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2011 Sexauer FT-0-C Bigleaf Maple/Italian

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Bruce Sexauer–a luthier completely at home with parlor-sized guitars. We have one of his FT-0-C “Companion Size” guitars in the shop today, with Bigleaf Maple back and sides and an Italian Spruce top. If you’re at all interested in fingerstyle guitar, this is one to check out. The setup is perfect for Traditional Blues tunes, with a sweet, snappy tone and lots of volume, but the slightly longer neck (13 frets to the body) gives the strings a bit more play and warms up the tone. The highs are clean and bell-like, but don’t dominate the instrument.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find another parlor in this price range that has the responsiveness and balanced tone that this 2011 FT-0-C exudes. This guitar is in excellent condition and comes with the original Hoffee hardshell case.

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2015 Kostal Modified Dreadnought, Brazilian Rosewood/German Spruce

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Two words come to mind when you play a guitar from Jason Kostal’s Queen Creek, Arizona shop: depth, and clarity. Unlatch the case, place the harmony of wood and steel in your lap, and witness the majesty. Dream Guitars has been lucky enough to host several of Jason’s instruments in their shop, and today we have a 2015 Modified Dreadnoughtthat fully lives up to Jason’s impeccable reputation. This Modified Dreadnought combines the cavernous, resounding low-end of a Dreadnought with an upper register that is agile and expressive. Across these and all registers in between, the tonal palette is expansive, full of color and scope, such that all notes ring clearly–and will continue resoundingly for some time. Kostal’s picked out a sultry, dark chocolate set of Brazilian Rosewood for the back and sides, which help give the Mod D its dark, complex voice. Flatpickers seeking a tight, controlled response will be very happy with this guitar, and fingerstylists will cherish how balanced the registers are relative to one another. Kostal has included a Florentine cutaway for an edgy appearance and unrestricted access to the entire fretboard, a Manzer Wedge for comfortable playing, and Gotoh 510 Tuners with Ebony knobs for style and reliable tuning. When you consider his unique “Stained Glass” rosette and end graft, and his swooping segmented Brazilian Rosewood headstock veneer, you know you have a rare treat in your hands. This guitar plays as elegant as it looks–the German Spruce top combines silky grain and creamy color with endless sustain and haunting overtones.

Jason is a builder who stands by his work for all time, so any future Kostal owner, whether buying new or used, can purchase with the assurance that this is a lifetime guitar, one to treasure and play for many years to come, backed by the maker himself.

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New Emerald Amicus12 Opus Amber Carbon Fiber/Carbon Fiber

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Emerald Guitars has been pushing the boundaries of what a Carbon Fiber guitar can look, feel, and play like for several years now. Do you like 12 strings, but hate the bulk? Do you love mandolins, but pine for more strings, more depth? Emerald’s Amicus12 Opus Series placates both players: its 18” scale is slim, the Carbon Fiber body is light, and the 12 strings have a multitude of voices.The Amicus12 has a bright, merry tone, and is easy to play for long periods of time without fatigue or boredom, thanks to its cutaway and lightweight neck and headstock. The upper bout mounted sound hole helps deliver your music right to your ear, and the guitar comes with a well-padded gig bag for storage and transport, so you can really bring this double course gem wherever you wish, whenever you wish.

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New Emerald X7 Opus Series Red Carbon Fiber/Carbon Fiber

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Continuining in their tradition of excellent Carbon Fiber instruments, Emerald Guitars’ 2015 X7 Opus is a powerhouse in a petite package. As loud and articulate as wooden-bodied guitars twice its size, the X7 Opus has a bright, punchy tone with great sparkle in the middle register. The smooth finish on the 14 fret neck feels great to the touch and makes playing a breeze. The upper bout mounted soundhole brings the instrument’s voice right to your ear, and (of course) the all carbon-fiber construction guaruntees that you’ll be playing in tune come rain or shine. This guitar comes with a well-padded Emerald Gig Bag.

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2004 Kim Walker SJ, Brazilian Rosewood/Adirondack Spruce

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The dizzying number of wonderful guitars that we have on our walls might lead some to think that after a while, all these amazing guitars would sound alike. However, when a true heavyweight like the 2004 Walker SJ we have here today enters the fray, there’s just no competition. Kim Walker’s name is synonymous with unparalleled quality and tone–and we’ve got one of his masterpieces in the shop, begging to be played. A stunning Brazilian Rosewood set comprises the back and sides with a richly colored Adirondack Spruce top and Brazilian Rosewood bindings. In Kim’s hands, these woods have been given a rich, powerful voice. The low-end is charged and enveloping, while the trebles have a warm, complex tonality and sweet sustain. When played fingerstyle, the middle registers exhibit a smooth sinuosity and have mellow overtones. Overall, the registers are perfectly–and we mean perfectly–balanced, and the SJ body gives this guitar heaps of projection. Kim’s appointments are graceful, from his contemporary-inflected asymetrical Ebony bridge to the hairline curves of the headstock and the minutely curved body bindings. This is one of the lightest SJs you’ll find, but the build is nevertheless rock solid: this guitar exudes an aura of strength and longevity. If you are at all interested in owning a Walker, give this guitar a look, because let’s face it: they’re very rare, and will only become rarer with time. This is the guitar of a lifetime–don’t miss your chance.

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New Posch J-M Mahogany/Adirondack (Red)

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Leo Posch is one of the better builders out there keeping the traditional forms alive and well and sounding great. This brand new, 2015 J-M is a fine example of what traditional Dreadnought design can achieve–in this world where new and strange designs are cropping up everywhere, Posch can still compete with the best of them. This Dreadnought is done up in a rich, dark sunburst which covers the Adirondack Spruce top, and a sweet set of Mahogany for the back and sides. Of course, the tone is going to be warm and woody with a combination like that, but this guitar also has solid, punchy mids for blues or traditional music–anything with an aggressive attack. Flatpicking is what this baby was made for, and flatpicking is where it shines, creating lots of bark and sustain. For being brand new, it sure sounds like a vintage Dreadnought from fifty years ago, and is only going to get better with time. This guitar comes with the original TKL hardshell case.

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New Posch NL-Maple Quilted Maple/Adirondack (Red)

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A great all-around workhorse! This is a brand new 2015 “Nick Lucas” style guitar from Leo Posch sporting a light sunburst finish on the Adirondack Spruce top and gorgeous Quilted Maple back and sides with Grained Ivoroid bindings throughout. The tone is crisp, almost crunchy, with a great responsiveness and lots of projection, thanks to its deeper than usual sides. This guitar work great in just about any setting, but it really sets itself apart for Travis-style fingerpicking arrangement or flatpicked Trad music. There’s loads of bright top end, but the warm lows keep the guitar well-balanced and easy on the ears. This guitar comes with the original TKL hardshell case.

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2005 Collings D2HBaaaA Brazilian/Adirondack (Red)

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We’ve got a different sort of Dreadnought here, folks. The Collings team has a well-earned reputation for producing fine guitars, but this 2005 D2HBaaaA is something else entirely. For starters, its way more responsive than a dreadnought ought to be capable of, and has an upper register which sounds sweeter the higher you travel up the Ebony fretboard. With medium gauge strings, this D2HBaaaA has heaps of projection and good sustain, with some sweet, mellow overtones in the mids. Strummed, the Dreadnought plays very easily; with an aggressive fingerstyle attack, it sings. Of course, all of this is made possible by the quality of work that goes into each guitar, and a gorgeous Brazilian Rosewood back and sides with chocolate tones and an Adirondack Spruce top for all that sweet, balanced tone in the middle registers. This Dreadnought will feel perfectly at home on your lap for whatever style of music you throw at it, from Bluegrass to Jazz. This guitar comes with a TKL hardshell case.

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2015 Kostal 00, Madagascar Rosewood/German Spruce

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An instrument of this caliber speaks for itself, with volume and clarity. This 2015 Kostal 00 is what every 12-fret, small-bodied guitar should be: capable of anything. Jason Kostal’s work is par excellence, and it shows in this lusciously voiced 00. Kostal’s eye for beautifully grained Madagascar Rosewood pays dividends here, giving the body a mix of chocolate and caramel that is married perfectly to the German Spruce top and black Ebony bindings.
The tone is easy and rich, like velvet. Notes hang in the air for long seconds after they’ve been played. The middle register shines with lots of headroom, and nestles neatly beween a tight and warm bottom end and chiming trebles. This Kostal 00 responds beautifully to a dynamic attack, perfect for acoustic jazz or blues. The German Spruce top is crowned with Jason’s “Stained Glass” rosette, here in a sharp mosaic of crimson and rose. The fit and finish is flawless; one could expect no less from a master craftsman. This guitar comes in the original Hoffee hardshell case.

Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, somogyi, finger style, oo, parlor guitar, 12 fret, gotoh

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1927 Martin 0-28K Koa/Koa

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Every now and then, you get to play a guitar which just blows you away. When you put this 1927 Martin 0-28K Parlor in your hands, we guarantee that’s exactly what will happen. This is true vintage: 88 years old, and still going strong. This Parlor has had some work done along the way, most recently a new bridge and plate built and installed by luthier Bill Tippin, but its still just as warm and vigorous as it always was. The all-Koa body is a great example of this wood’s characteristics: the grain is tightly quilted, the color between burnt amber and caramel, and the tone is fabulously rich and energetic. This guitar has completely opened up, and plays extraordinarily easily; definitely a fingerstylist’s wet dream. Traditional Ivoroid bindings, Herringbone and Zigzag trim, and original tuners complete the image of the fabled pre-war Martin guitar. Think of all the generations of parlor guitars that came from this design–what we have here is one of the archtypes of the model. The guitar’s got great projection and trebles which sing and a sweet middle register. This guitar comes with a TKL hardshell case.

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New Emerald X20 Artisan Series Woody Amber Carbon Fiber/Maple

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Powerhouse tone and stability like only Carbon Fiber can offer make this guitar a force to be reckoned with. Emerald’s X20 Artisan series pulls out all the stops–gloss finish, B-Band AST pickup and preamp, arm and cutaway bevels–then Alistair went one step further and added a gorgeous Rock Maple veneer to the top and headstock to really separate this guitar from the pack. These guitars have a huge, fierce voice, and thanks to that upper bout soundhole/soundport, the player gets their music delivered right to their ears. Full-sized body and a larger-than-life tone; this Emerald X20 Artisan Woody will see you through every gig, come rain, snow, sleet, hail, tsunami or monsoon, blizzard or beach.

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2005 Webber Webber Jumbo Indian/Engelmann

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One of Canada’s finest builders, David Webber is keeping the luthier tradition alive and well with the use of computer controlled machinery to maximize his efficiency, leaving more time and energy for the crucial detail work which separates a great guitar from a good one. The 2005 Webber Jumbo we have here is the result of Webber’s successful marriage of computer- and hand-made instruments: a guitar with a strong, vigorous voice that responds equally well to flatpicking or fingerstyle arrangements. The low-end has lots of bark, and the middle registers are big and clear, thanks to the time-honored combination of Indian Rosewood back and sides and straight-grained Spruce top. This instrument is, in a word, quick: very responsive, very clean. To top it all off, this Jumbo comes with a premium L.R. Baggs Anthem pickup system! This guitar comes with the original Datt case.

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2010 Ryan Paradiso Brazilian Rosewood/Swiss Spruce

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Paradise on Earth, or at least in your lap: our Kevin Ryan 2010 Paradiso in Brazilian Rosewood and Swiss Spruce. This is Ryan’s small-bodied fingerstyle guitar, deep and resonant. Thanks to the 25.5″ scale, the bass is well defined and balanced. The longer scale length, combined with Ryan’s deeper-than-average body, give the guitar a big-bodied feel, but with all the ease of play of a much smaller instrument–and a low profile neck helps ensure effortless fretting.

The tone is rich and complex, and the entire build is executed with laser (no pun intended) precision, right down to the Paua Abalone trim which spans the length and breadth of the body and Kevin’s innovative Fluted Arm Bevel for soundports and EO (“Engineered Openings”) bracing and spherically arched back. This guitar was made with fingerstylists in mind, and it does not disappoint.

Here’s an additional demo with our own Al Petteway: https://youtu.be/LrCjmrNxkfY

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2013 Henderson 000-42 Brazilian/Appalachian

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Sweet, responsive, sonorous. Everyone in the shop agrees, that is how this 000-42 from Wayne Henderson can best be described. Henderson’s prodigious gifts at lutherie have yielded a guitar of astounding clarity and dark, somber appointments, one which boasts Brazilian Rosewood back and sides and an Appalachian Spruce top voiced to a gently enveloping timbre. The ink-dark sunburst finish is a match for the complexity and depth of the guitar’s voice, with Abalone and Grained Ivoroid trim for a delicate sparkle of light. In Henderson’s hands, the Brazilian Rosewood and Appalachian Spruce have been reduced to a perfect thickness to produce the rolling, articulate, lush tone that this 000-42 pulls off so well. And what better way to warm up that lushness than a 12-fret neck? The highs are particularly sweet, and the middle register is clean and controlled in a way that fingerstylists yearn for: the balance is precise, and each string rings crystalline. This guitar comes with a Guardian hardshell case.

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1996 Walter Concert Brazilian/Spruce

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Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Steven Walters: famed performer and excellent luthier. The 1996 Concert we have here today is everything you hope for in a classical guitar, from the great depth and scope of its voice to its lightweight build and resounding warmth. With a dark, chocolatey set of old growth Brazilian Rosewood (from Steven’s personal supply) for the back and sides and Spruce top, the tone is rich and complex, and, thanks to Walter’s abilities, the guitar has an enormous amount of sustain–just breath in its presence and it starts humming. The middle registers have great presence and the low end is clean and responsive, and the setup is glass-smooth. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a Brazilian Rosewood guitar with this much voice at this price point. This guitar comes with a Guardian hardshell case.

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2014 Bourgeois OM Custom Brazilian/Adirondack (Red)

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Fresh on the scene, this 2014 Bourgeois OM Custom has lots of bark to bring to the table. The Brazilian Rosewood back and sides and Adirondack Spruce top are voiced with projection in mind, so this guitar can easily fill a room with its warm, bright tone. Fingerstylists who lean towards a Travis Picking style will find a great companion here in this OM’s vigorous voice and the smooth setup, and flatpickers with a medium attack won’t be disappionted in how much bark and articulation the guitar has to offer. Add to that a fine dark sunburst from Dana Bourgeois’s shop with Curly Koa purfling lines and gorgeously detailed herringbone trim, and you’ve got a jaw-droppingly beautiful instrument in your hands, aesthetically and acoustically. This guitar comes with the original TKL hardshell case.

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2012 Ryan Cathedral Brazilian/Sinker Redwood

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Kevin Ryan got it right when he named this model the Cathedral Grand Fingerstyle: playing this guitar is a kind of religious experience. The way in which its Sinker Redwood top and wavily grained Brazilian Rosewood back and sides combine, there’s no question as to the guitar’s voice. Its got the kind of voice that supercharges any tune. The kind of tone that puts other guitars to shame: if its voice was a color, it’d be the darkest, richest purple you’d ever seen. In a word, the tonal palette is regal. The sustain that pours out of this large-bodied guitar is deep and powerful, with the subtle addition of sweet overtones in the middle and upper registers that fill out the sound. This is a guitar which excels in dropped tunings, thanks to its 25 3/4″ scale length, but still has mids and highs with lots of headroom. A number of Ryan trademark features help contribute to this excellent articulation, from the “EO” (Engineered Openings) bracing, with its selectively honeycombed braces, to the use of super lightweight titanium bridge pins and Ryan’s arm bevel “flutes,” which also serve as miniature soundports to deliver this instrument’s incredible voice straight to the player. Add to that Ryan’s surgically precise tiger inlay on the fretboard and “Micro Pearl” trim, with its alternating MOP-Abalone-MOP pattern, and the result is an instrument which is awe-inspiring not only for its tone, but for its appearance as well. The Cathedral Grand Fingerstyle is just that: a guitar designed specifically for fingerstylists. To that end, you’ll be hard-pressed to find another guitar that has this much articulation and responsiveness. Try this guitar: your fingertips will thank you. This guitar comes with the original Hoffee hardshell case.

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2003 Klein Deco 426 Brazilian/Sitka

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In this shop full of strange and wonderful guitars, a regular ole Klein guitar would fit right in. But this? The Deco? Instead, one of the five large-bodied guitars that Steve Kleincollaborated with Steve Kauffman and Paul Schmidt to create? No, this calibre of unique stands alone, even in a room of Symogyis, Matsudas, Walkers, and Olsons. These guitars are living legends, both in terms of their collectibility and the ferociousness of their voice. Klein’s guitars look almost as different as they sound, and that’s not a bad thing: the voice that booms out of this wide Brazilian Rosewood and Sitka Spruce soundbox is enveloping, loud, gorgeously articulate, with mids full of richness and a low end that sneaks up on your ear, until you find your head absolutely teeming with its huge, expansive voice–and all without the aid of a soundport in the upper bout! The custom made tuners (from David Rogers), integral Pearl nut, and Pearl-and-Abalone rosette which crouches on the bottom of the Ebony fretboard, when combined with Klein’s trademark asymetrical bridge and extra-wide lower bout, reveals a guitar which strikes as fresh and exciting a figure as its energetic and polyphonous voice. This guitar comes with a custom Calton Flightcase.

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1954 Martin 000-21 Brazilian/Sitka

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We’ve got another fine addition to our Martin family in the store today: a 1954 Martin 000-21 in Brazilian Rosewood and Sitka Spruce! This vintage Martin has a nice, fat voice and a warm, woody tone that’s completely opened up. The 000 body provides a tight articulation across the registers, and that Brazilian Rosewood back and sides gives the guitar some great projection, making it an excellent choice for more rockin styles of music or Appalachian Trad. Flatpicked, this guitar’s got plenty of bark to go around, and the narrow nut/saddle allows for easy playing. Thanks to the 14 fret neck, the tone is a bit darker than other 000’s, and has more low-end to boast about. This Martin has been making music for 60 years, most recently with four time Grammy award-winner David Holt, it’s present owner, and it’s ready for more.

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2015 ELB OM1937M-D, Mahogany/Lutz Spruce

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EddieLee Brown is fresh on the scene and ready to make an impression with this 2015 acoustic. We have a modified OM shape which boasts a nicely paired set of Mahogany for the back and sides and a tight-grained Lutz Spruce top. All that Mahogany and Lutz yield a bright, punchy voice with lots of projection and a low-end that is tight and controlled. Brown has pulled out all the stops with gorgeous Abalone fretmarkers, headstock inlay, rosette, and bridge pin crowns, and a soundport for players’ instant access to their tone. The fit and finish is pearl smooth, especially on the well carved neck. You’ll find a variety of exotics tucked away in the appointments, from the African Blackwood bridge and bindings to the Bubinga backplate and rosette and Brazilian Cherry purfling lines on the top. In addition to all of those pretty woods, Brown has an intriguing take on the phrase “big, fat tone:” he’s added two weights to the sides of the lower bout, to increase the weight of the soundbox and reinforce the rigidity of the sides, creating a guitar with more projection and focused tone. We had the excellent opportunity to play his guitars both with and without the weights, and the difference was palpable; come and give it a go to see what we mean. This guitar comes in a Guardian hardshell case.

Here’s an additional video of Al Petteway demoing this ELB OM1937M-D: https://youtu.be/Mk0YQw1anDs

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2007 Tippin Crescendo Brazilian/Moonspruce

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We’ve got another killer in the shop today: a 2007 Tippin Crescendo in immaculate condition. Only the finest straight-grained Brazilian Rosewood is on display here, paired with a Moon Spruce top and Curly Maple bindings. Bill Tippin’s most popular model, the Crescendo has the dimensions of a large-bodied guitar and the articulation of a much smaller one, with none of the drawbacks of either. The Moon Spruce top is perfectly voiced to achieve Tippin’s trademark sparkling highs and strong middle register, which blend seamlesslywith a low-end that is resonant and well-balanced. Articulation and projection are the name of the game here: fingerstylists will love the ease with which arrangements manifest across the Maple-trimmed Ebony fretboard. The tone has a warm richness to it like hot cider on a winter day. Tippin’s fit and finish is flawless: this is a guitar which plays as sinuously as it is constructed. This guitar has been lovingly played and maintained by one owner, but it’s time to pass the torch to the next lucky musician. This guitar comes with the original Calton hardshell case.

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1999 Blanchard Pinyon Madagascar/Sitka

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We’ve got the birthplace of a tradition in the store today: the Pynon Prototype that Mark Blanchard first built in 1999! This design has gone on to become one of Blanchard’s most popular steel string guitar models. The Madagascar Rosewood back and sides, coupled with a tight-grained Sitka Spruce top, give the guitar a bright, warm tone with lots of headroom in the middle registers. Visually, Blanchard adorned the rosette, fretboard, and bridge pins with colorful Abalone, and completed the look with a slotted headstock and gold Waverly tuners. Until the original owner tragically lost his life in an avalanche in 2005, this guitar was lovingly played and is in immaculate condition. This is a great opportunity to own a rare and precious small-bodied Pinyon–without the wait!

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2010 Sheppard Madrigal 12 String Left-Handed East Indian/Engelmann

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The 2010 Sheppard Madrigal we’ve got in the shop today is a special kind of beast. Not only is it a 12-string guitar in East Indian Rosewood and Engelmann Spruce, it’s also south paw friendly! And it boasts basically every special feature and custom option that Gerald Sheppard offers. You name it, the lefty Madrigal’s got it. Arm, rib, and cutaway bevel: check. L.R. Baggs I-Mix preamp and pickup system: ready to rock. Blue Paua rosette, back strip, and inlay: stunning. Deluxe “American Vintage” hardshell case and Mammoth Fossilized Ivory nut and saddle: you bet. Unfortunately for everyone in the shop, we aren’t left-hand players, so we aren’t able to bring out the full potential of this awesome creature, but from what we’ve been able to pick out sounds absolutely rich and resonant, with a low-end that is well-balanced and maintains pitch like a pro. This guitar is five years old, but to look at it you wouldn’t guess it was older than five months; it’s in almost mint condition. If you’re a left-handed player who’s tired of settling for cheaper guitars without all the bells and whistles that your right-handed brethren seem to have a monopoly on, this Sheppard Madrigal 12-string is seriously worth your time. We can say with confidence that there aren’t many options on the market right now that can compare to this south paw powerhouse.

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2002 Williams Tui Kauri/Kauri

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Laurie Williams has been at the forefront of experiments with new and exciting species of tonewoods since the beginning of his career back in 1992. Known world over for his use of Kauri, a hardwood native to his New Zealand home, Williams has been creating powerful, and beautiful, instruments for decades now. Allow us to introduce you to the 2002 Tui, complete with Ancient Kauri back, sides, and neck, and “Living” Kauri top. The all-Kauri construction gives the guitar a big, crisp voice which sings with a fingerstyle approach. The bass is dry and punchy, and the middle register is clean and articulate–the balance is exceedingly fine-tuned, resulting in a very responsive instrument. This guitar has opened up nicely in the last decade, and is in excellent shape, ready for action. This guitar comes with a Modern Case Company softshell case.

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Showroom (by appointment only):

108 Monticello Road, Suite 400,
Weaverville NC, 28787

Store Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-4pm EST

Contact Us
Make an Appointment

ABOUT

COMMUNITY

POLICIES

EDUCATION