the masses. It is, more than you know, like being acquired by the angels, all over again. $4438 at our Discount Price, or $4305 at our Cash Discount Price.
76-8724 Santa Cruz (new) Tony Rice dreadnought acoustic guitar, in the optional sunburst finish, #5831, housed in a special brown leatherette hard shell case with a green plush lining.
But it isn’t just the green plush lining, no, and it isn’t just the fact that this is a sunburst finish guitar finished in a three-tone shading that sucks you into the vast vortex of Bermudian triangulation. No – it’s the sound – the extreme string-to-string art-tickle-you-lation, the melodious blend of its chordal countenance, the nearly string-quartet-like lyricism of its legendary aural liquidity. It’s all here before you -- the lucky player/owner who gets to live with this monolith of melodiousness in his or her indoor stable. This particular example is made from hand-selected East Indian rosewood back & sides, so straight-grained and highly contrasted (espresso against the mocha) that it resembles the Brazilian unmentionable, a Sitka spruce top that is a closely grained tapestry of cross-silking, a medullary marvel. Other features include ivoroid body and fingerboard binding, herringbone top border and soundhole rosette, a zipper-pattern wood parquetry back stripe that continues on the bottom side as a butt wedge, a solid headstock with sharply defined top edges and a ebony overlay with NO logo (if one can even imagine this). There are also no fingerboard markers, only a script pearl inlaid “Scgc” logo on frets 12 and 13. The nut width is said to be 1-11/16" but when you measure it with “the magic ruler” it actually depicts a distance closer to 1 23/32nds” – which perfect size we applaud, or we would applaud if we weren’t playing the guitar. The scale length is 25.375"; tuners are Santa Cruz brand open-gear with butterbean buttons. But it is ultimately the beauty of the three-tone top and the distinctive, luscious, loveable sound that convinces anybody who plays it that this is the guitar we loves to love. $4,482 or, at our cash discount price, $4,347.
76-8143 Taylor (new) 214-CE, #20080818209, Grand Auditorium, rosewood with hard shell case.
The Taylor List Price is $1298 and the Taylor MAP is $999.
76-8195 Taylor (new) 114CE Grand Auditorium, Sapele laminate back & sides, serial #20080916864 with Taylor gig bag.
The Taylor List Price is $1098 and the Taylor MAP is $799.
76-8710 Taylor (new) 412CE Ovangkol, Grand Concert Cutaway, serial #20080723025 with hard shell case.
The Taylor List Price is $2488 and the Taylor MAP is $1849.
76-8753 & 76-8756(sold) Taylor (new) Baby Mahogany, #20081017339 & #20081017340, 3/4 scale little dreadnought, Sapele laminate back & sides,
American Tropical Mahogany top, tropical American Mahogany neck, Ebony fretboard & bridge, 22-3/4" scale length, 1-11/16" nut width and come with gig bag. The Taylor LIST Price is $393 and Our Discount Price is $299.
78-7656 Bill Collings (used, February 2000) SJ-41 Cutaway, #5572, known to its friends as SJ41BaaA, housed in its original TKL AVS-series hard shell case.
This guitar presents with a golden-to-brown sunburst finish wide yet evenly grained Adirondack spruce top, “AA” Grade Brazilian rosewood sides, back and headplate overlay, and its jet black ebony fingerboard that is ivoroid and black bordered with ivoroid binding fingerboard displays Bill’s “Mother In Law” fingerboard inlay pattern which takes the form of 7 individually distinguished “flourishes” of Victorian-era mother of pearl each vaguely suggesting a candlestick holder with extremely suggestive candlestick sticking up, or down, depending on which daydream/ fantasy Bill was thinking at that time. It’s good when you really (really) like your mother in law. Other than having a gold-plated strap pin thrust into the treble side of the heel of the neck this guitar is in “near mint” condition, so much so that people who like to fuss over guitars and discover wens and flaws will be walking away muttering when they see this notably unbattered baby. The ivoroid-black-ivoroid headstock has the asymmetrical “pompadour” haircut provided as homage to so many hirsute users of Collings guitars who own tubes of Brylcreem (“A little dab’ll do ya”) and know how to use them. All six tuners are gold-plated Waverly’s with butterbean buttons and open gears. The back stripe is multi-colored wood marquetry in the always-welcome “southwestern” pattern; the end graft is grained ivoroid bordered in ivoroid-black; the soundhole’s center ring and the face of the instrument also are bordered in “crushed abalone” that captures the light and refracts it kaleidoscopically. This instrument carries the soft cutaway that permits the player to reach the highest frets; its nut width is 1 11/16th” and the string spacing at the bridge saddle is 2 3/16th”.Being a Small Jumbo, this guitar measures 16 1/8” at the lower bout and has a long scale of 25.5”. And now we come to the point where we feast our eyes on the Brazilian rosewood. It is TDF-quality Brazilian, resembling the hidden mountain stream that you visited as a child, where you could see the mono-cranial trout cavorting beneath the surface of the water even without even Polarizing glasses, where the flowing mountain of hydrous natancy represented, in its smooth, graceful continuity, the cycle of the infinite – the continuum of life, death and rebirth. Perhaps we’re reading a bit too much into a simple description of the wood, but it is, without a doubt, some of the most beautiful, transfixing, mesmerizing Brazilian rosewood collection of wiggles and whorls as this wood wookie has ever had the pleasure to embrace. And much the same can be said about its sound. It speaks with the voice of the vital and the vigorous, the vintage and the venerable, the visceral and the virtuous. It thunders like tympani when pummeled, and then caresses and soothes when played tenderly. It is, in a word, a guitar for all seasons, one of the finest examples of the Collings Guitar Company’s most fulfilling combinations of design, wood and workmanship. What should one ask for a guitar of this quality? Fifteen thousand dollah? Sixteen thousand dollah? No, we feel that the market value at this time for a nymph this nuts and an enchantress this all-enveloping is a mere Eleven Thousand, Nine Hundred and Ninety Five Dollah, at our Cash Discount Price -- WAY less than our former governor paid for having far less fun than you can have with this six-string messenger from paradise. Hedonists, Take Heed. This guitar will, as James Taylor prophesied and little Regan MacNeil from The Exorcist demonstrated, turn your head around. $12,366 or at our cash discount price $11,995
78-7645 Collings (used 2003) OM-2HA, #7477, in excellent or better condition with original green lined TKL AVS hard shell case. This guitar shows the usual small scuffs, scratches and light signs of careful playing, but it is, on the whole, exceptionally clean.
It has the option of the 1 ¾” nut (with Collings that’s still an special feature even though the definition of OM is 1 ¾” nut, 000-body and long scale neck). It has the nickel-plated Waverly brand butterbean button tuners, the 5 etched diamond fingerboard inlays in an unbound ebony ‘board, the herringbone top border and three ring fiberous black-white soundhole rosette rings, the carved ebony bridge with the pearl dots and the grained ivoroid body binding. It has an added Fishman Matrix internal pickup. It also has the sharpest (as in “stiletto”) heel you have ever in your life felt – a heel shape NOT for the timid. The headstock is squared, the “Collings” logo is inlaid in script mother of pearl, the nut and saddle are bone, and the tone is well honed. It is a treat for the jaded, the faded, the proficient and the precocious, it is hog heaven for the herringbone hedonist. $3557 or at our cash discount price, $3450.
78-7638 Collings (used, c. 2006) Model CW #8588, in East Indian rosewood and Adirondack, in excellent plus condition with TKL AVS original hard shell case.
Few modern acoustic guitars are as beautiful or as fine sounding as the Clarence White inspired CW. No longer called the Clarence White, now this model is called The Collings Winfield, named after the famous music festival and flat-picking competition in Kansas. The initials, however, remain the same (very clever, Bill). The instrument carries on the tradition established when famous flat picker Clarence White purchased a prewar D-28 guitar that had been modified to have a larger soundhole (this one measures 4 ¼” in diameter, and it also had a Gretsch ivoroid bound, extended length fingerboard installed – and so the neo-classical (no inlay on the front surface) fingerboard extends maybe 3/16th” into the frontal orifice. The headstock is squared and the Brazilian rosewood headplate hosts the script, pearl Collings logo which rises in its position as it progresses to the treble side in a visual metaphor that expresses uncommon optimism. Tuners are nickel-plated Waverlys (we are thankful for a builder who uses Waverly tuners on nearly every guitar without it having to be specially ordered); there is a carved diamond dart on the back of the neck behind the nut; the top is bordered in herringbone, the soundhole in two rings (remember, the soundhole is larger) of fiber purfling; the pickguard is prewar style “Dalmatian” tortoise-oid, the bridge is carved of ebony with pearl inlaid ebony pins and a “through” saddle of bone; the back stripe is zipper wood marquetry and the end graft is celluloid bordered in two-ply. The Adirondack spruce is wide grained at the extremes and closer gained at the center (as it should be), the East Indian on the sides is unusually patterned, it sort of meanders in a refreshing way, while the East Indian on the back is straight-grained and elegant. In most respects, the condition can nearly not be faulted, but a very close inspection reveals a few small signs of playing time including a few small dings, chips on and along the back of the headstock along the edges – as if somebody tried to use a string winder to change strings while inebriated and, flailing madly, the device contacted the back edge of the headstock with every turn! Yikes! We present to you an extremely fine sounding dreadnought acoustic guitar. $4015 or, at our cash discount price, $3895.
78-7958 Collings (new) OM-3, #14774, Adirondack Spruce top with cutaway and hard shell case.
$5498 at our Discount Price, or at our Cash Discount Price, $5333
78-7987 Collings (new) CJ, #14919, 1 3/4th nut width, with hard shell case.
$3875 at our Discount Price, or at our Cash Discount Price, $3758
76-8012 Collings (new) Baby 2, #14745, 1 3/4th nut width, with German Spruce top in sunburst, with hard shell case.
$4524 at our Discount Price, or at our Cash Discount Price, $4388
76-8111 Guild (new) GAD-50PCE, #GAD33923, a cutaway dreadnought guitar with a Sitka spruce top, in Antique ‘burst top, having maple bindings, with a pickup and hard shell case.
The Guild List is $1388.79 and the Guild MAP is $960.
78-7666 Larrivee (used, 2003) Parlor Model P-09 “Rosewood Special Edition,” #70126, made in Vancouver, BC, Canada, in excellent condition with hard shell plush lined case.
This is a small guitar, measuring only 13 3/16th” at the lower bout, having a scale length of 24”, a nut width of 1 ¾” and a bridge spacing of 2 3/16th”. At the waist this leetle feller measures 7 13/16”; at the upper bout it measures 9 3/8”. The fingerboard is neo-classical, meaning that it has no markers on its front surface, but it does have six dark side markers in the ivoroid binding on the bass side. The soundhole is bordered in kaleidoscopic abalone, there is a clear plastic pickguard provided by the factory to protect the top from life’s hard knock. The top and back are bound in maple; the end graft is likewise maple and the heel cap is grained ivoroid to match the neck binding (which is present on two sides of the neck only, and not the bottom side). The neck is actual mahogany, one-piece, and said neck is dovetail-jointed to the body. The face appears to be select Sitka, the sides and the back is straight-grained East Indian. The headplate is ebony and bears the “Larrivee” underlined logo in ivoroid; its tuners are possibly Gotoh with the Larrivee inscription and medium sized metal buttons. The face is bordered in an elegant ring of black purfling. This X-braced, forward-shifted guitar has 12 frets to the body and 17 frets total. We are advised that this version of the Larrivee parlor is no longer being made – that the newer (2004 and forward) version has a thicker, glossy finish. As the result of the thinner finish, this guitar simply sings. The action is low and comfortable and the sound is bigger than its small size would forecast. We offer you a really nice little standard feel, near standard scale six-string, made of good materials, in a size that’s slightly smaller than a Martin “0”. $1129 at our discount price, or at our cash discount price, $1095
78-7643 C F Martin (used, 2003) D-42AR Amazon Rosewood, #944304, #23 of 30 made.
Amazon Rosewood a/k/a Dalbergia sprucana belongs to the same family as Brazilian rosewood (Dalbergia nigra). The US Forest Service says, comparing both woods, “The wood anatomical characteristics of Dalbergia nigra and Dalbergia spruceana are too similar to permit reliable species separation.” Wow. So owning this guitar is something like getting a Brazilian rosewood dreadnought for less than half the price. Both are species of legume in the Fabaceae Family (formerly of Mott Street). The condition of this advanced X forward shifted scalloped braced guitar is excellent minus. It would have been “near mint” except that contact with a guitar stand at the bottom of the guitar resulted in two lesions in the finish that are both palpable and visually distracting if you look at them, but then who looks at them? This is a fancy guitar, grained ivoroid bound, having the “C Martin F” vertical headplate inlay in colorful pearl, the full diamond and snowflake fingerboard treatment starting at first fret, full abalone top border including the border of the fingerboard end. The 1930’s style carved ebony belly bridge carries the “through” saddle, made of fossil ivory and the nut is fossil ivory as well; the back stripe is -45 style in colored marquetry and the Adirondack top is wide grained at the extremes, closer-grained at the center and displays some Bearclaw. Under the A-word top are 5/16th” Adirondack braces; tuners are actual Waverly brand, gold-plated, butterbean button; the headstock, neck, sides and back are bordered in ebony and ivoroid; the pickguard is prewar style faux tortoise shell with beveled edges. The nut width is 1 ¾”, the width at 12th fret is 2 ¼” and the bridge string spacing is 2 5/16th”. Other than a few belt scratches on the back and some extremely minor dings, plus those two chemical-reaction marks from the possibly vinyl covered stand, this guitar is quite clean. The interior paper label is hand signed by C F Martin IV. A FEW WORDS ABOUT ADIRONDACK: Adirondack Spruce (Picea rubens) is one of the finest tone woods from which the face of an acoustic guitar can be made. C F Martin used Adirondack on most of the guitars they made from 1833 to around 1945 when it became too expensive to continue to use routinely. It is stiffer than Sitka (the most common top wood used today) and thusly produces great clarity, extended sustain and a level of expressiveness unfound in any other top. This beautiful wood is wide-grained at the extremes and closer grained at the center, under the bridge. It produces sound that is stronger, fuller and also a tone that is articulate, transparent and dense, flush with harmonic and overtonal variety. To play a guitar so equipped is, frankly, thrilling. This rare and beautiful instrument is available to you at $5149 or, at our cash discount price $4995.
78-7639 C F Martin pre-1867 Model 2-23 or 2-24, (1857 to 1865), in very good plus condition with original coffin style pine case
(the case would be very happy if somebody screwed its latches back on; a piece of wood at the bottom side of the case is off but still present, and the interior pocket needs to be glued back – all of this is work the next owner would likely want to have done). Little is known about mid-1800s C F Martin Guitars. In his reference book, Martin Guitars: A History Mike Longworth describes the Models 22 and 23 from company records. It is said to have a spruce top, rosewood sides and back [this is “old growth” Brazilian -- spidery with considerable textural complexity (unimaginably beautiful!)] with rosewood binding on top and back; the top inlay is ebony-spruce-ebony-spruce (from inside out); the back stripe has a repeating diamond center pattern (what Longworth calls a dark diamond with spruce triangles); the back of the neck is cedar, the fingerboard is ebony without markers and there are no side dot markers. This is where the description in Longworth differs from the example – he says that the guitar had inner and outer rings of ebony and spruce and this does have that feature, but he also says that the inner circle of the rosette was herringbone and in this case it has ebony-spruce-ebony on each side with a continuous rectangular pattern that resembles the modern back stripe on a D-28 guitar.Each of the sides is bestowed a spruce stripe within the Brazilian rosewood outer binding. The guitar bears three manufacturer’s logos – one below the ebony heel cap, one on the center back brace and one on the Spanish foot near the neck block. All three read “C F Martin, New York” which logo ceased usage in 1867. The headplate is Brazilian rosewood, the tuners are real ivory friction style (like a violin) and they work just fine. There is a diamond dart carved behind the nut. The scale length is 24.5”, the width of the fingerboard just below the aluminum nut (quite possibly original) is 1 15/16th” and the string spacing at the bridge is 2 ¼”. There is, regrettably, an old heel crack which our head of repair, Leroy Aiello, will be repairing expertly, but the fissure will still show. In addition our workshop will be gluing loose braces and refastening the ebony carved pyramid original bridge. The guitar shows normal playing wear overall including a chip out of the back of the neck at the heel on both sides of the heel, fingernail marks on both sides of the strings, a possible incipient seam separation below the bridge, body wear on the back bass edge, plus other signs of neck and body wear as is typical for something that’s nearly 160 years old. When you see it (when it comes up from repair) it will be in ready-to-play condition and sound supremely mellifluous. With D’Addario Composite hard tension nylon strings on it this guitar will sing with the heart of an altruistic middle-aged but still youthful looking new-age gryphon. $5,670 or at our cash discount price, $5,500.
76-8072 C F Martin (new) DC-16GTE Premium, #1295777, with hard shell case.
All solid woods, with a glossy finished Sitka spruce top, matte sides and back, and a factory-provided “Premium” pickup. The C F Martin List Price is $1949 and the C F Martin MAP is $1449.
76-8019 C F Martin (new) BC-16GTE acoustic bass, #1291410, with pickup and hard shell case.
The C F Martin List Price is $2499 and the C F Martin MAP is $1849.
76-8021 C F Martin (new) M-21 Steve Earle, #1292451, No. 18, with hard shell case.
The C F Martin List Price is $4299 and the C F Martin MAP is $3999.
76-8031 C F Martin (new) D-41, #1295970, with hard shell case.
The C F Martin List Price is $4699 and the C F Martin MAP is $3499.
76-8030 C F Martin (new) D-41, #1280446, with hard shell case.
The C F Martin List Price is $4699 and the C F Martin MAP is $3499.
76-8032 C F Martin (new) DX1RGT, #1304169.
The C F Martin List Price is $999 and the C F Martin MAP is $699.
76- 8016 C F Martin (new) HD-28, #1296712, with hard shell case.
The C F Martin List Price is $3299 and the C F Martin MAP is $2499.
76- 8017 C F Martin (new) HD-28, #1275472, with hard shell case.
The C F Martin List Price is $3299 and the C F Martin MAP is $2499.
76- 8025 C F Martin (new) MC Adirondack 1, #1229205, Spanish cedar back and sides, with hard shell case.
The C F Martin List Price is $3999 and the C F Martin MAP is $2999.
78- 7732 C F Martin (new) "America's Guitar," #1270924, dreadnought, #72 of 175 made (this model is now completely sold out at C F Martin) with hard shell case.
Something new from C F Martin Company, this guitar is in some ways extremely traditional in its styling with some highly unusual features. Sonically, it excels, being made from Madagascar rosewood – the fondest sister of Brazilian rosewood -- for the back and sides, with a polished ebony headstock overlay, Adirondack “Red” spruce top for the top, ebony fingerboard and bridge – and the fingerboard is comprised of exquisitely inlaid (mother of pearl placed inside of an abalone border) diamonds and squares as well as a tasteful banner at the 12th fret that commemorates this important Martin anniversary. It displays a black and maple fiber soundhole rosette, and inside it sports Golden Era style forward-shifted 5/16th" bracing made of Adirondack. It has a zigzag wood marquetry backstripe, solid Hawaiian Koa wood bindings (it is most unusual to find a wooden bound Martin guitar), heel cap and endpiece, combined with herringbone top trim, a modified v-shaped neck, a bone nut and bone drop-in long saddle. Its ebony squared-edge headplate bears the C F Martin logo in script along with a mother-of-pearl "America's Guitar" legend and the years “1833-2008.” Its nut width is 1 ¾", bridge spacing 2 5/16th and the tuners are nickel-plated Waverly brand with butterbean buttons. The interior label depicts Chris, Diane and Claire Frances Martin and the guitar is signed on a second label by Chris in sequence out of a total of 175 guitars made. Even the case is special, being a 545E Geib style with the “175th Anniversary” banner logo on the outside case lid. This guitar sounds utterly and absolutely amazing – if this were Brazilian it would likely list for at least four times this amount but it’s not, and so the price is quite tenable. The C F Martin List Price is $7,499 and the C F Martin MAP is $5,999.
78-7629 Santa Cruz (used, 11/05) Custom Shop Style F in flamed/quilted Sycamore, #878, in near mint condition with original hard shell case, “with tags.”
Every so often an instrument comes along that nearly defies description. This instrument, when taken out of its plush lined case, makes all the noise in the room come to a dramatic halt. If you want to amaze and dazzle your peers – you have only got to pick up the phone and order this instrument and we’ll do the rest. It is made from virtually perfect grain German spruce and leopard-dot Sycamore -- a type of rare and exotic wood on the back, sides and neck that would cause even the most jaded guitar-o-phile to sigh wistfully. This custom style was first introduced at a NAMM Expo where it dominated the isles. It all begins with a graceful, curved cranium – the FS-style peghead, which is overlain in spaulted maple – desiccated like my Aunt Freda into a pattern that resembles topography in blacks and browns – and the soundhole is bordered in a circle of the same phylum. Somebody said that this maple looks like an impressionistic painting of the Sylvan Lake of Eternal Relaxation. The German spruce top is tight and bright – and perfectly parallel. The back, sides and neck (with its Eddy and Flo pattern) are not your residential Staten Island Sycamore – it is northern California Sycamore, the wood having come from within miles of the Santa Cruz factory. It has black fingerboard binding on the jet black ebony board; said board has no inlays except the “Scgc” logo inlaid in white pearl on frets 12 and 13. The top is bordered in six-plies of crème and black, there is a dual black framed sycamore panel at the center of the back (continuing as the end graft) and the heel cap is likewise contrasted in black. It has tiny three-ply binding on the sides. Tuners are Gotoh 510s with their Terminator style buttons; the bridge pins and tailpin are ebony with abalone dots. The tone is full, even and radiant and, in every way, like the appearance, captivating beyond all description. $6,180 or at our cash discount price $5,995.
78-7665 Taylor (used, 2006) Model 614-CE, flamed maple and Sitka spruce, #20060511111, in excellent plus/near mint condition with original hard shell case.
This is one of the most beautiful (and fine sounding) modern production guitars. It is striking and yet exceedingly tasteful, having a white bound, polished ebony headplate inlaid with just the Taylor script logo, a matte finish ebony truss rod cover, 6 flying birdie pearl fingerboard inlays in a jet black ebony board bound in white celluloid, a five-ply bordered face and three-ply bordered sides, with a large abalone soundhole rosette buttressed by four-plies of black-white on each side. The guitar is equipped with the famous Taylor Expressions sound system in which three separate sound transducers are mixed through an internal preamp to create a sound, when amplified – especially through the Fender Acousticsonic UltraLight 250-watt output amplifier -- that sounds like a movie in Dolby Stereo. Its tuners are gold-plated sealed backs bearing the Taylor logo, and the flame maple is so rich, deeply etched and three-dimensional that it practically sucks the respiratory capability out of one’s lungs just to see it. Playing it acoustically one is impressed by its crispy clarity while it retains an especially warm, substantial, palpable bass and midrange response. We hear the term “articulate” so often that it occasionally loses its meaning, but when you hear this Taylor 614-CE you will again remember what it was that drew you to playing guitar in the first place. It sounds wonderful! In addition to this you get a guitar whose serial number actually ends in “11111.” The Taylor MAP (the standard advertised price) on a new one happens to be $2,949 but this used one can be a possession of your own personal estate for only $2469 or at our cash discount price $2395.
78-8000 and 78-8002(sold) Taylor (new) Baby BT-1, #20080422301 and #20080422302, each in Natural, with gigbag.
For each guitar, the Taylor List Price is $398 and the Taylor MAP is $299.
76-8097 Taylor (new) 210, #20080723251, rosewood, with hard shell case.
The Taylor List Price is $998 and the Taylor MAP is $749.
76-8051 Taylor (new) 514-CE, #20080619130, Grand Auditorium Cutaway, mahogany sides and back, with the Expressions System pickup and with hard shell case.
The Taylor List Price is $3558 and the Taylor MAP is $2649.
78-7589 Bourgeois (new) Slope D fourteen-fret in the finest hand-selected Eastern Red Adirondack and Mahogany, #004594, having a most unusual Autumn ‘Burst type shaded sunburst top, with plush lined hard shell case.
Every so often a guitar comes along that makes us stop in our tracks and say “whoa!” just like Steve Mitkowski does, enthusiastically and with much internal resonance. The sound, the looks, the instantaneous action, the immediacy of its woody, open acousticity, the unusual spidery black grain through the solid, genuine mahogany on the back – the grained ivoroid bound headstock, neck, top and back, the tiny pearl dotmarkers, the “gently gently” headstock shape with the polished ebony headplate that bears the bright pearl script Bourgeois angled logo, the actual Waverly brand open-geared prewar style tuners with the grained ivoroid buttons, the accurately vintage style striped tortoise pickguard with the beveled edges, the Eastern Adirondack “Red” spruce top with its delightfully wide grain and exquisite performance mannerisms, finished in an absolutely breathtaking Sunset-over-the-Canadian-Rockies sunburst, the thinnest crème-black top purfling, the concentric ring “sunburst Fiber/Ivoroid” inlaid soundhole rosette, the carved ebony belly bridge with the rolled bone compensated saddle, the comfortable 1 23/32nd” nut width, the black line back stripe and the vertical mahogany end graft all combine to make a guitar whose magic makes us mental; whose brilliance billows bountifully. Play it, see it, and try not to say “I must have it.” $3,895 or at our cash discount price, $3,866.
78-7617 Michael Dunn (British Columbia, Canada) hand-made Rhythm Futur (named for yet another Django Reinhardt composition), #372, in excellent plus condition with hard shell original case.
This is one of a limited edition of 5. The center panel is superimposed on the back – instead of joining the panels evenly it overlaps by about a half an inch. This model is smaller than Michael Dunn’s standard being 15” wide instead of the usual 16”. It has a redwood soundboard, and the back and sides are comprised of the most amazing looking Indian rosewood – it more resembles Brazilian in its expansive and complex grain – drawn from a log that Michael personally cut while in Barcelona in 1969, from a spot near the end of the unhewn log, in a burled pattern which is memorable to the point of catatonic drooling. It has a Highlander pickup inside including a microphone (and more wires than you’ll find in a Verizon cable splicer’s testing kit). The headplate is matte finish East Indian rosewood veneer, the tuners are black-chrome plated Sperzels; the truss rod cover is rosewood held in place by one large screw. There are a few dings in the finish here and there on the finished surfaces, especially around the top edge, and there are, as well, other extremely minor signs that the instrument was held and played. The nut is scalloped; there is little sign of fret wear. The top is protected by a double clear pickguard. One thing we must say about this guitar is that, for a Gypsy style instrument is has an incredibly warm, straight-forward acoustic quality to its sound – being much closer in tone to a Martin than a Selmer, and we who play conventional fingerstyle are significantly impressed by it. $4,639 or, at our cash discount price, $4,500.
PLACE MATTERS AWARD HONORS MANDOLIN BROTHERS: On Wednesday June 11th, 2007 Mandolin Brothers received its second award for being a cultural institution, the first was being inducted into “The New York City Music Trail: The Sites of Sound” by the Host Committee for the Grammy® Awards in 1997. The current honor was presented by City Lore and the Municipal Art Society of New York City and was sponsored, in part, by American Express Historic Preservation Fund. Marci Reaven, Director of City Lore, says: “Mandolin Brothers is one of over 650 places listed to our ‘Census of Places that Matter.’ A jury selected Mandolin as one of 10 places to receive special recognition in our 10th Anniversary year. With this award we pay tribute to you and Mandolin Brothers for running a longstanding establishment that many consider to be at the center of the American fretted instrument world.” The Staten Island Advance, Staten Island’s newspaper of record, states in an article by Greg Alvarez: “Staten Island musician Stan Jay owns Mandolin Brothers, which is being honored as a city cultural landmark. They're not just good neighbors. They have become part of the fabric of life on Staten Island. And for that, they are being honored. The Snug Harbor Cultural Center in Livingston and Mandolin Brothers, an iconic music store in West Brighton, are being recognized by the Municipal Arts Society and City Lore organizations. The groups advocate the promotion and preservation of the city's past and its cultural diversity as part of their ‘Place Matters’ program. Sprawling Snug Harbor, with its Greek revival architecture and rich history, was an obvious choice. But an unassuming music store? You could drive right past the place and never know it's there, but Mandolin Brothers is no simple guitar shop and its star-studded list of customers spans a broad swath of musical culture and history.” The plaque, presented at a ceremony in Manhattan, reads: “Place Matters Honors Mandolin Bros. for Turning a Small Business into a Destination. Stan Jay’s store, center of America’s fretted instrument universe, is home to an outstanding collection of the finest guitars, banjos, mandolins and ukuleles.” Their web site is www.placematters.net and a short video about the ten honorees is shown at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wdxTrSlnXU
A LETTER FROM A HAPPY CUSTOMER: Dear Mr. Jay: I recently traveled to the New York area on a short business trip and made a point of visiting your shop. It was the highlight of my trip. As I’ve been telling my band mates (and anyone else that will listen) Mandolin Bros. is simply the BEST guitar shop I’ve ever been to. There is simply no way to repay the kindness and welcoming atmosphere you and your staff provide. I enclose a photo of me playing that simply astonishing 1913 Martin 00-45 twelve-fret slothead. You can tell from my expression that I am clearly enjoying the best part of the highlight of my trip. Thank you! Jason Clarke, Staunton, VA
78-7567 Gibson (used, 1934-’36) Jumbo, #889, sunburst (refinished) in very good condition with original hard shell case.
The Gibson Jumbo is a historically significant guitar. Even if Charlie Monroe hadn’t co-invented bluegrass music along with his illustrious brother, Bill, using a Gibson Jumbo, it would still positioned high up on the upper bunk bed in the 3rd story loft in the plectral pantheon. Here’s what Whitford, Vinopal and Erlewine have to say about it in the book, Gibson’s Fabulous Flattop Guitars (1994, Miller Freeman Press) (paraphrased): At the beginning of 1934 Gibson’s larges flattop guitar was the Nick Lucas model, an instrument with an L-series shape but deeper body. Gibson hoped that making a larger guitar with a deeper tone chamber would invigorate the market. Then Martin introduced the 14-fret Dreadnought in 1934. That same year Gibson debuted his new Jumbo which was 1.25” wider, 1” longer and ½” deeper than the L-series guitars. Their catalog said: “This greater body size produces a heavy, booming tone so popular with many players who do vocal or small combination accompaniment for both personal and radio appearances. The bass of this model will amaze you, and of course the clear brilliant treble is in perfect balance. The Jumbo model is scarce because of a production run of only 2 years and because they cost $60 – without a case – during the Depression. The Jumbo quickly became sought-after. It’s no wonder, the Gibson book says,: exceptional tone convinced many buyers, the quality of the workmanship and materials, the marriage of proportion and woods, that that muted sunburst mid-‘30s finish made for an instrument that is harmonious, visually striking – an artistic statement of it’s time! These three fellas then go on for another 2 pages waxing rhapsodic about this fabulous instrument, calling it a “Holy Grail” guitar. The original case, by the way, was at that time $15 which amount of money could probably feed a family of four for a fortnight. This example has seen the lash of the refinisher (Why? Why do they do this? Why?), but it’s a very nice job, preserving the prewar ethos covering a multitude of sins including at least 3 back cracks (one of them full-length), an area around the replacement bridge that’s kind of tore up a bit both ahead and in back of (the original or at least an earlier bridge and bridge plate reside in the pocket of the original case). There is a repaired side split on the bass side near the heel, there is a repaired neck crack on the heel that seems to continue the side crack (closed of course). The neck was in the past reset and refretted. The headstock is stark with a script Gibson pearl inlaid logo, the fingerboard is Brazilian rosewood an inlaid with 7 pearl dotmarkers in 6 positions, the top and back are bound in single-ply ivoroid, the soundhole is bordered in white-black-white; the replacement bridge has a through bone saddle. The top is bellied a bit behind the bridge but then most instruments of this period would have that and in this instance it does not seem to affect playability. All this reptile dentistry notwithstanding this is a beautiful and decidedly uncommon instrument. It plays quite nicely and looks handsome and hardy. It sounds, picked or strummed, quite excellent. $11,335 or at our cash discount price $10,995.
78-7887 Gitane (new) John Jorgenson, Django Reinhardt style guitar, Model DG-320, #07120296, with hard shell case.
The List is $1624.95. Your cost, however, is only $1172 at our discount price or at our cash discount price $1137.
78-7614 James Goodall (used, May 21, 1998) Koa and Cedar Grand Concert, #KGC1444, excellent plus, with original hard shell case. This guitar is gorgeous – intensely flamed AAA-grade koa from headplate to back – a three-dimensional marvel of extremely cooperative wood.
It was made during a period when Goodall felt that just having both etched diamonds on frets 3, 7, 12 and 19 weren’t enough and so he added mother of pearl flying doves at frets 5, 9 and 15 just to be on the safe side. The body, neck and headstock bindings are all quilted maple, the tuners are gold-plated, the soundhole is bordered in abalone and the back stripe is maple-ebony-maple. The inside label that lists the “Ingredients” reads: Koa, Cedar, mahogany, Mother of pearl, abalone, ebony; and also says “Light gauge only.” However, we did inquire and, about this guitar, Goodall Guitars says: #KGC1444 was completed 5-21-98. The invoice description at time of sale was: AAA Koa Grand Concert Guitar, cedar top, premium abalone- slotted diamond fingerboard inlay plus dove fingerboard inlay, Koa peghead veneer, Schaller mini-tuners, birds eye maple top, back and fingerboard binding.” Like all James Goodall guitars, this one seems to come from another dimension – a dimension in which the lightest touch produces the largest sound, all frequencies are enhanced and the effect is so alive, so melodious and palpably punchy that playing it you feel as if you have just been pummeled by a talented massage therapist. This guitar can inspire you and re-energize your music. $4,222 or, at our cash discount price, $4,095.
78-7575 Huss & Dalton (used, 2007) TOM-M, #2302, a Traditional OM mahogany with a sunburst Adirondack spruce top, in near mint (virtually perfect) condition.
Tom, yes, but not the piper’s son, this guitar has a squared-corner Brazilian rosewood headplate inlaid with the script "Huss and Dalton" pearl logo, six Waverly brand open-gear tuners with grained ivoroid buttons, 6 descending size pearl position markers in 5 positions, a three ring concentric circle soundhole rosette in which the center ring is 7 plies of black and white, an abbreviated tortoise shell color celluloid beveled edge pickguard, tortoise shell celluloid body binding, an ebony end graft and heel cap. The sunburst is striking and beautiful, and so is the sound and playability. $3,395 or at our cash discount price $3,295.
78-7988 Huss & Dalton (new) Custom DRH, Bearclaw Top and Indian Rosewood, with plush lined tweed exterior hard shell case.
$3303 or, at our cash discount price, $3204
78-7535 C F Martin (used, early 1923) 0-21, #17938, in very good restored condition, wholly refinished, with six repaired back cracks.
This guitar has bar frets, two incipient top cracks – one below the bridge on the treble side and one in the lower treble bout, both of which are under the new finish and not very visible and also, um, 6 glued back cracks. The action is comfortable (“I make a living.”) There is no decal logo on the headstock (which is how Martin guitars were built at that time) but there is a Martin stamp on the back of the headstock, slightly obscured due to refinishing. Its tuners are original side mounted three-on-a-plate with ivoroid buttons. This guitar is made from Brazilian rosewood for the back, sides, headplate, it has ebony fingerboard and pyramid bridge. Underlying the bridge is a replaced bridge plate. Our shop has just performed a set up and have cleaned the frets and installed John Pearse JP510L phosphor bronze silk-and-steel strings on it, but just between the two of us, (don’t tell Chris) it was made for gut strings only. We feel that in this instance, because it has a replaced bridge plate, it can easily take silk-and-steel and the Pearse phosphor bronze are the best sounding of them. Needless to say, refinishing and repaired cracks are depreciating factors; that’s the reason why this guitar is so very affordable. If you are seeking great sound, easy playability and a bona fide pedigree, at a price that’s considerably lower than the common wisdom for this model this can be your baby. $3,350 or at our cash discount price, $3,250.
78-7566 C F Martin 1966 000-28, Brazilian rosewood, #216120 with newer non-Martin black hard shell case.
It is the tendency of the fretted instrument collector to think that because the Martin guitars of the 1960s are non-scalloped braced, that they are not going to have the woody, full-throated sonic velocity of its modern “vintage series” counterpart. But when you actually play it, it sounds unbelievably sharp, rich, radiant with tonal color, mellifluous, mellow and redolent of the echoes of the great Brazilian and North American woods of the first half of the 20th century. This quite rare, and ferry tisirable period Auditorium sized guitar has a repaired pickguard crack on the bass side of the pickguard, and a back crack in the lower treble portion of the back paralleling the back stripe. We believe that both have been glued and are stable. It has Grover Rotomatic “Pat. Pend. USA” tuners, its original tortoise shell celluloid pickguard, there is conjecture about originality of bridge and bridge plate but for right now we’ll go with “probably original.” The top is Sitka spruce that has oranged nicely, the back, sides and peghead are gorgeous Brazilian rosewood with good contrast and color. The nut width is 1 11/16th”. The back stripe is repeating geometric pattern in black and crème. Rare? Martin made only 200 of ‘em in 1966; 951 were made from ’60 to ’69, averaging 95 guitars per year. They just don’t turn up. This guitar shows normal signs of use and wear, dings, scratches, scrapes and such, string changing marks on the headplate, some teeny chips on the headstock, dings on back of neck and some light fret wear however, overall we find this to be excellent condition. And it sounds like homemade blueberry preserves on a buttered scone. $9274 or, at our cash discount price, $8995.
78-7296 C F Martin (used, 2005) D-18V #1033076, in excellent original condition with Geib style hard shell case.
This guitar is in solidly excellent condition showing only small signs that it was, occasionally, held and played, a finish check or two, a minute ding or two, but overall – almost no indication of age. The “V” series Martin guitars have many of the prewar features – especially in a mahogany back and sides instrument as has this. It has the squared headstock shape, the old style Martin decal (oddly the headplate is finished in matte), it has “C F Martin” logo open-gear tuners, an ebony fretboard with 6 mother of pearl dots that have color aberrations that make them resemble planets, and the dots are progressively smaller in size; it has the thin black-white-black-white top purfling of the prewar D-18, a tortoise shell style pickguard with beveled edges, three rings around the soundhole, tortoise shell side binding, an ebony bridge with a through bone saddle, a modified V-shape neck and a black back stripe. It has advanced X, Forward Shifted scalloped bracing, and a plush lined, 5-ply Geib style hard shell case. It sounds marvelous. This previously owned (but it’s hard to know that from seeing it) guitar is only $1850 or, at our cash discount price $1795.
78-7909 and 78-7908(sold) C F Martin (new) D-15, #1265412 and #1265416,
each being the lowest priced all-solid wood Martin dreadnought guitar in their line, being made of either mahogany or sapele (their choice) for the sides and back. But don’t let that make you think that this isn’t a handsome guitar that sounds remarkable and is entirely pleasing in mien, moan and meticulous workmanship, with hard shell case. The Martin List is $1249 and the Martin MAP is $949.
78-7933 C F Martin (new) 000-28EC, Eric Clapton, 1 ¾” nut, scalloped braced, wonderful sound, modified V-shape neck, #1286778 with Geib Style hard shell case.
The Martin List is $4149 and the Martin MAP is $3099.
78-7590 McPherson (new) MG3.5XP in Striped Macassar Ebony and Carpathian spruce top, #1241, with Ameritage Deluxe hard shell case.
$6186 or at our cash discount price $6000.
78-7615 Renaissance (used) RS6B-Std. Baritone chambered electric guitar, #01-1571, in excellent plus condition, with original Renaissance gigbag.
This guitar is pretty much indistinguishable from a brand new one, it shows little if any sign of use or wear. We are not claiming it’s “mint” (as so many do), but it is exceptionally clean. The headplate veneer is a particularly fetching combination of walnut blending into what might be maple, or sycamore – with the lion rampant with its tongue sticking out (or possibly he smokes) within a circle – the decal that shall forever be representative of Rick Turner and his magical design abilities; the cedar top is bordered in tortoise shell binding, the back and sides are nicely figured walnut. Four bolts hold the neck to the body, one of those bolts is a strap pin, and then there’s another one of those pins at the bottom side; tuners are Kluson Deluxe replicas with small metal buttons; the famous Rick Turner D-Tar pickup system, complete with detents on the bass-boost-and-cut-treble-boost-and-cut rotary are at your fingertips on the upper bass side. The back of the headstock is spliced in the Spanish tradition (to save precious mahogany of course) and the words “Renaissance by Rick Turner” encircle the abbreviated foot of the 21 fret fingerboard. The bridge is a medieval jousting tool carved in rosewood and fitted with a compensated saddle. These guitars sound like Rolling Thunder on the Bay of Fundy (on a Monday) and we recommend, when playing it, you wear your seat belt. $1,907 or, at our cash discount price, $1,850.
78-7609 Taylor (used, May 2004) Model 814-CE, #200405113131 in excellent plus wholly original condition.
The only difference between this guitar and what Taylor is making currently is that they have finally done away with the finger-joint headstock to neck connection and, in newest examples, substituted a Spanish splice. This fine sounding instrument is pretty close to spotless – showing little indication of having been owned. Yes, one can see where the strings contacted the frets making them perhaps a bit shinier in those places, and there are a few minor smudges here and there, perhaps the smallest suggestion of contact between an unsheathed body part and this guitar’s languorous, downy surface, but it is, by and large, a well cared for vibrating entity. The white bound ebony fingerboard is inlaid in 6 positions with mother of pearl flourishes; the white-bordered East Indian rosewood headstock is inlaid with the Taylor logo and fitted with six gold-plated Taylor logo tuners with ebony buttons; the straight-grained Sitka spruce top (with all those medulary rays) is inlaid with an abalone rosette, a small tortoise shell plastic pickguard and five plies of black-white top binding, as well as a carved ebony bridge which invited six pearl inlaid ebony bridge pins to its party. On the upper bass side the Expressions System is personified by the three tiny rotary knobs affecting volume, bass and treble. $2159 or, at our cash discount price, $2095.
78-7878 Taylor (new) T5-C2(Custom) Koa Top, #20070622507, Flame Koa top, with Artist fingerboard Inlays, with Taylor gigbag.
TheTaylor List Price is $3798 and the Taylor MAP is $2899.
78-7588 Taylor® (new) Model 816CE, our first 816, #20080611151, with an Engelmann spruce top and housed in a hard shell plush lined case.
About this, the Taylor Company says: New for 2008, a “16CE” Grand Symphony cutaway joins the acoustic/electric line. Built for performance, the acoustic/electrics feature the revolutionary Expression System® pickup and Venetian cutaway for unparalleled plugged-in performance. A classic spruce/rosewood combo casts a commanding presence as a GS. A cutaway and the Taylor ES prime it for every type of playing. The 800 Series® traces its roots to the earliest Taylors. Bob’s latest design changes speak of traditional lutherie in the form of hand-set, figured maple binding. It’s a gorgeous upgrade that complements the beautiful hues of rosewood and sparkling inlay work. For many, the 800 Series is a true Taylor icon. To this, we’d like to add that this instrument is one of the most beautiful guitar designs we have recently seen. The natural finish flame maple bindings on top, back, neck and headstock are not only gorgeous but we have generally found that wood bindings on a guitar increase its resonance, sustain and outspoken woody airiness. This guitar certainly does all of that, and it provides increased warmth on the lows as well – which is always welcome. The 7 fingerboard inlays are each banjo-style flowers, the top is bordered in five-plies of black and white purfling, the soundhole in white-black and abalone, the bridge is carved of ebony and displays six ebony bridge pins each with a mother of pearl dot. The back stripe is extremely thin black-white-black and Bob Taylor has modified the splice on the back of the headstock to make it far less noticeable than the earlier finger-joint. In all this is a true surprise – a new model with a soft cutaway, a superb pickup and gold hardware – Taylor-logo gold plated tuners with large metal buttons that tune as smoothly as silk and its ilk. The Taylor List is $4158 and the Taylor MAP is $3119.
78-7894 Veillette (new) Acoustic Baritone 12-string, 14-frets to the body guitar, #505, with zipper gigbag.
As anyone who has ever played a Baritone guitar can tell you – they produce a colossal cosmic yelp, a sensual stentorian seizure of sound that is unmatched in the world of acoustic fretted instruments. Now imagine if that thunderous temblor, that triumphant trembler were doubled, with octaves courses on the four lowest strings? Could you even be in the same room without jumping to your feet and yelling “Hallelujah!” I know that we can’t. This guitar is not only a bounding B-to-B boomer but it is also equipped with the Rick Turner D-Tar pickup system, a system that requires two 9v batteries in series to power it – so you know, when played through a fine acoustic amp, it’s going to paddle your parts with palpable potency. The instrument is consummately crafted by one Joe Veillette (pronounced “Vay-ett” according to Joe, who should know), and signed in his hand on the back of the headstock along with “Woodstock, NY,” the legendary place of manufacture. The top of this instrument is comprised of a bookmatched expanse of extremely close-grained spruce and the sides and back are festive in quilted mahogany. The neck is a more regular mahogany and proffers an ebony nut measuring 1 15/16th” with a zero fret ahead of it for the lowest possible action. All of the above wooden parts are stained to a rich, dark reddish brown and the Gotoh sealed-gear tuners terminate in 12 buttons that appear to be almost exactly a matching color to the body and neck. Body bindings are glossy black, with a stripe at the bottom side and a another between the heel of the neck and the strap pin on the back that doubles as the bolt that holds the neck to the body. The unique shape of the body is offset, rising a bit higher on the bass side than the treble, which obviates the need for a cutaway. The large, carved bridge and the 22 fret fingerboard are East Indian rosewood (the last fret is partial covering strings 1-4). Instead of having either a round or oval sound this guitar has twin boomerang-shaped soundholes in the upper bouts. On the bass side are twin black corrugated knobs – active electronics – for volume and tone, each with 11 detents to demark a particular balance. The double battery compartment resides at the bottom side and is quickly opened and closed again. This instrument produces breathtakingly strong power and punch – and both its appearance, ease of use and tonal resplendence make it an twelve-string to be treasured by the timid and the extroverted. $3,938 or at our cash discount price $3,820.
78-7757 Collings (new) OM-2H, #14526, Cutaway, order with the option of a 1 3/4" nut, with plush lined hard shell case.
For the contemporary player seeking extra access that only a cutaway can convey, this instrument excels at reproducing the entire range of sonic spectrum with a 15" Auditorium-sized body. Since Collings doesn't make many cutaway guitars, and their delivery time is greatly lengthened, this one is both striking and singular in welcome and wonderful ways. $4,129 at our Discount Price, or at our Cash Discount Price, $4,005.
78-7551 Gibson (used, 1963) Country-Western, #136215, natural top, with apparently original hard shell case.
This classic and beautiful guitar is in excellent condition showing considerable finish checking and normal light signs of use and wear. Of course there is some small oxidation on the tuners, as well as some to-be-expected dings, minor scuffs and fingerboard wear. The bindings have yellowed (not unlike ourselves); there is a capo mark (or a neck support mark from the case) on the back of the neck at the 10th fret. Because it was lifting and warped our workshop has deftly replaced the original (sound suppressing) ceramic adjustable bridge with a non-adjustable wooden reproduction with a fixed bone saddle, and also replaced the bridge plate underlying said wretched original component. Their work now completed, this turns out to be a superlative instrument with devastatingly strong highs, mids and, yes, even lows - one that is more than suitable for professional use by Sheryl Crow, herself (she loves this model Gibson guitar). Sheryl, if you're reading this - this guitar's for you . . . or for whoever calls us with the first "please ship this to me on a 3-day approval basis" request. Only $4,640 or at our cash discount price $4,500.
78-7712 Goodall (new) Traditional Mahogany Baritone, Bearclaw Sitka Top, #TMHB5418, with hard shell case.
The deep, throaty voice of the mature and the experienced. Its deep mellifluousness has been known to elevate a cranial resplendence or two. $4,824 or, at our cash discount price, $4,679.
78-7739 Guild (new) GAD-50, #GAD09824, in Natural, with hard shell case.
The Guild List is $1007.99 and the Guild MAP is $700.
78-7815 Guild (new) GAD-30, #GAD33967, in Natural, with hard shell case.
The Guild List is $1007.99 and the Guild MAP is $700.
78-7732 C F Martin (new) "America's Guitar," #1270924, dreadnought, with hard shell case.
Something new from C F Martin Company, this guitar is in some ways extremely traditional in its styling with some nifty special features. Sonically, it excels, being made from Madagascar rosewood for the back and sides, Adirondack spruce top for the top. It displays a black and maple fiber soundhole rosette, and inside it sports Golden Era style forward-shifted 5/16th" bracing made of Adirondack. It has a zig-zag back stripe, solid Hawaiian koa wood bindings (it is most unusual to find a wooden bound Martin guitar), heel cap and endpiece, combined with herringbone top trim, a modified v-shaped neck, a bone nut and bone drop-in saddle, and a polished ebony headplate bearing the C F Martin logo in script along with a mother-of-pearl "America's Guitar" legend. The nut width is 1 ¾", the bridge spacing 2 5/16th"; the fingerboard inlays are diamonds and squares with an abalone border, and the tuners are nickel-plated Waverlys with butterbean buttons. The interior label depicts Chris Martin and family and the guitar is signed by Chris in sequence out of a total of 175 guitars made. The C F Martin List Price is $7499 and the C F Martin MAP is $5999.
15-6568 C F Martin (new) Sunburst Top 000-18GE, #1230866, with hard shell case.
The C F Martin List Price is $4349 and the C F Martin MAP is $3299.
15-6546 C F Martin (used, 2005) Martin Custom Shop 00-45, twelve-fret slothead, #1056077, abalone inlaid on every border, made of AAA-grade (D-4) Brazilian rosewood and Engelmann, in near mint condition with new Geib plush lined hard shell case.
This exceedingly fancy, extensively decorated guitar is made with Adirondack bracing has a striking, dramatic Abalone top, sides, back, neck, end-graft and fingerboard inlay. It has a modified v-neck, a short scale 24.9” nut to saddle, bridge spacing of 2 5/16th” at the saddle, a nut width of 1 13/16th”, a body width of 14 ¼”, a triple bound slotted headstock with square slots, squared peghead shape and a script logo in abalone, grained ivoroid bindings. It is housed in a slightly worn Calton brown case with a silver plush lining that bears individual serial number 11658. . It appears that the case was once relinquished to an airline and saw the lash of the conveyor belt. Good advice: Guitars do not like airplane rides; please always remember that. This guitar has been leaving breathless and starry-eyed every person who has thus far seen it in our showroom and strummed a chord on it. It is crispy, clean and clear and has both the beauty and the tone for which guitar aficionados yearn. A new Martin Style -45 in Brazilian has, today, a list price of fifty thousand dollars (yeah, we know what that means). Being near mint includes that it shows a few infinitely small smudges and signs of actual human contact. This guitar WAS $20,105, BUT IS NOW ON SALE FOR only $18,043 at our discount price, or at our cash discount price it is $17,500.
78-7720 C F Martin (new) D-42, #1264842, with hard shell case.
The C F Martin List Price is $5849 and the C F Martin MAP is $4399.
78-7723 C F Martin (new) OM-21 Special, #1260233, with hard shell case.
The C F Martin List Price is $3699 and the C F Martin MAP is $2799.
78-7545 C F Martin (new) CSN, #1252247, signed by Crosby, Stills and also Nash, this is the Gerry Tolman Tribute Model, with a luxurious hard shell case.
We knew this guitar would be beautiful but we had no idea it would sound this good! It produces an outstanding response in every range of tonal bandwidth, along with considerable volume and great clarity. It is thusly one of the most impressive Signature Model guitars Martin has sent us. The label was hand-signed by Messrs. Crosby, Stills and Nash plus a picture of a broken arrow to probably symbolize Neil Young. On the bass side, a photographic label reads "In memory of Gerry Tolman, 1953-2005." Mr. Tolman was this august group's manager. The ivoroid-black-ivoroid bound polished ebony headstock has a C F Martin pearl script logo and a stylized C over an N over an S figure in abalone bordered in white pearl. The fretboard is inlaid with a sailing ship at the fifth fret, four large stars and one smaller one in frets 7-9, a winged heart on fret 12, a broken arrow at the fifteenth and an oval at the 17th. The top is aging-tonered and shows considerable cross-grain. The soundhole is ringed in abalone; the plastic pickguard is beveled edge and highly tortoise-shellian looking; the ebony Stauffer-style bridge is a combination of twin pyramids, a semi-rectangular raised center section with a carat facing downward. The top is bordered in herringbone and the back stripe is -45 style colored parquetry. It is gorgeous and it sings with the voice of the angels. The C F Martin List is $4199 and the Martin Minimum Advertised Price is $3999.
15-6539 C F Martin (used, 2003) Custom Shop 00-45 “Tree of Life” inlay, in D-4 (AAA) Brazilian rosewood and Adirondack, near mint plus, with original Geib Style hard shell case.
This guitar is in “nearly new” condition. The Brazilian is close to straight-grain showing some swirl at the extremes on the back, but it is pretty straight on the sides; the top is wide-grained Adirondack spruce, and the pearl inlay, of which there is a lot of it everywhere, is made with Paua Abalone. This inlay includes an extensive and ornate tree-of-life fingerboard inlay pattern that covers the entire 15.5” distance from nut to last fret – a complex configuration of leaves and vines, twisting, expanding, contracting, and set against a background of jet black witih white-black-white border on three sides of the board. The Brazilian rosewood headplate is likewise bordered in three-ply; the C F Martin & Co. logo is inlaid in highly colored abalone. The top, including the whole perimeter including bottom edge of fingerboard is intensely colored abalone, as is abalone bordered in black-ivoroid-black on each side, both edges of the neck and surrounding a grained ivoroid rectangle at the ned graft, around each of the two sides and around the back. The back of the neck is modified v-shaped, in a glossy finish; the guitar is short scale with a slotted headstock and square slots. All bindings are grained ivoroid, the pickguard is standard shape tortoise shell, and the bridge is carved of ebony with a through bone saddle and snowflakes on each side. The action is low and eminently playable with the lightest touch, and the sound is magical. If new this would likely list for a bit more than fifty thousand bucks. However it is priced as a previously owned but almost never played instrument. WAS $20,104 but NOW ON SALE FOR only $19,074 or, at our cash discount price, $18,500.
78-7762 C F Martin (new) D-18 Authentic, #1274115, in Sunburst, with hard shell case.
Just like the guitar above, sonically and visually uncompromised in every way, but in a glorious dark 1935 Sunburst finish top. The C F Martin List Price is $8749 and the C F Martin MAP is $6999.
78-7827(sold) and 78-7738 C F Martin (new) DX "175th Anniversary," #1292818 and #1280949, each with a hard shell case.
A fourteen fret dreadnought made to commemorate the 175th Anniversary of Martin Company's rightful place at the pinnacle of the parapet in the Pantheon of Plectral Perfection, this High Pressure Laminate instrument with pictoral decoration by Robert F. Goetzl features a fresco that includes the avuncular visage of Mr. Christian Frederick Martin, Senior, late of Neukirchen, Saxony. Chris I settled in New York at 196 Hudson Street (see the original label in the upper bass bout), but, only 6 years later traded the commerciality and chaos of early 19th century Manhattan for the halcyon pastures of Nazareth, Pa. On the treble side of the soundhole is a depiction of the third Martin location which still stands at Main and North Streets in the 18064 zipcode. The lower treble corner of the face boldly proclaims the Martin Motto of "Non Multa Sed Multum" which we think means "Not Many But Much." The back of the neck is natural Stratabond which reminds one of butcher block and is made from actual wood, while the top, sides and back are made from a material that contains some of the same things that wood contains and looks like wood. Tuners are silvery-black chrome with sealed gears. The C F Martin List Price is $999 and the C F Martin MAP $699.
78-7831 C F Martin (new) DXME, #1287920, a similarly all-High Pressure Laminate dreadnought guitar with a built-in factory pickup, with no case.
The C F Martin List Price is $839 and the C F Martin MAP $599.
78-7729 Morgan Monroe (new) M-20V, #07080126, a vintage style dreadnought, with hydrometer faux alligator type hard shell case.
$719 at our Discount Price, or $697 at our Cash Discount Price.
78-7807 Ovation (new) 1771 LX-Standard, #604364, in Cherry Cherry Sunburst, with hard shell case.
The Ovation List Price is $1499 and the Ovation MAP is $949.
78-7812 Taylor (new) GA-8E, #20080206117, East Indian Rosewood and Spruce Grand Auditorium, non-cutaway, natural Sitka spruce top, with hard shell case.
Clean, clear sound in a completely comfortable carapace. We ordered this with the Expressions pickup and preamp system because we know that anybody who would own this guitar would be asked to "play out" time after time and if you wish to do so with class and panache, the Expressions system is the way to get there. The Taylor List Price is $3198 and the Taylor MAP is $2349.
78-7811 Taylor (new) 310-CE, #20080226002, with hard shell case.
The Taylor List Price is $2098 and the Taylor MAP is $1549.
78-7810 Taylor (new) 814-CE, #20080410104, with hard shell case.
The Taylor List Price is $4058 and the Taylor MAP is $2999.
78-7522 Joe Veillette (new) Acoustic-Electric Gryphon High 12-string guitar, #497, with zipper gigbag.
hough it's the smallest acoustic Veillete makes (and one of the smallest we've seen), the Acoustic Gryphon is no decorative bauble. Tuned to high D (2 frets lower than the 12th fret of a standard guitar) and tuned with mandolin-style unison courses, the Acoustic Gryphon's celestial, sparkling highs and punchy mid-register give it unique punch and cut, and an unusually versatile range of performance possibilities. Guitarists will welcome being able to play mandolin-style parts in a high new register, and even guitar-mandolin doublers will find new applications, like the ability to play guitar-like or fingerstyle patterns in a mandolin tonality. The acoustic Gryphon's unique range comes from its 18.5" scale length and custom Gr-12 strings (gauges .008" to .042"). The total length is 32.5”, the width at lower bout is 12.5”, the depth ranges from 2.75” to 3.375” and the weight is 4 to 5 pounds depending on what it had for lunch. The Honduran mahogany back, sides, and neck, Sitka spruce top, and Pau Ferro bridge and fingerboard result in a responsive, tonally balanced instrument. We invite you to click on http://www.veilletteguitars.com/ to be able to read much more about the construction, benefits and the advantages that we didn’t have when we were children. This guitar is equipped with the D-Tar Timberline preamp with added volume and tone (treble roll-off) on the bass side. This 18v System has enormous, clean headroom and proffers very long battery life. You will enjoy faithful, high-fidelity reproduction of the instruments true acoustic tone. The custom battery compartment at bottom side is accessible any time, without tools. It houses the twin 9v batteries that power the onboard preamp. This guitar is made with a gorgeous highly figured rosewood fingerboard with a 2” nut width. The carved, belly-down 12-pin bridge is both beautiful and practical in ways that many are yet to fathom. There is an ebony nut and also a zero fret so that the action can be as low as humanly possible, and there is a carved and compensated bone bridge saddle. The string spacing at the bridge is 2 ¼”. Twin asymmetrical soundholes are boomerang-shaped but this is great because the sound flies through the air and then comes back to the player leaving the audience wondering if they really heard the music or not. Tuners are Gotoh sealed-backs with beautiful dark amber with a recessed Phillips screw at each end. The action is supremely low but your affect and outlook will be eternally high when you play and hear this diminutive delight. $3706 or, at our cash discount price, $3595.
88-2889 and 88-2023 Avalon Model A-325C-FS Legacy Premiere Series jumbo cutaway FingerStyle guitars, each of them East Indian rosewood and cedar for the face, #A-000465 and A-000467, each labeled as an auditorium size guitar with a soft cutaway with Hiscox “flight” carrying case.
Presenting: A unique pair of matching Avalon small-jumbo guitars. The following 2 guitars are identical – the one on the left (my left, your right) being one of the first Avalon small jumbos built at the Northern Ireland factory right after it became Avalon in 2004, and on my right, your left, is the other early Avalon cutaway small jumbo made after the change of ownership of the august brand name. Both instruments pay homage to the famous cedar-and-mahogany Lowden style -22 (later O-10) played by a famous Paris-based guitarist named Pierre (some of the finest acoustic music in or out of DADGAD we have ever heard was recorded on that guitar). They are called “Legacy” because they continue the legacy of the famously named company that preceded it. Each of these guitars has a body bound in maple wood, and a black ebony neo-classical fingerboard that’s bound in East Indian rosewood, and a headplate of gloriously straight-grained East Indian with an inlaid pearloid “A” for Avalon. Tuners are six matching gold-plated sealed-backs with the Avalon logo and ebony buttons. The back of the mahogany three-piece neck has a stripe of maple down the center while the heel cap is East Indian rosewood and the end graft is ebony. The scale length is long at 25.5”, the nut width is 1 ¾” or just a hair wider if you count the rosewood binding, the neck width at 12th fret is just a bit over 2 ¼” and the bridge spacing is an exceedingly generous 2 5/16th”. The fretboard hosts 21 frets and a French curve at the bottom side which overhangs the 4 1/8” wide soundhole that’s bordered in abalone. A clear pickguard protects the treble side of the face and within the carved East Indian (highly figured) bridge nestles 6 ebony bridge pins with pearl dots. The bridge saddle is two-piece for enhanced intonation. Elegance abounds, such as finding brown and crème layers of wood marquetry around the top, sides and back as the artful purfling, and viewing razor thin, sharp contour internal bracing, and top wood that is hand-selected and specially voiced by being thicker at the soundhole than it is at the extremes. All of this combines to make a guitar (well, two guitars) that speak with a voice of Celtic Authority unsurpassed in the annals of luthiery luxury. EACH OF THESE WAS $4120 or, at our cash discount price, $3996 BUT NOW ON SALE for $3820 or, at our cash discount price, $3696.
78-7420 McPherson (new) MG5.0XP in highly figured Hawaiian Koa sides and back and Western Red Cedar top, #1099, with Ameritage Deluxe hard shell case.
One of our favorite brands in one of our favorite wood combinations; this guitar is scintillating and sensual. Hearing it may turn you to a jelly-like substance that doesn’t fit into your clothes any more, and that can only sing like a Theremin. Being as formidable a dealer of McPherson guitars as we are we see these things all over the floor, giving new meaning to the term “Squishy.” So, if your outfit feels a little tight be careful what you wish for, but if you are wishing for one of the finest sounding and beautiful guitars in the acoustic universe you are definitely on the right track with this one. Every person who comes to our showroom and plays a McPherson wants to own one. There are no exceptions to this rule. One customer who visited this past Saturday said “I’ve played this brand at other stores and wasn’t knocked off my chair – but then I came here today and played yours and, I gotta tell you – your McPhersons are absolutely incredible! How do you do it? I want one of each of them!” If Koa and Cedar speeds up your heart’s meter, then put down that beer, son, and try this McPherson. $6805 or, at our cash discount price, $6600.
78-7712 James Goodall (new) Traditional BARITONE, in Mahogany and Bearclaw Spruce, #TMHB5418, with hard shell case.
When you pick up a high-end Baritone guitar, like this magnificent Goodall, nothing prepares you for the shock of hearing it for the first time. It is nothing less than mind-shatteringly extraordinary. A baritone is commonly tuned B-to-B but it isn’t just the tuning, and it’s not just the strings (a .060 on the bass and then the rest of the set of mediums using the .056 as the fifth string and leaving out the .013), and it’s not just the scale length (28 1/8th” on this one). No, it is the fact that, when plucked, it vibrates with such unequalled energy as to make cuffs on your pants ripple as if you were standing on Rector Street in lower Manhattan on a mid-November late afternoon in a stiff wind. If you haven’t yet purchased a copy of Pat Metheny’s album “One Quiet Night” you should do so immediately; it’ll change your outlook on what is possible, in a most melodious way, with only 6 taut strings. This guitar reflects the consummate artistry of the master production luthier – from its polished ebony headplate inlaid with an abalone “flying G” with a matte finish ebony spear-point truss rod cover to the ineffable chaotic beauty of a bear-claw top (the asymmetry of the growth aberration causes the intensity of vibration to increase twofold), from the simple repetitive loveliness of the herringbone experience, repeated as the soundhole rosette, from the beauty of the boxwood bridge pin and end pin with their plaintive abalone dot, to the mitered ebony-maple-ebony border to the end graft, this slope-shouldered dreadnought, bound on top, back and headstock in maple with a southwestern American pattern arrow back stripe, light mahogany sides, back and neck and actual Waverly brand tuners with ivoroid buttons will set your mind to wanderin’ like no other acoustic experience you have had. The Discount Price is $4824 while the Cash Discount Price is $4679.
15-5498 Huss & Dalton (new) Custom Order 00-SP slothead, #1930, with a plush lined hard shell case.
This superb grand concert is made with straight-grained East Indian rosewood back and sides, an Adirondack “Red” spruce top, having a 1 7/8” generous fingerboard width at the nut and strings spacing at the bridge saddle of 2 5/16th, a carved ebony pyramid bridge, herringbone around the soundhole and up your backstripe, Brazilian rosewood body and neck bindings, etched diamond fingerboard inlays, and a short scale of 24.9” nut to saddle. The “Huss & Dalton” script mother of pearl logo blazes the vapor trail of a jet plane across a mocha sky. Tuners are Waverly brand open-gear side mounts with grained ivoroid buttons, and the sound and playability are strictly from heaven. $4,254 at our Discount Price, or, at our Cash Discount Price $4,127.
78-7454 C F Martin (new) D-18GE, #1246355, with Geib style hard shell case.
The Martin List is $4199 and the Martin MAP is $3149.
78-7469 C F Martin (new) 000-28EC Eric Clapton Model, #1270831, with Geib Style hard shell case.
The Martin List is $4149 and the Martin MAP is $3099
78-7424 and 78-7425 C F Martin (new) DCX1E, #1275801 and 1275800, each made using HPL (high pressure laminate) for the sides and back, alternating light-dark layered wood for the neck with a top of honest-to-goodness Sitka spruce and that’s what makes it sound so incredible good.
As Daniel Emmet, a northerner, presciently wrote in 1959: “I wish I was in DCX1E, hooray, hooray!”) Without including a case, for each guitar the Martin List is $999 and the Martin MAP as well as our Discount Price is $699.
78-7436 RainSong (new) JM-3000 twelve-string 17” jumbo all-graphite (composite) guitar, #9930, with hard shell case.
The RainSong List price is $3,195. The RainSong MAP is $2,399.
78-7355 Santa Cruz (used) Vintage Artist mahogany and spruce dreadnought, #1869, excellent condition with original hard shell case.
This extremely fine sounding, thunderously loud guitar shows very extremely light signs of use, the most minor dings (gentle indents) such as one above the treble side of the bridge, and some minor “car key” indents on the treble side, where the guitar sits over one’s pocket where sometimes car keys are kept, string changing marks on the headstock. There may be a couple of other equally teeny signs that it was held and played but overall it is 98% free of human contact. There is a small bit of shrinkage of the wood at the crème celluloid body binding, mainly in the lower bout and around the bottom side on both top and back but in other places as well. In other words, when you run your fingertip along those seems you can hear a small scratchy sound created by the fact that the wood and the binding is subtly mis-aligned, probably due to dryness to which it was exposed when it was a child. Additionally, there is a bit of a “fall off” of the fret board over the body which affects playability and sound not a whit but which can be attributed to dryness, as can male pattern baldness and jock itch. Our professional work emporium of highly trained lou-thee-ays have re-contoured the saddle and set up the guitar to a level of sonic magnificence worthy of Serge Koussevitsky. $3,191 at our Discount Price, or, at our cash discount price $3,095.
78-7714 R. Taylor (new) Style 1 twelve-string, East Indian rosewood and Adirondack spruce, #096-2008, with hard shell case.
A magical instrument – one of the finest twelve-string guitars we have, to date, ever heard. The R. Taylor List is $7036 and your cost is just $5803 or at our cash discount price $5629.
78-7360 Taylor (used, July 2000) Leo Kottke LKSM-6 “Signature Series,” six-string soft cutaway, factory ordered with the Taylor/Fishman Prefix Onboard Blender system, and a 1 11/16th” nut width, in excellent condition with original hard shell case.
About this model, the Taylor Company says: The Leo Kottke Signature Model combines tropical American mahogany back and sides, a Sitka spruce top, East Indian rosewood binding and special bracing to produce that unmistakable Kottke sound. This guitar shows a few tiny dings on the face, from normal playing, but the back, sides and neck are exceptionally clean. The 6-string cutaway version of the LKSM-12, road-tested and approved by Kottke himself, is, at one time, simple and elegant. Its Jumbo size and shape, thunderously huge sound and wholly accessible cutaway produces a level of tone and projection that is mesmerizing in its effect on player and listener alike. This guitar measures 12” at the upper bout, 17” across at the lower bout and is 4 ½” deep at the bottom side. It features a matte finish East Indian rosewood headplate that bears the pearl inlaid Taylor script logo and a separate matte finish rosewood truss rod cover held in place by twin gold plated Phillips screws. It has a black ebony fingerboard, 1 11/16th” at the nut, that proffers no position markers (but has 7 white dots on the bass side in 6 positions) and is bound, as is the body, in East Indian rosewood. The string spacing at the compensated-B Tusq bridge saddle is 2 3/16th”. Centrally positioned is a three-ring multi-ply soundhole rosette and matching 6-ply top purfling, while the back stripe is kept simple, black. This is a fine instrument for rhythm or fingerstyle, and, with that sophisticated pickup system, extremely versatile. $1954 or at our cash discount price $1895.
15-6992 Gibson (used, 2006) Custom Shop Short Scale Advanced Jumbo, #03086031, natural Sitka spruce top, East Indian rosewood sides & back, excellent condition with Gibson logo hard shell original case.
The Gibson AJ is a recreation of the impossibly rare late 1936 to 1940 prewar classic. It is s slope-shouldered jumbo having crème ivoroid binding around top, back and fingerboard, with a tortoise shell color pickguard, crème-black-crème soundhole rosette, a beautiful rosewood fingerboard that's inlaid with "fast forward, stop and reverse" inlays in 6 fret positions starting at 3rd, and an equally pretty rectangular rosewood bridge with a through saddle and six bulbous crème pins. The original Gibson Advanced Jumbo was a long scale instrument – all the more ironic then that this particular one was specially made in short scale! The unbound, ebony capped headstock bears the script Gibson logo and a vertical "fast forward, stop and reverse" below, and a black bell shaped truss rod cover held in place by two silvered Phillips screws. This guitar displays the gold and black Gibson Custom Shop "Since 1894" decal on the back of the neck, and six nickel plated Gotoh open-gear butterbean button tuners on a one piece mahogany neck. A prior owner has imbedded a strap lock on the treble side of the heel of the neck. The guitar shows a few scuffs and minute signs of use and wear but is, in general, cleaner than most. Our repair shop has just performed a fret dress, a set up, and they have restrung the guitar with light gauge phosphor bronze so it plays and sounds its best. $2,056 or, at our cash discount price $1,995
78-7185 C F Martin (new) DXME, a High Pressure Laminate electric-acoustic guitar with Classic IV Sonicore pickup, #1271304, with no carrying case (we recommend your consideration of a Levy’s/Mandolin Bros.gigbag).
The Martin List is $839 and the Martin MAP is $599.
78-7312 C F Martin (new) OM-28M Roseanne Cash model, #1260604, Madagascar and Adirondack, with plush lined Geib style hard shell case.
The Martin List is $6999 while the Martin MAP is $5999.
78-7201 C F Martin (new) OM-28 Marquis, #1087630, with plush lined hard shell case.
The Martin List is $5149 and the Martin MAP is $3899.
78-7369 C F Martin (new) D-45, all abalone, all over, scalloped braces, a sound direct from the fretted instrument gods, #1262674, with 640 hard case.
The Martin List is $9299 and the Martin MAP is $6999.
78-7399 C F Martin (new) 000-28VS twelve-fret slothead in East Indian and Sitka, #1260413, with hard shell case.
The guitar that has approximately 61 square inches more air space inside of it because the body joins the neck higher up on the neck. An incredible sound. The Martin List is $4399 and the Martin MAP is $3299.
78-7398 C F Martin (new) D-28 Marquis, #1268730, with hard shell case.
The Marquis Series is, in an East Indian Rosewood (usually EI, though sometimes more exotic woods are substituted) equivalent of the GE series – i.e., guitars made with the genuine mahogany sides and back, advanced X forward shifted scalloped bracing, and the visual appointments of the old. Both the Marquis and GE models have been provisioned with the Adirondack “Red” spruce top which provides a new guitar the effervescence, acoustic clarity and aural visibility to allow both player and audience hear, to absorb, to embrace each new note in each progressive fretted position with renewed ardor. The D-28 Marquis is a close-to-prewar spec dreadnought with a few aberrations – a) it has an adjustable truss rod (thank you!). b) it has a modified V-shape neck and not the full Tumescent Bambino. c) it has East Indian rosewood sides and back and not the dutifully defended Dalbergia, the forbidden fruit of the Rio Amazonis. d) it is made with modern Aliphatic resin glue and not the detritus of the late, lamented but still odd-toed ungulate mammal of the family Equidae. If you want the closest living relative to The Real Deal buy the D-28 Authentic (which we have, by the way), but if the notion of a forty thousand dollar list price scares you (it scares me) then the D-28 Marquis will, without a doubt, sound every drone in your bagpipe. The Martin List is $5149 while the Martin MAP is $3899.
78-7417 C F Martin (new) D-41PW “Porter Wagoner,” #1269970, with plush lined deluxe Geib 545E hard shell case.
This special guitar is individually numbered “41.” “The Wagonmaster Custom Edition” was designed to commemorate the life and music of Mr. Wagoner, (1927-2007). Fanciful and fun, it has the largest and wildest pickguard we have ever seen on a new Martin guitar – taking the form of an asymmetrical bat with wings outstretched! This would be a Delmar tortoise color pickguard that is beveled and polished. Sparkling touches abound including 8 attractive abalone stars – Martin calls them “scalloped hexagons” - inlaid in its crème-bound ebony fretboard. You can’t miss that majestic abalone top and soundhole border, or the “C Martin F” vertical abalone logo inlaid into its polished East Indian rosewood double-bound headstock, offset by six gleaming and gold-plated Gotoh brand, Martin logo, open-geared butterbean button tuners. It has both a sharp diamond dart and a -45 style multi-colored marquetry back stripe, and twin rustic wagon wheels adorn the solid, carved ebony bridge with the drop-in bone saddle. The (bone) nut width is 1 11/16th and the bridge spacing 2 ¼”. Interior bracing is Sitka, 5/16th” and forward-shifted-scalloped; the top is solid Engelmann spruce aged to a toasty toner. The neck is polished gloss finish and low profile, Inside, it bears two labels – one is signed by Porter Wagoner himself and, as well, by Marty Stuart, the other is a photograph of the artist in a red shirt and white suit playing his own guitar which, in the photo, appears identical. The C F Martin List is $5799 and the Martin MAP is $4407.
78-7135 James Goodall (new) Aloha Koa Parlor 14-fret Cutaway, #AKPC145374, with plush lined hard shell case.
$3633 or, at our cash discount price, $3523.
78-7420 McPherson (new) 5.0XP, in flamed Hawaiian Koa sides and back with a Western Red Cedar top, #1099, with Ameritage Deluxe hard shell case.
As outstanding, beautiful, and luscious sounding a guitar (for under $6806) as you will experience when you visit our vast inventory of all that is vibrating. If you like Koa, you’ll love this instrument. $6805 or, at our cash discount price, $6600.
78-7396 Taylor (new) Model 914CE, the pearl inlaid model that resides at the highest grade in the numbered series
with the fancy fauna inlaid into its bound ebony fingerboard, the Venetian cutaway and the Expressions System whose controls reside on the upper bass side, #20080108132, with plush lined hard shell case. The Taylor List price is $5428 while the Taylor MAP is $3999.
NEWS FROM R. TAYLOR GUITARS
– hand made instruments for the most discerning player: The new R. Taylor Style 2 / Style 1 12-string -- The R. Taylor lineup continues to evolve with two new offerings: the Style 2 guitar and the Style 1 twelve-string.
The R. Taylor Style 2:
Style 2 is a direct descendant of Style 1, sharing many of the same features and options. With Style 2, the R. Taylor luthiers have redefined what the compact Grand Concert body size is capable of. The goal was to craft a smaller, lighter instrument that would yield nuance, balance, harmonic complexity and solid fundamental notes at almost any dynamic level. After experimenting with body shape and dimension, bracing size and placement, scale lengths, bridge size, and peghead design, the Style 2 was born. The body measures 15 inches wide at the lower bout (Style 1 being 16 ¼ inches), and 4 3/16 inches deep at the lower bout (compared to 4 7/16 inches for Style 1).
While Style 2 will certainly appeal to fingerstyle players, guitarists of every ilk will find inspiration at their fingertips. The sound is signature R. Taylor: superb note definition over the entire fingerboard, exquisite sustain, and chords that bloom as a finely balanced palette of expression. Together these tonal traits translate the player’s intentions into what we all ultimately seek: musicality. Available in short scale only (24 7/8 inches), with either a standard or slotted peghead, Style 2 is not only very comfortable to play, but is supremely responsive to any technique, from the most refined and delicate fingerstyle to robust flatpicking styles. Departing slightly from the Style 1 options, Style 2 features just one bracing pattern / top geometry: X bracing, with a 65-foot radius top. All of the R. Taylor nut widths and neck shapes are available on Style 2.
The R. Taylor Style 1 twelve-string:
The Style 1 12-string is a guitar we have been looking forward to for quite some time. Built with a modified X bracing pattern and a 65-foot radius top geometry, this outstanding instrument can be personalized in many of the same ways as a Style 1 six-string, with the additional option of being set up specifically for non-standard tunings. Many 12-string players love the power of tuning the entire guitar down a whole step or even lower. Just let us know what your 12-string desires are, and we can most likely accommodate you.
OUR “JUST SO YOU KNOW” DEPARTMENT.
Composite Acoustics Guitars has recently made some changes in the names of their models. There’s no more “GX Performer” – one of the most popular names in their roster. Nope. Now that model is called a Model 8M-CE. You may, perhaps, be wondering what some of their other models (that we have in stock) have been renamed. Here they are, in alphabetical order:Bluegrass Standard - 8LB (Bluegrass)
COT-Standard - 7L-E with COT option
GX Performer - 8M-CE
GX Player - 7M-CE
GX-RT Charcoal - 5M-CE
Legacy Performer D-12 - 8L-E
X-Performer - 7S-CE
Vintage Performer - 8L-E (Vintage)
X-COT - 7S-CE with COT option
X-RT Silver - 5S-CE
Please phone or email us for the price of each of these guitars!
Here’s how it works: The new travel guitar, called the CARGO did not earlier exist. It’s a cute little all graphite guitar that sounds great for its small size, and you need to try one. You’ll note that this is the only model that doesn’t have an alpha-numerical title. It’s just called the Cargo which is a triple pun since it’s made from Carbon Fibre, it can be played in your car, or on the bus or train (where legal) and can go anywhere. Here’s what happened to the other models: The new Series 5 was in the past called the RT, the new Series 6 was in the past called the RT Tribal (although I have to say that we have never before heard of the RT-Tribal), the new Series 7 was formerly called the Player, and the new Series 8 was earlier called the Performer. Furthermore, the S body was formerly called X and meant Grand Concert (Thin); the M body was formerly called GX and that’s a Grand Auditorium; and the L body was formerly called Dreadnought and you know what that is. Got it? Good, ‘cause there’ll be a quiz.
78-7036 Collings (new) OM-2H, #14058, with hard shell case.
$3433 or, at our cash discount price, $3330.
78-7272 Gallagher (new) Doc Watson Signature Model, #3394, with hard shell plush lined case.
The J. W. Gallagher & Son Guitar Company of Wartrace, TN was founded in 1965. One of the first things they did was to provide Doc Watson with one of their mahogany dreadnoughts, which he took under his wing, so to speak, where it has remained to this very day. J.W.’s son, Don Gallagher says that it has never been their goal just to make guitars – they have aspired to use guitar making as a way of expressing excellence in craftsmanship. They make very few – this past year they made approximately one hundred guitars total. “Our guitar making is not just a business,” he says, “it is a way of life.” Since 1965 every guitar they build has been recorded in their ledger – when work is done on a guitar or if they know of a change of owners, that information are noted in the good book. This guitar is their Signature Doc Watson model, although it does not bear the National Treasure’s own actual signature. It is made with an African Mahogany body (also known as Sapele) but this is golden highlighted stuff and extremely beautiful. It has a Sitka spruce top, voiced top bracing, a fingerboard and headplate that are bound in maple, an ebony bridge and fingerboard, mother of pearl diamond and square position markers in the fretboard and a facsimile of Doc Watson’s signature inlaid ad the 14th fret. It has a bone nut and addle, herringbone purfling and soundhole inlay, a zig-zag backstripe, wide frets, a 1 ¾” nut width, and more profoundly strong acoustic density and tonal effervescence than any new guitar should come with right out of the box. Right now this guitar is priced at only $3095. It is our understanding the Gallagher is about to have a price increase on this model to $3995 (don’t ask! That’s a huge jump) so if you are seeking an excellent deal on a great guitar, I’d suggest calling us and ordering this one while it’s still this affordable.
15-6811 Lowden (new) S-12, a small bodied guitar made from mahogany sides and back with a Sitka spruce top, #15969 with Hiscox hard shell case.
But man, it doesn’t sound small. It sounds gigantic. $3707 or, at our cash discount price, $3596.
78-7103 C F Martin (used, 1937) Model F-7 archtop guitar, #65794, a 16” archtop prewar Martin in straight-grain Brazilian rosewood, in very good plus condition with an arched and carved spruce top and a newer standard black hard shell replacement case.
Please see our full description (and discussion of the ethics of blind participation in a mass vivisection ritual) under ARCHTOPS in this issue of The Vintage News. $6705 or at our cash discount price $6500.
78-7094 C F Martin (used, 1977) Model HD-28, #393897 in the blue fiberglass thermoplastic case.
This instrument has recently had its neck reset which is always a good thing. A strap pin has been forcibly driven into the heel of the neck. The guitar shows minor signs of use and wear. There is touch up on and under the bass side of the area below the nut which is that way because, when the nut was replaced the wood chipped. It has a replaced black pickguard. All of this aftermarket workmanship notwithstanding, we believe that this is quite a lovely instrument – having had its neck reset it plays easily and it sounds mahvelous. $2572 or at our cash discount price $2495.
78-7086 C F Martin (used, 2006) M3M George Martin Model M, #1137049, Individual number 95 of 127 made total, in “as new” (virtually unplayed) condition with original Geib style hard shell plush lined case bearing the Martin logo plate.
The Martin Web site says: As the most important producer in music history, Sir George Martin knows how to achieve excellence in the recording studio. In an illustrious career that has spanned five decades, he is probably best known as the man who signed the Beatles and produced most of their recordings. Moreover, his recording innovations have transformed how records are made. So when George Martin detailed his preferences for a namesake Martin Signature Edition guitar to fellow musician and record producer John Kurgan, his specific goal was to create an instrument uniquely suited to the studio. The M3M George Martin Studio Edition is that guitar: an acoustic with sensational recorded sound. The tailoring of this guitar for the studio shows in its distinctive body style and unique combination of premium solid tone woods. The M body, with 0000 shape (16? at the lower bout) and 000 depth (4-1/16? at the end pin), produces full, balanced and unusually pure tone. The top is crafted from rare Italian alpine spruce, revered for its quick response and full resonance: forward-shifted scalloped top braces broaden the tonal palette. The sides and back of genuine mahogany, preferred by many recording engineers for its clear bright trebles, show George Martin’s inimitable creativity. The four-piece back features a center wedge of rare quilted mahogany, separated from the wings by Style 35 white/black/white back strips. Two additional Style 35 back strips highlight a small wedge of unfigured mahogany below the neck heel. Together, the four back strips form a graceful M (for Martin) emblem.The M3M George Martin Studio Edition sports a generous 1 25/32th” (at the nut) low profile neck of genuine mahogany. The headplate displays quilted and unfigured mahogany and fine line inlays to create the same “M” emblem as on the guitar’s back. The headstock comes equipped with gold Waverly tuners with butterbean knobs and bears the “C. F. Martin & Co.” pressure stamp on the back. The black ebony fingerboard features a small “5” inlay at the fifth fret to commemorate George Martin’s role as the fifth Beatle, with Style 42 snowflake inlays marking the other positions. Sir George’s signature is inlaid between the 19th and 20th frets. Both the headstock and fingerboard are bound in grained ivoroid, with black/white inlay on the headstock and mitered black/white inlay on the fingerboard. The body is bound in grained ivoroid, with fine herringbone purfling encircling the top and fine black/white/black lines bordering the sides, back and grained ivoroid end piece. The Style -45 rosette highlights select abalone pearl, matched by the abalone pearl dots atop the ebony bridge pins and endpin. The nut and saddle are crafted from genuine bone. A polished and beveled tortoise-color pickguard adds to the vintage vibe of the aging-toned top. Polished gloss finish on body and headplate allows the beautiful natural color of the mahogany to shine, while a satin finish neck contributes to player comfort.
At Sir George’s request, the M3M George Martin Studio Edition originally came with Martin SP coated light-gauge strings to, as he put it, reduce “collywobbles” (his word for string squeak), the bane of recording engineers everywhere. Each guitar bears an interior label personally signed by George Martin and Martin Chairman C. F. Martin IV, and is numbered in sequence with the edition total. The original Martin List Price was $5699, but you can acquire this near mint (virtually unplayed, it comes “with tags”) example at $4015 or at our cash discount price, $3895.
78-7286 C F Martin (new) 000-18A “Authentic 1937,” #1258249, with plush lined deluxe hard shell case.
Following the success of their D-18A and D-28A C F Martin has come out with the next model in this extremely high quality line, that being a short scale 000-18 made with the following features: The construction is dovetail joint, it has fourteen frets, a solid Adirondack spruce top, old style -18 rosette around the soundhole, Golden Era style forward shifted scalloped bracing with ¼” Adirondack braces. The back and sides are solid genuine mahogany, the end piece is tortoise-color Delmar in a narrow 1937 shape; bindings are tortoise color, the top is inlaid with multiple black-white Boltaron. The neck is actual mahogany in a shape called “Authentic 1937 barrel and heel.” The nut and saddle are fossilized ivory, the headstock shape is solid with a square taper; the headplate is solid Brazilian rosewood. The fingerboard, heel cap, and 1930s style belly with a long saddle bridge are solid black ebony. The fingerboard measures 1 ¾” at the nut, 2 ¼” at the 12th fret, and the string spacing at the bridge is 2 5/16th”. The position inlays are “old style -18,” the top is finished in aging toner and the entire body in polished gloss. The long bridge saddle has a 16” radius; tuners are Waverly brand nickel plated with oval buttons; the bridge and end pins are solid black ebony; the Delmar tortoise color teardrop pickguard is beveled edge, under the finish; the hard shell case is V18A Authentic style. This is a fantastic sounding Auditorium size guitar and one that, playing it, may give you the goose bumpies. The Martin List is $9749 and the Martin MAP is something like $7799.
15-6731 C F Martin (new) 000-28EC Eric Clapton in the dark and delicious “1935” Sunburst top, #1236094, with hard shell plush lined Geib style case.
The C F Martin List priceis $4399; the Martin MAP is $3299.
78-7045 C F Martin (new) HDC-40 Travis Tritt Model, #1248438, Individual No. 10 of only 40 made, with hard shell case.
The C F Martin List Price is $8999 while the C F Martin MAP is $7199.
78-7076 C F Martin (new) D-41 Mandolin Brothers Custom Shop Edition, #1257641, featuring a crispy clean Adirondack “Red” spruce top,
advanced X, ¼”forward -shifted scalloped bracing, Adirondack braces just like George Washington had, and a Geib style hard shell case. Your cost on this most magnificent of acoustic guitars is $4407 at our Discount Price or, at our Cash Discount Price, $4275.
15-6915 C F Martin (new) D-28 Marquis in Madagascar rosewood sides and back, #1252424, with Geib style hard shell case.
Madagascar is the closest phylum we have seen to good old Brazilian rosewood. Both are members of the Dalbergia family, a large clan that resided in a tenement in Hoboken, New Jersey in the 1920s and 1930s and went to grammar school with Frank Sinatra. In this instance the patriarch’s name was Dalbergia Baroni, but you can just call me “Baron.” Who tells you “I want you should talk nice with my sister, or you’ll have to deal wit’ me.” The Madagascarian Alternative is getting more and more difficult to export from that beleaguered island, and so the phrase applies: “If you seek to get personal with the Dalbergias you’d best soon succumb to those acquiring urgias. This is one of the most beautiful ways you can possibly spend your hard earned money, and if something smaller is your caller, we might also have it in the OM-28 Madagascar Marquis. Just aks us. The Martin List is $7499 and the Martin MAP is $5599.
78-7047 C F Martin (new) OM-21L Lefty, #1258241, with hard shell case.
The OM is Martin’s intermediate size guitar having a 15” wide Auditorium-sized body with a long scale neck, a dovetail joint construction, made of all solid East Indian rosewood and Sitka Spruce. This one is left handed. The Martin List is $2599 and the Martin MAP is $1949.
78-7079 C F Martin (new) D-41 Custom Shop guitar, #1257641, Adirondack top, Adirondack braces, low profile neck, 1 11/16th’ nut, with Geib Style hard shell five-ply plush lined case.
Not satisfied to merely offer our customers the models that Martin conventionally makes, Mandolin Brothers continues in the tradition it established in having initiated the C F Martin Custom Shop back in 1977, by having Martin build special D-41 guitars that exceed the sound specifications for the standard model in every way possible. These are some of the best sounding, and most beautiful, acoustic guitars that we have, even speaking objectively, have ever set our claws to. We start out already loving the Martin D-41 regular guitars -- they somehow have a crispy clarity to them, even in Sitka top with regular scalloped bracing, but when you replace that Sitka with slightly stiffer, super-smooth response Adirondack, and you replace those 5/16th” scalloped braces with race-car fast and helium-light one-quarter inch bracing, you convert an already luxurious and languorously lyrical sounding six-string to an acoustic rocket-ship. The D-41, lest we forget, is abalone bordered on its face and soundhole, it has the small hexagon mother of pearl fingerboard inlays, the white Bolteron bound top, back and neck. It is made from choice, hand-selected, high-level, straight-grained East Indian on its sides and back, it has the multi-colored -45 style back stripe, the six matching sealed-back gold-plated Martin logo large button tuners, the low-profile neck with the diamond dart; the triple-bound East Indian headplate with the C Martin F vertical abalone logo. The back is bordered in white-black-white; the pickguard is attractive faux tortoise shell with beveled edges, the bridge is carved ebony with a bone saddle and six cr\'e8me pins with abalone dots. The Adirondack spruce is a creamy delight -- the combination of ineffable sweetness and penetrating clarity. Yes, it is the combination of advanced X- forward shifted Adirondack and the ¼” scalloped bracing that allows the top to vibrate with more alacrity resulting in more pop, projection and volume. It has the bone nut and saddle, the Geib style case (D-41 guitars usually get a thermoplastic case) and more sound quality and quantity than you ever thought you would, in your lifetime, hear. It is a pleasure to own and a joy to play. Tunes that you have played many times before come alive, when played on this amazing instrument. The Martin List is nearly six thousand dollars but the Martin MAP and our Discount Price is $4407.
78-7058 Taylor (new) GS-8, Grand Symphony in East Indian rosewood and Sitka spruce, with the option of the Expressions sound system inside, #20070813122, natural top, with plush lined Taylor hard shell case.
The first time I ever saw a new model Grand Symphony it was hand-carried to my store by an informative, professional agent of the manufacturer - the Taylor regional representative who was so ultra-sharp that, shortly after he became our rep, he became Taylor’s Head of Sales. He cautioned “This is nothing like what you are used to – try it and let me know what you think.” I tried it – the sound blew me away. “Wow!” I said “I think Taylor has finally made an inroad into the full-frequencied traditional sound of the older American-made vintage flattop.” He explained that Taylor was re-entering the acoustic guitar market and had designed a series of small jumbo body instruments braced for maximum response, sustain and projection. He wasn’t exaggerating in the slightest. The sound is killer and amazing. He also said that the design had come about from Bob Taylor’s ultra-high-end boutique guitar company, RTaylor Guitars, and people were loving it so much that Taylor Guitars sought to offer it at a lower price to their regular dealers. We’ve sold lots of them, but every so often we are moved to order one of these fine instruments with the sophisticated Expressions pickup system that sounds so amazingly good through the best acoustic amplifier we have so far heard – the Fender AcoustaSonic Ultralight. It’s a stereophonic 250-watt output dual channel amp with around 20 pre-sets for changing room ambiance such as by adding delay, slap-back, several levels of reverberation, chorus, flanger and phase, with a built-in notch filter to repress feed back. No quack – nothing artificial about the sound – it comes out like a HUGE acoustic guitar that fills the room with tonal spendor. What a colossal combination – the Taylor Grand Symphony which is refreshing played acoustic and brilliant played amplified, and that amplifier. Come to our showroom and hear it for yourself – or call us up and we’ll play it for you over the phone. Your expectations will never be the same. The Taylor List is $2798 and the Taylor MAP is $2098.
15-6168 C F Martin (circa mid-1860s) Style 3-24 parlor guitar, ISI-1757, Brazilian rosewood and close-grained spruce, possibly Engelmann or German,
(although Adirondack was a favored wood from 1833 until the late 1940s but we would think that on his higher level guitars C F might have used a finer grained variety) with ivory pyramid bridge, in very good condition with original (but restored) coffin case. Anthony (Tony) Huvard is likely the leading luthier living in Richmond, VA. He has done prodigious research into this instrument and its period and prepared an 11-page document, not counting the blank pages in which he traces the early history of the Martin Guitar Company and annotates the condition of this instrument. In this document Mr. H. states that he believes that this guitar is an early prototype of the Style 3 ½-34. We agree with the -34 suffix (Style 34 is like a Martin Style 30 except with an ivory bridge) but we feel it’s a Size 3. (You can stop holding your breath now.) This guitar has measurements that do not entirely conform to any one Martin model. The width of the body is 11 3/32nds”, at the upper bout 8 1/8”, total length is 33 15/16”, body length is 16 ½”, the scale length is 22 5/8”. This guitar has a 1 ¾” nut width, 2 ¼” width at the 12th fret, a soundhole diameter of just under 3 ¼”, depth at bottom is nominally 3 ¾.”According to Mike Longworth a body width of 11 3/32nd” is about right for a Size 3, an upper bout of 8 1/8” is also a Size 3, but a Size 3 has a scale of 23 7/8” and this has a scale of 22 5/8th”. A Style 3 has a 3 11/32” soundhole and this is 3 1/4”. We believe that specifications could vary in those days and that this is a Size 3 Martin. The trim includes colored wood “rope” marquetry around the face, and a three-ring soundhole rosette with abalone in the center ring, no fretboard inlays, but the fretboard, like the top and back, heel cap and end graft are all bordered in actual ivory. This guitar has a squared, slotted headstock, six gorgeous “Jerome” brand tuners with floral carved mother of pearl buttons and etched leaves encircling the four screws on each side of the German silvered plates. The back stripe is colored wood herringbone. The “C F Martin, New York” logo appears three times – on the back brace, the neck block and stamped into the back of the headstock. Mike Longworth says that if it doesn’t have “& Co.” in any of the three stampings, then it was made prior to 1868. As you all know, C F Martin Sr. moved his young company to Nazareth, Pennsylvania in 1839, having hanged out in New York City for only 6 short years but because he had a New York distributor he left “New York” on his logo to add an aura of urbane sophistication. The neck is cedar and is comprised of a long V-shaped shaft connected to the slotted-squared headstock by means of a V-shape dart. Mr. Huvard says that a typical guitar finish of this era was “French Polish” which is when the varnish is applied while the finisher whistles "La Marseillaise,” but it is our assertion that this guitar was possibly sent back to C F Martin in the last third of the 20th century; at that time a large rosewood bridge plate was added, and the body (but not the neck) was either refinished or oversprayed in matte (satin) lacquer. The work, although regrettable, is exemplary. It has, at this time: normal signs of use and wear, dings, nicks, scratches, plus a repaired (and paper or fabric reinforced) 7” top crack on the bass side between waist and bridge. The area around that repair is discolored darkly, forming the silhouette of a 34-year-old garfish named Edgar who haunts the brackish water of the Mediterranean Sea, near Malta, and has been the bane and the obsession of local fishing persons since 1974. The guitar is housed in what appears to be an original coffin case that has been stripped, refinished (and plush lined in blue velvet inside) in natural but which retains its two original clasps (the clasp near the neck has a tiny broken off piece on one side, not important). The case also has two skeleton keys and an operable lockable center clasp.
Here’s the lovely part: on the headstock of the guitar, centered near the top, is a silver cameo measuring ¾” by 3/8” that has little waves etched in an oval around the surface and, at center, is engraved “Katie.” Katie was Aunt Kate, or Sarah Catherine Walthall, who was born in 1838, survived the evacuation of Richmond, VA (the “Night of Terror” on April 2, 1865), as was sung about in The Band’s “The Night they Drove Old Dixie Down,” and who died, in Richmond, in 1928. During her life she was an active musician who, in 1880, despite the misgivings of her parents, married her music teacher and mentor, Mr. Fitz William Rosier, “a cultivated English widower” and “eminent player” of his time, who was thirty years older than she. They moved to New York City where Mr. Rosier died suddenly after only 18 months of their marriage, at the age of 73, and Katie went back to Richmond and resumed giving piano lessons. Her students performed in her “Suiree Musales” at the YMCA Hall at and around the turn of the century. It should be pointed out that when he was only 45 years old Mr. Rosier ran a “School for Young Ladies” in Richmond, and his promise was: “Mr. R’s system of Education will continue the same [as] he has pursued during the many years he has been engaged in teaching. He endeavors, first, to form a solid foundation in all of the indispensable branches, after which it becomes comparatively easy to raise the ornamental superstructure: a harmonious union of the two being what is required to fit [a] woman worthily to occupy her true position in life.” This guitar has most recently been owned for almost 40 years by the Great Granddaughter of Katie Walthall’s sister Mary Jane (1840-1883). Katie must, every day of her life, have loved owning this extremely fine C F Martin guitar.
This nylon-strung instrument (and you will, of course, keep it that way) is in remarkable condition for its advanced age (around 142 years). It plays wonderfully easily, sounds supremely pretty and melodious in all registers. Yes, it does buzz slightly in the upper fret positions on strings 5 and 6 and to those who might find that any sort of fault we say “Go find another 142-year-old Martin in this clean condition and tell me that it has no such minor quirks.” The Brazilian rosewood, which was possibly cut from a tree that might have been a young adult in the time that the Monroe Doctrine was signed and John Quincy Adams was president, is as much a statement of Dalbergian perfection as one can ever hope to see. Said wood is straight-grain, quarter-sawn and consumed with spidery sparkle. The neck as straight as can be expected, the action is low and comfortable, and the sound brings us back to the wistful mood established so vividly in Randy Newman’s line: “A real nice way to spend the day in Dayton, Ohio on a lazy Sunday afternoon in nineteen hundred and three.”
We can’t think of anything that would make a guitarist happier than to own this symbol of both American history and a memorable measurement of this country’s mannerly musical mores of the antebellum and Civil War era. This WAS $12,939 but IT’S NOW ON SALE for $10,305 or, at our cash discount price, $9,995.
COMING IN SOON: Goodall (new) Hawaiian Koa and Sitka spruce Parlor Guitar, 14-fret, cutaway, #AKPC-14, with 5100P series hard shell case made for this size guitar.
This is Goodall’s least expensive model – a little bit “no frills” but still it would have to be considered one of the best sounding guitars you will ever have heard. Features are: 25.5” scale, 1 ¾” nut width, pearl inlays, chrome Gotoh tuners, plastic bridge pins and metal end pin, having the soft cutaway, ebony body and fretboard binding, Koa wood headstock overlay, Pheasant wood bridge and fingerboard, bone nut and saddle, mahogany satin finish neck, and a clear pickguard. Included in the case is an official Goodall logo guitar polishing cloth (one of the softest we have ever felt). The price including case is: $3633 at our discount price, or at our cash discount price $3524, and this is around a thousand dollars less than any other Goodall guitar.
A FRIENDLY REMINDER: WHEN THE CENTRAL HEAT IS ON IN YOUR HOME IT’S TIME TO HUMIDIFY YOUR INSTRUMENTS!
It is absolutely essential that your guitars, mandolins, banjos, basses and ukuleles receive humidification in order to survive. Keeping your fondest possessions humidified during the months that the central heat (or the wood burning stove) is in use is required. We like the “multi-room” or “whole house” humidifiers (although it isn’t really “whole house” the two-reservoir model could be considered multi-room) units sold at www.bemis-store.com. Spend the $185, and also order a few extra filters for it. You will never regret it. It’s not enough just to own this floor standing unit - you do have to use it, refilling it every few days, leaving it on at a moderate setting for a minimum of 12 hours a day. And you also need a good quality hygrometer hanging on an indoor wall, maybe seven feet up, positioned far from the humidifier, to tell you what the relative humidity is. We sell a fine one from a company called Abbeon Calibration. It sells for $150 plus shipping, and it’s handsome to look at and accurate. Try to keep the humidity in the room in which your instruments are stored at 50% (give or take 5% but 50% is perfect). This brand and model hygrometer was recommended to us by Bob Taylor of Taylor Guitars. Your instruments will love you for having purchased one. Call us – ask for Rachel and she’ll ship you one. 718 981 8585.
15-6865 C F Martin (new) D-42 Cambodian Rosewood, #1239586, Individual Number #1 of 19 made (!), with special slate gray TKL “Geib” style plush lined hard shell case.
C F Martin Company has done something remarkable: they have come up with a family member of the Dalbergia clan (whose patriarch is Brazilian rosewood – Dalbergia Nigra) and used it to build a guitar. They had enough wood to make only 19 sx-strings; that’s not a lot of guitars. Here’s something you may not know – but it would be good if you memorized it: the names of the Dalbergia family of woods that luthiers use are: African Blackwood (dalbergia melanoxylon), Cambodian rosewood (dalbergia bariensis), Cocobolo (dalbergia retusa), Honduran Rosewood (dalbergia stevensonii), Indian rosewood (dalbergia latifoilia), Madagascar rosewood (Dalbergia baroni) and Brazilian (dalbergia nigra). In Cambodia, bariensis is known as “Neang Noun” and that’s pronounced “nang-noon.” Here’s what the website “Dynamic Hardwoods” says (paraphrased):This fine-grained wood is harvested from the jungles and has all the qualities of the best rosewood available in the world. The growth rings are very finely spaced so that the grain is extremely tight and smooth. On close examination, the open grain lines of this wood are extremely small. . . smaller than those of Madagascar rosewood. I have had instrument makers describe dalbergia bariensis as "glass-like" in referring to the smooth, close and very finely open grain. That implies that it creates an acoustically highly reflective surface. . . . Bariensis is rigid, but not brittle - it bends very nicely without cracking. A stringed instrument maker can expect to be able to sand or carve it until it is thin, and it will retain rigidity, allowing the superb tonal quality to be uncompromised by heavy bracing. The color tends to range from light to deep brown. Most of it is quite consistently medium brown, but the shades can range from light, like Honduran Rosewood, to quite dark like Brazilian. This is not typically a reddish rosewood - usually less so than Indian Rosewood, and also less so than most cocobolo.
This Cambodian rosewood guitar is made with the traditional Martin dovetail neck-to-body joint, it has a solid Adirondack spruce top, style -45 soundhole rosette, Golden Era (GE) style forward shifted bracing and back purfling; the top braces are 5/16th” Adirondack, the back and sides are solid Cambodian, the endpiece is grained ivoroid and so are the body, neck and headstock bindings; back, sides and headstock have a black-maple-black fiber border, the V-shaped neck is made of “select hardwood” but it sure likes like mahogany to me, the nut and saddle are carved of bone, the headplate is solid Cambodian rosewood and bears the C Martin F vertical abalone logo and six burnished gold plated C F Martin logo open back tuners with butterbean buttons; there is also a C F Martin stamp on the back of the headstock. The fingerboard is solid black ebony and is inlaid with snowflakes, etched diamonds and cats eyes. Fingerboard width at the nut is 1 ¾”, at the 12th fret 2 ¼” and at the bridge 2 5/16th”. The 16” radius bone long bridge saddle is 1930s style “through” but it is “drop in” so it can be removed. Bridge and end pin are camel bone with select abalone dots. The tortoise color, beveled edge, teardrop pickguard is made from Delmar, there is a diamond dart behind the nut, and the top is inlaid in abalone around its front border, bottom end of fingerboard peninsula and soundhole. The body and back of neck are gloss-finished and polished and the Adirondack wide-grained top, showing just a hint of bearclaw, is washed in aging-toner. This is a remarkable instrument, rare as a modern Martin comes, with a tonal range that will excite and energize you. The Martin List Price is $9999. The Martin MAP is $7999.
15-5385 C F Martin (used, 1913) Style 00-45 guitar, #11650, in very good plus condition, with apparently original hard shell case.
We haven’t seen a Martin original prewar 00-45 in several decades. Perhaps this is because C F Martin Co. made only a total of 157 of them during the period 1904 and 1942 and, as you know, at least half of them were eaten (and digested) by guitar-eating aliens during the era of frequent UFO sightings in the late ‘40s. In the year 1913 (the year this one was made) Martin made just 3 of ‘em. It was a guitar similar to this that propelled Joan Baez to fame. The 00 is, of course, a slot-headed 12-fret construction with a grand concert body that’s 14 ½” wide at the lower bout, having a 24.9” scale, a 1 27/32nd” nut width and a wide 2 5/16th” string spacing at the bridge. Additionally, it has a comfortable v-shaped neck, etched diamond, snowflake and cats-eye fingerboard inlays in a grained ivoroid bound fingerboard, displaying a 3 ¾” flower in abalone inlaid in the ivoroid bound white-black bordered rounded-corner headplate. The tuners are engraved-plate open-gears with the Handel-type squiggles of flora inlaid on both sides of each button. On a Style -45 guitar there is abalone trim around the top, the bottom edge of the fingerboard, the soundhole, both extremes of the rims, both sides of the heel (with at least four plies of black-white-black-white on each side of the abalone), surrounding the entire back and bestowed on four sides of the trapezoidal end graft. This is as much abalone as any family actually needs. Its top is golden yellow, the Brazilian rosewood is so straight-grained as to bring salty orbs to your eyes. Wood like this is the crux of our rainforest religion. The guitar sounds sweet and harmonious – for a little 14 ½” critter it sounds as big as many other brands’ dreadnoughts.And now the repair history: it has two old, long, parallel, repaired cracks on the bass side (the original owner, who had a real high squeaky voice, carried an open switchblade in his right pocket, just in case he needed to get at it quickly). The bridge was replaced with a “belly-down” ebony bridge that retained the original abalone inlaid bone bridge pins, most of which pins show tiny hairline cracks, and at that time a new bridge plate was provided. The result was that you can now (happily) play this guitar with silk-and-steel strings. Our workshop has successfully performed a much-needed neck reset, preserving the original bar frets (by leveling them), and we also installed of a newer bridge plate since the old one had curled up like a garden slug with seasoning. We carved and installed a new high saddle. In your capable hands this guitar plays like the Matriarch of the Grand Concert Guitars that it is, was and always will be. Oh yeah, the guitar is oversprayed, but not refinished, per our head of repair, Leroy Aiello. The original owner had a pickguard installed and when that one left the building the most recent owner substituted a thin, tortoise shell color, Gibson or Guild-inspired pickguard onto the lower treble quadrant of the soundhole. The guitar does show normal signs of use and wear including minor dings, nicks and scrapes, some nicks in the ebony bridge, plus a plethora of finish checking. All of this is to be expected when one is 94 years of age. The C F Martin logo stamped on back of headstock is slightly subdued due to the overspray and so is the mildly blunted diamond dart. The worn (ancient) hard shell case is from the period of the guitar and, as is so often observed, is a bit oversized since case linings shrink. If it’s not the original hard shell case then it sure looks like it is. This Style -45 C F Martin guitar resides in the Great Hall of the Pantheon of Plectral Pulchritude, in the circular temple that bears the Latin inscription: “If you have to ask how much it is you’re at least halfway closer to owning it.” Every person who has played this instrument has had that look in his or her glazed eyes that says “Leave me alone, I’m in heaven.” THIS WAS $30,925 but is now ON SALE for $28,868 or at our cash discount price $28,000.
15-6919 C F Martin (new) model OMC Red Birch, #1248248, with hard shell case.
Martin has created something completely different with this year’s Sustainable Wood Series guitar. This instrument bears a special label on recycled paper that reads: “The majority of the wood utilized in the construction of this guitar originated in forests managed in an ecologically responsible manner.” Here’s how ecologically responsible the guitar is: It features cherry neck block, a mortise-and-tenon neck joint so Martin did not have to euthanize any doves in order to provide the instrument a dovetail joint, it is a 000 size body with a long scale neck (a tradition broken when Martin started their 000-16 series). This guitar is built on an A-Frame with X bracing, and has a solid Sitka spruce top made of Rescued Wood. The three-piece back displays solid Red Birch wings with a solid cherry wedge. Body bindings are grained ivoroid and the top offers 5-plies of purfling while the sides and back each have three-ply. A strap pin in the heel is dutifully offered by the factory and so is a very fine pickup – the Fishman Ellipse Aura. The back stripes are each wide swatches of multi-colored wood marquetry, the headplate is sustainable red birch with a raised gold foil logo, and the soundhole is bordered by an 11/16th” wide ring of not just cherry but sustainable cherry with a red birch leaf pattern. The bridge is carved of something called katalox, about which Bell Forest Products says: “Katalox is native to Central America. It is far superior in strength to either Teak or Hard maple. Strength qualities in compression parallel to grain are exceptionally high. It is very hard - much harder than White oak, Hard maple, or Teak. The wood is exceptionally heavy. It weighs much more than Hard maple or Teak in the green or seasoned condition. The wood is very dense.” The finish is polished gloss on the body and satin on the neck, the nut is White Corian and the bridge saddle is Tusq. The woods are sustainable, yes, but the sound is fetching. The Martin List is $2999 but the Martin MAP is only $2399.
SANTA CRUZ FIREFLY – SOMETHING NEW!
There is a recent review in Guitar Player Magazine's March issue, of the new Santa Cruz Small Body FireFly Guitar. It is being described as surpassing all expectations of what an acoustic guitar should sound like, let alone one much smaller than the average parlor size guitar. “Every once in a while you play a guitar that just puts it all together – an instrument that simply nails the elusive recipe of top-quality materials, impeccable workmanship, ravishing good looks, and stellar sound. . . . This guitar is absolutely overflowing with tone, riffs, and songs that spill forth effortlessly no matter who plays it.” We enclose more information in. Your cost on a Santa Cruz (new) Firefly is only $3665 or, at our cash discount price, $3555. Please phone for availability.
15-6886 Guild (new) D-50 Bluegrass Special, #TK011011, with an Adirondack spruce top, a factory pickup, all the sound you demand and anticipate, and a fine hard shell case.
The Guild List is $2299.99. The Guild MAP is $1,725.
15-6955 C F Martin (new) 000C-16GTE Premium, #1230735, with hard shell case.
The Martin List is $1306 and the Martin MAP is $1267.
78-7028 C F Martin (new) OM-21C, a Mandolin Brothers’ Custom Shop guitar, #12367354, with Adirondack spruce top, soft cutaway and the Geib style hard shell case.
Our discount price is $2804 and our cash discount price is $2720.
15-6915 C F Martin (new) Special Madagascar D-28 Marquis, #1252424, with Adirondack spruce top, Madagascar Rosewood sides and back, with Geib style hard shell case.
The C F Martin List Price is $7,499 and the Martin MAP is $5,599.
15-6882 C F Martin (new) Custom Shop OM-21C, #1236738, a Mandolin Brothers Custom Design, Adirondack spruce top, a graceful cutaway, a Geib style hard shell case.
A six string spectacular! Our price is $2804 or, at our cash discount price $2720.
ANNOUNCING -- THE WINNER OF THE “STAN JAY-INSPIRED CREATIVE WRITING CONTEST” FOR 2007
(Yeah, we know that 2007 isn’t over but nobody is going to beat this! Not a chance.) That winner is one Steve Bissell. Steve will shortly be receiving his own (highly coveted) Mandolin Brothers T-Shirt with our thanks for a job well done. Here’s Steve’s take on the McPherson (new) Brazilian-Redwood MG5.0XP that he recently got from us. We thought his imagery, word choices and expressive style outstanding. We had no idea that Sparta was the Bicycling Capital of America. Now we want to go there!“It was a marriage preordained from the dawn of time by the Creator himself. The coniferous Coast Redwood, fighting for survival as the coastal rains beat down upon the ancient forest, tiny songbirds and deep-throated spotted owls teaching her melodies from their nests tucked high within her branches. And from deep in the southern hemisphere, hidden in the tropical rainforests of Brazil and nourished by the Amazon itself, the majestic Dalbergia Nigra, whose own history is etched in the deep blacks and golden hues of his annular rings, chronicling centuries of patient growth before the coming of the rosewood hunters while keeping watch over the exotic jaguar and learning bass and tenor harmonies from the cane toads and scarlet macaws. Together at last, Redwood and Rosewood have been joined in holy union by a small troupe of McPherson luthiers in their chambers in Sparta, Wisconsin, now claiming to be the “Bicycling Capital of America”, but once known for the healing powers of the local artesian springs. Joined with ebony and koa and electrified by Baggs, the transformation into a masterpiece unlike any other is complete. I have touched it, and my own song now floats upon the wind and whispers to future generations of these tonewood giants.” Signed, Steve Bissell (with a nod to the poetic prose of Stan Jay)
15-6811 Lowden (new) S-12, $15969, in mahogany sides and back with a flawless, perfect, brilliant Sitka spruce top of the highest level of quality, with the thermoplastic black Hiscox robust “flight” case.
When George Lowden of Downpatrick, Country Down sets his mind to designing and building a world-class, smaller body and scale guitar the world stands up and pays attention. One might never think, seeing a guitar that’s only 14 ¾” wide, 4 1/8” deep, with a short-scale neck of 24.9” (630mm), a nut width of 1 25/32nd” (a tiny bit bigger than 1 ¾”) and a string spacing at the bridge of 2 3/16th” that it’s sound would cut through all the other guitars in the room and allow its player a voice of prestige and polished presence, but it does that and the effect is extraordinary, while its ease of use promotes both musical health and well-being. The attention to detail is obvious – from the white pearl script inlaid “Lowden” underlined headstock logo inlaid into a dark and delicious piece of black and brown East Indian rosewood with the six gold Gotohs bearing black ebony buttons affixed to a five-piece mahogany and walnut neck, faced by a blacker than outer space neo-classical fingerboard with white dots on the side and a black-lines-against a brown background variegated rosewood bridge embracing two bone saddles so that intonation reigns superlative, to the five mahogany and spruce concentric rings around the soundhole, rosewood heel cap and body bindings (with sycamore-rosewood-mahogany purflings) and maple end graft, this is a diminutive guitar whose form and function are formidable beyond all preconception. Yes, the mahogany on the sides and back refracts before your eyes with golden highlights that captivate and charm, and no, it’s not overly expensive. $3707 or, at our cash discount price, $3596.
15-6696 C F Martin (new) D-28 1937 Authentic, #1230875, with special tan replica plush-lined hard shell case and repro C F Martin 1937 hangtag inside the case.
The three or four people at the C F Martin Factory whose job it is to build a 1937 instrument have done the impossible. If you were lucky enough to stumble upon an actual working Time Machine and gone back to 1937, sauntered into a music store with a one hundred dollar bill in your pocket, plus maybe $12.50 for the case, you could have purchased one of the 148 Martin 1937 D-28 guitars made that year. Well, with this new model you have the chance to own virtually the same guitar without the expense of time travel. This magnificent reconstruction was crafted with pride and hide glue, which was the glue of choice in those days when, because of the Great Depression, people had to stick together more than they do today. It would have been built with the still fresh jigs and fixtures that had been created just four years earlier, in 1934, when the first fourteen-fret-to-the-body D-28 was announced.By the end of ‘37 Martin had made a total of only 856 D-18 and 342 D-28 guitars using those fixtures. This memorable period would signal the end of the era for Advanced X bracing, and, in 1939, for the 1 ¾” nut width on a dreadnought. Such a guitar would have had the so-square-you-keep-saying-“Goll-Lee” headstock shape – with its Brazilian rosewood overlay and its early, bolder, golder script “C F Martin & Co.” logo with the flowery serifs and graceful cursive script common to the time, with a small “EST. 1833” there under. It would have had Grover G-98 tuners with the butterbean buttons and the open gears (this one has burnished nickel “# PAT P” C F Martin logo tuners of similar description). It’d have had a solid (and genuine) mahogany neck (no ears, please) and a diamond dart freshly carved by hand, grained ivoroid body binding, heel cap and end graft trim, a bone nut and long, through saddle, a carved ebony bridge bearing crème pins with black dots, and a teardrop, tortoise shell celluloid pickguard that actually looked like tortoise shell. It would have had a jet black ebony fingerboard with four etched diamond inlays, herringbone wood marquetry top border, zipper parquetry back stripe and 19 concentric circles of light and dark wood surrounding its 4” soundhole. In its chamber you would feel Advanced X, Forward Shifted Adirondack spruce bracing, and on the face of it you would see wide-grained, perfectly parallel, best-of-kind hand-selected Adirondack that actually displays some cross-silking (not something we much see in Red Spruce).
And then there’s the Brazilian! Like a horde of hopping luthiers this wood is lovely, lithe and luminous! This guitar, in every way, fulfills the promise that our ancestors made to us -- the sound produced by these exquisite components is indescribably articulate and outspoken. It sustains seemingly forever, the notes hang in the air like streamers. People trying to walk past the area in which you are playing will need to push these trails aside in order to make their way across the room. Each chord is an exclamation, each low note the velvet voiced legato of a 17th century cello, each triad on the first three strings produces, in audible waves, the light from the phosphorescence of a diamond’s carbon latticework. It is, indeed, the proof for which we have long waited that a guitar builder can do what the violin builders have not – to have successfully recreated in a contemporary instrument the Stradivarius of fretted six-string singularity. An actual 1937 D-28 in this condition would today likely bring a quarter million dollars. For way far less than this you get to own its clone. The Martin List is $39,999 and the Martin MAP is $31,999.
15-6782 C F Martin (new) OM-21 Cutaway Custom Shop acoustic with an Adirondack spruce top that is finished in 1935 Sunburst, #1236739 with plush lined Geib style hard shell case.
This is not something you will find at any other store or website – it is made for Mandolin Brothers by the Martin Custom Shop. Martin makes very few dovetail joint cutaway guitars, and even fewer still with an Adirondack spruce top. We felt that having a guitar that satisfied both the player that demands access to all of the frets and to hear a sound that is both scintillating and undeniably special is something we have no wish to live without. So we ordered that this model guitar be built for us. It produces unbelievable sound from a 15” wide guitar. Of course, being an OM it has the 1 ¾” nut width and the long scale and the sound is like nothing else you have heard this side of your fondest REM dreams. $3,064 or, at our cash discount price, $2,972.
15-6709 McPherson (new) MG4.5XP cutaway guitar, a tale of Ziricote and Adirondack Red spruce, #0803, with L. R. Baggs ribbon transducer system RTSII pickup with the hidden volume control, and Deluxe Ameritage hard shell case.
We had not previously seen a guitar made of this extraordinary material but have come to love it unconditionally. We now know that although McPherson spells it Zircote’ it is often spelled, like a Cyclops, with an “I” in the middle (“Ziricote”) but when it was in high school its name was Cordia Dodecandra. This exotic and beautiful wood is living under its alias in Central and tropical South America, and, although it is not a Dalbergia, it has been compared both in to Brazilian rosewood. While Brazilian can sometimes contrast mocha against dark chocolate it can sometimes have some reds in it, while Zircote’ is closer to a combination of olive and gray intermixed with black spidery lines, an appearance applauded by scores of guitar players and at least 58 spiders that we’ve seen in or around the garage. Zircote’ is considered a heavier wood, but then so are the rosewoods and ebonies. If you want to impress your friends, when the conversation gets low you can announce that Ziricote’ has a specific gravity of 0.95. That should do it. The “woodfinder” website says: “Ziricote is the most dramatic member of the Cordia genus. The heartwood is brown with irregular dark brown and black streaking; a pleasing ray or fleck figure is visible in quartersawn stock. Ziricote's grain is generally straight, and its texture is medium to coarse. Good for steam bending and easily worked with machine and hand tools, ziricote’ has only a slight blunting effect on cutting edges [what a relief]. It takes a smooth finish, polishes well, and has long been used by natives for decorative craft objects, also for boat decking, turnings, interior joinery, furniture, cabinets and other light construction.” We would like add that it also makes one heck of a fine guitar. This work of the exceptional luthiery arts is available for $5850 or, at our cash discount price, $5675.
AN EXPLANATION OF McPherson Guitars’ abbreviation after the model name:
Much mystery surrounds McPherson guitars. “XP” on the label refers to a slightly larger D-shaped sound hole, approximately 1/8” wider than their standard Non-XP has. The decision to go with a wider opening is in keeping with an ancient McPherson recipe passed on from great grandparent to grandparent, down through the ages, and it depends on wood combinations as well as patterns left by tea leaves. Models that do not incorporate the “XP” are made with their Standard Offset Soundhole Technology™ -- a system that has been developed over many years of extensive R&D. In house, just among themselves, the XP stands for “extra punchy.” Some guitars need this expansion, some don’t, but the decision is made in the preparation and not “on the operating table.” "XPH" is another model code you might see occasionally and refers to a top made from non-traditional woods, of phyla often overlooked or even ignored by other builders. In a McPherson guitar, as if by alchemy, this unexpected wood excels. There are those who feel that an “H” could perhaps stand for “Hybrid.” This designation can be found when they choose the following woods as a soundboard: Flamed Redwood, Flamed Black Redwood, Koa, Flamed Walnut and or any other woods that are less often used as a top and more often utilized on the back and sides.
15-6658 McPherson (new) MG4.5 in Striped Macassar Ebony and Redwood top, #898 with the L R Baggs pickup and hidden volume control in the soundhole, and housed in Deluxe Ameritage hard shell case.
$5335 at our Discount Price, or at our Cash Discount Price $5175.
15-6600 McPherson (new) MG5.0XPH in Flamed Walnut on the top, Flamed Walnut on the sides and back, #0895, Koa bound, with Ameritage Deluxe hard shell case.
This is one of the most beautiful new guitars we have ever seen – we have never experienced a guitar whose body was made solely of this extremely rare tone wood. It sounds different from any other guitar we have, and looks like no other guitar on earth. It paints a picture for the player and the listener that neither has heard before. It may well be the catalyst that awakens the muse within you to secure and inscribe the missing melody, to record the lost chord. Though it may on the surface seem pricey, living without it, once you’ve tried it, may be far most costly. This is $7397 or at our cash discount price, $7175.
15-6707 Dana Bourgeois (new) Country Boy Deluxe, the exceptional dreadnought guitar
made from Golden Highlighted Mahogany and Adirondack “Red” spruce top, #4354 with hard shell plush lined case. $3985 or, at our cash discount price, $3866.
15-6735 Collings (new) 000-1A, #13602 with hard shell plush lined case.
We present a twelve-fret, slot headed Auditorium sized fingerstyle guitar with a slightly wider neck width, a slotted headstock, and 12-frets to the body. The Adirondack is a bit stiffer than regular Sitka and it brings out the presence and articulation of the mellow yet melodious mahogany. $4547 or, at our cash discount price, $4410.
15-6711 Gibson (used, 1960) J-200, sunburst, maple and parallel-grained spruce, Serial number A-34756 and Factory Order Number R4184-16, in very good plus condition with original black Lifton “Built Like a Fortress” hard shell case.
This isn’t called The King of the Flattop Guitars for nuthin’. 1960 was a good year for the J-200. It had the open moustache™ bridge, the decidedly deep and delightful vintage sunburst shading, the four large yellow painted flowers with the 8 equally yellow buds and the 8 ¾” vine on the 9 ½” tortoise color pickguard. It had the 6-ply black and crème top purfling plus the two concentric rings of crème and black around the soundhole, the four-ply back border, the two-ply heel cap and the single-ply neck and headstock binding. This particular example has newer Schaller sealed-gear, large metal button gold-plated tuners installed on its black-capped headstock with the Gibson postwar script logo and pressed flower inlay. The black bell-shaped truss rod cover is lightly bordered in white and held in place by two gold Phillips-head screws. The fully 1 11/16th” nut and saddle appear to be bone – there’s plenty of room left on the saddle, and the bridge pins are matching crème color. The string spacing at the bridge is a comfortable 2 3/16”; the neck is low profile but not skinny . . . it’s just right. The worst thing one can say about this exceptional instrument (and it does sound marvelous, even thrilling) is that there is pickwear on the bass side of the soundhole, and, as well, along the bass edge of the ported orifice. The original owner (not the last owner) was such an uncaring beast that he actually wore down a small section of pickguard adjacent to the lower treble edge of the bottom of the fretboard (to the right of the widders-peak at the bottom of the board), making a small indent there in a manner that we have never seen before. The Brazilian rosewood fretboard shows pitting in the first seven fret positions and there is corresponding friction wear in the finish on back of neck but only up to the third fret. This description may make you feel that this guitar shows a lot of wear, but in fact that, and a small amount of the usual minor dings and nicks are really all there are. Sure there is extremely light (not into the finish) button or belt marks on the back – nothing really – and a gold-plated strap pin insinuated in the center obverse of the heel but it is, notwithstanding in lovely-though-played condition. Gibson made 110 sunburst J-200s in 1960 and 57 more in natural. Rare? Don’t ask. We search the cosmos for J-200 guitars from this vintage-within-memory period and few are ever seen. This vintage J-200 sounds amazing, plays like a lemon peppered grilled salmon fillet on roller skates, and, I must say, tastes every bit as good. $8764 or, at our cash discount price $8500.
15-6708 James Goodall (new) Model Mahogany Concert Jumbo Cutaway, abbreviated MHCJC5204, ordered with the option of the greatly loved and always yearned for Adirondack “Red” spruce top, select, hand-chosen Mahogany sides, back and neck, and the soft Venetian cutaway.
It is a favorite of fingerstyle pickers, and, we believe, it will be your favorite also. $5029 or, at our cash discount price, $4878.
15-6737 Huss and Dalton (new) TD-M Custom Traditional Mahogany Dreadnought, #2274, ordered with the Adirondack spruce top, option, and the Waverly nicke-plated tuner option, and housed in a tweed Huss and Dalton plush lined case.
Huss and Dalton sets a new standard for small-production luthiery when they build a dreadnought guitar made with the original prewar materials. The wide-grained Red Spruce top provides the guitar a level of color, complexity and articulation seldom heard in a new instrument. The squared corner headplate is dark Brazilian rosewood offset by the “Huss & Dalton” logo; the fingerboard black ebony inlaid with 6 tiny pearl dots of decreasing size just the way it was during the Great Depression. The back of the neck is palm-fulfilling but not actually V-shaped, it’s closer to low profile and the fingerboard width appears to be 1 23/32nd” which is more comfortable than 1 11/16th for most players but not fingerpickin’ wide as is 1 ¾”. The aging toner top is bordered in 5-plies of black-white, the soundhole in three concentric rings (the middle of which is 9-plies; the back stripe, end graft and heel cap are ebony and so is the carved bridge that hosts six countersunk ebony bridge pins with mother of pearl dots. This is a guitar whose sound will surprise, whose features will flatter its owner, and whose playing ease will please. $3716 or at our cash discount price $3604.
15-6719 Jamie Kinscherff (new) “High Noon,” #299, in curly mahogany and AAA Master Grade Adirondack, with hard shell case.
$6289 or, at our cash discount price, $6100 Its Texas-based builder writes: “Hey Stan! This instrument has one of my favorite wood combinations, mahogany back and sides with an Adirondack spruce soundboard. It is clear, wram, powerful. The fingerboard and bridge are of Madagascar rosewood and the bindings are East Indian; the bridge pins are snakewood. It is a simple but elegant piece that will excite and re-energize a dedicated player.” $6,289 or, at our cash discount price $6,100.
Coming soon: C F Martin (new) Stefan Grossman Custom Signature Model HJ-38.
This will be a dovetail joint guitar in the Jumbo series, being Madagascar rosewood and Sitka spruce with ¼” bracing, paua shell abalone inlays including Maltese diamond and square in the long pattern, with ivoroid ebony fingerboard and ivoroid headstock binding, a drop-in bone saddle, an abalone rosette, and having an internal paper label personally signed by Stefan Grossman. The list price is $4995 but we’ll find out what the MAP is and we’ll let you know. We intend to order two of them, so if you’d like to reserve one just phone us with a fully refundable $100 “ROFR” (Right of First Refusal) deposit.
15-6568 C F Martin (new) 000-18GE with the option of the 1935 dark sunburst finish, #1230866, a true beauty, Auditorium size, short sale, wider fretboard, modified V-shape neck, with Geib style plush lined hard shell case.
The Martin List is $4349 and the Martin MAP is $3299.
15-6663 C F Martin (new) Custom Shop D-41, #1234065, with Geib Style hard shell case.
This very special Martin guitar, which is unlike all the other guitars that this revered Pennsylvania company makes, is distinguished in four ways, three of them being major structural differences. We have always loved the regular D-41 – it has always imparted a crispy clarity that no other Martin Dreadnought seems to (impart). We have always reveled in its depth of tone, its warmth without muddiness. Then you add the Adirondack spruce top of this Custom Shop version which wood, being slightly stiffer than Sitka adds superb string-to-string articulation and aural transparency. When you add Advanced X Forward Shifted Bracing it frees up the top to vibrate in a more frenetic manner. And when you substitute one-quarter-inch bracing under the top for the regular 5/16th” bracing with which D-41 guitars come equipped the instrument loses all its inhibitions and will now do things when your fingers and plectrum caress its steel wires that guitars would never do for you when you wore those bright plaid shorts with the red sock on one foot up to the calf and a short yellow sock on the other. Finally you get to discard that dowdy thermoplastic molded 640 case and substitute a Geib replication of a 1950s plush velour- lined 5-ply wooden hard shell and, in total, you have a guitar that you may wish to take out to fine restaurants, to the movies, to the Roadside Rest Stop overlooking the Hudson River on summer evenings when the sky turns orange and one’s thoughts revert to love and, well, to mint chocolate chip Italian ices. This guitar redefines all that is possible with just wood, an adjustable truss rod and phosphor bronze wires. It sings with a new voice, one you have never heard. Once you hear it you may not be able to put it down. $4407 or, at our cash discount price $4,275.
15-6697 C F Martin (new) 000-28VS – the twelve-fret slothead guitar that personifies the vision we have of the Martin guitar in the early 20th century, #1223860, with Geib Style hard shell plush lined case.
This has many if not most of the cosmetic features of the prewar original, but it is made of East Indian rosewood and Sitka spruce, and of course it has an adjustable truss rod, which we applaud. It has the aging toner top, etched diamond fingerboard inlays, square slots in the prewar style headstock with the old style Martin logo, old style open-gear tuners, scalloped bracing, a wider fretboard for ease of fretting, a wider string spacing than most guitars have, a tortoise shell color beveled edge pickguard, a prewar back stripe and wood marquetry herringbone top trim. The Martin List is $4399 and the Martin MAP is $3299.
15-6741 Taylor (used, Feb. 1998) Model 812-CE, in excellent condition, #980204125, with brown Taylor plush lined hard shell case.
The Taylor Model -12 is called a Grand Concert sized guitar, but it measures 15” at the lower bout, 12” at the upper, has a long scale of 25.4” and a nut width of 1 ¾” – the fingerpicker’s delight. It has the typical Taylor slim, fast neck and in this instance the ebony fingerboard is bound on each of its 3 sides with white Bolteron (or something similar). Said fingerboard is inlaid with “flying eye” mother of pearl pattern at frets 3,5,7,9,12,15 and 17, with side dots in corresponding positions. The Sitka spruce top has oranged nicely and has an abalone soundhole rosette and a tortoise shell color plastic pickguard. The top is trimmed in 5 plies of white and black, the sides & back in single ply. The back stripe is a tasteful black-crème-red-crème-black purfling. The guitar features Grover Rotomatic tuners, a gold--plated strap pin in the correct spot in the heel of the neck and a jackpin/strap pin at the bottom. This guitar is equipped with a Fishman Onboard Blender – piezo and mic combination. It sounds fine, plays easily and is ready for your tender touch. $2056 or at our cash discount price, $1995.
15-6699 C F Martin (new) D-35JC “Johnny Cash Model” – the guitar in black, #1233756, with hard shell Geib style case.
The Martin List is $5499 and the Martin MAP is $4399.
15-6704 RTaylor (new) Style 1, made of East Indian rosewood and Adirondack spruce, with the deluxe Ameritage hard shell case.
Just like the cutaway EI and Adi guitar preceding, but with no cutaway. Non-cutaways are known for their bountiful output, and their all-enveloping roundness of tone. $4355 or, at our cash discount price, $4224.
15-6713 Santa Cruz Guitar Co., (used, 2003) Vintage Jumbo, sunburst, #VJ3661, in excellent plus condition with original hard shell case.
Per the pronouncements of the public relations specialist at the venerable California-based company Santa Cruz Guitar’s Vintage Jumbo is inspired by the classic round-shouldered dreadnoughts of the 1940's. Improving on a classic isn't easy, but Santa Cruz has taken this revered design to a new level of tonal power and workpersonship in the Vintage Jumbo, creating a guitar that has been compared to acoustic dynamite that figuratively explodes in your hands leaving a gummy coating of what feels like a combination of cooked oatmeal and chicken fat. "Round shouldered dreadnoughts have a unique sound," purrs Santa Cruz president Richard Hoover. "Their deep, rich, bass and sweet strong treble shines in chord-oriented styles like country, folk and blues." The Vintage Jumbo captures this tone and enhances it with characteristic Cruzian volume, balance and complexity. The Vintage Jumbo is constructed from actual mahogany back and sides, and Sitka spruce for the Sitka spruce top. Hand-tuned top bracing developed specifically for this model, tapered x-braces and double-tapered tone bars result in a punchy response. The guitar was designed to favor a sweet thick timbre, capable of delivering greatly increased volume regulated by the intensity of attack. The 1 ¾” width neck width proffers a rounded profile known for its comfort and playability. Appointments include the two-tone tobacco sunburst top bound in invoriod/black/ivoroid, an unbound new asymmetrical shape headstock and SCGC tuners. This example has some finish pushed up above the bridge, and some shrinkage at the edge of the fretboard on either side – these are minor distractions. There is exceedingly light fret wear mainly on the first and second strings in the lowest 3 or 4 positions, a slight ding or mark on a surface – in other words, almost no wear. The guitar is as light as a feather and produces an amazing amount of sonic resplendence. The player may be awestruck by the asymmetrical headstock shape, as well as by the attention to detail and meticulous hand-crafting. The Santa Cruz Vintage Jumbo's suggested list price is currently $3,795 but this used example shall be your own for only $2882 or at our cash discount price $2795.
QUESTION: WHAT IS OVANGKOL? A: First of all, the serious, scientific name of Ovangkol is “Guibourtia ehie.”
Betcha didn’t know that. According to the good folks at Taylor Guitars, Ovangkol is an attractive hardwood indigenous to tropical West Africa. Usually, its coloration runs from yellow-brown to a mottled olive-brown to dark brown, and it features stripes that run from gray to almost black. When it has significant purple coloration, however, ovangkol's variegation and grain pattern closely resemble East Indian rosewood. It also shares some tonal characteristics with rosewood, but boasts the livelier "sparkle" found in such medium-density hardwoods as mahogany, walnut, and Koa. We like it for its clarity and its midrange warmth. It makes a nice sandwich. A nice sandwich.
15-6527 Marc Beneteau (new) Concert Standard Cutaway acoustic guitar, #010507, with integral ebony armrest on the lower bass bout and a hard shell case.
Canada’s hidden resource is this independent luthier. His Concert Standard Cutaway of East Indian rosewood and Adirondack spruce sports an aging-toner finish. It has 14-frets to the body, Macassar ebony bindings, chrome Gotoh “510” tuners with ebony buttons, a Venetian (soft) cutaway. It is constructed of East Indian rosewood with I purflings and a solid mahogany neck with mother of pearl side dotmarkers. The bridge is ebony, the headstock is rosewood veneered. It has a 1 ¾” nut width, 2 ¼” bridge spacing, did we mention the 14 frets, cutaway, the full 25.4” scale? It has a bone saddle and nut, ebony strap buttons. About this guitar the builder says: “I've been building and developing this model since the late 1970s and it continues to be one of my most popular guitars. Genuinely versatile, it is equally responsive to fingerpicking or strumming. Dimensions: Upper Bout: 11 1/4" (28.5cm), Waist: 9 3/4" (24.8cm), Lower Bout: 15 7/8" (40.3cm), Depth: 4 1/8" (10.5cm) or 4 1/2" (11.5cm). This instrument performs effortlessly and sounds commanding and focused. You don’t even realize that you’re playing it, but vast reservoirs of beautiful music burst forth from your loins. Did I say loins? I meant fingers. If you really want to know about this builder I suggest that you click on www.beneteauguitars.com or, if you are reading this in the print version, then your clicking may annoy the people standing nearby. Modestly priced, it celebrates in a direct way this builder’s prodigious talent and the attaining of True Flawlessness. $5000 or, at our cash discount price, $4850.
15-6609 Bourgeois (new) Vintage Dreadnought, #4329, in East Indian rosewood and Adirondack Red Spruce top, with hard shell case.
The best thing about the Bourgeois Vintage Dreadnought is that you don't have to imagine what it might sound like if you had custom ordered it with an Adirondack spruce top. Bourgeois guitars says that this is the only standard herringbone - style dreadnought that can make this claim. Remember that Adirondack spruce, also known as Eastern Red Spruce, was the legendary topwood used on most pre-war American-made guitars. Properly sawn, Adirondack is stiffer than Sitka and Engelmann both along and across the grain. This allows for thinner, lighter tops resulting in lightning-quick response and power to spare. Most guitar-grade "Adirondack" spruce these days comes from the state of Maine which still has large stands of original and second growth softwood forests. Bourgeois guitars are, coincidentally, made in Maine. To maintain a vintage look, they have selected only the highest grade of East Indian rosewood, perfectly matched and quartered with tight, straight grain and darker-than-average color. To round out the visual package, the Vintage Dreadnought also features herringbone top trim, ivoroid body binding, slotted squares and diamonds inlay, premium tortoiseshell pickguard, vintage-style top toner, and nickel-plated Waverly tuners Other features include: a 25.5" scale, one-piece mahogany neck, a bone nut & saddle, ebony fretboard and bridge, high gloss body and satin neck finish, mother of pearl “Bourgeois” headstock inlay, premium tortoiseshell-style pickguard, ivoroid bridge and end pins, a deluxe hard shell case and a Limited Lifetime Warranty from the manufacturer. Your cost is $3572 or, at our cash discount price, $3465.
15-6516 James Goodall (new) Rosewood Concert Jumbo Cutaway with the option of the Adirondack spruce top, #RGCC5145, housed in an Ameritage deluxe hard shell case.
Here we are again, a brand new James Goodall in our favorite size in our hands, the uniquely Goodall cutaway instrument that’s bigger than an OM and smaller than a full sized Jumbo – James and Jean call it the Concert Jumbo. His instruments are more curvy, more sweeping than that of the traditional makers -- in the manner of comparing a ballet dancer to, say, a toll taker (not that there’s anything wrong with being a toll taker, you just don’t expect to be handed your change by Rudolf Nureyev). His guitars are true poultry in motion, winsome on the wing. This guitar sounds so incredibly wonderful that playing it makes us want to own the darn thing. Now. It commands the full breadth of the six-string-based audio spectrum – it conveys open airy woodiness, the sound of the breeze, high over the precipice as it passes you, when standing on the apogee of the Skywalk at Grand Canyon West. It has power, but it has precision, poise and polish. We should say it also brings one pleasure and peace in a way that pieces of peripheral profundity cannot. Individual notes hang in the air in the room in which the guitar was played 20 minutes ago. It doesn’t hurt that it is also beautiful beyond measure with its Koa wood body and headstock bindings, mitered Koa backstripe, ebony-buttoned “510 Super Machine Heads,” polished ebony headplate with the abalone and pearl flying “G,” bone saddle and nut, wide-grained Adirondack offset by an abalone rosette with wooden purfling lines, low profile one piece mahogany neck with its 1 ¾” nut, and its generous and comfortable 2 ¼” bridge spacing. As they say on the Big Island, “When you’re in the mood-all you must try a Goodall.” We’ll see you at the Beloved Mandofarm at mid-day, then. With this superb guitar your acoustic legacy will never be the same. $5,191 or, at our cash discount price, $5,035.
15-6499 Collings (new) SJ (Small Jumbo) in East Indian rosewood and Sitka spruce top, #13369, with plush lined hard shell case.
$3526 or at our cash discount price $3420.
15-6513 C F Martin (new) D-28 Marquis, sunburst Adirondack spruce top, #1223058, with Geib Style hard shell case.
The Martin List is $5399 while the Martin MAP is $4049.
15-6568 C F Martin (new) 000-18GE Sunburst Adirondack spruce top, #1230866, with Geib style plush lined hard shell case.
The Martin List is $4349 and the Martin MAP is $3299.
15-5983 CA (Composite Acoustics) Style X-Performer, #X320131071, all carbon fiber construction, with hard shell case.
This ground-breaking (what’s that noise?!) Louisiana-built design combines the comfort and elements of an OM and a Parlor size plus the ergonomic benefit of a cutaway (all the better to reach you with, my dear). Its voice is suitable for many styles – at home, at play, at work, at rest. You would never expect to hear this much volume and clarity from such a slim contoured instrument. It comes with the L. R. Baggs I-Mix pickup/preamp. The List Price is $2949.99, while the CA “Street Price” is $2199 and that’s actually our Discount Price.
15-6515 David Flammang (new) Model GC-50 cutaway guitar #130, with hard shell case.
David Flammang, the Great American Koa Constructor, resides near the physical center of the continent, in Greene Iowa, located at the center of a tic-tac-toe board back-slash diagonal just down the road from Charles City, and itself a back-slash diagonal north east of Kansas City, KS. Greene is located in the Shell Rock River Valley in the extreme northeast corner of Coldwater Township, Butler County, Iowa. It is famous for having Dralle's 100-year-old Department Store on the main street at the center of town, in addition to several grocery stores, a pharmacy, an auto parts store, an appliance store, a variety store, a photography shop, several restaurants, a bakery, as well as building and farm supply stores. Amidst all this excitement is the legendary luthiery lounge known as Flammang Guitar Works (and munitions storage warehouse due to these guitars exceedingly powerful sound). David is a consummate perfectionist which means that the soup isn’t ready until he says it is, and this one’s ready. From the moment you see that colossally classy headstock – the one with the 7 layers of purfling, some of which are ebony, some spruce and some koa with what appears to possibly be Brazilian rosewood outermost, that surrounds both the top, and a slightly less ambitious purfling of the same materials around sides, back and end graft. The soundhole is even more ornate – 14 plies of crème and black, two rings of koa and a fantastic ring of abalone. The black ebony fingerboard is neo-classical meaning it ain’t got no dots, though there are 6 dots in five positions on the bass side. The distinguished East Indian rosewood headplate bears the stately stylized lower case “f,” the nut and saddle are bone. $5600 at our cash discount price $5432
15-5606 James Goodall (new) Traditional OM, specially ordered in Madagascar rosewood sides, back and peghead overlay, with Adirondack spruce top.
Mr. Goodall’s Traditional OM diverges from the regular Goodallian notion that James invents his own shapes, dimensions and model names. His Parlor is really not an 1880’s Parlor any more than my grandmother is a marmoset -- it is rather more of a Grand Concert with curvy edges; his Concert Jumbo is like a morphed variation on other makers’ Grand Auditoriums. In this instance, however, with the Traditional OM we cast our De Loreans back to 1932, the ante-penultimate year for the original issue of the Martin prewar OM-28 herringbone. Yes, on this guitar (and rarely in general) Goodall provides herringbone wood marquetry for the top, and the rosette. He uses Southwestern American arrowheads in alternating earth tones for the back stripe (it’s gaw-giss), and curly maple for the binding on the top, back, headstock and end graft as well as for the heel cap. Tuners are actual Waverly brand with open gears and grained ivoroid buttons, the Madagascar headplate, bordered in ebony-maple-ebony with maple binding outward embraces the highly colorful pearl “flying G” that symbolizes the genuine goodness of a Goodall guitar. The Adirondack spruce top reflects lofty dignity and nobility. So does the faux tortoise yet extremely believable beveled-edge pickguard; the boxwood bridge and end pins look more than a little like fossil ivory and are inlaid with gleaming mom-o-pearl dots. The black ebony fingerboard is inlaid with 7 bright pearl etched diamonds in 5 fret positions; the body joins the neck at fret 14 with 20 frets in total; the scale is lengthy at 25.4” and the nut is safe, home and happy at 1 3/4”. Three reasons to consider this wonderful widget: 1) This guitar provides an ear-opening listening and playing experience for both the jaded and the sated. 2) It provides you more than sufficient cause to hold it up before your friends, point, and say the hyphenated word that everyone wants to say, that word being “Madi-Adi.” 3) It sounds closer to Brazilian rosewood than any other wood we have thus far found. You may think you have it all but without this guitar your family of vigorous vibrators is, well, incomplete. $6,147 or, at our cash discount price, $5,963.
15-6404 Collings (new) C-10A custom with a 1 ¾” nut width, mahogany sides & back, ordered with an Adirondack spruce top, #13258, with hard shell case.
Only 14 ¾” wide at the lower bout with a body depth of 4 ¼” the Collings C-10 is a small guitar with a huge sound, made even hugher by having been graced with the greatly loved Adirondack spruce top. Everything about this guitar exudes class – from the pompadour (asymmetrical) headstock with the blazing white Collings pearl script logo inlaid into the jet black headplate, with the six small Schaller mini-tuners; from the black ebony fingerboard buffed to gloss on each side, with the 6 pearl markers of diminishing size to the tortoise type apostrophe-shaped pickguard that follows the contour of the body at the waist. The bridge is rectangular and carved of ebony and is the home of six ebony bridge pins with pearl dots and a compensated bone saddle. Being a C-10 means that you don’t have to apologize for not having a diamond dart behind the nart, or a back stripe other than a thin black line. Simple it is in many ways, yes, but at the same time it is as fulfilling an experience as one can have with a small-bodied Adi/mahogany purveyor of the vibratory experience. $4152 or, at our cash discount price, $4027.
15-6310 Collings (new) OM-2H, #13144, with hard shell case.
The Collings List is $3725. $3456 or, at our cash discount price, $3353.
15-6388 C F Martin (new) Model D-16GT-L LEFTY acoustic guitar, #1214708, solid Sapele or Mahogany sides and back, solid Sitka spruce top, matte finish sides and back, glossy finish top, with hard shell carrying case.
The Martin List is $1399 while the Martin MAP is $999.
15-6355 C F Martin (new) 000-28, #1206413, with hard shell case.
A model made nearly continuously since the beginning of time as we know it in 1902, the 000-28 is the archetypical Martin short-scale Auditorium model, measuring 15” at the widest part, having a 1 11/16th” nut, a 24.9” scale and providing the fingerstyle guitarist a joyous acoustic experience. The Martin List is $2999 and the Martin MAP is $2249.
15-6307 C F Martin (new) D-35JC “Johnny Cash” model, the guitar in black, #1214892, Individual Number 358, with hard shell plush lined case.
For MIBs and WIBs we present the GIB. The Martin List is $5499 while the Martin MAP is $4399.
15-6308 Kinscherff (new) Concert Model, #294, with hard shell case. Extraordinarily beautiful, hand made by one of America’s finest independent luthiers whose motto is: “Vita Brevis, Carpe Guitarum! (Life is short, seize the guitar!)”
About this model, the builder says: “The Concert is a smaller guitar which isn’t really small – it’s similar in size to an OM -- but the sound is large, with surprising volume, great projection, and a well-rounded bass. It has the "woody" midrange often associated with this kind of instrument. The Concert model is a favorite among singer/songwriters, and an excellent instrument for recording.” All Kinscherff guitars include hand-selected East Indian rosewood or mahogany back and sides, a Sitka Spruce or Red Cedar soundboard, wood bindings on body and neck, a hand-carved one-piece Honduran mahogany neck, ebony or Madagascar rosewood fingerboard and bridge, an inlay at 12th fret, Kinscherff script on peghead, Paua shell rosette, Gotoh Super 510 tuners, an adjustable truss rod, the Kinscherff Modified X Bracing System Jamie's variation on the classical X bracing system lightens the braces without reducing their strength, for a more responsive guitar, a bone nut and saddle, high-gloss nitrocellulose lacquer finish and a fitted TKL hard shell case. This instrument with its many artistic options, and it considerable sonic superiority, sells for $6100 or, at our cash discount price, $5917.
15-6252 James Goodall (used, May 21, 1998) Koa and Cedar Grand Concert, #KGC1444, excellent plus, with original hard shell case.
This guitar is gorgeous – intensely flamed AAA-grade koa from headplate to back – a three-dimensional marvel of extremely cooperative wood. It was made during a period when Goodall felt that just having both etched diamonds on frets 3, 7, 12 and 19 weren’t enough and so he added mother of pearl flying doves at frets 5, 9 and 15 just to be on the safe side. The body, neck and headstock bindings are all quilted maple, the tuners are gold-plated, the soundhole is bordered in abalone and the back stripe is maple-ebony-maple. The inside label that lists the “Ingredients” reads: Koa, Cedar, mahogany, Mother of pearl, abalone, ebony; and also says “Light gauge only.” However, we did inquire and, about this guitar, Goodall Guitars says: #KGC1444 was completed 5-21-98. The invoice description at time of sale was: AAA Koa Grand Concert Guitar, cedar top, premium abalone- slotted diamond fingerboard inlay plus dove fingerboard inlay, Koa peghead veneer, Schaller mini-tuners, birds eye maple top, back and fingerboard binding.” Like all James Goodall guitars, this one seems to come from another dimension – a dimension in which the lightest touch produces the largest sound, all frequencies are enhanced and the effect is so alive, so melodious and palpably punchy that playing it you feel as if you have just been pummeled by a talented massage therapist. It can redefine your music. $4,222 or, at our cash discount price, $4,095.
15-6323 C F Martin (used, 1960) D-28 #172486, in very good condition with newer hard shell case.
This guitar has seen revision – it has a new neck, circa 1997, the work performed by C F Martin factory. Said neck has the “old style” Martin script decal logo on a matte finish East Indian rosewood headplate, an ebony board with large dotmarker inlays, a diamond dart behind the nut, and a white Bolteron heel cap. It has a newer bridge and this bridge has been planed to a plateau on its top surface. It has a double rosewood bridge plate that includes a smaller rectangular plate directly under the holes – sometimes this is done when the bridge pin holes are worn. It has an internal undersaddle pickup, possibly by L R Baggs. The body of the instrument is oversprayed – the top now glows with orange hue. One may observe areas of wood erosion around the soundhole, a repaired seam separation/crack below the bridge at center (it starts out as a seam sep at bottom side and then veers off slightly to the bass side of the seam near the bridge). It has a replaced pickguard, a split in the crème binding about one inch to the treble side of the neck, the action is moderate, there is a belly behind the bridge. The tuners are the original “Pat. Pend.” Grover Rotomatics, restored to the newer neck. The body shows normal scratches, dings, and wear; there are what appear to be two old, repaired, back cracks on the lower bass side; the guitar is finish checked. Beyond all of this concentrated negativity there lies an extremely fine sounding instrument whose torso was made at the right time, with the right materials and, because of its changes, is priced at a highly affordable level. $6180 or at our cash discount price, $5995.
15-6355 C F Martin (new) Model 000-28, #1206413, with 640 hard shell case.
The Olde Reliable – one of the few Martin guitars that is not scalloped braced and so the sound you get from this East Indian rosewood and Sitka spruce Auditorium-sized fingerstylist’s choice is punchy and midrangey with considerable projection. It is short scale – only 24.9” with a 1 11/16th” nut width so you can play safely at any speed. The Martin List is $2999 while the Martin MAP is $2249.
15-5983 Composite Acoustics (CA) X-Performer, #X320131071, acoustic-electric, graphite, with an ergonomic cutaway, containing a factory installed L.R. Baggs IMix preamp while housed in its very own hard shell case.
How do they do it, those lofty luthiers of Lafayette, Louisiana? How did they design and build a guitar that’s only 2 9/16th” deep at the bottom side, with a long scale of 25.5” and a comfortable nut width of 1 ¾” combined with a bridge spacing of 2 1/4” that sounds like this – big and flavorful – full of both acoustic clarity and aural density – just the way we want a guitar to sound? The neck shape is low profile; the headstock and top are bordered in contrasting pattern graphite and the soundhole is encircled by a series of 24 interlocking crescent moons in mother of pearl. The pickup includes a hidden volume and tone control inside the soundhole for Volume and Mix. The pearl dot inlaid black unbound fingerboard has a matching side dot on the bass edge; the headplate bears the “CA” logo in multi-color abalone or pearl. This handsome guitar is fully capable of rocking both your world and the world of the neighbors upstairs and their neighbors above them. Your CA List Price is $3350 while your CA MAP is $2499.
15-6132 Huss & Dalton (used, 2004) Model CM Cutaway, #1373, in excellent plus condition with worn tweed original hard shell case.
One of our favorite small-company-builder guitars, the Huss and Dalton “CM” model is related to the OM size guitar, but may be a little bigger at 15 ¼” in width at lower bout, 9 ¾” at the waist, 11” at the upper bout, 4 ¾” deep at the bottom side, and it has a 1 ¾” nut, 2 ¼” bridge string spacing, with a scale of 25.4” – making it one of the comfortable fingerstyle guitars on the market. The reason that it’s not an OM is that on the traditional Orchestra Model the width is 15 3/16”, the waist measurement is 9 3/8”, the upper bout measures 11 ½” and the depth at bottom is 4 1/16.” This guitar is in exceptionally clean condition. It has a flourish of pearl inlaid at the 12th fret position in abalone and an abalone soundhole rosette; maple wood body bindings, gold-plated “Huss and Dalton” logo (possibly Gotoh) tuners, black-crème-black top border and black bridge pins with abalone dots. The back and sides are deliciously deep East Indian rosewood and the top is Engelmann spruce. This H&D guitar’s case was sent through an airline conveyor belt and there’s a piece of tweed torn off at the headstock area of the case, there are stickers on the case. We’d like to remind our customers that if they’re taking their guitar, banjo or mandolin on an airplane ride NOT to relinquish it to uniformed handlers, unless it is in a Calton or similarly durable roadworthy case, preferably with a case cover (we like the Small Dog) around it, and even then only if the instrument has been fully insured against all risks. This guitar once had a pickup but Net Annie Moore - the pickup has been removed and the tailpin/jack remains, as does a piece of gray material on the inside back where a small circuit board once bedded. A strap pin has been added to the treble side of the heel. It plays perfectly and easily; the powerful, engagingly smooth lyrical tone is pretty enough to cause tears to well up in both the macho and the mellifluous. $2,675 or, at our cash discount price, $2595.
15-6163 C F Martin “Tom Johnson/Doobie Brothers” Model “Doobie-42” dreadnought, #191701, with special hard shell Geib-level carrying case made of, um, hemp.
This is a beautiful and fine sounding Limited Edition dreadnought that features the striking and tough to inlay “herringbone pearl” trim around the face, the soundhole and the bottom edge of the fretboard peninsula. The sides and back are fine East Indian rosewood and the face is specially chosen Engelmann spruce. This is a dovetail neck joint Martin, of course, with the huge, broad-based tone that a dovetail can produce. We are impressed by its mighty, yet mellow, tonally magnified response. The neck is low profile, the nut and saddle bone, the latter is radiused 16” for the statistically minded; bindings are grained ivoroid, end piece is inlaid with black-white Bolteron (that would be aesthetically attractive protective vinyl). And then there is that beautiful headplate decoration –described as Solid East Indian Rosewood with the Doobie Brothers Logo – a mother of pearl ring w/ select abalone wings, pretty much exactly what we are issued in the afterlife, with a large “old style Martin logo but without the “Est. 1833.” We don’t know how many Martin script logos lack the “Est. 1833” statement. Fingerboard position markers are Style 45 snowflakes – made of select abalone with a quarter note inlay at the 12th fret. The pickguard is tortoise color, beveled and polished; it has the long scale neck, the 1 11/16th” nut width, the string spacing is 2 1/8” at the bridge. The interior label bears the individual number #6 of 35 and it was signed by Tom Johnston, founding member, and C F Martin IV. Always fascinated by the sound of this essential American group and appreciative of both the sound and the detail we recommend this guitar highly. The Martin List is $8,499, the Martin MAP is $6,799.
48-4708 Collings (new) 000-2HA, #11743, with plush lined hard shell case.
The Collings people are especially gifted due to their association with the Great God Gnivri, the high and mighty, but mostly just high, Lord of Lutherie. A chance encounter with this lizard-like character during a tropical storm back in 1978 has resulted in our being able to own guitars that live up to the promise made by certain labor union leaders during the Great Depression that had to do with wooden objects that vibrate and the method by which they are constructed. In this instance it is the prewar ethic reiterated - to include the world’s most wonderful top wood (Adirondack spruce), not something readily available any longer in a Collings East Indian rosewood guitar, a polished Brazilian rosewood headstock with squared slots, six wonderful Waverly side-mounted open-gear tuners, an unbound ebony 1 13/16th" wide fingerboard that baby-sits 5 etched diamond pearl inlays in three fret positions (well, 5,7,9 since you ak'sd). This is a long scale instrument at 25.4". The soundhole is bordered in 19 rings (Gnivri likes the number 19) of ebony and ivoroid purfling, the top in spruce and ebony herringbone; the carved ebony "pyramid" bridge has a bone saddle compensated at the B and then six ebony bridge pins with pearl dots and a matching tail pin at the bottom. Sides and back are select East Indian rosewood, so straight-grain and flawless that you'd think the guitar was made for a corporate mogul with an uncommonly large bonus. Behind the nut is a diamond dart, that is not only attractive but it always points north. This instrument sounds simply amazing and plays like a three-day holiday weekend. $4,315 or at our cash discount price, $4,185.
15-6172 Taylor (new) Custom Shop 914-CE, Purple-Top, #20070319132, with brown textured tolex Taylor hard shell case.
Once in a while a customer will request a special instrument, made to their own specifications. This East Indian rosewood sides and back guitar is a top-of-the-line in the numbered series Taylor Grand Auditorium made with the addition of a large and colorful rose inlaid into the polished ebony headstock overlay, having maple bindings on top, back, neck and headstock, the Cindy inlay pattern in the ebony fingerboard, with the hummingbird alighting on the flower on the 14th through 18th fret. The ebony carved bridge is likewise inlaid with flowers on each side. Of course you get abalone around the face and abalone around the soundhole, a mahogany three-piece neck with the new scarf joint instead of the old finger-joint, hosting six “Super Machine Head 510” burnished gold-plated tuners and having a gold strap pin in the neck heel. The heel cap is delightfully flamed maple, and the back stripe a simple line of white fiber. It goes without saying that this guitar plays effortlessly and sounds like a million dollahs. Although this is designated CE it is, by request, acoustic-only. The list price is $6746. This one’s sold but you could phone us and we’ll get you a price for the Custom Taylor of your choosing.
15-6006 C F Martin (new) D-7 Roger McGuinn 7-string guitar (it has a doubled G-string), #1190359, with hard shell case.
The Martin List is $2999 while the Martin MAP happens to be $2,399.
15-5838 Breedlove (new) Revival Series OMM-Deluxe, #9678, with hard shell case.
Breedlove not only makes fanciful fretted instruments of their own design but they also make traditional models that pay homage to the great guitars of the late ’20s and early ‘30s. This is one of them. Made with an Adirondack spruce top and beautiful golden highlighted solid genuine mahogany, this majestic monolith of an instrument is only $2775 or, at our cash discount price $2692.
15-5597 C F Martin (new) 000-28ECHF Bellezza Bianca (“White Beauty”) whose stark and formal finish is solid white over maple and spruce, #1157905, Individual No. 282 of 410 made, with special white hard shell case.
An extremely fine sounding guitar whose interior label is hand signed by Mr. Eric Clapton. This is a collectible beyond compare. Here’s what the Martin Company has to say about it (paraphrased): in the summer of 2004, C. F. Martin introduced the Bellezza Nera, a spectacular black 000 guitar with silver accents collaboratively designed by British guitar legend Eric Clapton and Japanese fashion and music trendsetter Hiroshi Fujiwara. It proved to be a huge hit: a total of 476 of these visually and sonically inspired guitars were produced, making it one the most popular limited editions in Martin history. Clapton and Fujiwara have finished work on this, their newest guitar collaboration for Martin; a sister instrument to the Bellezza Nera, but in creamy white with a touch of black and pearl for dramatic effect. As beautiful as its predecessor in appearance and tone, this stunning 000 guitar could only be called Bellezza Bianca (“White Beauty”). The twosome opted for a unique combination of solid tone woods -- a top crafted from book matched Engelmann spruce, producing clear, full tone and outstanding balance. Scalloped 5/16" top braces enhance the top’s dynamic range. Big leaf flamed maple back and sides contribute bright timbre and impressive projection. The 1 3/4" (at the nut) modified V-shape neck with diamond volute is carved from genuine mahogany, something Martin isn’t doing much any more, due to the increased rarity of the wood. It has polished gloss white finish on the body and neck, a distinctive rosette of “slotted diamonds” inlaid on a black background first seen on Bellezza Nera; fine pattern herringbone purfling surrounds the top and divides the back. Cream colored grained ivoroid binding trims the top, back and side edges, with fine black/white/black line purflings accenting the back and sides; the grained ivoroid end piece is likewise accented with black/white/black inlay. A beveled and polished black pickguard continues the black and white theme. Like the Nera, Bianca’s bound and polished black African ebony headplate showcases the “alternative torch” inlay – a highly stylized design created for one of the first Martin 00-45s in 1902 – in vibrant abalone pearl and this is balanced by special Sterling Silver-plated mini-tuners with Sterling Silver-plated buttons. The bound black African ebony fingerboard, highlighted by mitered black/white line inlay, bears Martin’s Style 45 snowflake position markers from the 1st to the 17th fret, and “Bellezza Bianca” in subdued script between the 19th and 20th frets. To increase sustain and clarity Bianca is fitted with a bone nut and compensated bone saddle. Carved from black African ebony, the belly bridge comes equipped with black ebony bridge pins inlaid with abalone pearl dots; a matching pearl inlaid ebony endpin is also included. Fitting for such a unique white guitar, each BB is delivered to you in a distinctive white Geib style case with white plush lining and features a special white interior label signed by Eric Clapton, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Martin Artist Relations head Dick Boak and Martin Chairman C. F. Martin IV. The Martin List is $5,999 and the Martin MAP is $4,799. As of the date that we published this update, we have four (4) of this superb guitar in stock. This means that you can come to our showroom, or ask us to do this for you if you’re far away, and try out as many guitars of this model as you wish to play. Choose the very best one from among a wide sampling. They all sound different, as you know, but you will have the best of the lot. If visiting is out, call us and we’ll play some of these for you over the phone.
15-5870 C F Martin (new) DM12, twelve string guitar, #1191401, with hard shell case.
The DM series guitars are very fine sounding, considering that they are made with a solid spruce top glued to laminated mahogany sides and back. How do they do it? How do they get these guitars to sound this good!? List is $1349 and the Martin MAPola is $999.
NAMM NEWS from COMPOSITE ACOUSTICS
guitars which company has a few new products to share. First, is the GX-Performer. This guitar is a large body cutaway, very similar to a typical Grand Auditorium, but with big- bodied tone. It also includes CA’s exclusive X-series cutaway technology and is nicely equipped with an L R Baggs iMix system. MAP pricing on this is $2500. There are also two new COTs (no, not temporary bedding, it’s the Crown of Thorns, or you can just call it COT – either way it’s one of our favorite graphite guitars). One is a dreadnought with a Fishman Aura specially voiced for this guitar, and the other is a Performer X-COT. Both also have a MAP price of $2500. Composite Acoustics now offers custom finishes! Colors such as Deep Sea Blue, Dark Green, Cypress Burst, and our Vintage Burst. The Deep Sea Blue and Dark Green will be available on X Performers and Legacy Performer at no additional charge. The Cypress Burst and Vintage Burst are available for a MAP upcharge of approximately $750. Have a special request? For example - do you want a Vintage Performer with Fishman electronics? No problem. Just let us know and we’ll price it out for you.
15-5911 Ovation (used, 2005) Model S-771 which is also known as The Balladeer Special, #587510, with original molded Ovation hard shell original case.
Even at the lowest end of the portion of their product line that is made in the USA (in New Hartford, CT, actually) Ovation makes an extremely good sounding instrument that’s easy to play and that sounds big, full, and delightfully clear. Not only that but this has their OP-30 preamp (a modular unit that pops out and in like a jack-in-the-box, and yet, only when you want it to come out). The top is matte finish; the soundhole rosette is 9 plies of white and black, the top is bordered in a black purfling line against a crème bordered edge, the back is black lyrachord; the back of the neck is one piece of a mahogany-like wood (maybe sapele?); the tuners are Ovation guitar visual sealed-backs with nickel-plated metal buttons; the neck shape is low profile and comfortable; the manufacturer provides a strap pin in the bass side near the neck, a matching strap pin at bottom, a jack at bottom, and an ebony heel cap. The headstock bears an Ovation logo in black –the letter “O” forming the same guitar depiction as are on the tuner-backs. Its top is a straight-grain Sitka spruce that’s wide grain – and as you know “wide grain is wonderful sounding.” This is a genuinely nice guitar that would make a fine “take anywhere” instrument. For its modest price it can’t be beat. $619 or, at our cash discount price, $600.
15-5611 Guild (new) Contemporary Series C0-1C acoustic, TJ284003, with hard shell case.
Behold a vintage style F-30 body with a soft Venetian cutaway, natural, made of solid mahogany on the back & sides, solid western red cedar for the top – yes, friends, Guild is back in the guitar biz-nizz, big time. With Don Wade at their helm Guild is producing, way up in Tacoma, WA guitars that bring back memories of the Hoboken-label instruments of their first 10 years. The original Guild F-30 model was, in 1954, named Aragon – you know, an area in northeastern Spain, the ancestral home of painter Francisco de Goya. The original was 15” wide – this one is 15 ¼”. The original had a 15.5” scale, as has this; we do not know what the nut width was back in 1954 – most likely it was 1 11/16th” -- but this has the fingerstyle favored 1 ¾”. This guitar has 10 mother of pearl dotmarkers in a light colored fingerboard that is, if not rosewood, something equally exotic; it has an equally light- colored bridge and a stunningly close-to-Brazilian looking headplate inlaid with an old-fashioned script “Guild” logo. Guild provides you a strap pin in the bass side near the neck, and they also provide, in this modern version, an internal D-Tar 18V pickup with hidden volume and tone controls within finger’s reach just inside the bass edge of the soundhole. Said pickup’s preamp is powered by a fiendishly clever tailpin jack that easily unscrews to reveal a cavity in which two AA batteries are purring away, doing their thing. Unexpected features include an attractive 7-ply soundhole rosette in exotic woods of varying colors and a striking back stripe of alternating parallelograms of spruce and ebony, bordered in black and red. Great sound, extended access to all frets, and the tradition of 53 years (plus a cutaway) all wrapped up in one beautiful instrument. The Guild List is $2499.99 and the Guild MAP is $1875.
15-5669 Santa Cruz (new) Tony Rice Model, #5297, natural select Sitka spruce top, East Indian rosewood sides and back, plush lined hard shell case.
If you go to the Santa Cruz Guitar Web site you will find their brief description of the Tony Rice Model as follows: “Contemporary bluegrass master Tony Rice's unique style demands more than a typical dreadnought can offer, so we designed this instrument that combines the bass presence of an old D-28 with more substantial midrange and treble” but this in no way tells you the whole story. The Santa Cruz model is, of course, the first recreation to appear on the scene of Clarence White’s 1935 C F Martin D-28 Herringbone, currently owned by Tony Rice. The original legendary guitar – a guitar so good that it sends shivers up and down the spine of persons who are not even in the same room, had, in the past, been modified to have a larger soundhole -- approximately 4 ¼” in diameter -- and a longer neck -- approximately 18 ¼” from nut to bottom side of the bound ebony fingerboard. At this point we should mention that regular dreadnoughts have a nominally 3 15/16th” soundhole and a fingerboard length of 17 15/16”. The original guitar also has no fingerboard inlays. This guitar has no fingerboard inlays except for the stylized, script, “Scgc” logo inlaid in frets 12 and 13. The teardrop pickguard is made from prewar style dark tortoise-color celluloidoid; the back stripe is zipper wood marquetry; the diamond dart is sharply defined; heel cap, body and neck bindings are grained ivoroid. The headstock is deliberately left blank, just like the last page on that annual financial report (and proxy slip) that comes in the mail. It has Santa Cruz logo open-gear, butterbean button metal tuners. It has herringbone top and soundhole border, spruce and ebony purfling on both sides and the back, a wood marquetry zipper back stripe, crème (ivoroid) body and fingerboard binding, a modified V-shaped neck with a fingerboard that, with the ivoroid border, measures 1 23/32nd”, providing the player more room in which to comfortably work without having to be 1 ¾”. R. Flounder, Mr. Jay, happens to like this neck size a lot and so he has personally owned and primarily uses his own Tony Rice guitar that can be seen, anytime you like, by clicking on http://www.mandoweb.com/Sjmess.htm (Don’t try clicking on this if you’re reading the printed version of The Vintage News as nothing will happen, probably.) This guitar plays magnificently! What fun it is, and what an incredibly powerful, sweet sound it has! “Like a string quartet,” somebody once said. Chances are you will love owning and playing this guitar which is, in every way, superlative and special. $3,549 or, at our cash discount price, $3,443.
15-5319 Collings (new) Sunburst Top D-2H, #12170, with hard shell plush lined TKL American Vintage Series hard shell case.
As we’re sure you already know, in the annals of the most revered new six-string guitars known to the huming race, those made by the Collings Guitar Company of Austin, Texas are considered the sacred cow, the heavenly heifer, the rarified rodent. In other words, it is that which every man and woman -- the richer and the poorer, the sickly from Sewickley [zipcode 15189], the nimble and the pinball -- all have on their personal Wish Lists. Obsessed is every picker in whose minds there flicker the devotional notion that nothing’d be faulted if their guitar was exalted and nothing’d be appalling if they only owned a Collings. And, if that Collings were a sunburst top D-2H then life would truly be sublime. You wouldn’t even have to bathe, let alone eat. Just look at those pictures ladies and gent’men and tell me that you really don’t want any. $3,619 or, at our cash discount price, $3,510.
15-5416 Composite Acoustics (new) Bluegrass Standard acoustic guitar, #D440912061, with hard shell case.
You can see the fabric, the carbon fibre from which the instrument is constructed, under the clear surface of the finish. Against this glorious repeating decorative brick-like pattern is a soundhole rosette comprised of three concentric rings of varying widths, with four diamonds overlying in the NE, SE, SW and NW positions. The black fingerboard is inlaid with 9 pearl dotmarkers in 8 positions. Come to our showroom and play “the other” fine carbon fiber guitar in their Special Edition Series – this is the only CA we currently have that was made to be played unamplified and thusly voiced differently to emphasize projection and a boost in the lower mids – the range of tone that has the license to drive the bluegrass band. But you don’t have to play in a bluegrass band to enjoy this instrument for it finds its purpose in fingerpicking and rhythm as well. It has, as do CA guitars do, a sensuously smooth finish and a fast, facile neck. If you want to fill the hall with sound, it’ll do that with ease. The Composite Acoustic List Price is $2,850, our Discount Price is $1999.99.
TAYLOR GUITARS! Mandolin Brothers has one of the finest on-display selections of new Taylor Guitars in the Greater Metropolitan Area! We have over 30 of them! You must come visit and play them, all of them. Here’s the list (subject to change as we sell and replace individual guitars):
15-4864 Taylor (new) 414CE Grand Auditorium w/cutaway & pkp, #20060424041 with hard shell case.
The Taylor List Price is $2468. The Taylor MAP is $1849.
15-5362 Taylor (new) 710-CE LTD 2006 special edition acoustic-electric dreadnought in East Indian rosewood and Engelmann spruce top, #20060824104, with hard shell case.
The Taylor List is $3598 and the Taylor MAP is $2679.
15-5268 Taylor (new) 714-CE Grand Auditorium, Cedar top and East Indian rosewood sides & back, with cutaway and pickup system, #20060807126, with hard shell case
The Taylor List Price is $3678. The Taylor MAP is $2749.
15-5150 Taylor (new) LKSM-12 Leo Kottke Model 12-string acoustic guitar, #20060621149, the guitar that’s tuned down 1 ½ tones to C#.
Its unique timber and that tuning makes every note you play on it sound like Leo Kottke is playing in your living room. With hard shell case. The Taylor List is $3298 and the Taylor MAP is $2449.
15-5149 Taylor (new) NS72-CE Nylon String Grand Concert Cutaway, rosewood sides and back, #200606217053438, with hard shell case.
The Taylor List is $3438 and the Taylor MAP is $2549.
Taylor (new) T-5C Custom electric guitar with the solid Spruce top and all the switch combinations that allow nearly unlimited versatility. It plays like an acoustic but it sounds like a hot (hot) electric guitar that may change the direction of your music forever. Serial No. 20060321501 with hard shell case. The Taylor List is $2998 and the Taylor MAP is $2299.
15-5346 Collings (new) D2H with the 1 ¾” nut width option, #12319, with plush lined hard shell case.
East Indian rosewood and Sitka spruce. $3248 or, at our cash discount price, $3150
15-5329 C F Martin (new) 000-28EC Eric Clapton in Sunburst top, #1160643, with hard shell Geib style case.
Martin List is $4399; Martin MAP is $3299.
48-3537 Bryan Galloup (used, 2004) Solstice Cutaway, #0308, made of Master Reserve Brazilian and Sitka, in near mint condition with original green hard shell case with brown leather top binding.
This guitar is made from the most beautiful dark, swirly Brazilian rosewood sides, back, headplate and back plate, contrasted by a black fingerboard that is bound in rosewood with a white-line border. It also sports an abalone soundhole rosette, Brazilian rosewood top and back bindings, an ebony bridge with two-piece bone saddle - separated at birth for intonation excellence. We are extremely happy to report that the butt wedge is mitered, and the back stripe is the unique Bryan Galloup design of being trifurcated and mitered in a design much like the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel. The bottom edge of the fingerboard terminates in a French Curve. Its tuners are actual nickel- plated Waverlys. The wood-bound headstock is asymmetrical at its top edge and mega-tapered like a snake herd, with the bold Galloup "G" inlaid in pearl at the top. As is typical of the guitars of this august Big Rapids, Michigan builder, the sound is superlative, the playability perfect. It is accompanied by a photocopy of the “Galloup Guitars Reserve Stock Certificate of Authenticity” which reads: “This certificate verifies that this instrument is built from my Reserve Stock tone wood supply. [These woods] meet only the highest standards for beauty, clarity, rarity and tonal superiority.” $6181 or, at our cash discount price, $5995.
15-5515 Breedlove (new) Focus 12-string cutaway, #9228, sunburst top, back, sides & neck, with L. R. Baggs Dual Source pickup system and hard shell case.
Breedlove, one of our favorite 12-string guitar makers, has done it again – they’ve produced a smaller body, 15 5/16” wide, long scale, flame maple sides and back, Sitka spruce top, electric-acoustic 12-string at an elevated level of both timeless beauty and aural affluence. This tympanic timber will give any 12-string player the shivers. Breedlove is the company that builds most of their guitars with the patented JLS Bridge Truss System – called JLS because it makes other builders JeaLouS. In case you are not familiar with this system, which alleviates the tension on the top, here’s what Breedlove says about it: “Since 1990, Breedlove Guitar Co. has been using a unique device in our guitars that has allowed us to brace our tops in a very progressive way, concentrating primarily on the top’s acoustic properties. There is a synergy that results from a graduated top thickness, balanced scalloped bracing, a pinless bridge, and the JLD Bridge Truss System. This has given our guitars their own distinctive sound, one that is highly dynamic, bringing out a “piano like bass” that results in a remarkably well-balanced tone for application in a broad variety of musical styles.
This cantilevered truss counterbalances the string tension to create a relaxed top and guarantees structural integrity of our steel string guitars. A relaxed top maximizes wavelength response.” All of this sounds highly technical but the fact is that when you play a Breedlove 12-string it’s almost impossible to go back to that dowdy, aging-technology 12-string that you leave at home when you go out on those mysterious “business trips” or “hunting with your friends.” The Breedlove 12-string will do what Bob prophesied – it will soon shake your windows and rattle your walls, but in order to have this happen you must pick up the phone and say those three little words for which every picking person yearns: “I want one.” From its glorious abalone rosette – set against a deep three-tone sunburst that provides the onlooker a small glimpse of eternity (no, really, don’t take my word for it) to the 7 “rising bat” abalone fretboard inlays, and from the white-black-white top purfling to that precipitous “watch what happens to my marble when I do this” cutaway and, oh yes, the wing-ed bridge, this is a flight of more than just fancy – it’s a veritable rocket ride to rejuvenation. $3769 or at our cash discount price, $3664.
A new brand name comes to Mandolin Brothers: R TAYLOR GUITARS:
Bob Taylor, co-founder of Taylor Guitar Company and considered one of America’s highest level production luthiers, and right-hand-man Larry Breedlove, who in 1990 co-founded the Breedlove Guitar Company but who continues to work at Taylor, came up with this body design specifically for R Taylor Guitars. Bob and Larry then felt that they needed to integrate this new Small Jumbo design into Taylor brand guitars, and that’s how the Taylor GS (Grand Symphony) came to be. On the R Taylor guitars you will find, feel and hear a lot more attention to detail. The illustrious Tim Luranc was formerly the Taylor guitar long-time head of repair but now heads up the R. Taylor shop. Even though he’s the captain of the team Tim is also in charge of final assembly; he commands possession of the neck and body and “takes it from there.” Then, not content to merely sit in his office with his feet up on his uncluttered desk contemplating the view of San Diego Bay and Coronado Island, John DiMaggio, Sales/Product Manager for R Taylor guitars, checks and plays every guitar before it goes into the case to be shipped to the dealer (that would be us). John has an enviable job. Two craftspersons named Keith and Eric make the necks and bodies, and the sole finisher is one Josh Carter. This means that a grand total of only four people build these new, exciting guitars. Bob Taylor’s own hand-made, uncompromised, high-end instruments take their place in the big house up there on the hill that is chock full of “pleasurable, smooth things that vibrate that you almost can’t put down” and no, they don’t require any batteries because they don’t have a pickup.
NEW GUILD IMPORTS FROM OVERSEAS – A BEST BUY!
You have never played a guitar this inexpensive that sounds, feels and looks this good! R means rosewood sides and back, E means "with pickup."
15-5097 C F Martin (used, 2006) OMC-Aura LEFTY, #1129220, cutaway, in excellent plus/near mint condition (maybe even near mint plus), with original hard shell case.
For a standard model Martin this is quite fancy – the features one is immediately drawn to are the “C F Martin & Co., Est. 1833” inlaid in abalone script on a striped ebony headplate that’s bordered in white-black-white. Then there’s the open hexagon abalone fingerboard inlays in 8 positions starting at the first fret, then the top is bordered in abalone and so is the soundhole, and if this weren’t enough the carved ebony bridge is inlaid with twin abalone hexagons. The sides and the back are bordered in black-white and the neck in three-ply as well. This particular guitar has “upgraded nickel hardware with ebony tuners. The back stripe she is -45 style colored wood marquetry. As if this weren’t a big enough treat for the lefty player on the bass side is a preamp for the sophisticated internal pickup system that is the Fishman Aura – it gives you “image selection” in case you want to change your image, anti-feedback, a built-in tuner, phase, tonal controls, an “edit” control, volume, and an Aura-pickup blend. Wow. More fun playing amplified guitar than you could ever have thought possible, but with an acoustic presence and sensitivity that would make any new-age player weep salty tears. This beautiful instrument is $2056 at discount price, or at our cash discount price $1995.
15-5079 C F Martin (new) OMC-41RS “Richie Sambora” model six-string, #1140113, Individual No. 58, made of Madagascar Rosewood
– the closest material in beauty and sound that we have found to its Brazilian cousin, and an Alpine spruce top, in a delightful western sunburst (orange to brown ‘burst) finish with hard shell case. To hear C F Martin Company tell it – it goes like this: The body size is OM for the Six-string Samboro and an M (0000) for the 12-string, each having a rounded cutaway. The cutaway enhances tonal balanc and provies access to the upper frets without having to stand on a library stool. The premium solid woods chosen for these models reflect a connoisseur’s appreciation for tone, the top being Italian Alpine spruce for brilliance and richness while the and back and sides are of welcome, wonderful Madagascar, the tone-wood considered by several to be closest in appearance, projection and clarity to Brazilian horse wood. Appointments include an abalone Style -41 top inlay and Style -45 soundhole rosette against the top’s unique vintage yellow to brown tobacco Sambora sunburst. The face, back, head plate and fingerboard are bound in grained ivoroid and all but the top feature black/white purflings. The grained ivoroid end piece and heelcap have identical black/white fine line accents. The distinctive pyramid belly bridge with Stauffer point is carved from black African ebony. A black polished and beveled pickguard protects the top and also reflects low level gamma radiation so as to protect our reproductive organs (just checking to make sure you’re still reading). Unique inlays highlight both the black African ebony fingerboard and head plate – as follows: beginning at the 1st fret and continuing to the 17th, small abalone hexagon position markers light our way down the fingerboard and are bordered with exclusive mother of pearl (not the kind they sell at the supermarket), which are in turn accented on both sides by delicate black line inlays. Mr. Sambora’s inlaid signature appears between the 19th and 20th frets and yet the head plate showcases an exclusive “Heart and Cross” or “Body and Soul” Martin torch inlay in abalone and mother of pearl inspired by a bracelet designed by Mrs. Sambora. The list price is $6999 but the Martin MAP is $5999.
15-5193 C F Martin (new) Richie Sambora Model MC12-41RS cutaway, Madagascar sides & back, Alpine spruce top, pearl inlaid, twelve-string guitar, in that same “autumn sunburst” finish as the six-string, #1144387 with an individual number of #55.
The description of this absolutely wonderful 12-string cutaway guitar is pretty much identical to the description of the six-string OMC-41RS except of course for the other 6 strings, 4 of which are tuned an octave higher than the original 6, and the top two are in unisons. It’s a wonderful sight – those twelve individual C F Martin logo sealed-back “mini” tuners with metal buttons, those outlined abalone and pearl hexagonal inlays starting from fret one, that unique vintage yellow to brown tobacco hue to the Sambora-shaded top, the comfortable, low, effort-free action, the 12 ivoroid bridge pins with the large abalone “all seeing eye” dots and of course the internal Fishman pickup with the end jack/strap pin at the bottom. We should also mention the white-black purfling on three sides of the fingerboard, and the always welcome bordered abalone trim around face and soundhole plus the -45 style colored wood marquetry back stripe. All this adds up to a guitar that is literally without peer in the world of modern acoustic 12-string instruments. The List Price is $7199 and the Martin MAP is $5699, which is interesting because it’s $300 lower in MAP than the 6-string even though it has 6 more gold plated tuners and a longer headstock.
15-5084 John Buscarino (new) Cabaret, #MB06945906, cutaway classical-jazz, custom made with a “double top” being a combination of bear claw spruce with cedar inside --
sort of like what those classical builders in Australia who have the worldwide reputations and prices even higher than this are doing, and also a snake wood bridge, an internal B-Band pickup system, a bear claw top that is so aberrant that even its own mother won’t let it in the house, a fine hard shell case. This model has a carved East Indian rosewood back that is gorgeous enough to send some players into spasms, an Honduran mahogany neck, twin, gold-tone three-on-a-plate Gilbert brand tuners that look like they were made for space shuttle re-entry – very industrial looking, I must say, and impressive – with outstandingly pretty, snake wood, buttons. Then, too, there’s a floral shaped sound port on the bass side upper bout to allow the player to, himself or herself, hear what the audience is applauding for faster than the audience gets to hear it. Although it has no finger markers on its 2” width at the nut, striped ebony bound ebony board, it has rosewood body bindings with a contrasting stripe of black-red-black on each side, top and back, it has a wood marquetry repeating pattern soundhole rosette so detailed that looks like great-grandma quilted it just for you. It has a “flying B” pearl inlaid logo in an East Indian rosewood slotted headplate, a rosewood truss rod cover held in place with one gold screw, and like my late nephew Herbert, it has a snake wood heel cap (his heels got cold). This guitar has crisp clarity with significant mid and bass response – the sound is so unique, so powerful and broadly based – in every way this is nothing short of amazing and beautiful beyond all words. $7700 or at our cash discount price $7469.
88-2347 Santa Cruz (new) Custom Order OM-Mahogany, #2747, with hard shell case.
Pretty much exactly the same as the East Indian rosewood custom version reviewed above, including the custom features of Advanced X bracing, Adirondack spruce top, abalone rosette, Waverly tuners, but this one is made from select grade mahogany for the sides & back and is so ineffably light that it would almost seem to want to float to the ceiling, but when you see it and play it you won’t want to take your hands off of it and so that will not actually happen. It is most unusual to see a mahogany sides & back guitar with herringbone top trim, zipper back stripe and end graft, three ply bound fingerboard and headstock but this one has it, and it also has, at no extra charge, exquisite tone, volume and sensitivity to the touch. Only $4,078 or, at our cash discount price, $3,956.
TOP-OF-THE-LINE MARTIN GUITARS: A SPECIAL SECTION
IT IS SAID THAT Mandolin Brothers of Staten Island, NY has one of the largest and finest selections in the Acoustic Universe of C F Martin new high-end, Limited Edition, Signature Model and hard-to-find guitars. Here’s a current selection (subject to change without notice).
The C F Martin GE series:The C F Martin MARQUIS series:
88-2714 C F Martin (new) D-18GE, mahogany and Adirondack with the 1935 dark sunburst finish top,
#1030791, with Geib style hard shell case. Current list for each is $4449, current Martin MAP is $3349.
The C F Martin ARCHTOP series, designed by Dale Unger:
48-4153 C F Martin (new) Model CF-1,
acoustic archtop with floating pickup, natural finish spruce top, flamed maple sides & back, #1101229, with hard shell case. Martin List is currently $4649, Martin MAP is $3499.
88-2502 C F Martin (new) Model CF-1 Sunburst,
acoustic archtop with floating pickup, sunburst finish spruce top, flamed maple sides and back, #1019060, with hard shell case. Martin List is currently $5649, Martin MAP is $4249.
The Mandolin Brothers/C F Martin Custom Guitar Series. Some of these Custom guitars are on back order with C F Martin but you can reserve one by providing a $100 “Right of First Refusal” deposit. Call or email for more information on availability.
NEW FROM BABICZ GUITARS: Early details on the latest shipment of Babicz Six-string Sigmoidoscopes. They are:48-4922 Model TRI-OMCXRW-06e - theTribeca OM Cutaway Rosewood
w/ Element pickup, SN#0611203. The MSRP is $1158.00 and this includes a hard-foam case. Call us for our pricing!
48-4923 Model OT-818TB-06-2He - the Octane with Tobacco Sunburst Top
, 2 Humbucking pickups with Element pickup as well, SN#0611001. The MSRP is $2549.00 and this includes a hard shell TKL case. Call us for our pricing!
BACK IN THE FOLD: Mandolin Brothers, Ltd. is pleased to announce that we have been named an Authorized Dealer of Taylor® Guitars by the Taylor Guitar Company of El Cajon, CA. We will be stocking a representation of the full line and are excited by the new models we have seen.
Currently in stock, with more to come; please phone or email for more information, additional photos. Keep in mind that we are stating only the List Price and MAP (Manufacturer’s Minimum Advertised Price) here – you are invited to phone us for any and all additional information – we are certain that you would find a phone call to be most informative -- since we charge less than the List Price and even less than the MAP price in most instances.
48-4806 Taylor® (new) Model T5-C Spruce Top, a startlingly new and superb-sounding electric-acoustic thinline cutaway, sunburst spruce top, #20060321501, with three blended pickups and a hard shell case.
The T-5C is one of the first original designs in acoustic-electric guitars in a very long time. Everything about it is sleek and stylish and it is so much fun to use you may ask yourself, after trying it, why you are still struggling to play that dowdy old hollow body. The accompanying instruction sheet (©2005 Taylor Guitars) reads, “The acoustic & electric worlds have merged. Plug into your electric or acoustic amp and experience the new world of the Taylor T5 Thinline Fiveway.” And then, the sonic Variations – “Position 1 – Acoustic Tones (closest to the neck). Position 2 – Neck Humbucker – warm and round. Position 3: Bridge Humbucker (retro twang to killer crunch – start here for high gain). Position 4: Neck + Bridge/Parallel: ‘50s Hollowbody. Position 5: Neck + Bridge/Series: fat and punchy.” That’s a lot of versatility, but that’s not all you get. You also get a low profile 1 11/16th” nut width, a white bound ebony fingerboard with eight ghostly images inlaid in mother of pearl suggesting a slowly dropping alien coming down in a spider-like fashion, but without the silken thread (we don’t need no stinking thread) for a soft landing on the 19th fret. You get four plies of black-white trim around the face, a bound ‘board culminating in a wave at the bottom, a gold lipstick-tube-style humbucking pickup closer to the bridge than the fingerboard, a conventionally shaped ebony carved bridge with 6 black ebony bridge pins, and two bifurcated f-holes, each of the four sections pointy and bound in white. The combination of those three pickups is dramatic and compelling, and the List price . . . is $2998. The Taylor MAP is $2,299.
48-3299 Bruko (new) Octave Guitar, ISI-1409, with a nicely made gigbag.
This is a delightful, useful, inexpensive instrument, made for travel, made for children or adults, made for portability, made in Germany. It is all-wood including what appears to be mahogany top, sides & back, maple three-piece neck (for strength and durability), with a rosewood nut and pinless bridge, and what might be a stained mahogany fretboard. The nut measures a comfortable 1 10/16th”, total length is 23 ½”, scale length is 14” from the zero fret to the bridge, the body width is 8”. Tuners are decent quality three-on-a-plate with ivoroid buttons. Its round soundhole is bordered in black-white. Tuned exactly one octave above a regular guitar it is the perfect instrument for playing James Taylor’s “There’s something in the way she moves, or looks my way, or calls my name” on helium. $228 or, at our cash discount price, $221.
HOT NEWS: Announcing: The new Martin 00-18H Geoff Muldaur Custom Edition. C F Martin is debuting a special Custom Edition that pays tribute to Geoff Muldaur’s contribution to acoustic music
and his unique and focused loyalty to Martin guitars. Geoff has long been a champion of 00 12-fret models for their ease of play and evenly distributed sound. As a founding member of the original Jim Kweskin Jug Band and seminal figure in the folk and blues revival, Geoff continues today as a popular touring musician with a strong world-wide following. This includes an especially loyal fan base in Japan. He is identified strongly with the elegant sound of his 00 Martin guitar and so Martin chose a 12-fret slothead model to commemorate this wonderful recording artist.
The C F Martin (new) 00-18H Geoff Muldaur is a dovetail joint Martin, sunburst top, having the Grand Concert body with 12 frets to the body joint.
The sides and two-piece back are actual mahogany and the top is Adirondack spruce.
The rosette is old style -18 (single inner and outer rings). The top is supported by ¼” scalloped bracing (our favorite); the ribbon kerfing is Spanish cedar (which gives the instrument that unmistakable new guitar smell that we crave), with a tortoise color end piece. The back purfling is Style 18 black fiber, the binding is tortoise, the top binding is Style -18 also with b-w-b-w-b Bolteron inlay, Bolteron being the God of Truck Chassis. The neck is one-piece of solid mahogany and forms a low profile shape similar to that of an OM-42 except having a nut width of 1 13/16th” which translates to 2 ¼” at the 12th fret and 2 5/16th” at the bridge (string to string). Needless to say, the truss rod is adjustable, the headstock is slotted and square and tapered with squared slots and no diamond dart. The headplate itself is African Black Ebony and bears the old style Martin decal plus the C F Martin, Nazareth, PA stamp on back of headstock. The heel cap is ebony, the nut is bone and so is the drop-in bridge saddle. Fingerboard markers are old Style 18 with descending abalone dots at frets 5, 7, 9. You will find that the body and headplate finish are polished gloss lacquer and the neck finish is satin. The prosecutor will also show that the tuners are Waverly/Irving Sloane W-48 bronze side mounts with open-gears and ivoroid buttons. Strings are light gauge and end pins are Michael Gurian made ebony. Pickguard is polished and beveled as we ourselves aspire to be. The interior label is signed by Geoff Muldaur and C F Martin IV. The List Price is $4998.
THE MARTIN GUITAR COMPANY announces an ELLIOT EASTON CUSTOM EDITION.
This new guitar commemorates the musical contributions Of Elliot Easton, the acclaimed guitarist For The Cars and Credence Clearwater Revisited. As you known, Elliot is a guitarist¹s guitarist. He is high profile in the industry and is a major advocate for left-handed players. The model is called “HD-Elliot Easton Custom Edition” It is a dreadnought, non-cutaway, having a gloss lacquer body, made of Adirondack spruce on the top and quilted mahogany on the sides & back. It comes standard as a LEFTY HANDED or, as a special order, a righty version can be obtained at no additional charge. Each guitar will have a gold plated strap button on it’s pretty little neck heel. The soundhole rosette includes a herringbone center ring; the bracing is advanced X forward shifted; the two-piece back hosts a zig-zag back stripe; the braces are 5/16² in width; the top is bordered in grained ivoroid with fine pattern herringbone; the neck shape is modified-V, the headstock square tapered with a diamond dart on the back; the heel cap grained ivoroid. Fingerboard inlays are diamond and square in the long pattern; interestingly, matching the body the neck is gloss lacquer in the dark mahogany stain; the bridge is black ebony; the bridge spacing is 2 1/8”, the saddle is Tusq® and compensated; tuners are gold-plated Waverlys with butterbean buttons; bridge and end- pins are white with a red-eye tortoise colored dot. The label is hand-signed by Mr. Easton and Mr. Martin and the guitar is factory equipped with medium gauge left-handed strings. All Specifications Subject To Change Without Notice This Custom Edition carries a C F MARTIN suggested retail (List) Price of $5300.00.
48-4099 Avalon “Gold” (new) D-200CE, #A00938, acoustic-electric with hard shell case. Avalon does it again – a uniquely designed matte finish “Made in Ireland”
just for us dreadnought with a cutaway so steep you could hurt yourself just contemplating it. When they say “cutaway” they mean, basically, “sliced off with a machete.” This is an East Indian rosewood sides and back instrument having rosewood binding on top and back, rosewood-spruce-rosewood top binding, an solid mahogany one-piece neck, three-ring circuits surround the soundhole, and heel cap and headplate are East Indian rosewood, the latter bearing the gold Avalon logo and stylized A. It has the Fishman Prefix Pro side-mounted preamp and internal pickup system. Controls include sliders for Bass, Middle, Treble and Brilliance, rotaries for Notch and Volume and a two way toggle for Phase. Easy to play, crispy and clear, full’o’rich response. $2213 or, at our cash discount price $2146.
48-4255 Bourgeois (new) Country Boy Deluxe, #3704, figured mahogany and Adirondack, with hard shell plush lined case.
One of the finest sounding and most beautiful mahogany and Adirondack dreadnoughts to grace our office furniture in some time, the Bourgeois CB-Deluxe is actually pretty astonishing sounding. It has all of the depth and aural focus of a very old, venerable D-18 guitar (as from the ‘50s) but it adds a level of harmonic complexity and brilliance in the mids and highs that you would never find in the old guy. This is probably because a) late ‘40s, ‘50s, ‘60s and even ‘70s mahogany dreadnoughts had non-scalloped bracing, and this has quite scalloped bracing, b) certain modern builders, with the knowledge of all that came before, can make a guitar today that captures the best of the past and combine it with the unsurpassed tonal range that modern technology and today’s wood choices and workpersonship can accomplish. This guitar feels perfect – it doesn’t have a V-shape neck! Why do those other makers insist on a V-shape neck when today’s player may just prefer a comfortable 1 ¾” low profile neck – a neck that still has heft but allows rapid, precise access to the full fourteen frets and beyond? Well, Bourgeois does this extremely well and throws in gold-plated open-gear Waverly butterbean button tuners, a diamond dart, alternating wood marquetry purfling around soundhole and bordering the top, a carved ebony bridge, beveled edge tortoise shell pickguard and back and sides of golden – nearly three dimensional – mahogany. Other features include a squared headstock, 1 23/32” nut width, rosewood body binding with black-white purfling, black fretboard binding, a wood rosette, black-line back stripe, small dot inlays, gold-plated Waverly tuners, a premium pickguard, and bone bridge and end pins. The sound is scrumptious, the feel unfettered, and the price well within reach. $3707 or, at our cash discount price, $3596.
Bill Collings new 0-18, a concert sized guitar in mahogany and Adirondack.
Collings Guitar Co. is still working out the pricing on the new single-0. Basically, the guitar will be priced along the same lines as their D-1 dreadnought and OM-1 Orchestra Model. The only uncertainty at this point is that they haven't decided what the standard neck will be. The “01ASB” that is shown in the famous photograph taken at the Summer NAMM show that is now making its way from person to person by email had a new vintage neck profile with a 1 3/4" nut width, but Collings needs to decide whether this will be the standard configuration for this model or as added upgrade options. We can tell you that an 01A will require the standard upcharge of $750 for an Adirondack top and $500 for a sunburst top should you desire those features. If you wish to place an order for a future delivery, just email or phone and let us know – let us know the options you desire and we’ll get you a price and time quote.
D-18 Authentic 1937 [List price: $7,999]
The new D-18 Authentic 1937 goes well beyond the already highly acclaimed Golden Era D-18 in faithfully replicating the specifications, materials and processes used in the construction of the original pre-war D-18s. This hand-constructed model draws its inspiration from a stellar 1937 example and employs the use of hide glue as well as a T-shaped neck reinforcement bar. Other significant features include: an Adirondack red spruce top with circa 1937 contoured Adirondack bracing; a specially shaped tortoise-colored pickguard; a narrow tortoise-colored end piece; old Style 18 abalone position markers; grained ivoroid side position dots; black ebony fingerboard and bridge; fossil ivory nut and saddle; black ebony pins; and a vintage case.
The Martin LX Realtree® [List price: $649]
This special edition LX Realtree model is sporting the extremely popular Realtree Hardwoods® HD™ camouflage pattern incorporated into a custom high-pressure laminate that is used to construct the body and headplate of this Little Martin guitar. The pattern (developed by Bill Jordan) is designed to mimic the look of the real outdoors. Realtree’s proprietary High Definition® printing process brings this pattern to life. The camouflage pattern appears on the headplate, top, back and sides. Using custom high-pressure laminate makes the guitar durable and scratch-resistant. The camouflage idea is a first for Martin. The Gotoh tuning gears and strap button are finished in Cosmo Black, which complements the Realtree Hardwoods theme. A natural-colored Stratabond neck adds strength to the design. This guitar will appeal to guitarists worldwide but also to anyone interested in the outdoors and sport hunting. Each instrument is furnished with a custom-made Realtree patterned backpack-style gig bag, complete with an embroidered hunter’s orange C. F. Martin & Co. logo, that will help you blend into the natural environment while traveling from home to the woods or back again!
88-2143 C F Martin (new) OM-42, #1002584, with hard shell case.
Back in the year 1930 C F Martin made exactly 2 OM-42 guitars. It would turn out that these were the only two prewar OM-42 guitars C F Martin produced in the original period. The demand for that model has always been extraordinary; if either of them turned up for sale today it would probably sell for around a quarter of a million dollars. The current Martin guitar is close to the original in many ways. Notable differences include that on the new guitar the sides and back are East Indian rosewood and on the original they would have been Brazilian; the original top wood was Adirondack spruce, the modern top wood is Sitka, and lastly there is an adjustable truss rod in the new guitar and a low profile neck. The prefix OM means Orchestra Model which was a variation on the 000-Auditorium size, in that the Orchestra model has the 000 body attached to a long-scale, 25.9” from nut to saddle, neck, and also has a 1 ¾” nut width (many 000 size guitars have a smaller 1 11/16th” nut width). The combination of the slightly wider neck and the long scale makes the OM model an ideal guitar for fingerstyle playing, and some fingerpickers have called the OM “the perfect guitar” because of its exquisite balanced tone and considerable volume. This particular OM-42 retains most of the pre-WW2 Martin features, including having aging toner on the top, diamond and snowflake fingerboard inlays, large snowflake bridge inlays, a tortoise shell colored celluloid beveled edge pickguard, abalone (pearl) trim around the top, around the “tongue” of the fingerboard over the body and around the soundhole, it has butterbean button gold-plated, open back tuners, grained ivoroid bindings on neck and body, an ebony bridge and fingerboard, the old style Martin decal on the rosewood headplate, “C Martin F” vertical abalone peghead logo, a fancy colored wood marquetry backstripe, and abalone inlaid crème bridge pins. It is a fancy instrument, and a fine sounding, easy-playing one as well. The guitar with the hard shell case carries a List Price of $5,849 and a C F Martin “MAP” of $4,399.
Here’s what we have in stock in Huss and Dalton guitars. We are temporarily out of stock on the H&D OM Model but there’s one being built for us. Same with the cutaway CM. If you wish to reserve the next possible one, or place an order for nearly any standard model we don’t presently have on order, just provide us a $100 “right of first refusal” deposit.
48-3103 Bourgeois (new) Vintage OM, #3437, in Indian Rosewood back and sides and Adirondack top, with hard shell case.
$3150 or, at our cash discount price, $3055
48-3121 Martin (new) 000-42 Acoustic Guitar, natural top, #1047464,
pearl inlaid around the face, the soundhole and the bottom border of the fretinsula, with hard shell case. The C F Martin List is $5649 while the C F Martin MAP is $4,199.
88-2757 Blueridge (new) BR-160 rosewood 14-fret dreadnought acoustic guitar, #04091805 with hard shell case.
A great deal – a fine sounding all solid wood guitar, for very little cost. With case, only $820 or, at our cash discount price, $796
48-3357 Breedlove (new) OMM Deluxe Revival Series Acoustic Guitar, #7746,
in Mahogany back and sides with the Adirondack (Red) spruce top, and with hard shell case. $2599 or, at our cash discount price, $2521
88-2957 Ovation (new) 2005 Collectors' Edition guitar, #210 with deep yet extremely comfortable specially contoured body and hard shell case.
The Ovation List Price is $1999
88-2645 Jeff Babicz Hand-Made, (Independent Luthier of Newburgh, NY), New Model called “D-esque” #LTD-6S, Serial number 06, with hard shell case.
The D-esque, Jeff’s version of a startlingly different dreadnought, is an unforgettable instrument to see and hear. The back and sides are constructed of a striking segment of Cocobolo wood, with a lighter grained material called sap wood that runs along the top (by the soundboard). This material resides closest to the bark nearest the outside. It features Macassar ebony body binding, rosewood neck slide plate, an ebony face plate, Cocobolo neck binding, ebony tuner buttons – Grover mini locking tuners, mother of pearl dots, side and fretboard , ebony fingerboard, Mother of Pearl logo, Adirondack top, internal Adirondack “IcZ” bracing, a compensated saddle, an adjustable bridge. Everything about his maker’s work is remarkable – not the least of which is the gliding, gear-regulated, fully adjustable, neck joint that allows a musician to regulate playing action from fingerpicking low to bluegrass high “on the fly” – while in concert, with the turn of an Allen wrench. The visuals are stunning, but the sound is exquisite. $6418 or at our cash discount price $6225.
88-2719 Babicz (new) Jumbo Rosewood.
$1151 or, at our cash discount price, $1116
88-2660 Babicz (new) Dreadnought Rosewood.
$903 or, at our cash discount price, $876
88-2319 C F Martin (new) HD-28VL Lefty Dreadnought Guitar Vintage Series, #1013611, Geib style hard shell case.
The List Price is $3649; the MAP is $2699
88-2347 Santa Cruz (new) OM Custom-Ordered guitar in East Indian Rosewood with Adirondack top, abalone rosette, advanced X bracing, with hard shell case.
$4078 or, at our cash discount price, $3956
GOLDEN ERA
88-2558 CF-1 C F Martin (new) Archtop, natural, #1027501, with hard shell case.
List $4999, Martin MAP $3699
88-2502 CF-1 C F Martin (new) Archtop, sunburst, #1019060, with hard shell case.
List $4999, Martin MAP $3699.
NEW ACOUSTIC GUITARS
We have four new Babicz Identity Series guitars
in stock, as of this writing. Jeff Babicz (pronounced “Babbits”) is the designer who has come up with a whole new way of looking at the six-string idiom. His guitar utilize nearly the entire string length due to having six string anchors in a semi-circular pattern in the lower bout of the top, to generate sound from six points and not just one. It has the Allen-key activated (the key is provided and is also a key feature of the instrument) neck that adjusts backward and forward on a track and allows the player to regulate the guitar’s action from sensitive, new-age “low as possible without buzzing” to “stand back, I’m a bluegrass guitarist and I know how to use a flatpick” attack mode. Lastly, as if that weren’t enough, you get a bridge that, with the loosening of three small screws, moves north and south on a track and allows you to set your intonation properly for what may be the first time. Great tone, a volley of volume and fine finish work at a price that centers around a thousand dollars, give or take $125, and you can have an instrument that you can build a reputation on.
88-1567 C F Martin (new) D-1 Lefty Acoustic dreadnought 985002 with hard shell case.
For the sinestral traveler. This one’s sold, but we can easily order you another one. Just phone us. 718 981 8585. The Martin List price is $1199 and the Martin MAP is $899.
88-1735 C F Martin (new) 000C-16GTE Premium acoustic-electric, #971978,
with hard shell case. The List is $1949, the MAP is $1449.
88-2032 C F Martin (new) 000-28, #1001167 with hard shell case.
Play as intricately as you’d like - the 000-28 can handle that and more. List Price is $2999, while the MAP is $2249.
88-1788 CF Martin (new) 000X1, #997616, with no case.
The solid spruce top is what gives this guitar its remarkable tone - it may be an auditorium-sized instrument, with a 1 11/16th” nut width, but it holds it own with much larger models. List Price is $719, while the MAP is $549. You can add a Mandolin Bros/Levy’s of Canada zipper gigbag for an additional $69.
88-1749 CA Guitars (new) Model “COT” -- Composite Construction acoustic-electric, #510099 with hard shell case.
Perfect for the player who loves playing electric, but needs an acoustic to get the job done - with class, style, tone - and bite. Has an interesting “sunburst” of red abalone or something around the soundhole. The List Price is $3000 but the CA MAP is $2249.
88-2302 RainSong (new) JM-3000 12-String - all carbon fiber acoustic-electric twelve string guitar, #7791, with hard shell case.
These non-wooden instruments sing it sweet, and are playfully easy-going, despite their hardy resilience to the outside world. The List Price is $3,195, however the RainSong MAP is $2229.
88-1544(sold), 88-1545 RainSong (new) OM-1000 Graphite Acoustic Guitar, #7502 with hard shell case.
Do you think they call them “RainSong” because you can play it in the rain? Or because the tone is so pretty that you can hear the notes as raindrops falling? List price for each OM-1000 guitar is $2995, but it’s available to you at a RainSong MAP of $2099.
88-1786 Huss & Dalton (new) Custom Order 00-sized 14-fret Indian Rosewood & Adirondack top grand concert, #1182, with hard shell case.
This sweetest of instruments has a 14 fret neck, 1-3/4” nut width, displays figured back and sides and a herringbone rosette around the soundhole. Since almost no other fourteen fret 00-21 guitars have been made in the last hundred years or so, this one Willie Mays you. Try it and be tongue-tied. One of the best sounding (and beautiful) new grand concert sized guitars you will have recently seen, with big tone for the player with a large appetite.
Jamie Kinscherff is a luthier based in Texas. A one-man operation, as he tells us he generally produces 18-20 instruments a year. Creator of Kinscherff-Modified X Bracing System, his philosophy is as follows: use the finest materials available and put into each instrument the engineering and craftsmanship that will result in excellent tone, playability and physical beauty. We agree and feel that he actively accomplishes his goal. We proudly present:
88-1780 Kim Walker (new) “SJ” – a Style B Special in 16” body width, in the most desirable Brazilian rosewood and Adirondack spruce set you could ever hope to find, #176, with deluxe hard shell case.
This guitar is a 61-piece orchestra in your living room. It is made from AAA+ Adirondack Red Spruce and AAA+ Old Growth (just like what some of use see in the mirror on Monday morning) Brazilian rosewood (from Brazil). It has fossil ivory (dead walrus) bridge pins, end pin, and nut, and a bone saddle, it has Waverly brand tuning machines, and it is housed in a classy, plush lined American Vintage Series case. It is, quite possibly, the finest sounding, most tasteful and most beautiful new guitar that is, at this very moment, for sale anywhere in the world. We have seen people’s expressions that have played it in our showroom (under our watchful eye) and to say that they were stupefied and nearly drooling is, actually, an understatement. Some drooled but fortunately only into their shirt pocket, which we held open for them with one gloved finger. Regrettably for you (unless you’re one of ‘em) eleven prescient people have given us their hard-earned $100 “Right of First Refusal” deposit and we’re making our way through the list to see which lucky person among these eleven will say the simple, but oh-so-important words “Yes, I’ll take it.” $13,919 or at our cash discount price, $13,500 by, say, wire transfer of funds. [THIS GUITAR IS SOLD, but please contact us if you’d like to get on the list to reserve a future delivery.
88-1323 Jeff Babicz LTD-6 Cutaway, High-Tech, like-nothing-you’ve-seen or heard Acoustic Guitar, Serial #1 (yes, one!!!) in a TKL hard shell case
[THIS GUITAR IS SOLD BUT WE HAVE OTHER HAND-MADE BABICZ GUITARS.] Personally handcrafted by luthier Jeff Babicz (pronounced Babbits) of Newburgh, NY, who is limiting production of his hand-mades to no more than 6 to 12 of these premium models. How premium? Well, it has highly figured Brazilian for the back and sides as well as the headstock front and back plate, gold plated hardware including Schaller tuners, and Mah-Stah Grade Engleman spruce for the top. The tone of this guitar is unequaled in its Sonic Purity and features the Patent Pending "icZ" technology, a proprietary method that allows his guitars to send players, pluckers and pickers into orbit without any expensive chicken lunches with the Governor. Before we get into the extraordinary tone, there are plenty of features to discuss. The pretties include a master-grade mahogany neck topped with an ebony fretboard, bound in tortois(oid) and a border that's purfled in gold, a inlaid Abalone rosette surrounds the soundhole, a mother-of-pearl inlaid "Babicz" logo as well as top and side dots. The torque-reducing split bridge and retainer are made of ebony in a way that allows for lifelong intonation adjustments. These components are secured to the sounding board with a unique fastener design, which can be easily repositioned, while the saddle height never needs to be adjusted. The result is permanently enhanced tone and volume. Now let's talk about that Master Mahogany neck, built "by a musician for musicians." A key is provided for the back of the neck (you'll see where - there's a little gold plate) that allows you to adjust the action height from an as-low-as-you-can-go-electric feel, to a high in the sky slide without ever altering the scale length or the pitch - it stays in tune! Within the cavity, you can see the set screws that apply pressure to the internal mechanics of the patented neck lifting device. But even with all these technical coolnesses, the first thing you'll notice is the string anchors. Spread across the bottom of the board like a bevy of bananas, lateral compression is created across the soundboard, increasing the strength inherent in the design, while allowing for a more delicate internal bracing - the result of this is increased vibration of the top, you know, a sonic poem! Oh, and did we mention the sliding-drop shaped matte-clear pickguard? Ah ha. I thought we had. You can have all of this - custom feel, constant balance, cool tone and the sonic poem! $8900 or, at our cash discount price, $8633 [SORRY, SOLD]
88-1807 Jeff Babicz (new) “Identity” Model Dreadnought Cutaway ID-DCRW-06, #0410003, with hard shell case.
Complementary to the hand-made (completely by Jeff Babicz) Brazilian rosewood gargantuan above, this is a production version of the “Icz” system currently available for the talented player who just happens (just today) not to have $8,633 to spend. These are hand-made guitars, from a factory about 60 miles north of Jakarta in the Javanese region of Indonesia. It is constructed from all solid wood including Javanese rosewood (which is probably some cousin of Brazilian), including contrasting sapwood coloring at the middle of the bookmatched back and on the treble edge of both sides (it’s gorgeous). It has solid Sitka for the soundboard, Javanese mahogany for the neck, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, rosewood headplate veneer with the Babicz decal logo, and the “Identity” engraved plastic truss rod cover. The unbound board is inlaid with 8 mother of pearl dots and the headstock bears black chrome sealed gear tuners. The most important part of all this is that “Icz” (pronounced “Its”) system which allows the player, with minimum effort and almost no time at all, to change the height of the neck and fingerboard off the body, to tune your own action on the fly. Unlike devices which change the angle the neck, this method changes string pitch only minimally, and does not affect the scale length at all. The instant visual recognition occurs when you see that guitar has six string anchors in a semi-circle about 6 ½” below the bridge saddle. The purpose of extending the string below the bridge is to create lateral compression in the soundboard. Analogy: when you detune a drumhead and tap it you get very little sound – when you tune it to pitch then volume is released, it becomes alive acoustically. This is exactly what occurs with this new (and exciting) patented acoustical system. The bridge is a two piece construction – torque reducing design – that is secured with fasteners that can be loosened and the bridge can be re-adjusted for intonation throughout the life of the guitar. We know players who have dreamed of having this kind of flexibility, that is the player who is sensitive to mis-intonation. When the bridge is split in the manner this you reduce your forward rotational torque (of the bridge itself) which prevents the soundboard from warping. The spruce top has considerable cross grain and features a dyed-wood rosette in sort of peacock feather pattern. The sound of the guitar is remarkable – full, deep, with a cello-like bass response – the bass response past the fifth fret is not choked. It is woody, full of air while still retaining great projection. This model lists for $1195. It has, unfortunately sold, but we’ll get more! Future deliveries of this model will be priced at an extremely affordable $985 or at our cash discount price $956.
88-1284 Otto "Matt" D'Ambrosio (new) "Prelude" acoustic archtop, #030503, with hard shell plush lined case.
[THIS GUITAR IS SOLD, but let us know if you'd like to be notified on the next one.] We have been waiting for over two years for Matt "Otto" D'Ambrosio to send us a guitar to sell. Finally, he has done so. The builder, himself, says about his amazing guitar: "These Instruments are truly individual pieces, they represent the player as much as they do me, the builder. Tone, as is evidence of love, and toe secretion, is purely a subjective thing. It is my responsibility to capture, conceptualize and create an instrument that reflects the dreams and wishes of the player who seeks nothing less than perfect sound in a flawless acoustic instrument. Aside from all those formalities I believe that all my instruments have a deeper and more complex tonal range and that they are the first archtops that successfully produce the enhanced clarity of a flattop instrument. People ask me to make my instruments out of odd and unusual materials ranging from Ash and Bubinga, to Wolfberry (don't look at me like that, it's Symphoricarpos Occidentalis) and from common Yarrow to Zebrawood. Write this down: Alternative woods could have a negative effect on my craft due to the fact that the species of wood with which I am an eager bedfellow, (i.e., maple), can be manipulated to get a very wide range of tone - much wider in fact than you could ever get from everyday Wolfberry or common neighborhood Yarrow. It turns out that in the Beginning of the New Era - that is, the Month in which Mandolin Bros. will have had, at their showroom, one of my new guitars for sale, you will finally be able to hear all this for yourself. Do not let anybody else hear it for you, it is for you, existentially, to determine whether this guitar does the things to and for you that you never thought possible. However, I am sure you will enjoy it. Play it, try it, pluck and hear it, and let me (or Stan, or Denny or Jamie) know what you think. It has been a great pleasure to build this instrument, but not nearly as much as the thought of my getting paid at the end." Thus says Matt (Otto). To this we can but add that this is a thinner depth archtop in violin nitrocellulose lacquer finish, with a dramatically quilted maple on neck, sides, back and golden maple body bindings. It has a solid and carved Sitka spruce top, and solid carved northwest (that is, near Seattle and in British Columbia) AAAA quilted maple on the rest. That body depth, in case you were waiting, is 2 3/8”, and body width is 17”, scale is 25” and the bone nut measures 1 23/32nd” to allow maximum finger freedom without claustrophobia. It has an ebony carved violin style tailpiece with two cut-out triangulated holes in the tradition of Salvador Dali’s melting clocks. It has stainless steel rings (hollow steel circles) as position markers and side dots. It is strung with Phosphor Bronze .013 mediums and yet is extremely light in weight due to its graphite reinforced 12” to 16” radius neck. For its thinner than standard size it has a pleasing bass response and an extremely wide range of tone. Mr. Otto (Matt) says that, if it is desired by the purchaser as an after-market item, he can install just a floating Kent Armstrong pickup for $150 or the pickguard plus pickup for $250. This guitar, with its hard shell case, is $6,181 or at our cash discount price, $5,995 [SORRY, SOLD]
88-1289 Breedlove SJ-25, cutaway mahogany sides and back jumbo 12-string, #6328, with hard shell case.
When we think about the fretted instruments made at the highest level of their genre, in the hallowed halls of habitation in which, when its home, lives the acoustic twelve-string guitar, the residents silently mouth the word “Breedlove” while angling their heads reverently toward the skylight or the transom, whatever’s handy. That’s because this small factory, located in Tumalo, Oregon, just around the Bend from the ski slopes, due in part to its brilliant and thoughtful composition, and by its use of the patented Bridge Truss System, removes most of the stress of string-pull from the top, which, in turn, allows the instrument to stand clear of the moving platform of sonic obstruction. One cannot help but contrast its tortoise shell type bindings on top and back and matching heel cap with its shiny gold twelve matching tuners on the upward-graph black-plated headstock with the stylized inlaid “blowing B.” We so greatly admire the art deco motif of five dot markers on the base edge of the front of the actual ebony fingerboard up to the 12th and then, from the 12th downward four more on the treble edge, or the winged one-piece bridge with the compensated high white saddle. Voyeurs will especially enjoy looking up under the bridge end to admire the pastel-colored ball ends from the set of D’Addario EJ-38 Phosphor Bronze light 12-strings provided by the maker. The sound, as is true of any Breedlove twelve-string, is unlike any guitar having this number of vibrating wires you have ever, in your life, played. It is this way in walnut, this way in rosewood, this way in maple, this way in Macassar ebony, and, yes, this way in mahogany also. Of Breedlove it’s said it has always been thus, double the tonal range, warm up the bus. $2638 or, at our cash discount price, $2559.
88-1230 RainSong JM3000 12-String Graphite/Carbon Fiber acoustic jumbo 12-string, #7344, with hard shell case.
The RainSong List Is $3195. The RainSong MAP is $2229.
43-0610 Martin D-41 pearl inlaid top and rosette, fancy dreadnought guitar, 938920, with hard shell case.
If you are seeking the dreadnought size, a truly inspired Martin model for a moderate price is their D-41, this style knocks one’s Thorlo lightweight crew length trail walking socks off every single time one play one. They shall forever be chasing socks. Its crispy clarity is not surpassed by any other Martin D-size model in this price range. If I were seeking an all-purpose fingerstyle or flatpicking performance dreadnought, this would be a primary consideration. We'd be happy to ship you one on a 3-day approval basis if visiting our showroom is not, for some reason possible or convenient. The D-41 guitar seems to glisten like a diamond visually, and its artistic brilliance is reflected in its unequalled sound. The list price is $4699, but your new Martin MAP (the minimum advertisable price) is $3499.
43-0652 Martin 00-18V, Vintage Series Grand Concert acoustic, #942182, with hard shell case.
Ah, the V, for victory, vibrato, and vichyssoise. The list price is $3199 but your new Martin MAP (the minimum price a Martin dealer is allowed to advertise it) is $2399.
43-0431 Breedlove (new) C-15 Grand Concert soft cutaway guitar #5085, with hard shell case.
A shallow body East Indian rosewood back-and-sides laden critter made with Western Red Cedar Top for its face, and bearing gold-plated Grover Rotomatic tuners. The Breedlove guitar company is known for its exceptional craftsmanship and has a stellar reputation for selecting the finest tone woods available. This lil' beauty is no exception. A finger picker's dream, this guitar also offers the flatpicker a reason to shout (in fact, that's the sound we think we hear outside our door on the Oakland Avenue side of the building). This guitar is slightly larger than an OM model, having a body width of 15 and 3/8". Also like an OM, it has a 1 3/4" nut width, and an even longer scale of 25.5". However, the cutaway is unlike any we have seen on a traditional OM, and echoes the headstock motif, being a gently sloping C-shape with a triangularly shaped ledge abutting the neck heel on the treble side. The cedar top adds an aura of smoothness and liquidity to the tone, especially in the mid-range, and the Deco dot inlays (5 on the bass edge and 4 on the treble) inhabit a jet black ebony fingerboard that permits an extremely fast and comfortable action. The sides are each tortoise bound, the top, she is bound with 4 plies of purfling and the back with 2. The soundhole rosette is a design that Breedlove favors comprised of 4 semi-circular strips of highly colored abalone, each separated by a 1/8" space. The ebony 2-piece pinless bridge comprises a winged presence, a notable Breedlove proprietary design. The sound is crisp and clean, with a great deal of melodious presence and a long sustain. The List is $3799 and we were thinking of demanding $3329 or $3229 for it but, instead, we'll provide you this meaty morsel for $2,938 or the Greenback Advantage Price of $2,849.
3 NEW MODELS ANNOUNCED BY SANTA CRUZ GUITAR:
We don’t have these in stock yet, but if you’d like to try one please submit a fully refundable $100 “Right of First Refusal” deposit and we’ll get you one:
Santa Cruz Vintage Southerner
, similar to the Vintage Jumbo, a mahogany back and sides short scale (24 ¾”) guitar that is 16” wide, in tobacco brown glossy finish, having dotmarker inlays, 1 ¾” nut width, 2 3/16th” width at 14th fret, unbound headstock, black fingerboard binding on an ebony board with a Sitka spruce top, tortoise type pickguard, ivoroid bindings, medium gauge strings, nickel plated Santa Cruz tuners, 2 3/16ths” bridge string spacing, 3/8” forward-shifted bracing, fourteen frets clear of the body with 20 frets total, and ebony bridge pins with pearl dots.
Santa Cruz Vintage Southerner Deluxe
, as above but with 3-ply peghead and neck binding, mother of pearl Scgc logo, German maple sides and back, ivoroid bindings and gloss sunburst finish, Sitka spruce top, Vintage Artist style soundhole rosette, medium gauge strings, gold plated Santa Cruz tuners, 3/8” forward-shifted bracing, 14 frets clear of the body with 19 frets total, 2 3/16ths” bridge string spacing.
Santa Cruz New Standard D
, in mahogany back and sides with a German spruce top, having a solid, square unbound peghead,, Brazilian rosewood headplate, Scgc logo, a long scale of 25.375”, a radiussed neck of .860 at the first string and .935 at the 9th, tortoise body binding, natural top, gloss body, matte neck, being 15.5” wide, fourteen frets to neck joint with a total of 22 frets, ebony bridge pins with pearl dots, no fingerboard inlays, 1 11/16th” at nut, 2 3/16” at 14th fret, black fingerboard binding, having a Vintage Artist type soundhole rosette, scalloped tone bar bracing, medium strings, with nickel plated Santa Cruz tuners.
43-0236 Breedlove (new) “Bossa Nova” nylon string soft cutaway acoustic-electric, #5293, with hard shell case. [THIS ONE'S SOLD, BUT PHONE OR EMAIL if you'd like us to order one for you.]
Shaped a bit like the girl from the famous Brazilian Beach except for the cutaway, this friendly, cedar topped, rosewood back and sides guitar has an elegant ebony fretboard that is devoid of inlays save a stylized script Breedlove “B” made of abalone on the 1st fret. White side dot markers guide you and the strings, which start in a rosewood face-plated and slotted headstock (with three-on-a-side tuners with pearloid buttons) end looped over a high-angled saddle (adding clarity and presence) set in a three-piece tie-block bridge. The soundhole shyly boasts a single abalone ring, and the interior construction is so clean, you’d think magic sitcom elves live within it (and maybe they do - how else do TV families with a dozen kids and one bathroom keep their Hollywood home so sparkly, or Breedlove their instruments so nice?) The bass side has the control panel and rocker battery box for the Fishman Prefix Pro-Blender, and the microphone itself is thusly placed right inside the bass side of the soundhole. 1 7/8” nut, 2 ¼” string spacing at bridge, fourteen frets to the body and a 25.6” scale. Get your own boogaloo (or mo-jeaux, or whatever, we’re pretty open about that) going. This SOLD one was available at our discount of $2803 or at our cash discount of $2719.
Special Announcement about RainSong Guitars!
Mandolin Brothers stocks the six RainSong models that have built-in Fishman OnBoard Blender systems. We are proud to be a leading dealer of the most practical, durable high-end guitar on the market. If you haven't played a RainSong please come to our showroom and try one, or phone us to arrange a 3-day trial in your home. RainSong guitars with pickup systems fall into just three price ranges. MAP means Minimum Advertiseable Price. Each of the following prices includes the molded hard shell case and manufacturer’s warranty.
RainSong (new) DR-1000 Dreadnought, electric-acoustic with hard shell case.
List is $2995. The RainSong MAP is $2099.
RainSong (new) WS-1000 Grand Auditorium Cutaway, JM-1000 Jumbo, and OM-1000 Orchestra Model Cutaway.
Each is electric-acoustic with hard shell case. List is $2995.
RainSong (new) WS-3000 Twelve-String Cutaway, and WS-9000 Nylon String Cutaway.
Each is electric-acoustic with hard shell case. List is $3195.
83-3396 Santa Cruz (new) Vintage Artist, VA3815, herringbone trimmed, zipper striped, with grained ivoroid binding on top, back, neck, peghead, heel cap, with multiply purflings and open back, butterbean Waverly nickel plated tuners, and with plushly lined hard shell deluxe case.
The Santa Cruz Guitar Company wanted to create a model whose sound and design is dedicated to the spirit and the imagination of some of our most venerated recording artists, namely those who use their guitars as an extension of their drive, melodic determination and musical adventurousness. It came as no surprise, then, that we shipped the prototype Vintage Artist, when it first came to us from California, to no less a transcendent musician than Doc Watson. Richard Hoover tells us that, actually, the inspiration for this instrument came from the prewar mahogany dreadnought’s appeal to modern players. Advancing the scalloped brace towards the soundhole, allowing sound to emerge from its nearly 4” wide sound port and having the extended bound fingerboard associated with Clarence White, combines the bass presence of the old D-28 with a brightened midrange and treble, yielding the separation and clarity found in the style of national treasure Doc Watson. The good doctor is quoted as having said, upon his receipt of the instrument from Mandolin Brothers, “This is the Dreadnought I’ve been looking for all my life.” $4113 at our Discount Price, or $3989 at our Cash Discount Price.
83-3060 Huss & Dalton (new) Standard Traditional dreadnought, TDR727, with hard shell case.
These Staunton, Virginia guitar builders really know how to make ‘em. This is a an East Indian rosewood dreadnought with a gorgeous Sitka top - perfectly uniform and consumed with cross grain. It’s called the Traditional because it’s made for bluegrass or rhythm and has the accoutrements of the prewar herringbone D, including a small zipper backstrip, grained ivoroid body bindings, and a full-shaped (U-shaped) dark mahogany neck. The body is triple bound on both the top and bide edge of the sides and the back is triple as well. The unbound ebony fingerboard bears 7 etched abalone diamonds in 5 positions and 5 mother of pearl small dots side markers starting at 5th fret. Tuners are nickel Waverly open backs. This guitar defies the oft-spoken adage that a bolt-on neck guitar favors upper midrange and treble tones. It is, in fact, a steam locomotive of tone and volume -- a huge bass voice with clear mids and non-strident highs. It is, all told, one of the best new dreadnoughts in the showroom. Please email or phone us for current pricing.
83-7477 (7350) Collings D-1A, 6448, H. 1 3/4" neck width, Adirondack top.
All Collings guitars are made with premium woods, and in this case the top is made of the famous and elusive prewar tone wood called Adirondack (or red) spruce. This is as close as most guitar playing humans are going to get to a pre-1938 Martin D-18 as their allowance will carry them. For one, we ordered this guitar in a 1 ¾” nut width because this is the way these guitars were made from 1934 to 1937. For another, it has a modified (very comfortable) V-shape neck, ebony board and bridge. The belly bridge is interesting in that Collings doesn’t use a long saddle. Instead he has a polished bone saddle with a rolled compensation on the B string. The ebony fingerboard is inlaid with abalone dots in descending order. The beveled edge pickguard mimics the prewar tortoise colored celluloid. Waverly brand nickel open back beans-‘o’-butter tuner buttons decorate a squared mahogany headstock (with a Brazilian rosewood veneer on the front). The sound is nothing but extraordinary (crunchy yet warm) and we do love that 1 ¾” nut width. Regrettably, this guitar happens to be sold, but if you’d like us to reserve in your name a 1 ¾” nut width D-1, D-1A, D-2H or any other Collings dreadnought, CJ or SJ, just email or call us and we’ll be gl
![D-18 Authentic 1937 [List price: $7,999]](M_D-18 Authentic 1937.jpg){kind=link}
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![43-0236 Breedlove (new) “Bossa Nova” nylon string soft cutaway acoustic-electric, #5293, with hard shell case. [THIS ONE'S SOLD, BUT PHONE OR EMAIL if you'd like us to order one for you.]](43-0236.jpg){kind=link}
