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Add to Compare2015 Kraut 00, Birdseye Maple/Italian Spruce
Velvet to our ears. This 2015 Kraut 00 is stunning, a testament to modern lutherie and small bodied guitars with big bodied tone. Figured Birdseye Maple back and sides, Italian Spruce on top, and this one features Ray’s elevated fingerboard, which you’ll see actually goes through the top. In excellent condition, this Kraut has sweet, warm trebles that cut right through the mix, and pairs handsomely with a lively, balanced bass response. It’s an excellent fingerstyle instrument, hands down. Alessi tuners, Ebony bindings, and a Hoffee flight case round out the package. We love Ray’s geometric eye when it comes to his rosettes, and the headstock cap here is no exception, perfectly executed.
Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, ervin somogyi, fingerpicking, birds eye maple, bird’s eye maple, modern, 069, one of a kind
Additional Demo: https://youtu.be/vwWXTQqLZGk
$11,130 Add to cartScale Length 24.75 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - Italian, Maple - Birdseye 
Add to Compare2010 Kraut OMC, Brazilian Rosewood/European Spruce
Here we have an incredibly sweet OMC from Ray Kraut. A former apprentice of Ervin Somogyi, which shows in this instrument. Decked out with Brazilian Rosewood back and sides, and a European Spruce on top. This guitar has both classic and modern aesthetics balanced perfectly– which translates through the voice as well. Touting a deconstructed rosette that is subtle yet captivating. The look and sound of this instrument speaks for itself. Delicately balanced yet rich with haunting overtones and bloom that leave you wanting more and more. This fine guitar is a fingerstyle players paradise.
Other keywords: raymond kraut, lutherie, luthier, euro spruce, orchestra model,
$16,640 Add to cartScale Length 25.125 in Nut Width 1.781 in String Spacing 2.281 in Woods Spruce - European, Rosewood - Brazilian 
Add to Compare2018 Kraut OM, Pale Moon Ebony/European Spruce
This guitar! Where do we even begin? This 2018 OM from Ray Kraut is astounding to both the eyes and the ears. A beauty, features Ray’s “Pale Moon” Ebony for the back and sides, and a pale set of European Spruce for the top. Not content with that already deadly combination, Ray then fashioned the headstock veneers, fretboard, bridge, and heelcap out of more Pale Moon. An abstract rosette completes the luthier’s portrait. Tonally, this OM pours out notes with such presence and definition, it takes fingerstyle arrangements and renders them in crystalline clarity.
The trebles have a faint blooming effect after the initial attack, and the string-to-string balance is superb. We had a lot of fun playing around in open tunings—the playability is likewise slinky and smooth. Just an incredible instrument across the board, and it comes with a Hoffee flight case to keep it safe and sound.
So much wow factor here, you’ll need to take two breaths.
Check out our original demo with Mr. Paul himself here: https://youtu.be/IV71pt9vmP8.
Here’s an additional demo with Al Petteway on this instrument: https://youtu.be/JH8twz3yFzE
Other keywords: raymond kraut, somogyi, ervin somogyi, somogyi apprentice, lutherie, luthier, alternativetonewoods, euro spruce, orchestra model
$18,720 Add to cartScale Length 25 in Nut Width 1.81 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - European, Ebony - Pale Moon 
Add to Compare2019 Kraut OM, Koa/Swiss Moonspruce
Featherweight build packs heavyweight tone. Our 2019 OM from Ray Kraut is a pale-topped knockout with Flamed Koa and Swiss Moonspruce—plays effortlessly, with fearsome tonal reserves waiting to be tapped. In short, we’re in love with this Kraut OM. Ray’s voiced this Swiss Spruce beauty for maximum responsiveness paired with an even temperament: from fret to fret and string to string, this Kraut remains balanced and clear. Open tunings are a dream on this machine, where the Koa back and sides lend a hint of dry woodiness that keeps clarity at the forefront of the voice. We tried and tried to make this guitar sound bad, but if there’s a flub note on this Kraut, we can’t find it. Weighing in at a scant 3.75lbs, it’s a study in fingerstyle finesse without parallel.
Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, somogyi, handmade, moon spruce, fingerstyle, dadgad, open d, swiss spruce, ameritage, rosette, brand new, 2019
SOLD Read moreScale Length 24.9 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - Moonspruce, Koa - Flamed 
Add to Compare2009 Kraut OM, Brazilian Rosewood/German Spruce
A 2009 OM from Ray Kraut? Yes, please! This one is among the finest fingerstyle guitars on the market. The voice is equal parts cannon and serenade, with rich, rolling basses that fill out the tone and a flawless string-to-string balance that keeps the voice even and articulate for both aggressive and delicate attacks. The Brazilian Rosewood of the back, sides, fretboard, and bridge is gorgeous, not to mention the German Spruce top–a quick peek in the soundhole reveals how Ray is able to make such a loud and projective guitar: both the back and top are delicately braced with a series of Xs that maximize both plates’ ability to vibrate as freely as possible. The effect is two-fold: first, the projection and sustain are fearsome, and second, the middle register has a fully-developed warmth and presence that gives the overall voice a complex and expressive character.
With such dynamic bracing, wide saddle and scalloped nut, this Kraut fits firmly in the contemporary fingerstyle guitar camp, and the addition of the pinless bridge is a further improvement to Ray’s unified aesthetic ideal for his designs. Take it from us: this is a guitar worth playing.
Here’s an additional demo with our own Al Petteway: https://youtu.be/jDWqHfYt79w
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - German, Rosewood - Brazilian 
Add to Compare2016 Kraut 00, Brazilian Rosewood/European Spruce
Raymond Kraut’s 00 is quick, nimble, and effortless. Suited up with Brazilian Rosewood and European Spruce, this 2016 model marries smooth response with a sweet bass register and well developed trebles. You’ll find a 14-fret neck and a 24.9” short scale fretboard, with a 1 25/32” nut for a touch extra room for complex chord shapes and this bigger stretches. Alessi tuners, one of Ray’s bespoke rosettes, Hoffee flight case, and like new condition make this an incredible find.
Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, guitar building, ervin somogyi, fingerstyle, open d, oo, parlor guitar
SOLD Read moreScale Length 24.9 in Nut Width 1.78 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - European, Rosewood - Brazilian 
Add to CompareNew Kraut Modified Dreadnought, African Blackwood/Italian Spruce
Ray Kraut’s guitars are a testament to what’s possible at the bleeding edge of tone. This brand new Mod D is an immensely inspirational guitar that is consistently rich and present from fret one to 20, with surgically precise definition and sustain. African Blackwood back and sides, Italian Spruce on top, and one of Ray’s unique, one-off rosettes, a feat of African Blackwood and burl and arcing purflings. The neck carve and overall setup are butter smooth and effortless. We absolutely love playing this Mod D. Everything about it is elegant, intentional, and in harmony. We’re more than proud to be Raymond’s sole dealer for all these reasons and more.
Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, ervin somogyi, md, modified dreadnought, dreadnaught, dread, fingerstyle, alessi, hoffee
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - Italian, Blackwood - African 
Add to CompareNew Kraut Modified Dreadnought, Madagascar Rosewood/Swiss Moonspruce
Our favorite guitars are those which fill us with childlike wonder. When a guitar makes you forget about the outside world, when you’re relaxed and excited simultaneously at the possibilities waiting along the fretboard beneath your fingers. Playing this brand new Kraut Mod D, it’s like breathing. Ray’s neck profile is slim, the setup glassy, and the 25.25” scale has a touch of added warmth in the lower mids to fill out the voice. From treble to bass, frets one to 20, this Kraut sings and rings like a piano. We love the consistent response across all the registers. There are no dead notes, no wolf tones, just smooth definition and clarity.
Madagascar Rosewood makes up the back and sides, as well as the fretboard and headstock veneer, and is paired with a pale Swiss Moonspruce top with Maple trim and Ray’s hallmark segmented Burl rosette. This guitar only weighs 4lbs 6oz, and projects each note easily at a light touch, and can also handle a more aggressive attack with aplomb.
A guitar like this is a form of inspiration that we don’t want to part with, sustained acoustic expression. Our brand new Kraut Mod D is a guitar with an immense amount to give.Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, somogyi, fingerstyle, alessi, visesnut, dadgad, modified dreadnought, modified dreadnaught, fingerpicking, MD
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.25 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - Moonspruce, Rosewood - Madagascar 
Add to Compare2014 Kraut Modified Dreadnought, Walnut/German Spruce
Agile in your hands, and equal parts dry response and sustain—this 2014 Mod D from Ray Kraut stole our hearts at first glance. The back and sides are a light-brown set of Walnut, with German Spruce on top and one of Ray’s purfling-and-burl rosettes terminating toward the Florentine Cutaway. This Mod D has a thin body that’s intimate to hold, and further there’s a body wedge that makes it even gentler on the right shoulder when you play. Black Alessi tuners seal the deal.
We love multiscale fretboards for how they allow for better intonation, and keeps the bass strings crisp and responsive in lowered tunings. Ray engineered a slight slant here that’s quick and easy to pick up, from the short-scale 24.9” treble strings to a standard long-scale 25.4” on the bass. An L.R. Baggs Lyric has been installed with the volume knob recessed beneath the soundhole, and the amplified tone is wonderfully clean. This Kraut has a truly impressive projection for a thin-bodied acoustic which competes with guitars much larger. Note separation is crisp without being harsh, from the bass to the trebles. Play with picks? This MD loves it when you dig in. For fingers, it’s articulate and balanced in a way that lends extra clarity to your arrangements.
How a single guitar can work so well, for so many applications? Ray’s got the touch.
This very Kraut belongs to California Guitar Trio’s own Bert Lams! You can see Bert performing with it here: https://youtu.be/6JTL3uxSYhI. And here: https://youtu.be/q5MIrHbZLOI.
Other keywords: Somogyi, apprentice, raymond kraut, md, modified dread, modified dreadnought
SOLD Read moreScale Length 24.9 in - 25.4 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - German, Walnut 
Add to Compare2016 Kraut 00 Pale Moon Ebony/European Spruce
00 #091 from Ray Kraut stands head and shoulders above the crowd. Impressive, considering its size. The 14-fret neck probably helps. It’s challenging to know what to do with this Kraut: it’s a 50/50 toss up between indulging its luscious voice or remarking upon its striking visual flair. Diospyrous Malabar is the name of the game. Excuse us, we meant Black & White Ebony. How about Pale Moon Ebony? Regular old Mahogany just doesn’t look the same after laying your eyes on this beauty. Those Pale Moons are dancing all across this 00, from the back and sides to the bridge, fretboard, headstock—even the fretboard binding. Ray paired all that flair with a creamy European Spruce top; that rich cream counts for both the tight-packed grain lines and its creamy bass response.
This 00 balances some hefty overtones with excellent note definition and separation, and an energetic response to even a light touch. Lots of guitars you can whale on them and get good projection, but only a few will give up serious volume with even a light touch. The way Ray voiced this 00? The latter camp.
Every detail smacks of perfection, from Alessi tuners to Alder Burl rosette. This Kraut quashes the competition every time.
Common misspellings: Kraot, Krat, Kroute, oo
SOLD Read moreScale Length 24.75 in Nut Width 1.781 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - European, Ebony - Pale Moon 
Add to Compare2009 Kraut OM Amazon/Spruce
Apprenticing to legendary builder Ervin Somogyi is a goal to which many luthiers aspire, but only the select few are chosen to do so. In this guitar, we can see exactly why Ray Kraut is one of the hand-picked elite builders to have gone through Ervin’s training. Every aspect of this Amazon Rosewood and European Spruce OM Cutaway is crisp, clean, and perfectly executed. Yet for all the work that goes into its build quality and aesthetics, this one is about tone first, and everything else is an afterthought. Reactive and balanced, it responds splendidly to both the lightest touch and the heaviest hand. Notes ring out like chimes, distinct and separate, yet whole and full. An incredible build from an outstanding luthier.
SOLD Read moreScale Length 24.9 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.19 in Woods Spruce, Rosewood - Amazon 
Add to Compare2006 Kraut OM African Wenge/Bearclaw Sitka
Ray Kraut built this beautiful OM under apprenticeship to Ervin Somogyi. He’s been working with Ervin for several years now and blending Ervin’s amazing voicing and stylistic details with his own resulting in fantastic instruments with tons of style. This OM features a body of African Wenge and it has power and bass response far beyond it’s size. The trebles are full and vibrant making this a very versatile instrument that likes the pick as well as fingers. The pickup system is the amazing Trance Audio Amulet stereo unit with preamp and a Sunrise pickup as well. So you can be assured of the best tone possible on stage.
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.13 in Woods Spruce - Sitka, Wenge 
Add to Compare2007 Kraut Modified Dreadnought, Indian Rosewood/Sitka Spruce
We are amazed by the tone of this guitar. The bass is huge and pounding and surprisingly the trebles are strong enough to coexist in balance. Ray put a lot of effort into the cosmetics as well with a complex and beautiful bridge design, inlays on the side of the neck and the intricate rosette. The modified Dreadnought design makes it a great choice for the player who seeks a guitar for both fingerstyle and flatpicking.
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.25 in Nut Width 1.81 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - Sitka, Rosewood - Indian
After attending the esteemed Roberto Venn School of Luthiery in the spring of 2005, Raymond Kraut furthered his education by moving to Oakland California to study as an apprentice under the renowned Master Luthier Ervin Somogyi. Through the twenty-four month apprenticeship Somogyi introduced Raymond to the principal elements of voicing and designing a guitar to reach its fullest potential.