Mike Doolin may be building some of the most recognizable guitars to ever be built, with his signature double cutaway. This isn’t for show, the double cutaway makes this easily one of the most playable full bodied guitars we have come across. Any fret you want to get to on the fret board can easily be accessed, now us acoustic guys can play way up high like they do on those fangled electric guitars. Boy is it nice. If you think is plays well, just wait until you hear it. The tone is full and resonant all over the board, yes, even up in the high register. This OM is one of a kind with it’s Macassar Ebony back and sides and Bearclaw Sitka Top, It will draw you in with its looks and keep you there with its sound.

This striking Jumbo, named Madeline, from Mike Doolin may look like a beauty, but trust us it’s a beast! Talk about a huge voice. This one fills the room with energy and bravado. The Cedar top over a Lacewood Wedge body just roars. This Doolin Guitars employees a Manzer Wedge body, extended cutaway and some very modern bracing ideas including a carbon bar running from the neck block to the tail. This support allows the top to be lightly built and the braces to be heavily scalloped. The result is power, but it’s controlled and balanced. This guitar can do it all, every style and do it well.

This 2009 David Taylor Brescia is decked out with striking Curly Mahogany sides and back, contrasting Ebony body binding, and a lovely Port Orford Cedar top. Port Orford has the look of Spruce but with a gorgeous warm tone. Together with the Mahogany body, it’s quick responding and full. The 7-piece Mahogany neck, with its slim profile, and the contrasting back plate are especially attractive. There’s lots of great music to be made with this one, but it excels for fingerstyle with its great articulation across the registers, and warm, woody sustain.

Here we have a DT (David Taylor) De La Rosa model in Hormigo back and sides with a Lutz Spruce top. This is a visually striking instrument with its dark red hues and yellow tones. Hormigo is a wood that isn’t seen much in the guitar world it really doesn’t look like any other wood being used, tonally it falls in the range of Rosewood, it has a strong fundamental with an overtone pallet quite similar to that of the Rosewoods. Fingerpicking is the real focus of this guitar, melodies pop out with the bright trebles, tempered by the controlled basses and mids.

We are always on the lookout for an up and coming luthier with extraordinary talent. At the Newport/Miami Guitar Festival we were thrilled to discover the work of David Taylor, DT Guitars. Al Petteway and I both played his instruments repeatedly and were moved by the gorgeous tone and remarkable craftsmanship. I always look for the voice of a young builder and all 4 of his guitars on display had it, a sign to me that he is for real. What I sense is a powerful modern bass that is round and punctuated along with articulate trebles that willingly sing out the melody notes. These David Taylor Guitars also strum very well and the full sound is suitable for many styles from Fingerstyle to Jazz to Singer/Songwriter and everything in between. David happens to be the son of a wordclass knife maker, Gray Taylor, and carries on his families craftsmanship skills as evidenced by the lovely inlay work and fine details in his guitars. If you’ve been looking for a young builder to believe in you owe to yourself to learn more about David Taylor and his DT Guitars. This De La Rosa is crafted from rare Amazon Rosewood and Carpathian Spruce and features an armrest Bevel, Soundport, Cutaway, Carved Heel and gorgeous inlay work throughout.

The Dudenbostel abides. We’ve landed a powerhouse 2018 OM from Lynn Dudenbostel that’s a bombshell to the eyes, and a cannon to the ears. Brazilian Rosewood back and sides are paired with an Adirondack Spruce top, herringbone trim, and a vintage-style V neck that’s glossy smooth to the touch. This beauty weighs in at a scant 4lbs, and has a sweet dynamic range that works well for both flatpicking and fingerstyle. Ivoroid bindings, Waverly tuners, and a classic bone through saddle round out the image of the classic OM—and this Dudenbostel has an expressive and lively voice to make it oh so hard to put down.

Other keywords: fingerpicking, orchestra model, karura