We’ve been waiting with bated breath for this one to arrive! Here’s the latest and greatest from our newest Canadian builder, GR Bear of Vancouver, British Columbia. Bear’s larger SJ-C body conveys power and growl, and the unique Gidgee back and sides bring out a distinct woody timbre to the bass register; Lutz Spruce on top gives the trebles a bright, chimey flavor that really cuts through the mix. The fit and finish is flawless from tuner to tail, with a UV-cured Polyester finish for the body and neck, and Royal-Lac shellac top for maximum resonance.
The neck is satin to the touch, and a delight in hand. This one takes to both flatpicks and fingerstyle equally well, and we can’t wait to hear what it sounds like after it’s got some hours under its belt! Considering how much tone we’re getting right out of the gate today. Comes wrapped in a Calton flight case for safe keeping on those rare moments you aren’t playing it.

Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, guitarbuilding, small jumbo, fingerpicking, gotoh, calton, alternative tonewood,

GR Bear, you can build us a guitar any day. This preowned 2019 OM is a phenomenal instrument with a surgically precise voice and elegant aesthetics. Highly figured Fiddleback Tasmanian Blackwood are paired with a salvaged Red Cedar top for clarity balanced with warmth; dialed in for the fingerstylist. The Cedar top here has a personal provenance from the builder himself: “ I went on a road trip to Haida Gwaii last year with my wife and son. One day my son and I were waking down the beach and I came across this massive cedar stump that had beautiful tight even grain and I thought I want some of that for tops! I asked the locals about salvaging some of the log and got permission from an indigenous Haida man to harvest what I could from the log. I rented a chain saw and loaded up our tiny Toyota Corolla for the 24hr drive home to Vancouver!”

A striking red Padauk bridge sets off the color of the top and Tasmanian Blackwood rosette. We love the stepped headstock and understated visual style. A soundport and hemispherical EVO fret ends rounds out the image. Bear utilizes a carbon falcate bracing scheme for the top, and the result is precision and power for days.

Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, guitarbuilding, orchestra model, fingerpicking, gotoh, hiscox

And now for something completely different. Al Beardsell may have never built the same guitar twice; each time we get one in the shop there’s something different and exciting going on under the hood or visually. This 2012 3D-V is a great example. Arm bevel, oval soundhole, soundport, asymmetrical neck carve, art deco rosette, flattened cutaway. Then there’s the voice. A fascinating mixture of pop and power, plus a smoothness and depth that’s quite its own thing. Beardsell’s built a fantastic fingerstyle guitar here, one which soaks up DADGAD like it was born in the tuning. Dramatically figured Macassar Ebony back and sides pair with Lutz Spruce on top, Ebony bindings throughout.

Other keywords: lutherie, 3dv, 146, ameritage, fingerpicking, modern guitar, flattop

Here we have a Beardsell Style 2 in Cherry and Spruce. This Style 2 has a big, raucous voice that is unique and fully engrossing, reminiscent of a great Selmer guitar. This one excels at jazz and single line soloing in a larger setting, but has the versatility to emote even intricate fingerstyle in more intimate surroundings. The soundport design puts you right inside the voice of this guitar, enabling you to hear every nuance of the sound before it ever makes its way to the crowd. And though this one might have a 12 fret neck joint, the heel transition and cutaway ensure that you can solo up as high as you like with ease. If you love a good Jazz box but want more substance to your sound, look no farther.

Allan Beardsell is one of the true innovators of guitar making and his instruments are some of our very favorites. This Beardsell 2G certainly does not look traditional and that’s because it is not. The Beardsell design employs sides stiffened with a layer of Birdseye Maple for a drum like power and projection. A radially braced back and perfectly voiced top join forces to maximize the use of energy. Don’t let the small soundhole fool you, there are two more on the side that let all of the sound out. The voice is perfect for both fingerstyle and chord work. One of most loved features is his asymmetrical neck profile. The bass side is shaved down a bit compared to the treble side, for a great feel. The Indian Rosewood and Sitka spruce are aged and played to full expression. An Armrest Bevel and a McIntyre Feather pickup make this a great choice for a gigging musician.