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The riches run deep in this one. The only way to make Kevin Ryan’s Cathedral Grand model even better is to add time, which this lovely number from 2002 has in spades. Two decades of music have opened up the Italian Spruce top and Madagascar Rosewood body for a voice that’s butter smooth and round, with great note separation and dynamic range. In a word, expansive. The setup is silk-smooth with a 25.7″ scale and 1.75″ nut, arm bevel, and florentine cutaway. All wrapped up in a custom Calton case, this Ryan Cathedral Grand is ready for another 20 years.

Here’s an additional video of Al Petteway playing this Ryan Cathedral Grand: https://youtu.be/_rOd77IUtLU

Here’s an additional video with Paul and this Ryan Cathedral Grand: https://youtu.be/WVbKYZzIAhg

Other keywords: ryan guitar, fingerstyle, al petteway, modern guitar, gotoh, fingerpicking, 331.358a

Quick and lively, but with an added element of darkness and bass articulation, this 1976 Flamenca Blanca from Robert Ruck offers a rich playing experience that works for both solo and accompaniment work. Cypress back and sides with Spruce, top, 657mm scale, and Ruck finished the body with catalyzed urethane, electing to save French Polish for the top to promote maximum resonance. Original Ebony friction pegs have been freshly oiled and work fantasticall, contributing to the overlal featherweight construction–this Ruck Flamenco weighs under three pounds.

Other keywords: andy jurik, fingerstyle, tap plate, golpador, spanish, 132

Here’s a chance to land a gorgeous interpretation of the classic Gibson L5, this time from Jackson Cunningham of Virginia. Red Maple back and sides with Red Spruce on top, Flame Maple neck with gold hardware and a spirit varnish sunburst finish. The neck profile is a little extra crazy, which feels very comfortable and easy in our hands, and the setup is effortless to boot.

Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, jazz box, l-5, the cunningham, shade top, 1612, waverly

Another custom client commission from Mr. Tyler Robbins! This R.1ca is dressed up handsomely with blue appointments, Figured Mahogany back and sides, and Italian Spruce on top. An arm bevel, plus rib bevel and cutaway, makes for effortless playability. Clean, clear, expressive–the voice has the perfect amount of clarity and color for a modern fingerstyle guitar. 

Other keywords: galloup, cedar creek, 2208, r1

Sometimes like begets like. Here, the Froggy Bottom team decided to take Mahogany and pair it with yet more Mahogany, and the result is a unique mixture of woody warmth and precise note definition. String energy is quick and lively, extra impressive given the short scale setup at 24 3/4 inches. This beauty comes to us from 2021, is nearly new, but already quite wide awake. The C-12 body is the Froggy Bottom concert model, slender and easy in hand, and this one is dressed up with their Deluxe appointment package for added flair. Abalone fleur-de-lis position markers, plus Abalone at the rosette and backstrip; slotted headstock with nickel Waverly tuners; Curly Maple bindings throughout.

Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, guitarbuilding, michael millard, fingerstyle, tkl, c2269

2019 but already wide awake. We landed this Lowden S-50W and were immediately struck by the gorgeous all Walnut body that’s set off by pale Maple bindings and arm bevel. 24 3/4” scale length makes for easy playability, and the 50 series appointments with Abalone GL Leaf inlays along the fretboard offers an understated aesthetic to better show off the figuring of all this Walnut. The voice has great balance and woody characteristics, and it has this cool warming up quality that comes out after a few minutes’ play. Definitely a great choice for the player who wants a full spectrum sound in a smaller package.

Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, guitarbuilding, fingerpicking, tonewood, 23604, s50w, fingerstyle, ameritage

Of course Martin knows how to make killer Mahogany Dread. How much better then, when they put together their D-18 design with the fabled The Tree wood? Turns out, a lot better. This is number 10 of a very exclusive run of 15 guitars in 1987, and has opened up handsomely in the intervening years. 18-style appointments throughout, dots at the fingerboard and gold Martin tuners. Well cared for, this D-18 Limited Edition is in excellent shape and ready for more action.

Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, c.f. martin, martin guitars, 18 style, dreadnaught, 469135

Ready to get your hands on a petite powerhouse? Try on this 2020 Wilborn Arum model for size. Chittagong back and sides pair up with aged Sitka Spruce on top, a subtle multiscale fretboard, offset sound hole plus micro arm bevel. Fantastic fit and finish throughout. The voice is characterized by a quickness and liveliness reminiscent of mahogany, with just a touch of sparkle in the troubles to really make it pop.

Other keywords: wilborn guitar, fan fret, fanned fret, lutherie, luthier, boutique guitar, elevated fingerboard, fingerstyle, 194

Here’s a sweet piece of California lutherie that’s opened up handsomely: the 2010 Moonstone 000-42 in Cocobolo and Adirondack. We love the excellent balance across the registers, and the velvet richness of the midrange especially which helps fill out the voice. Playability is buttery with a 24 3/4” scale, and in spite of the short scale we were able to tune this one down without loss of clarity and projection. Indeed, this Moonstone took to DADGAD like it was born in the tuning. The Cocobolo back and sides have dramatic figuring, while the Adirondack top has tight grain and is set off by 42-style Abalone trim. A slim build weight at 4.5lbs, in a 000 package, makes for a comfortable playing experience. 10/10 would recommend.

Other keywords: lutherie, 42 style, abolone, adriondack, l105, cedar creek

Take a load off and pick up this powerhouse Gibson AJ if you’re looking for a helluva time. You’ll need to hold on and keep up, because it’s got heaps of energy and it’s raring to go. This unique Custom Shop comes from 2001 and is so wide awake, it’s scary. Equally at home with fingers as with picks, and it plays great with both a light touch and a more aggressive attack. Kevin Kopp (of Kopp Guitars fame) was working in Gibson’s Custom Shop team when this order came down the line, so no surprise that this one’s got some extra heat in the sauce, so to speak. This beauty is dressed to the nines with Pearl trim, as well as engraved MOP position markers such as you’d otherwise only see on a Gibson banjo fretboard, and they went with a 30s-style sunburst in ultra thin Nitrocellulose Lacquer. As a result of said thinness, there are several finish checks, which we find only adds to the vintage vibes. Old growth Brazilian Rosewood back and sides—gorgeous stuff—plus Adirondack Spruce on top makes for an absolute beast of a guitar. Do yourself a favor, snag this one before it croons itself right out the door.

Other keywords: 02881078, allen shadd, al petteway, shade top, slope shoulder, slope dreadnought, fingerpicking, custom guitar

The Grand Concert model from the 900 Series boasts all-solid tonewoods, V-Class bracing and a rich appointment package that makes it an inspiration in both sound and visuals. The 912ce’s compact body shape lends it an inviting, intimate feel while playing, made even more comfortable by the ebony radius-style armrest and slender Taylor neck. The interior bracing scheme adds more volume and sustain to complement the warmth and articulation of the rosewood/spruce tonewoods, resulting in a balanced sound with clear definition between notes that will especially please fingerstyle players. Appointments such as ebony binding and Ascension inlays in paua and pearl elevate this model’s visual character. It ships with ES2 electronics and a hardshell case.

Here’s an audio sample with our own Al Petteway!

The Vintage Series embodies understated elegance. The traditional aesthetics of a spruce top fused with a robust unidirectional carbon soundboard is finished with an amber tint and supplemented with simple appointments.

To combine the stability and robustness of carbon fiber with the traditional aesthetics of wood, RainSong has developed SFT: Soundboard Fusion Technology. After careful experimentation, we are able to fuse a thin spruce soundboard and a unidirectional pre-impregnated carbon layer in a single molding step. The resulting SFT soundboard is a composite matrix that resonates as a single unit, like a solid wood soundboard. The physical properties of the carbon fiber far exceed those of the thin wood. Hence the SFT soundboard maintains the imperviousness to humidity and temperature of carbon fiber.

An SFT soundboard delivers rich crystalline carbon sound subtly colored by wood.

The RainSong Orchestra Model is the most refined of all RainSong shapes. It is our most comfortable and intimate guitar, with an immediacy of presence that makes it a favorite with the coffee house crowd. The treble, already a breathtaking attribute of RainSongs, and the carbon sound are simply sublime in this little guitar. A crystal bell clarity, balance, superb separation of individual notes, and an expansive dynamic range make the OM one of our most individually expressive guitars. Because of Projection Tuned Layering™, the OM is capable of strong projection. It won’t rattle windows like the Jumbo or the Dreadnought, but the OM, when driven, packs a lot of power and punch for a small bodied guitar.

The standard NS neck joins the body at the 12th fret rather than the 14th fret. This moves the bridge back on the soundboard towards the center of the lower bout resulting in improved sonic energy from the strings to the soundboard and enhanced bass response. The NS also has a shorter scale length (24.875”) making it a more comfortable neck to hold and play.

The Vintage Series embodies understated elegance. The traditional aesthetics of a spruce top fused with a robust unidirectional carbon soundboard is finished with an amber tint and supplemented with simple appointments.
A little guitar that packs a full, bright sound and a rich depth of tone typical of RainSongs.
The Parlor body combines the traditional compact shape with a modern Venetian cutaway for a perfectly proportioned intimate guitar with excellent access to the upper frets. A lower bout of 13-1/3” and depth of 4-1/8” makes it RainSong’s smallest body. The small size of the Parlor belies full and rich sound.

To honor Bob’s 30th anniversary building guitars under the Taylor name, a limited number of premium XXX-BE guitars were built. We’ve got number 126 of 150 here, an exquisite Grand Concert in Brazilian Rosewood and Engelmann Spruce that’s topped off with commemorative inlays across the fretboard extension and a slotted headstock on a 14-fret neck. Since 2004, this Taylor has been well-cared for with hardly a mark on her mirror-sheen body.

We were delighted to find an added layer of definition and sustain in the bass register which paired well with the smooth and crisp top end. Since it’s such an excellent fingerstyle guitar, we put it through its paces in a few open tunings, and found Taylor’s trademark playability to shine through in each. The body and rosette are trimmed out in dark Abalone, and the neck has a neck with a crushed velvet-like feel that remains smooth to the touch even after our hands warmed up, as can happen with a glossy neck.

It’s a wonder this Taylor XXX-BE has been so well preserved, and we’re proud to offer it in such fine condition.

Other keywords: anniversary guitar, andy powers, robert taylor, gc, xxxbe, englemann, brazilain

The sweets of time are strong in this one. We love a guitar that’s opened up; love it so much more when it’s a Kevin Ryan Mission Grand Concert from 2001. Cedar top plus Mahogany body, wide awake and singing, makes for a very responsive and engaging voice. Trebles have the classic Ryan shimmer, but there’s also a lively and organic quality to the bass and mids to really fill out the voice. Tune it to DADGAD and hold onto your picks, folx. With a fresh refret to the tune of Gold EVO frets, this Ryan MGC is raring to go for another 20 years.

Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, guitarbuilding, Kevin ryan guitar, M23857A, fingerpicking, modern guitar, calton, gc

A guitar for all occasions, this 2009 Flammang GC60-LD. Dressed to the nines with dramatic Brazilian Rosewood and Carpathian Spruce on top, Ebony bindings throughout, and nickel Schaller tuners with matching Ebony buttons. The Carpathian has opened up handsomely in the past decade, lending a breathiness and power to the voice that really comes out with single runs on the treble strings and blooming out with big held chords. We’d recommend this guitar for anyone looking for an all-around great guitar that specializes with note separation and sustain.

Other keywords: lutherie, grand concert, 167, cedar creek

Wide open. Take the Martin Custom Shop team, add premium tonewoods, then a few years’ playing since 2012—and the result is this expressive, articulate slope shoulder 12-fret dread. Madagascar Rosewood back and sides pair up with Adirondack Spruce and an L.R. Baggs Element pickup, plus herringbone trim on top and zigzag backstrip. Slotted headstock with gold Grover tuners and a 25.4” scale and 1 11/16” nut will feel familiar for flatpickers. With the 12-fret body join, the voice on this Martin works very well for fingerpicking as well. Any Norman Blake fans out there? This is one to consider!

Other keywords: cf martin, lutherie, dreadnaught, allen shadd, 28 style, pre-war, 1604815, lr baggs, adriondack, maddie, slope d

The Doerr Legacy Select is an experience in elegance, with a smooth response across the registers. This particular beauty comes to us from 2007, so has had several years to open up (and open up it has), and features some gorgeous, dramatic Brazilian Rosewood for the back and sides with Swiss Spruce on top. Additional upgrades include a BRW bridge, rosette, and headplate. Tom Doerr voiced this one for exquisite clarity and balance; it’s a primo fingerstyle guitar across several tunings.

Here’s an additional video performance on this instrument with our own Al Petteway: https://youtu.be/yr8uTGpPJMw

Other keywords: luthier, lutherie, guitarbuilding, doerr guitars, fingerpicking, modern guitar, gotoh, 070740

The Nashville is a bold stage guitar. The unidirectional carbon/spruce SFT soundboard is finished in an attractive 3-tone tobacco sunburst and supplemented with eye-catching appointments.

How do you describe RainSong’s JM? Three words: loud, loud, and loud. And if that’s not enough, it’s also loud. This is the largest body RainSong builds. The sheer size, combined with the attributes of Projection Tuned Layering™ and Soundboard Fusion Technology™ make the JM one of the loudest acoustic guitars on the planet. This guitar is loud. We had to say it again. But the JM is not just about power. The narrow waist and some layering refinements specific to the Jumbo soundboard give the JM some real fingerstyle grace. The guitar is strong, but impeccably balanced, with bass, mids and trebles distinct, clear and, dare we say it again, loud.

Our latest client build with Keisuke Nishi of Keystone Stringed Instruments is complete! And pretty much perfect. It’s always a pleasure to work with our clients and builders to help bring about heirloom instruments like this Modified Dreadnought “Sakura.” African Blackwood back and sides with German Moonspruce top, arm and rib bevels, cutaway–the works. In collaboration with Ogawa, the headstock is inlaid with floating sakura flowers. The rosette features one of Keisuke’s contoured designs–a channel has been routed out of the center of the ring, creating an intense three-dimensional effect. The effect is exciting and dramatic, cleanly executed.

Interested in commissioning one of your own? Give us a shout!

Other keywords: bespoke, keystone guitar, fingerstyle, 135, 2023, abw, moon spruce

AAAA Guatemalan Rosewood plus AAAA Alpine Spruce in a slender Wee Lowden package? Yes, please! This 2019 WL-35J is the perfect companion for acoustic and amplified gigs, plays effortlessly with a short scale, nylon string setup, and is gorgeous to boot. The L.R. Baggs Session VTS pickup system sounds oh so good. An excellent example of the modern crossover guitar from a modern maker: the Lowden WL-35 Jazz.

Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, guitarbuilding, fingerpicking, tonewood, 22782, wl35j, fingerstyle, ameritage

This beautiful Kinnaird CS Deluxe has opened up handsomely—blooming into a sweet rose with Cocobolo and Adirondack Spruce and slotted headstock, Abalone appointments, and a tasty shade top finish. Exquisite warmth characterizes the voice with a colorful dynamic range that works perfectly for fingerstyle, and mixes up great across the registers. Stephen Kinnaird brought this one to life in 2008, and the intervening years have opened it wide. Sweet and rich, with great note separation to make individual notes pop.

Other keywords: lutherie, fingerstyle, adriondack, coco, 020845cs, cedar creek

Randy Lucas nails the classic American Dreadnought with this gorgeous LD-28 dread from 2006, dressed up with Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce, herringbone trim, and ornate Abalone torch headstock. Today in 2022, this Lucas boasts a wide open and expressive voice, especially well balanced across the registers. Through saddle at the bridge with plenty of meat left and great break angle for the strings; Abalone snowflakes, diamonds, and squares along the fretboard; Ivoroid bindings plus Waverly tuners. Strap buttons have been installed at the heel and tail to allow you to strap up into the driver’s seat.

Here’s an additional demo with three-time National Flatpicking Champion Allen Shadd on this 2006 Lucas LD-28!: https://youtu.be/yWFfNBzACac

Other keywords: bluegrass, dreadnaught, dreadnaught, allen shadd, lucas guitars, flatpicking, 089, adriondack, brazilain

The Santa Cruz 1934D: modern playability, prewar power and presence. This premium model mirrors the original herringbone dreadnought with Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce, hide glue construction throughout, and Ivoroid bindings and Waverly tuners. Herringbone trim pairs up with a dalmatian pickguard plus enlarged soundhole.
The voice is rich, rich, rich—with great clarity and definition to make that richness ring out in full technicolor glory.

Check out this additional demo with three-time National Flatpicking Champion Allen Shadd!: https://youtu.be/ORrBlz4-QHM

Here’s an additional demo with local flatpick powerhouse Will Saylor: https://youtu.be/ERkDnB9zP3I.

Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, guitarbuilding, 6520, bluegrass, dreadnought, brazilain, allen shadd, flatpicking