This baby does it all. In essentially the same shape since its birth in 1998, this Claxton EM can take whatever tuning or genre you throw at it and make something beautiful out of it. The classic combination of Indian Rosewood and Sitka Spruce has rarely sounded so crisp, even, and projective–at Claxton’s SJ-size, this EM has a huge voice, but its lightweight construction makes for a guitar that’s easy on the shoulders to play for extended periods of time.

The string-to-string balance is yep, you guessed it, superb; the bass notes are rich but focused, paired sweetly with the trebles. When we flatpicked tunes, the EM roared, then with nails and fingertips we found the woody tones in the lower-middle register blossomed. After only a moment’s strum you can tell this EM has opened up deliciously since 1998.

This 2007 EM from Ed Claxton tastes like the first time you bit into real New York cheesecake: rich as sin and silk-smooth. With Brazilian Rosewood and Italian Spruce, who’d be surprised? Each and every note intonates wonderfully across the fretboard, and the neck profile is gossamer and fast. If you crave a setup that’s buttery and easy, look no further. The bass response has an impressive fundamental, and notes tend to hang in the air for long seconds.

When we dropped this EM into DADGAD and CGCGAD, the voice remained crisp and focused. While you can put any guitar in C tunings, sure, but only one in a great many sounds just as clear and responds as well as though it were in standard. Honestly, we can’t find any fault with this Claxton–even the case rocks (it’s a Calton).

This is what mahogany is all about. Paired here with Adirondack it gives this guitar multiple gears. Played sweetly you get mahogany’s wonderful clarity and breath but push it a bit and up comes a powerful throaty growl. The Adirondack is perfect on top and adds sparkle and tons of headroom. This is a guitar that can easily handle lots of terrain. We love the unique rosette and Ed’s always understated and elegant appointments. One serious axe. This instrument features:

Ed Claxton is highly regarded as one of the finest luthiers today. He builds a guitar heralded for it’s clarity, balance and full, rich voice. Unless you play one it’s hard to believe just how gorgeous the tone is. This 2006 EM is in mint condition and crafted from stunning Brazilian Rosewood and Master Grade German Spruce. The rosette is Ed’s wonderful original design. Lastly there is a Calton Deluxe Flight case, a $900 value included.

This is what mahogany is all about. Paired here with Adirondack it gives this guitar multiple gears. Played sweetly you get mahogany’s wonderful clarity and breath but push it a bit and up comes a powerful throaty growl. The Adirondack is perfect on top and adds sparkle and tons of headroom. This is a guitar that can easily handle lots of terrain. We love the unique rosette and Ed’s always understated and elegant appointments. One serious axe.