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1993 Schoenberg Soloist OMC Brazilian/Spruce

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One of Eric Schoenberg’s earlier collaborations with T.J. Thompson and Martin, this 1993 Soloist OMC is a firebomb fingerstyle guitar: crisp trebles and a glassy setup with a low profile soft-V neck. With some gorgeous Brazilian Rosewood for the back and sides (with sapwood colors the envy of Cocobolo) and Adirondack Spruce fo the top, this Soloist has the right calibre munitions to drive its fat, juicy trebles right through the mix.

Played with a flatpick or just nails, the tight, focused voice soars, wel-balanced and clear. These fine tonewoods have had plenty of time to open up, and brother have they–there’s plenty of that quick response and instant projection that only come with age.

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1962 Gibson RB-250 Mastertone Mahogany/Fiber Head

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This Gibson is formal enough you could wear it around your neck for a banquet–or at least the bowtie inlays across the fretboard. It’s the real deal, all-original and playing like a professional: a 1962 Gibson RB-250 Mastertone. Other than the addition of a few railroad spikes, this Banjo remains untouched, and only bears light evidence of play wear on its head and frets. In case you were wondering, yes–this Gibson is fearsomely loud! But the setup feels so lovely it’s easy to miss the fact that you’re playing with the volume at 11.

We really can’t say enough good things about this Mastertone, except to marvel at its condition and soak up all the vigorous, juicy tone of this RB-250.

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1969 Martin D-35 Brazilian/Sitka

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After 1969, Martin largely abandoned the use of Brazilian Rosewood due to increasing environmental issues and supply struggles. That makes this D-35 one of the last standard Dreadnoughts that Martin would build with that awesome tonewood for decades to come. As such, we were surprised to find such a fine set of Brazilian for the back and sides on this D-35, and of course the Adirondack Spruce top is nothing to scoff at either. Further, we were surprised to find this Martin in such excellent condition!

There’s hardly been any work done that we can tell, and play wear is at an absolute minimum. We often see guitars an eigth as old as this D-35 that look more like twice as old! Don’t go thinking this Martin hasn’t been played, now: the voice has opened up wonderfully and has the robust, easy explosiveness that you’d associate with a properly broken in Martin Dreadnought. If you’re looking for a Bluegrass cannon to reduce the competition to piles of twisted fret wire and melted pickguards, this 1969 Martin D-35 has the right kind of spice for your flatpicking needs.

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2014 Noemi SJ Madagascar/Sitka

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The second guitar from the Santa Barbara show that Paul hand picked from Italian luthier Noemi Schembri, this 2014 SJ is the balanced, expressive, and lightweight solution to all your needs. Clean and loud whether with flatpicks or fingertips–you’ll love the consistently bright and responsive voice for everything from DADGAD ballads to Bluegrass solos. The treble strings are very present, and complement the dry bark of the middle registers, themselves balanced by the crisp bass notes.

Noemi’s lightweight builds are exceptionally comfortable to play, and this SJ is no exception. It’s been a while since we’ve heard a Madagascar–Rosewood-and-Sitka–Spruce guitar with so much gravel and bark in its voice, making this a good choice if you’re inclined to Blues riffs or other more driving musical machinations. Dynamic and precise, projective and controlled, this SJ from Noemi Schembri is a bombshell of a guitar.

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2008 McPherson MG-4.5 Ziricote/Redwood

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This 2008 McPherson MG-4.5 sounds great, even when it’s just sitting in its Ameritage case. The folks at McPherson Guitars paired a pretty Ziricote set for the back and sides with a Redwood top, one of our favorite fingerstyle-friendly materials. The result is a voice whose middle register is warm to the touch, but both the bass and treble strings are crisp and present, making this well-balanced for fingerpicked arrangements where you need extra articulation between the strings.

The slim, soft V neck allows for fast and easy fretting, and the cutaway & elevated fingerboard make for easy playability in all the registers! While this guitar is voiced for fingerstyle, we found it responded wonderfully to flatpicks as well, where the projection could really be cranked up a notch or two.

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1933-1935 Gibson L-Century Maple/Adirondack (Red)

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There aren’t too many Gibson L-Centuries lying around which sound this good or play this smoothly–the middle registers are warm and cozy, sandwiched between crisp bass notes and trebles with an extra helping of sustain. This Gibson has been played in nicely, and is still in wonderful shape. Wrapped up in a Calton flight case, you can be sure that no harm will ever come to this feat of Mother of Pearloid, Maple, and Adirondack Spruce.

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2017 Sifel Creek 000-12 Fret Cocobolo/Tunnel 13 Redwood

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Mike Byle, veteran of the guitar building world, has implemented decades of practice and experimentation in his new line of personal instruments under the label Sifel Creek Guitars, and we couldn’t be happier with the results! This 000-12 Fret has an easy richness across all the registers which translates into lush arrangements for fingerstyle and fat, juicy solos with a flatpick.

Cocobolo is always gorgeous, but the set for this back and sides is another order of magnitude, and is offset by curly Koa bindings and a celtic knot inlaid into the heel cap. For the Tunnel 13 Redwood top, Mike added an ultra-thin lamination of Spruce to strengthen the Redwood and allow the braces to be measureably lighter–the result is a Redwood top which approaches Spruce in its projection! Add to that a 12-fret neck for even more warmth, and you’re looking at an instrument which plays effortlessly and with a knack for dynamic, full technicolor arrangements.

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Brand New Guidry SG-2 Birdseye Maple/Engelmann Spruce

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We’re quite pleased to offer a new addition to DG’s stable: a brand new 2016 SG-2 from luthier Sam Guidry, the senior instructor at the Galloup School of Guitar Building and Repair. By hybridizing the typical SJ body, Guidry provides the player with an instrument characterized by depth and expressiveness, a delicate balance which he achieves with aplomb. For the fingerstylist, this SG-2 is a tool of deadly precision, with an almost surgical separation of notes that allows your arrangements to ring out in all their complex glory. Explosive bass? Well-stocked here. Need treble strings crystalline but juicy? Think of these as sirloin diamonds.

Guidry’s aesthetic is understated to the point that the Birdseye Maple and Engelmann Spruce grab one’s attention, bound as they are by jet-black Ebony bindings and appointed with Spalted Maple around the soundhole and with Ebony lines inlaid into the headstock veneer. The well-rounded C profile neck is intensely comfortable such that the left hand is smoothly cradled from thumb to knuckles. Add to that a slightly elevated fingerboard and you’ve got an instrument well-honed for fingerstyle, or practically anything else you’d care to throw at it. If you’re looking for a responsive, articulate powerhouse, this SG-2 is a hands down winner.

We recently hosted Clive Carroll for a series of lessons and performances here at Dream, and while he was here he recorded “The Prince’s Waltz” on Sam’s SG-2. Click here for a link to the YouTube video: www.dreamguitars.com/detail/5400-guidry_sg2_2016/. Clive was kind enough to offer us a copy of the TAB, which you can find here: www.dreamguitars.com/tab/The_Princes_Waltz.pdf.

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New Bouchereau Mistral Ziricote/Lutz

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We’re quite excited for this Mistral OM as the start of our relationship with Canada-based builder Loïc Bortot of Bouchereau Guitars–one strum, and you’ll see why. This 2016 Mistral is a finely-honed machine capable of rendering your black-and-white arrangements in full technicolor. The voice is remarkable: profoundly clear, instantly responsive, a focused edge with flatpicks, enveloping and colorful with fingertips. With its wedge-shaped Ziricote-and-Lutz–Spruce body and slim neck for fast fretting, this Mistral is built with a smaller person in mind, but still effortless to play if you’re of a larger persuasion.

The setup is so glassy smooth it’s as though fretting notes were as easy as breathing. We put the Mistral through its paces in Standard, DADGAD, and Cadd9, and the result was consistently mesmerizing: the bass strings remained crisp and present, the string feel comfortable but not floppy. Honestly, this Mistral blew us away, from Bortot’s refreshing aesthetic (check out the relief carved into the heelblock where it meets the sides) to his effective voicing techniques.

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1950 Martin D-28 Brazilian/Adirondack (Red)

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There’s more raw, rich vintage tone wrapped up in this 1950 Martin D-28 than a whole stack of Bluegrass pickers would know what to do with–and that’s an understatement. The bass response is immense but well-focused; pluck the low E string and it cracks like a rifle (a really big, high-caliber rifle). The middle register is warm and equally precise, perfectly separated from trebles which are themselves sweet and articulate, not shrill. We’re looking at a definitive Bluegrass cannon, in all its Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce glory. In pretty good shape for its 66-year-old self, this D-28 is one of the best Dreadnoughts we’ve had through the shop in some time, and thanks to its new neck this 1950 Martin has an adjustable truss rod, so you can be certain it will continue to play powerfully and easily. Set up butter smooth, she practically plays herself. This D-28 comes in a Martin molded plastic hardshell case, but we can also supply the original case if desired.

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1995 Froggy Bottom B12 Brazilian/Adirondack (Red)

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Michael Millard outdoes himself yet again: this 1995 B12 is a cannon with strings. The classic combination of Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce works its usual magic here, giving the voice expansive depth and a fiery projection–but with a 12-fret neck, this B12 has a sweet little warm patch in the mids that balance out the tone. If you’re looking for a Froggy Bottom that is quick and responsive like a teenager on their third cup of coffee in the morning, this Froggy is practically calling your name.

Fingertips or flatpicks, the projection remains impressive, the voice vigorous and expressive. We put this Froggy through the ringer of altered tunings, and it handled each like the champion that it is. Decked out with some gorgeous Abalone across the fretboard, rosette, and back strip, this B12 also has a Mammoth Ivory heelcap scrimshawed with an owl in flight; when you add that to the Flamed Maple bindings, you’re looking at a tall glass of water on a hot summer’s day, if the glass was Adirondack and the water was Brazilian.

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2006 Jacobson Classical Indian/Cedar

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Built in 2006, this Jacobson Classical has seen countless hours on stage and in the practice hall, all the while opening up more and more fully, becoming louder and better defined with each successful performance. Now, a decade later this Classical has graduated from firecracker to mortar shell: the sheer volume is impressive, especially considering the Cedar top and Indian Rosewood body!

The voice is expansive and expressive, with a quick response and trebles that absolutely shimmer. With the oil-finished neck, this Jacobson feels familiar as on old friend in your hands, and has a glass-smooth setup that makes blazing fast passages a breeze. Sometimes there’s a faint line between a guitar which has been played in and one which hasn’t, but this 2006 Jacobson doesn’t subscribe to that at all: the voice has an easy richness and clarity to it that we’d normally expect only on a guitar twice its age. Looking for that delightfully opened-up voice with all the trimmings of projection, sustain, and playability? Look no further: your dream date has arrived.

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New Mountain Song Guitars Odalisque Macacauba/Lucky Strike Redwood

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Every time we get another of Ken Jones’ fine creations in the shop, we find he’s outdone himself yet again! This brand new 2016 Odalisque was custom built for one of our clients, who is probably playing it as we speak. Between the dense and tap-tone-lively Macacauba back and sides and Lucky Strike Redwood top, this Odalisque is a bombshell with six strings and a rich bottom end–the voice warm enough to keep you toasty on cold nights, the trebles clean and focused as a rifle shot.

The balance from string to string is stellar, and we found this to be even more apparent when dropped into DADGAD or Al’s CGCGAD tuning, where the bass strings remained snappy and the middle register turned its sweet warmth into a hearty blaze. Visually, this Mountain Song guitar is a study in fastidiousness: each joint perfectly mated, the bridge painstakingly carved, the sections of rosette seamlessly interwoven. Ken’s attention to detail has given this Odalisque a finely-honed appearance, with lightly flamed Maple bindings to tie it all together. If you’re interested in getting an Odalisque for your own fingerstyle arrangements, give us a shout!

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2002 Desmond Classical Brazilian/Spruce

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A rich and resonant offering from Florida-based luthier Robert Desmond, this 2002 Classical in Brazilian Rosewood and Spruce has opened up into a sweet and resonant force to be reckoned with. Playability across the neck is smooth and comfortable, and position markers at the fifth and seventh frets help to orient your left hand without detracting from Desmond’s traditional aesthetic elsewhere.

There’s a sweet swell of overtones in the upper register which bloom a moment after a note is struck, adding a rich and full-figured tone to your arrangements. The bass response is vigorous but well-balanced with the other registers and fills out, rather than overpowers, the voice. This 2002 Desmond is in excellent condition and is ready for many more years of sweet music!

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2005 Martin 000-28 Eric Clapton #10853 Indian/Sitka

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A floor-stompin’ good time is what you’ll have whenever you pick up this fun-loving 2005 Martin 000-28EC. Whether it’s blues standards in Standard or some country fingerpickin’ in DADF#AD or Open G, this Eric Clapton has a nicely-opened-up voice and more growl than you can shake a pack of strings at. The frets shine enough to clean your teeth in them, thanks to our repair team, and the playability is fast and comfy. The classic combination of Indian Rosewood and Sitka Spruce strikes again! This time with 28-style appointments and Clapton’s signature inlaid at the 20th fret.

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2016 Jang OM, Cocobolo/Italian Spruce

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This 2016 Jang OM in Cocobolo and Italian Spruce has everything you need to better explore fingerstyle guitar. With a 25.4″ scale and 1 3/4″ nut over a C profile neck, this OM feels familiar at the first touch; playability isn’t a question of “how good is it,” but rather, “How can it be this good?” The Uchida-style cutaway and bevel make for easy fretting across the upper registers while striking a contemporary chord in the aesthetics department. Isaac must have an impressive stash of wood in his shop: the Cocobolo back and sides are darkly gorgeous, matched neatly by a creamy, tight-grained Italian Spruce top. We enjoyed playing this OM in standard, but boy did this Jang become a beast of another order once we dropped it down into DADGAD! The faint treble overtones swelled, the bass strings crisp but fat, the overall voice velvet-smooth. Response time is almost nil; by the time you put fingertip to string the guitar will already be singing loudly.

Here’s Dustin Furlow playing this 2016 Isaac Jang OM: https://youtu.be/LdQ6CYDgBT4

Here’s an additional demo with our own Al Petteway: https://youtu.be/jMpVf5dWedY

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1997 Olson SJ Indian/Cedar

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Every Olson has that trademark clarity and playability which has made Jim such a household name in the fingerstyly guitar world–but not every Olson comes so beautifully opened up as this 1997 SJ (#682) in Indian Rosewood and Cedar. As a result of being formerly owned by a professional musician and recording artist, this Olson has blossomed into a sweet-voiced SJ with incredible warmth and depth in the mid-to-lower ranges, and snappy, articulate trebles on the other end.

You can play this Olson as gentle as a lamb and still get an easy richness, or dig for some crunchy Blues and those bass strings can growl in a throaty roar. The setup is slinky and low for fast and easy playability, and a K&K Pure Mini passive pickup is installed, so this SJ is equally ready for the studio as the stage.

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1997 Manzer 12 String, Koa/Sitka Spruce

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The 12-string market just got a little brighter: we have a 1997 12-string from Linda Manzer in Koa and Sitka Spruce! The 25 5/8″ scale has easy playability and great intonation across the numerous string gauges in play here, and the added comforts of a Manzer Wedge and Venetian Cutaway make this instrument further improve that playability.

The voice is excellently balanced, and responds well to both a gentle and robust attack. Well played-in and opened up, this Manzer 12-String also comes with a B-Band UST pickup which faithfully translates all the Koa-and-Sitka colorfulness to whatever amp you’d like. Across the fretboard you’ll find on of Linda’s rare Phoenix-and-Chinese-Dragon inlays which, with the simpler Ebony bindings elsewhere, acts as a gorgeous centerpiece to this already attractive display of lutherie at its finest.

Here’s an additional demo with Al for you listening pleasure! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arDO25nV7mk

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2002 Olson SJ Brazilian/Cedar

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If the finish here is satin, then the voice of this Olson is pure velvet. We put this 2002 SJ through every tuning, every genre, every combination of picks and nails we could think of, and each time the voice remained clear, strong, and articulate. The full effect of the classic Olson sound in a Brazilian–Rosewood-and-Cedar package. James Olson has only ever used a satin finish on an extremely small number of his guitars (read: fewer than five to date), further setting this SJ apart from the crowd.

This one’s been babied since birth and has practically no play wear across the body or the neck. In spite of that, the voice is delightfully opened-up and consistent; if played gently the treble overtones swell, if played with gusto the bass revs its engine but doesn’t drown out the other registers. We’re basically looking at fingerstyle perfection with six strings (and oh yeah, an L.R. Baggs LB6 pickup! And a sweet TKL tweed case!). This particular Olson was originally built for none other than DADGAD extraordinaire Pierre Bensusan, and you can see Pierre’s name written on the top if you look inside with an inspection mirror. Hence the satin finish (and maybe we’re projecting, but this Olson does sound stellar in open tunings like DADGAD).

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2017 Dehradun Concert South Indian/Western Red Cedar

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We’ve been out and about at the shows this past year to find the next great builders for DG to represent–and brother have we found some! Recently Paul met with David Murray, founder of the India-based Dehradun Guitar Company, who had an impressive Concert-size guitar to show. Long story short, we ended up snagging one for ourselves.

This brand new Dehradun Concert has a rich tone and serious projection. Featuring South Indian Rosewood for the back and sides and Red Cedar for the top, this guitar’s big voice will easily reach peak volume with even the gentlest application of a pick or fingertip. The satin-finished neck is set up fast and low for easy-breezy left hand work. When you let the trebles ring out, you’ll notice a few gorgeous overtone strains which seem to swell after a moment after the note’s been plucked; natural reverb at its finest. The Somogyi-esque interrupted rosette, Mahogany-and-Rosewood neck, and Abalone trim come together in an attractive package that looks just about as good as it plays.

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2011 Traugott R, Brazilian Rosewood/German Spruce

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How can one man manage to pull so much tone and understated beauty out of a few board feet of wood, a dash of bone, and a few frets? Every time a Traugott comes through our doors we ask ourselves this question anew. This 2011 Model R is, frankly, like having a six-string piano in your lap. The voice drips with butter-rich tone, but retains crystalline clarity across all the registers. Pluck the low E string, and your ear can pick apart the infinitude of over- (and under-) tones of the bass response–it’s like Jeff Traugott built an acoustic microscope instead of a guitar so you can hear an otherwise impossible degree of depth, color, and nuance.

The setup on the slim neck is gossamer, svelte as silk, and faster than you’d think. This Traugott R practically plays itself. Of course this guitar also features some of the finest Brazilian Rosewood and German Spruce available to any luthier in the world; we don’t know where Jeff managed to find all this incredible tonewood, but boy are we happy he did! You can ring the bells that are these trebles for days and not get tired. Regardless of tuning, style, picks or fingers, this Traugott performs like an extension of your arm–if your arm was so shapely, agile, and resonant.

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2009 Kelday OM Brazilian/Cedar

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Consistency of tone and even response: this 2009 Kelday OM has both in spades. Bringing together some gorgeous Brazilian Rosewood and Cedar, William Kelday offers us powerful proof that the OM-size guitar is still an amazing instrument. Fingerstyle or flatpicks, this Kelday feels familiar and easy with a 25.4″ scale and 1 13/16″ nut for deft left hand work.

The trebles have this quick, crisp response that livens up the entire voice, and the woody warmth of the bass and middle registers can be found in a variety of tunings–only so many guitars sound really good in C tunings, and this Kelday is definitely one! We’d recommend this guitar for pretty much any guitarist, but especially for the player who likes to switch between tunings, fingers, and picks without having to carry a trunk full of instrument cases around.

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New Sifel Creek 15.5 Inch Cutaway Madagascar/Sitka

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Mike Byle’s Sifel Creek Guitars have been cooking up splendid guitars for years now, and recently sent us two beauties which he’s had in his shop as show models for a few years now. This, his 15.5″ Cutaway, is done up in a pretty set of Madagascar Rosewood for the back and sides and a Sitka Spruce top with some gorgeous alternating color across the grain. Set up for a nimble left hand, this guitar plays like milk chocolate tastes: absolutely smooth.

Dynamically voiced by Byle, the responsiveness of the 15.5″ Cutaway manages to strike a balance between a delicate touch and a more aggressive attack, meaning that soft passages sound full-figured and delicate but when you need to dig in for some extra snap (say, for a Funk-Blues bass line), the voice cranks up to volume 11 with ease. Craving overtones in your trebles? These unwound strings are adorned with a subtle array of overtones which blossom a moment after the fundamental response.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find another guitar so exquisitely balanced. Although this guitar was built in 2010, it’s enjoyed a posh existence in Mike’s shop, and as such is still a brand new guitar (plus a few years of opening up).

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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