Built during the mid 1930s, the Oahu Style 71K Hawaiian square neck guitar expressed the popularity of Hawaiian music and steel guitar. Oahu was perfectly placed as they were also a major music publisher. This Oahu Style 71K Hawaiian square neck was likely built by Kay around 1935, and features a solid Spruce top, X-braced, with laminate Maple for the sides and back. The neck is Mahogany, with Rosewood used for the bridge and the bound fingerboard. The finish is Sunburst, executed in nitrocellulose lacquer, and sports an elaborate gold-coloured, stencil design on the top.
Here we have a Furch OOM31 TR, deep body Orchestra Model steel string guitar built by Furch during 2016 in Velké Němčice, south of Brno in the Czech Republic. The TR in the model number indicate that the top is made of Aged Sitka Spruce, with Indian Rosewood for the back and sides. The neck is Mahogany with Ebony for the fingerboard bridge and head plate.
Featuring a solid Sitka spruce top, layered Copaifera sides and back, Venetian cutaway and the Expression System 2 pickup system the Taylor 214ce CF DLX is a stage ready, reliable and great sounding guitar. The Grand Auditorium body shape is an excellent general-purpose shape. Its width is similar to a dreadnought but with a much curvier shape which changes the response and dynamics. It is equally well suited to finger style or strumming so you can use it for many different styles.
Here we’re looking at a Recording King KayKraft Venetian Tenor Style B Guitar, built around 1931 at the KayKraft plant in Chicago, Illinois for Montgomery-Ward. It is in good working order, and has had a headstock repair. An archtop type instrument, the top is Spruce and back are Mahogany, both heat formed and ladder braced into the arched form. The sides and neck are Mahogany, with the fingerboard and bridge made of dark-stained Maple. The head plate is a ‘pearloid’ plastic with ‘Recording King’ stencilled on. The open gear tuning machines are not original but the rest of the hardware appears to be.
Showing strong influences from the classic American Slope Shouldered dreadnought line, the Eastman E10SS/V uses all solid woods and a very nice Antique Varnish finish. The earliest dreadnought guitars were built by Martin for the Oliver Ditson company during 1916, and used the round or slope shoulder format seen here; When Martin finally put the dreadnought into production in 1931, the upper bouts or shoulders were squared.
Built from 1992 to 1994, the Gibson Starburst Standard uses a cutaway mini-Jumbo body built of Maple, and as its name suggests features arrays of star shaped inlays. This model was popular, and Jorma Kaukonen apparently had several that he used regularly, including the blue-finished model in the Homespun Tapes clip linked here. The Gibson Starburst was a model produced for a short time in limited numbers in Bozeman, Montana and was designed chiefly by Ren Ferguson. Intended to mark the 100th anniversary of Orville Gibson’s first guitar sales, the Starburst aims towards players who need to amplify their guitars. As such, its wood choices are intended to reduce resonance and volume and thus reduce feedback.
The Eastman DM1 Gypsy Jazz Style model demonstrates that acoustic guitars do not only follow the pattern of American designs, particularly Martin and Gibson. Here we’re looking at a brand new Eastman DM1 Gypsy Jazz style guitar, in the ‘Petite Bouche’ or small soundhole style. This is a long scale instrument at 26.38 inches or 670mm, almost an inch longer than a typical Martin, and is a fairly large guitar. Construction features a solid Sitka Spruce top with layered Indian for the back and sides.
The Martin 000-28EC signature model is based on the guitar Eric Clapton used for an historic performance. On 16 January 1992, Eric Clapton performed for a small audience at Bray Film Studios in Windsor England. This iconic performance for the MTV Unplugged TV series would spawn an accompanying album that would become his best selling with 26 million copies worldwide. His guitar of choice was the Martin 000-28.
The Taylor Academy A12E is part of the company’s new Academy series of guitars, designed to provide beginners to seasoned players a great playing and sounding instrument at an affordable price point. The Taylor Academy A12E is a compact grand concert sized body which has a tighter waist and smaller lower bout making it a very approachable and easy to handle body size. It has a solid Sitka spruce top and layered Sapele sides and back.
This pre war Martin D28 dates to approximately June 1941 based on its serial number and production totals, and is in good playing condition with – to understate- a very good sound, rich, full, and large amounts of projection. It has had an amount of work done to it over the years. As standard for the pre war Martin D28, the body is a dreadnought with Adirondack Spruce top and bracing, Brazilian Rosewood for the sides, back, and head plate, Mahogany for the body blocks, lining and neck, and Ebony for the fingerboard and bridge.
The Collings C10 Deluxe parlor guitar is a small bodied model, based on instruments that were common before the launch of the dreadnought and jumbo models, which rapidly took over in the 1930s. This type of guitar provides a very balanced tone. The C10 Deluxe pairs a Sitka Spruce top with Indian Rosewood for the sides and back. The neck and body blocks are Honduran Mahogany, with Ebony used for the bridge, bound head plate and bound fingerboard.
We’ve just received a set of brand-new redesigned ’18’ models with pre-war features included, including this C. F. Martin 000-18. The 000-18 is one of Martin’s most successful models after its Dreadnought line, and delivers a full, evenly balanced tone ideal for fingerstyle players.
Here is a stunning jumbo body guitar ideal for stage performance – a Takamine Toby Keith, based on the EF250 he played for many years and is now a signature model. Drawing from classic Jumbo American guitars like the J-200 and F-500, the Takamine Toby Keith pairs a solid Sitka Spruce top with Flamed Maple for the cutaway, 17 inch wide body. The neck is Maple with Ebony used for the bound fingerboard, and Rosewood for the top-loading bridge. The inlays are Mother of Pearl and Abalone, with an Abalone ring at the rosette.
The Taylor 150e model is a 12 string dreadnought body size with a solid Sitka spruce top and layered walnut sides and back. The bass response and volume created from this large body pairs well with the crisp shimmering octave strings and articulate dynamics of the solid Sitka spruce top. For many players the lush octave shimmer of a 12 string dreadnought guitar is a familiar and inspiring sound. However, it is often a secondary instrument behind the player’s trusted six string. The Taylor 150e introduces an affordable 12 string to the 100 series of instruments for players looking to broaden their musical palette.
Known for its strong bass response and power, the Martin D-35 is the workingman’s Dreadnought. It features a East Indian Rosewood three-piece back and a Sitka spruce top. The expressive quarter inch straight bracing gives this guitar its signature strong bass response and power, which has made it a popular choice for players such as Johnny Cash and Seth Avett. The mahogany neck has a bound ebony fingerboard and an easy playing modified low oval neck shape. It’s the guitar of choice for bluegrass and folk music. Perfect for the intermediate and advanced player.
The Taylor GS mini e was released in 2010 and has become so popular that it has spawned many different versions.
Based on the big and bold tone of the popular Grand Symphony body shape, the Taylor GS mini e is comfortably scaled down to be the perfect size for the couch or on the go. The full-bodied tone produced is hard to believe from a guitar of this size.
The Taylor 814ce DLX is a luxurious Grand Auditorium body shape which pairs a Sitka spruce top, Indian rosewood sides and back with Taylor’s patented V-Class bracing to reach new levels of tonal performance. One of Taylor’s most popular shapes, the Grand Auditorium body is a versatile general-purpose guitar. Its width is similar to a dreadnought but with a much curvier shape which changes the response and dynamics. It is equally well suited to fingerstyle or strumming so you can use it for many different styles.
The Martin D-18 is the classic, quintessential bluegrass and fingerstyle guitar. It’s got everything needed – balanced tone with deep lows and sparkling highs, clarity and separation, instant response to pick or finger attack, and volume. Today’s Martin D-18 Dreadnought features a sleek, modern low profile for enhanced playability. The D-18 adds a Sitka spruce top to the mahogany back and sides and along with the forward shifted scalloped bracing produces a sound that is warm, punchy and clear. Perfect for the intermediate and advanced player looking for understated looks and timeless tone.
The Martin D-28 is the Dreadnought by which all others are judged. Constructed of solid East Indian rosewood back and sides, Sitka spruce top and mahogany neck, this instrument has been a favorite of artists from Hank Williams Sr. to Jimmy Page.
The Hollowneck Report Part 1 features National ResoPhonic guitars played by Burke Carroll in contemporary Bluegrass tuning, with Chris Bennett on rhythm.
The Dobro Model 27 and 25 were for a time one of Dobro’s most popular models, though it’s hard to tell which model is which – the designation was based on that year’s price!
Here we’re looking at a what’s likely a Dobro Model 27, though possibly a 25, built during 1934 for Dobro by the Regal company of Chicago, Illinois. The body construction is largely of Birch ply, bound top and back,with likely Poplar for the neck and Walnut for the fingerboard.
The Gibson TG-0 tenor guitar was built during two periods and two forms, but was always a relatively simple Mahogany top 4-string acoustic. The first TG-0 was based on the L-0 from 1927 to 1933, and the second based on the LG-0 from 1960 to 1974. Here we’re looking at a second series Gibson TG-0 dating to 1963 at the Kalamazoo plant, and draws directly from the LG-0 model. These guitars use Mahogany for the top, back sides with Spruce bracing, and Mahogany for the neck but a Rosewood fingerboard.
This Michael Messer Blues 14-Fret model is designed by Michael Messer with a special alloy, biscuit-cone for well balanced, authentic Delta-Blues tone and great sustain and volume. Messers have a big, chunky, pre-war style neck which is fitted with a modern fully adjustable truss rod.
Here we’re looking at a Martin OMC 28E built late in 2006 in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. Like the OM, it pairs a Sitka Spruce top with Indian Rosewood for the sides back and headplate, and also for the bridge and bound fingerboard. The neck and body blocks are Mahogany and Sitka Spruce is used for the bracing.
Here we’re looking at a Gibson Robert Johnson L-1 sunburst guitar, dated to January 11 2005 at the Gibson Acoustics shop in Bozeman, Montana under supervision of master luthier Ren Ferguson. Built like an early 1930’s L-1, this guitar features a scallop-braced Sitka Spruce top, with Mahogany for the sides, back, body blocks and neck. The 12-fret fingerboard and bridge are Ebony on this example.
Developed from the small body, short scale 12-fret guitars of the early 20th century, the Larrivee P09 Artist Series is an excellent instrument for fingerstyle playing. Built at the Larrivee shop in Oxnard, California, the Larrivee P09 Artist features a Sitka Spruce top paired with Indian Rosewood for the sides, back and head plate. The body binding is Flame Maple. The neck and body blocks are Mahogany, and the bridge and ivoroid-bound, fingerboard are Ebony.
The Eastman DT30OM is the second model in Eastman’s new Double Top line, bringing high end classical guitar technology to the steel string world – here in a classic Orchestra Model body design. The double top concept aims to allow a very thin, light and responsive top but with superior strength and stiffness. Here, thin layers of Sitka Spruce are bonded to a honeycomb Nomex core. Nomex is a Kevlar polymer and helps provide significant improvements in stiffness to weight ratios.
We’re happy to present the Eastman DT30D Double Top, part of Eastman’s new line of double-top steel string guitars – a technology that till now has mostly been limited to high end classical instruments. The double top concept aims to allow a very thin, light and responsive top but with superior strength and stiffness. Here, thin layers of Sitka Spruce are bonded to a honeycomb Nomex core. Nomex is a Kevlar polymer and helps provide significant improvements in stiffness to weight ratios.
The Michael Messer Blues 28 hews closely to the original 1928 specifications and has the classic wood-bodied resonator guitar sound and feel. This model is built with a 1928-style Mahogany laminate body with F-holes and Mahogany neck, 12 frets to the body, with a spun Aluminum cone and Maple biscuit bridge. The National String Instrument Corporation invented and introduced the first Resophonic guitars in 1927, using a tri-cone, metal body design worked out by John Dopyera and George Beauchamp.
The Boucher Studio Goose SG-52 uses the traditional square shoulder Dreadnought body design pioneered by Martin in the early 20th century, and which has dominated the acoustic guitar world since the 1950s. The very white, locally harvested AAAA grade Adirondack Red Spruce top, using a hand-scalloped forward shifted X brace system is paired with Indian Rosewood to provide warm, full tone. The neck is South American Mahogany, and Ebony is used for the headplate, fingerboard and bridge. Bindings are Maple with Herringbone purfling.
The Boucher Heritage Goose HG-26 is based on the traditional 12 fret, 000 body design, with a slotted peghead to increase string downbearing at the nut without increasing head pitch. This helps add clarity, separation and sustain to open string notes. Here, Boucher has paired the Adirondack Red Spruce with African Bubinga. The neck is Mahogany with Ebony used for the headplate, bridge, and fingerboard.
The Boucher Studio Goose SG-41 uses the OM Hybrid, or Orchestra Model body shape modified to work better with fingerstyle playing. The very white, locally harvested Adirondack Red Spruce top is paired with Brazilian Mahogany to provide clear, crisp tone and immediate response.
The Boucher Studio Goose SG-21 uses the OM Hybrid, or Orchestra Model body shape modified to work better with fingerstyle playing. The very white, locally harvested Adirondack Red Spruce top is paired with African Bubinga to provide clear, crisp tone and immediate response. The neck is Mahogany, and Ebony is used for the headplate, fingerboard and bridge.
The Boucher Richard Bennett signature series model is based on the classic Dreadnought body, pairing an Adirondack Spruce top with Brazilian Mahogany for the body and neck. This combination provides a full tone with crisp sparkling highs and fast response. Decoration on the Richard Bennett model is minimal – it focuses on tone and performance.
The G W Barry M Body guitar is a very successful and versatile design based on the classic OM introduced by Martin, with a long scale neck on a 000 sized body. G W Barry has been building for decades starting with years for Jean Larrivee, and his skill at not only building but also voicing is evident in this 23-year old M body cutaway model. This particular guitar was recently rebuilt by Barry, with work including a neck reset with fret dress and a neck-off refinish of the top that included a repair to a top crack.
Sharing many features with the SG-21 and SG-41, the Boucher Studio Goose SG-51 features an Adirondack Spruce top but with Indian Rosewood back and sides. The Studio Goose SG-51 uses the OM Hybrid, or Orchestra Model body shape modified to work better with fingerstyle playing. The very white, locally harvested Adirondack Red Spruce top is paired with Indian Rosewood to provide warm, crisp tone . The neck is South American Mahogany, and Ebony is used for the headplate, fingerboard and bridge. Bindings are Maple with Herringbone purfling.
We’re starting off the day with an interesting Gibson L-0 guitar dating to 1927 that was originally sold through T.E. Bevan and Co. Ltd at Grosvenor House in Calcutta.
Here we have another Martin D-28 Brazilian Rosewood Dreadnought steel string guitar dating to 1969. This was officially the last year that the Martin guitar company used Brazilian Rosewood, though it was found in smaller portions until about 1973 when their last supplies were exhausted. The Dreadnought steel string, as found on guitars like the C F Martin D-28 Brazilian and the rest of their ‘D’ line, has been one of the most successful guitar designs. Used by countless guitarists and on many recordings, the Dreadnought brought banjo-matching volume.
The Martin D-45 has been the top of the line in the Martin Guitar Company’s line of regular production instruments since its initial introduction in 1933, and its re-introduction in 1968.
This Larson Brothers Maurer 551 dates to the late 1920s and uses an Auditorium sized body, 15 inches wide. As was often the case in the period, there is no serial number and records are scarce, so it is difficult to date exactly. The top is Spruce, the back and sides are Brazilian Rosewood, with a number of old repairs to both. The neck is mahogany, with Ebony used for the fingerboard and bridge. The scale length is a modern 25.6 inches, and the nut width a fairly wide 1.9 inches. The finish base is original but there are a number of touchups and some overspray.
The Beltona T105 Tricone was one of the early products of Beltona, founded in the UK by Steve Evans and Bill Johnson in 1990. Respectively a luthier and engineer, Evans and Johnson first sought to build instruments for themselves that were, at the time, not readily available in the UK. In 1998, Beltona moved to New Zealand,
We’re excited to share with you, new Michael Messer Blues guitars! These MM latest guitars have a newer finish, and less blue tones than the previous models. This model is designed by Michael Messer with a special alloy, biscuit-cone for well balanced, authentic Delta-Blues tone and great sustain and volume. Messers have a big, chunky, pre-war style neck which is fitted with a modern fully adjustable truss rod.
Designed with fingerstyle players in mind, the Larrivee LSV-11 features a slightly smaller, cutaway L body with a relatively short 24.8 inch scale length. This early Larrivee LSV-11 example dates to August 11, 2006 and was built at the Larrivee shop in Oxnard, California. It features the cutaway LS body and pairs a Sitka Spruce top with Indian Rosewood for the back and sides, Mahogany for the body blocks, linings and neck, and Ebony for the pyramid-style bridge and ivoroid-bound fingerboard.
The Larrivee OMV-05 combines several influences into one very nice, very responsive guitar ideal for fingerstyle. The cutaway OM body shape and size provides a well rounded, even frequency response and Jean Larrivee’s classical background appears in the 650mm scale length and fairly wide 45mm nut. Now out of production, this Larrivee OMV-05 dates to October 20, 2006 at Larrivee’s shop in Oxnard, California. It features a Sitka Spruce top paired with Central American Mahogany for the sides, back, body blocks, and neck.
The Takamine DSF48c Santa Fe is now discontinued, but replaced by the TSF48c – the difference is in the installed preamp, while the rest of the guitar is unchanged. Takamine was one of the first companies to market a successful pickup-equipped steel string guitar, and one of their key developments was with the preamp and EQ systems. For a time, it seemed every Country stage had at least one Takamine.
Here’s a lovely Taylor 712 from 1997, before pickups were stock, and it’s a very nice guitar for fingerstyle playing – well rounded with full, evenly balanced tone. The Taylor 712 in this form is no longer available. The 712 is now mostly presented as the Taylor 712 ce, for Cutaway Electric, and most often in 12-fret neck format, with slotted peghead. However, the construction has the same basis in the Grand Concert body, roughly equivalent to a Martin OOO body size. It features a Sitka Spruce top paired with Indian Rosewood for the back and sides, Mahogany for the body blocks, linings and neck, and Ebony for the bridge and bound fingerboard.
The Rainsong H-DR1000LN2T takes the proven standard Dreadnought design, and builds it in a Left Handed model using Carbon Fibre and glass fibre, adding a Fishman Prefix pickup and wrapping it in a Copper Burst finish. Rainsong guitars are built in the USA. Now based in Woodinville, Washington, the company started in Kihei, Maui, Hawaii and builds designs by company founder John Decker.
Built from 1955 to 1969, the Martin D-21 was a bridge between the Mahogany D-18 and the Rosewood D-28 models, with Brazilian Rosewood for the back and sides but without extra binding or decoration. Martin stopped building the D-21 about the same time their stocks of Brazilian Rosewood were exhausted, and demand for the model was not enough to justify shifting it to Indian Rosewood.
The Gibson J-45 Slope Shoulder Dreadnought is one of the classic American guitars, built for the working or aspiring musician. It’s not fancy, but delivers exactly what it needs to. Warm and full sounding, this model has long been a favourite for singer-songwriters. The round upper bouts or shoulders differentiate the design from Martin’s square-shoulder ‘D’line, though the first incarnations of that model also had round shoulders.
This is a brand new Collings CJ-35, this one a GSB – sporting a German Spruce top and Sunburst finish! Collings guitars are among the finest available anywhere. The Collings CJ-35 elevates the classic slope-shoulder dreadnought design, pairing a Spruce top with Mahogany for the sides, back and neck, to its apex. These are wonderful instruments, with the best materials available and impeccable build and finish quality.
The Gibson J-50 first appeared alongside the J-45 in 1952 as a pair of slope or round-shouldered dreadnoughts, the J-50 in Natural and the J-45 Sunburst. These models replaced the J-35, built from 1936 to 1942. The two guitars are structurally very similar, but the natural-finish J-50 received multi-layer top binding and better visual grade Spruce tops as there was no tint to hide imperfections. For this reason, the J-50 carried a higher price.
The Larrivee OM-40 Legacy model is a tonally well balanced orchestra size flat top with classic appointments. It features a mahogany back and a sitka spruce top. This tone wood combination provides rich midrange warmth and smooth articulation.
Dmitry Kulakov has brought us one of his newer creations, the DK Cleopatra model featuring his Fibonacci body shape, Sitka Spruce top and Amazon Rosewood for the sides and back. New guitar designs are relatively easy to come up with, but what’s much more difficult is having that design work as a functional and good sounding instrument. The DK Cleopatra succeeds in these regards, resulting in an attractive and visually striking and rather good sounding instrument.
G W Barry has been building fine steel strings for some time, and this M-body cutaway dates to 1995 at his shop in Toronto. Built with a Sitka Spruce top, Indian Rosewood back sides and headplate, with mahogany for the neck and ebony for the fingerboard and bridge, maple binding and an abalone rosette, this guitar is in very nice condition.
This Matthew Woodall Archtop uses a fairly traditional cutaway design, with a 17 inch wide body. The top is solid carved Spruce with bound F-holes, and the back is carved, bookmatched Spalted Maple. The sides and neck are also Maple and the body is bound with a faux-tortoise layer. The fingerboard, bridge and tailpiece are Ebony.
This C.F. Martin D28 built during 1969 at the Martin facility in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. In keeping with the time it was built, the Rosewood used for the sides, back and head plate was sourced in Brazil. The top is Sitka Spruce, the neck and body blocks Mahogany, and the fingerboard and bridge are Ebony. Grover Roto-Matic tuners are installed and a new bone saddle and bridge pins have been added. The headstock is the late 1960’s rounded shape, with a relatively slim profile neck. It’s very comfortable to play.
The Larrivee LV19 Special Vine Edition was built only during 2002, in a run of fifty instruments featuring a spectacular engraved ‘tree of life’ vine inlay. Here we’re looking at a Larrivee LV19 Special Vine Edition, dating to September 10, 2002 and built at the then-new Larrivee shop in Oxnard, California. The LV-19 is now a discontinued model, but the “LV” indicated the classically-derived Larrivee body while the “19” denotes a step up from the “09” trim, adding Rosewood binding.
Here we have a used Michael Messer Blues 14 in near new condition, at a significant discount from the new price. A rare find as few people trade them back! The original Michael Messer Pod case – soft sided with dense foam – is included. Michael Messer is a well known English guitarist, who has over the years focused on steel and slide guitars. His line of resophonic guitars draws from his decades of experience playing these instruments, and aims towards an affordable but high quality guitar.
Introduced in 1954 and intended as a companion to the then-new Les Paul solidbody, the Gibson J160E was one of the first mass production electrified steel string guitars. This model was discontinued in 1979, and is occasionally re-issued. One of the greatest contributors to the success of this model was a 1962 model’s appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, in the hands of one John Lennon. That was The Beatles first US performance, and made all their gear quite popular.
This rare Zemaitis Heart 12 String Superior Plus steel string acoustic guitar is built of Mahogany, with Ebony for the fingerboard and bridge and Rosewood for the headplate. It was built during 1986 at the Zemaitis shop in Chatham, Kent, England. During the 1970s, Tony Zemaitis became one of the most sought after luthiers as English musical royalty discovered his new metal-topped electric guitars. Ron Wood, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, and George Harrison all played Zemaitis models at various times.
This is a wonderful new guitar from the C F Martin Custom Shop – a 1947 D-28 built with Guatemalan rosewood and Sitka spruce top. This guitar was built during 2017 to specifications provided by The Twelfth Fret’s Grant MacNeill during his visit to the Martin facility.
Here we’re looking at a brand new, just introduced Huss and Dalton CM model. It features an Engelmann Spruce top, Indian Rosewood for the sides and back, with Mahogany for the body blocks and neck. The head plate, bridge, and Maple-bound fingerboard are Ebony. Body binding is also Maple. Abalone is used for the rosette and 12th Fret Scroll inlay, and the Huss and Dalton log is Mother of Pearl.
The Larrivee OM-03 is an acoustic guitar from Larrivee’s Recording Series. This model has a solid Sitka Spruce top with Mahogany back and sides. This OM model has a medium body with full scale length, fitting itself to many styles, particularly fingerpicking.
Here we have a nearly new Furch Rainbow Grand Concert with Alpine Spruce top and Indian Rosewood for the back and sides, built during 2018 in Velké Němčice, south of Brno in the Czech Republic. The Furch Rainbow Grand Concert is a product of the Rainbow series, which allows customers to specify many elements of a guitar by stepping through a ‘guitar configurator’ applet.
The G W Barry Mod C CW is a variation on G.W. Barry’s Concert Model. It has the same body depth and outline but with a quarter inch removed from the entire perimeter — effectively making it a guitar with a 15 1/2 inch wide lower bout. This creates a very comfortable body size, closer to a traditional OM, with a well balanced tone that retains strong bottom end fundamentals.
Here we’re looking at an unusual guitar, the Dobro Model 66s, a wood bodied, single cone resophonic guitar with round sound holes and square neck. Its unique feature is the finish. The guitar was first given a standard Sunburst, then many extra coats of a tinted lacquer, and then that was sandblasted into a ‘French Scroll’ design. This Dobro Model 66s example dates to 1975 and was built at Huntington Beach, California.
The C F Martin D 76 Bicentennial Limited Edition guitar was built during 1975 and 1976 to commemorate the two hundredth anniversary of the founding of the United States of America. The first 200 D 76 Bicentennial models appeared during 1975, with another 1,976 completing the run during 1976. This model is based on the classic D body design, with an Adirondack Spruce top and sides, head plate and three-piece back of Indian Rosewood; the back sections have Herringbone separators. The neck is Mahogany, with Ebony for the fingerboard and bridge.
Harkening back to the 1920s and 1930s, the Waterloo WL14 LTR leads the Waterloo line, available with ladder or X bracing and a very thin nitrocellulose lacquer Boot Burst finish.
Waterloo guitars aim to reproduce the sound of depression-era instruments, but are built to the highest standards by people who really know and care about their craft. The outcome is probably as good as these designs can be, which is saying something.
The Taylor 510E is now discontinued, so this is one of the last ‘as new’ examples you’re likely to find. It is built on the classic Spruce top, Mahogany back and side formula that works so well for fingerstyle and flatpicking. Here, it’s paired with a slotted headstock, which increases downbearing at the nut, and hence open string sustain and separation, without increasing head pitch.
Immediately popular particularly with singer-songwriters and carrying a distinctive hand-painted pickguard, the Hummingbird was used on many popular recordings, sometimes to surprising results. For example, The Rolling Stones’ ‘Street Fighting Man’ features a Hummingbird recorded on an overdriven Philips cassette recorder, with Charlie Watts using a portable practice kit. Other recordings, like ‘Angie’, record the Hummingbird more conventionally.
Here’s a lovely Lowden F25 with Cedar and Indian Rosewood built during 2000 at the current Lowden Guitars work shop in Newtownards, Northern Ireland. The F25 is part of Lowden’s Original Series. Lowden Guitars began in 1974 with George Lowden reaching the decision to build professionally. Opening a shop in Groomsport, County Down, Northern Ireland. Orders grew and in 1980 his Swiss distributors sparked a five-year contract to have Lowden guitars built under license by dedicated workers at S.Yairi in Japan as a way of making these models more available.
Appearing in 1960 next to the top of the line J-200, the Gibson Hummingbird was Gibson’s first square-shoulder – Martin style – dreadnought guitar.
Built with a body and neck of Mahogany paired with Indian Rosewood for the fingerboard, bridge and head plate, the Martin 000 15M is a punchy, responsive guitar. The Martin ’15’ series indicates that the trim level is fairly low, in particular there is no body or fingerboard binding, and the finish is satin. Mahogany has long been used as an alternative wood for guitar and ukulele tops, and Martin has used it for nearly a century.
Here we’re looking at a Tim Scheerhorn L Body Koa square neck resophonic guitar, signed and dated – in two places! – by Tim Scheerhorn himself. The label, visible through the bass sound hole, lists a build date of 11/22/08, or November 22 2008, and bears Tim Scheerhorn’s signature. Those same pieces of information – the date and the signature – are also hand written on the inside of the back.
Here we have a Richard Model N55, built during 2008 in eastern Quebec, Canada. Richard is Richard Boucher, a cousin of Robin Boucher of Boucher Guitars, and related to Norman Boucher, who built Norman Guitars. This family has a serious interest in guitar building! The Richard Model N55 is based on the classic Dreadnought design, with an Adirondack Spruce top (native to this area of Quebec) and Mahogany for the back, sides, neck, and body blocks.
This National Style 1 Tricone has a 12-fret ‘Spanish’ or round neck and dates to 1929, and was built at the National shop in Los Angeles. All of these guitars had 12-fret necks until 1934, at which point the influence of banjo players migrating to guitar prompted an industry shift to 14-fret necks. This guitar is in good condition and is fully playable – it has just been serviced at The Twelfth Fret Repair Shop, with a neck reset, fret dress, setup, brace repair and new cones.
William Laskin is very well known for the creativity and quality of his inlay work. Here, a stag or buck – a male deer with antlers is depicted between frets 11 and 18, in a mixture of engraved woods and, it appears, ivory for the antlers. This guitar is old enough that small amounts of ivory were still used, and here appears in the nut, saddle, sliding nut components, and the inlaid antlers.
The Gibson J50 Slope Shouldered jumbo model was introduced in 1947 as an ‘upgrade’ to the successful J-45, with a natural finish showing off the higher quality Spruce top. The J-50 was built until 1982, shifting to a square shoulder body design for 1969, and has been reissued from time to time. This is a relatively early Gibson J50, built during 1953 at the Gibson Parsons Street plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Built almost exactly like the iconic J45, this J50 uses Adirondack Spruce for the top and top bracing, with Mahogany for the back, sides, neck, body blocks, linings and back bracing.
Here is a rarity, built only during 1957 and in a quantity of less than 30. While the base model is common, the two pickup Gibson ES125 D is not. Introduced in 1946 as the effects of WW2 wound down, demand rose and materials became available again, the Gibson ES-125 was intended as a student model but has been used by many professionals over the decades. The ES-125 line was discontinued in 1970, though after 1960 or so most of the related models had the ‘T’ or Thinline body that was introduced in 1956.
he Gibson J45 Slope Shouldered dreadnought, or Jumbo, was introduced in 1942 to replace the J-35, which had been built since 1936. It has remained in production ever since, and its rich warm tones make it a great match with a singer. Intended as a ‘working man’s guitar’, the Gibson J43 Slope Shouldered model was very similar to the J-35, but for the most part has stiffer, stronger and taller bracing shifted slightly back from the soundhole and a rounded neck profile.
Here’s a fantastic deal on a Collings SJ Maple in new, old stock, shop worn condition – steeply reduced from its original price and advertised here with permission from Collings! The Collings SJ is built with a Sitka Spruce top paired with Maple for the sides, back, and neck. The bridge, head plate and bound fingerboard are Ebony, with Mother of Pearl used for the position markers, headstock decoration and Collings logo. The top bracing is Sitka Spruce and the body blocks, linings and back bracing are Mahogany. The nut and saddle are bone.
The Gibson SJN appeared in 1956 as a natural top version of the successful Southern Jumbo, and had the model name ‘Country Western’. In 1962, square shoulders arrived, and the name was lengthened to ‘SJN Country Western’. The model was discontinued in 1978. This example dates to 1964, with the square shoulders and three-point pickguard. The top is Spruce, with mahogany for the back, sides and fingerboard, with Rosewood for the fingerboard and adjustable bridge.
The Epiphone Zephyr Regent is a full body, 17.375 inches wide, built using Maple laminates for the top, back and sides for feedback resistance. The neck is Mahogany with Rosewood for the wooden bridge and bound fingerboard. The position markers are slotted Mother of Pearl blocks, perhaps looking forward to the markers found on the later Epiphone Howard Roberts model.
Here we’re treated to a Bourgeois Vintage D, dating to May 19 2015 and featuring an Adirondack Spruce top paired with Indian Rosewood for the sides and back. The neck is Mahogany, with a Ziricote head plate, and Ebony is used for the bridge and bound fingerboard. Mother of Pearl is used for the Bourgeois headstock inlay and the snowflake position marker sets. The top is enclosed in an old-style Herringbone inlay, and the back has a ‘Zipper’ center strip. Open gear, nickel plated Waverly tuners – made in Bozeman, Montana, not far from the Gibson Acoustic shop – are at the head.
From Toronto Luthier Scott Milligan, is a lovely L-00 steel string built with Engelmann spruce and Indian Rosewood, with a very light satin finish. Scott has been studying under various luthiers in Ontario, including sessions at the Canadian School of Lutherie under Jeremy Nicks, and with Josh House near Goderich. This Scott Milligan L-00 was built recently at the Milligan Guitars shop in Toronto. It features an Engelmann spruce top, Indian Rosewood back, sides and rosette, with Mahogany for the neck and Ebony for the fingerboard, headplate, and bridge.
Exquisitely proportioned and delivering on the promises of its appearance, the Gibson L7 Archtop was the instrument used by many professional players for several decades.Introduced in 1932 as a mid-level but professional quality, the Gibson L7 was a full size 17 inch archtop guitar and was immediately popular. The last non-cutaway model, like this, was made in 1955. In its cutaway form the L7C, it was built until 1972.
The Taylor 812ce 12 Fret Cutaway Steel String is a very good sounding guitar and demonstrates the added projection and sustain from the new V-Class bracing pattern. Starting from the Grand Concert design, a soft Venetian cutaway is added, and the body is built using a Sitka Spruce top paired with traditional Indian Rosewood for the back and sides. The 12-fret neck is Mahogany, with Ebony used for the headplate, bridge, and bound fingerboard.
The C F Martin D-28 has for many decades been one of the benchmarks for acoustic guitars, and the brand-new Martin D-28 Modern Deluxe brings new features to this venerable design. Originally introduced around 1911 as a large model for the Ditson company, the D-28 reappeared in the 1930s and has been in production ever since. There have been a number of changes over the years – notably, Brazilian Rosewood has not been used since the early 1970’s – but the core design is unchanged.
The very first C. F. Martin 000-18 steel string guitar appeared in 1904 with a Maple body, and was built using Mahogany for the body in small numbers until 1926, when 224 were sold. Annual production stayed in the mid-hundreds until 1972, when 650 were built.The C. F. Martin 000-18 string guitar is closely related to the OM or Orchestra Model. They key difference is scale length; the 000 has a 24.9 inch scale length, and the OM a 25.4 inch scale.
Here’s something new from National Resophonic – the T14 N, 14 fret cutaway Tricone with Bright Nickel Finish has arrived!
The National Triolian 12 features a steel body with walnut burst finish and a single cone. Also available with a 14 fret neck, these guitars produce a full, rich and lush vintage tone.The National String Instrument Corporation patented and produced the first resonator instruments in 1927, responding to the constant need for more volume. The first instruments used three small cones – the classic Tricone design.
For as long as musicians have been travelling, portability has been an issue. Journey Overhead travel guitars combine a number of unique features, some patented, to deliver a professional quality guitar in an easily transported package. It comes with its own carry-on luggage! At The Twelfth Fret we’ve carried Journey Overhead guitars for several years and they have consistently impressed us. Built using carbon fiber, the guitar is delivered with an airline carry-on size bag, is ready to play in under a minute, and can be packed away again in seconds. Most importantly, tone and playability are not sacrificed to gain this capability.
This Unger archtop – an American Dream model, was built with solid hand-carved German Spruce top, hand carved European Flame Maple back, and Flame Maple for the sides and neck. The body is unbound. The neck carries an unbound Ebony fingerboard, and Ebony is also used for the bridge, tailpiece, and pickguard. Schaller tuners are mounted on the head and a Kent Armstrong pickup is mounted to the top in the neck position, and volume and tone controls are mounted beside the lower part of the the treble F-hole.
The wood body National Reso-Phonic M-1 Cutaway Tricone blends the sound of a tricone with the warmth of wood, and has a lighter weight as a bonus.Outfitted with National’s new-alloy cones and aluminum T-bridge, the National M-1 Cutaway uses a mahogany laminate for the body, with solid mahogany for the neck and ebony for the bound fingerboard. The cover-plate is steel, and is hand-painted to match the colour tone of the top woods.
The National Reso Rocket Steel is one of National’s newly designed single cone guitars, incorporating a redesigned cover plate pattern to complement the distinctive Tricone-style grille work. The Bendaway body has the upper bout cut away for easier access to the higher frets.The Reso Rocket Steel is built with a thin, rubbed steel Bendaway body, paired with a neck made of either Maple or Mahogany and a bound Ebony fingerboard, with Mother of Pearl position markers.
Featuring classic styling with a tight-waisted Auditorium body shape, the Martin 000-28 has solid East Indian rosewood back and sides, a Sitka spruce top, polished gloss finish and a hand-fit dovetail neck joint. This model produces a rich and full-bodied tone, making it the ideal guitar for the intermediate and advanced player.
The wood body National M-1 Tricone, like its close relative the M-1 Cutaway, blends the unmistakable sound of a tricone with the warmth of wood, and has a lighter weight as a bonus.Outfitted with National’s new-alloy cones and aluminum T-bridge, the National M-1 uses a mahogany laminate for the body, with solid mahogany for the neck and ebony for the bound fingerboard. The cover-plate is steel, and is hand-painted to match the colour tone of the top woods.
The National Reso-Phonic Reso Rocket Wood Body is a newly designed single resonator cutaway guitar incorporating a redesigned coverplate pattern to complement the distinctive Tricone-style grille work. The upper bout of the wood body has been modified with a deep cutaway for easier access to the higher frets.The very first versions of this innovative guitar were named the ‘Wocket’ and ultimately became the Reso Rocket WB.
National NRP B Series guitars replicate the classic 1930’s single cone, metal bodied resophonic models, especially the Duolian, and often carry painted finishes on the steel bodies.Steel body National Guitars are the loudest of the National Resophonic family of guitars. Brash, bright and clanky they are the epitome of the classic Delta Blues guitar.
The Eastman E10SS evokes the spirit of the classic spruce and mahogany slope shouldered dreadnought guitars popular with countless artists since the late 1930s. This combination of materials and body design delivers a warm, rich tone with plenty of presence and volume. It works very well as an accompaniment to a voice. Starting with the slope-shouldered dreadnought body, the Eastman E10SS pairs an solid Adirondack Spruce top on a solid Mahogany back and side set.
This is a new Beard R Model squareneck resophonic custom built for us, an Export model in flame maple and with the Jerry Douglas pickup factory installed. The Beard R Model custom is based on the classic resophonic guitars of the 1930’s. It uses an open soundwell design on a tighter-waisted body (compared to the dreadnought-based Beard E model) and the flame maple version features outstanding wood sets. The R Models feature Paul Beard’s triple spun Legend cone and an Original #14 spider.
This new bracing style increases dynamic response, sustain and volume and improving harmonic agreement. What ‘Harmonic Agreement’ means is that this bracing helps bring the harmonic overtones produced by various notes into line, causing chords to sound more in tune. Overall the revised Taylor 314ce V-class Grand Auditorium uses the same proven design formula – a solid Sitka Spruce top paired with solid Sapele back and sides, Mahogany for the neck and body blocks, and Ebony for the bridge, headplate, and bound fingerboard.
Built around 1932, this SS Stewart flat top acoustic guitar was one of thousands made in Chicago as players moved away from banjos and towards guitars. The venerable SS Stewart brand started before the turn of the century as a premiere banjo maker. Following Stewart’s death, the brand changed hands and by the 1930s was built by Chicago Musical Instruments, who also made Harmony and Kay guitars.
Built from 1932 to 1971, the Gibson L-50 was a straightforward, non-cutaway archtop guitar with few frills, and until 1935 was most often a round-hole archtop. It is built using a 16 inch wide arched Maple laminate back and arched solid Spruce top, braced with parallel tone bars and bound top and back. The neck is Mahogany with a bound Rosewood fingerboard. The headstock bears a Gibson decal and Kluson Deluxe strip tuners.
This Martin D-18 dates to 1965, and based on the serial number ranking, possibly in late May or June. Martin built 7,404 guitars that year, and this was the 3,069th. It is in overall good condition, and has had a number of necessary repairs over the years. It has had its neck reset, as almost any guitar of this age would require, the pickguard has been reglued, and the top has a cleated crack from the bridge to the tailpiece.
The Taylor 914ce V-Class is a spectacular guitar, delivering top shelf performance in a beautifully crafted package. Pairing Sitka Spruce with Indian Rosewood for the sides and back, and Mahogany with Ebony for the bound fingerboard, headplate and body binding, the Taylor 914ce V-Class also sports the new Ascension inlay pattern, plus soundhole and body outlines, in a Paua and Mother of Pearl. For added comfort, the lower bass bout features a Laskin-style armrest, using Ebony.
Here we have a Gibson L-48 Archtop built during 1952 at the historic Parsons Street plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Its tuners and tailpiece have been replaced, and it has a newer hard shell case, but otherwise it is in original condition with no sign of repairs. The top is solid Spruce, possibly Adirondack, with Mahogany sides and an arched laminate Maple back
This Collings OM1 A Julian Lage signature model, using the A for Adirondack Spruce top option, is an exceptional guitar and was the last collaboration by Bill Collings before his death in 2017. Based on Lange’s original 1939 000-18, the Collings OM1-JL uses traditional materials – spruce top, mahogany back, sides and neck, and ebony for the fingerboard, headplate and bridge. The nut and saddle are bone. The tuners are by Waverly, and work very well. On this guitar, the neck is carved to match Lange’s.
The Collings D2H square-shouldered 14-fret dreadnought is the based on most popular steel-string acoustic guitar body shape in the world. The Collings version combines impeccable craftsmanship, great looks and a tone tailor suited for hard strummers and bluegrass flatpickers. Collings build quality is exceptional – it’s hard to imagine how much better built or finished an instrument could be.
The Mahogany-bodied National ResoRocket WB combines the lovely sonority of a wooden body in a Bendaway single-cone instrument to create a unique National guitar.
The GS Mini-e Koa is built for tone, playability, portability, and durability. The top is solid Koa, but the sides and back are a 3-layer Koa laminate with a Poplar core, and this will help keep it stable in the varied temperature and humidity conditions guitars of this type are often subjected to. The neck is Sapele, with Ebony for the fingerboard and bridge, and the headstock has an overlay of Copaifera wood.
Sale! This Taylor 814ce using Brazilian Rosewood from late 2015, with full warranties and at a significant discount. , Brazilian Rosewood was regarded as the ultimate material for guitar bodies, delivering a warm, richly complex overtone structure with plenty of power. Eventually, overharvesting led to embargoes. It’s now rare to see any new guitars built with Brazilian Rosewood, due to heavy restrictions resulting from necessary conservation efforts. Many alternate materials are now being commonly used.
Off The MAP Taylor Sale! Here is a new, old stock Taylor 816ce from late 2014, with Spruce top, Rosewood back and sides, full warranties and at a significant discount. Slightly bigger than Taylor’s Grand Auditorium body style, the Grand Symphony 816ce yields a powerful and rich sound without sacrificing bell-like articulation. It makes a potent strummer, and dynamic finger stylists will enjoy the thick, full-bodied character of the notes.
Stan Rogers created a legacy of songs that celebrate our country and the spirit of its people. His musical and lyrical craftsmanship made him a songwriter for the ages. His untimely passing in a tragic airline disaster ripped a page out of our young countries cultural fabric far too soon – but, his songs live on and will never be forgotten.
OM’ stands for “Orchestra Model,” but 80 years after this body shape was first designed it has become the most popular 14-fret model with fingerstyle guitar soloists who choose to play on steel strings. Yet flatpickers also find it appealing, and when the graceful cutaway is added these OMs are often used by lead players who routinely explore all 20 frets much as they would on an electric guitar. The compact body shape makes the Collings OM equally easy to handle onstage or when sitting on the couch, and the relatively shallow body (barely over 4 inches deep) results in balanced tone and an immediate response.”
This Collings OM2H-T Traditional Series OM body guitar provides an excellent tonal balance in a reasonably sized body. As with every Collings we’ve ever seen, this is an exceptionally well built and finished guitar, using top quality woods and an obsessive attention to detail. The Collings OM2H-T pairs a Sitka Spruce top with Indian Rosewood back, sides and headplate, Honduran Mahogany neck with Ebony for the fingerboard and bridge.
The Collings D2H is an interpretation of the classic Dreadnought body steel string guitar and effectively illustrates just how good that design can sound. Built in Austin, Texas the D2H features a Sitka Spruce top, Indian Rosewood back and sides, Honduran Mahogany neck and Ebony fingerboard and bridge. We’ve received three new Collings guitars, this D2H among them. It is a stunning guitar. Though new and unplayed, it has incredible tonal complexity with excellent balance across the spectrum.
The Martin M-36 uses the fairly new ‘M Body’ design, which using Martin’s ‘O’ sizing is an OOOO, or quadruple O size. Outside of the D Dreadnought and J Jumbo models, this is the largest body Martin uses and it provides a full, even tone with lots of volume.
New from Paul Beard Guitars in Hagerstown Maryland, the Beard Deco Phonic Model 27 square neck evokes the Art Deco stylings of the late 1920s when resophonic guitars were introduced. Using a classic single-resonator design, the Model 27 uses Finnish Birch laminates for the body, solid maple for the neck, and Morado (also called Pau Ferro) for the 25 inch scale fingerboard, and ebony / maple bridge inserts. On the Model 27, the top is bound. These wood choices make the guitar completely CITIES compliant.
Classic timeless styling. The Huss & Dalton TOM-R combines traditional flat-top construction with the red spruce bracing used in all Huss & Daltons. This guitar is especially suited for finger-style players or flatpickers with a lighter touch, yet holds up to vigorous strumming when the performance becomes more intense. The even response and airy, shimmery qualities the OM has always been known for are maintained and expanded on in the Huss & Dalton TOM-R.
We’ve just taken delivery of a brand new, new model National Resophonic T-14 Cutaway Tricone in a new finish – Weathered Steel. The official model number is ‘T-14WS’, and it’s a slim, steel bodied, three cone resophonic guitar with a 14-fret neck. And at under eight pounds, it weighs less than many solid body electrics! The T-14 Cutaway Tricone is full-scale guitar, at 25.66 inches. This requires a bit more tension on the strings and the cones, which can result in increased volume.
Built in the Dana Bourgeois shop in Lewiston, Maine, as the first in a limited edition run of fifteen guitars, this Bourgeois Piccolo Parlor Guitar, is a modern example of the style. It uses top quality materials, is built and finished extremely well, as standard for all Bourgeois instruments.
Here’s a wonderful piece of Canadian music history – a very good condition Greenfield Hawaiian Style 2 lap style guitar, built in Edmonton Alberta and dated to April 1930.
G W Barry, like many other of the current top shelf Canadian luthiers, apprenticed in Jean Larrivee’s shop and this shows in the careful selection of materials and quality of construction.
The Larrivee D-40 Legacy / OM-40 LEGACY series is a revolutionary new guitar from Larrivee. This new model born from years of research and testing features Jean Larrivee’s first new bracing pattern in over 46 years. The new “Scalloped Parabolic Hybrid” bracing system perfectly merges the strength, tonal balance, and clarity of Larrivee bracing, with the Bass response, depth, and volume you’d expect from a vintage dreadnaught.
The Waterloo WL-14 is built by Collings guitars at their shop in Austin, to re-create some of the guitars from the American Depression era of the 1930s.
This C F Martin Custom Shop 00-14F Flame Koa was built using woods and specifications selected by Grant MacNeill during a tour of the Martin plant during May 2017. For this guitar, Grant selected a 00 body design and a flamed Koa back and side Set #6. The torrefied top was specifically chosen from a large pile by Grant, with wide grain to ensure that it was responsive for a light finger picking style.
Today we are featuring a recently commissioned piece, a custom maple body 12 string guitar, from the workshop of G.W. Barry
The Godin Acousticaster is the natural progression of an original idea from Chet Atkins, who needed an acoustic guitar that wouldn’t feed back at stage volumes. The first models were the Gibson Chet Atkins Cutaway Electric Classical, which used a heavy, chambered mahogany body with spruce top and a six-element piezo bridge pickup.
During my recent Martin factory tour I was offered my choice of 14 select pre-built Martin Custom Shop guitars, including this Martin GP14F Ctwy.
The Gretsch Bobtail, the G9230, is part of a recently re-introduced affordable acoustic and resonator guitar line, the Roots Collection. It features all mahogany soundwell-type body and neck with a bound Padauk fingerboard, and a dark cherry sunburst finish.
At any point in time there are several guitars on the floor here at The Twelfth Fret that are just a cut above everything else, not only here in the shop, but anywhere. At the moment, my favorite, by far, is the G.W. Barry Modified Concert Zircote Steel String guitar. Handmade by master luthier G.W. Barry it simply looks gorgeous, plays like butter and sounds spectacular. The first thing of note with this instrument is the fact that it is
It never ceases to amaze me how good steel string acoustics can sound, and I’m reminded every time a guitar like this Collings OM1 deep body custom arrives.
Recalling the Martin D-42, the Eastman E40D-SB takes the classic lines and appointments of the most successful dreadnought designs. The SB denotes a sunburst finish. The top is solid Adirondack Spruce, the back and sides are Indian Rosewood, the neck mahogany and the fingerboard and bridge are ebony. Abalone inlays are used throughout the guitar, on the headstock, fingerboard, and around the top and soundhole.
Here is a brand new National Dueco Gold in the 12-fret configuration. Like all Nationals, it is extremely well built and the tone and finish are fantastic.
The Art and Lutherie Tres Natural Cedar QIT is a key instrument in Cuban music. With three double courses and not generally strummed, it is used to support melody rather than rhythm. Traditionally, the Tres has been a smaller instrument, but a standard acoustic guitar can be easily adapted by altering the bridge, saddle and nut. Tuning is typically G4/G3, C4/C4, and E4/E3 or E4/E4.
Established in 1995; Huss & Dalton began when Jeff Huss and Mark Dalton had the idea to build the guitar they wanted to play. While always appreciating the traditional design, both had a vision of a guitar that paid homage to tradition while incorporating improvements in the the structural design and cosmetics of the steel string guitar.
The National Reso-Phonic RadioTone Bendaway was one of the early models offered by National Reso-Phonic guitar and is one of the hidden gems in the National Reso-Phonic lineup. The Radio-Tone Bendaway doesn’t appear on the National Guitars website but is available through dealers.
Just arrived! A brand new C. F. Martin J-40. The J-40 features a tight-waisted jumbo body shape, built from a Sitka spruce top and Indian rosewood for the back and sides.
We’ve just received this brand-new Huss and Dalton DS-12 Crossroads Slope-Shoulder Dreadnought, and it’s an outstanding guitar, showing all the power and richness of the dreadnought design.
Our newly arrived Huss and Dalton T-0014 Traditional 00 14 Fret is a spectacular guitar. The 00 body design is very well balanced and articulate, and wonderful for finger style playing.
The Twelfth Fret recently become a Huss and Dalton Dealer, and this beautiful new Huss and Dalton TD-R Traditional Dreadnought Rosewood arrived yesterday!
Just arrived! We’ve got two! The Gibson CF-100 was Gibson’s very early attempt at cutaway flat-top acoustics, adding a sharp florentine cutaway to a standard acoustic.
We’ve just taken delivery of another Collings 01E! As usual with Collings, the simplicity of the design and presentation understates how good this guitar is.
The Collings OM1 ESS Englemann Short Scale doesn’t disappoint in any area. It is about as perfectly built as a guitar can be, with a full, even, rich yet brilliant sound – and this is before it’s been played in at all.
The Twelfth Fret carries and stocks a large number of high-quality guitars, including many new C. F. Martin guitars you won’t presently find anywhere else.
Here it is – the Beard JD Blackbeard Jerry Douglas Signature Squareneck Resophonic Guitar! A cosmetically stripped down version of the Beard Jerry Douglas Signature model, the Beard JD Blackbeard features the E model body built with solid mahogany top, back, sides and neck and a very interesting translucent black finish.
This is a new Eastman AC822CE-FF Fan Fret Guitar, built with a solid Engelmann spruce top, rosewood back and sides, mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard and bridge, and has a Schertler Lydia pickup system.
Here we have a C F Martin D-28 Authentic 1937 Steel String Acoustic Guitar. The Martin D-28 Authentic 1937 guitars are based on the most sought after pre-WW2 D-28 models. These instruments have hand-scalloped forward shifted X braces and Adirondack spruce tops. Madagascar Rosewood takes the place of Brazilian rosewood for the back and sides, with traditional mahogany necks and ebony fingerboard and bridge.
1928 Gibson L-1. Mahogany construction. Bridge replaced, original case. This guitar has had a neck reset so the action is quite reasonable.
Part of the Eastman Strings Traditional line, the Eastman E1000SS is a small body (00 size) sunburst finished guitar featuring a solid Adirondack Spruce top and solid Mahogany for back, sides and neck, with rosewood for the fingerboard, headplate and bridge.
Based on the very successful NRP, the National Resophonic NRP B Deluxe Rust features a new Rust finish, and a brand-new pickup from Jason Lollar. This pickup is based on the late 1930’s Gibson Charlie Christian pickup, but in a smaller and more standardized mount.
The Beard R Model Flame Maple Squareneck is a custom order version of the Beard R model, and based on the classic resophonic guitars of the 1930’s.
The Beard E Model Squareneck is another spectacular instrument from Paul Beard’s shop in Hagerstown, Maryland. This instrument is designed to be played hard and loud and step right up to its place in a hard-driving band, delivering exceptionally brilliant treble and rich, full bass.
This Collings 01E is a slightly customized version of Colling’s smallest regular guitar – the 01 – with an Englemann spruce top rather than the stock Sitka Spruce. In terms of body style, the Collings 01 is derived from a Ditson version of the Martin single-0 guitar.
This Collings OM1 E SS Englemann Short Scale doesn’t disappoint in any of those areas. It is about as perfectly built as a guitar can be, with a full, even, rich yet brilliant sound – and this is before it’s been played in at all. The shorter scale makes it a bit more comfortable and warms up the tone a bit.
It’s always a treat to review a Collings guitar – the build quality is very high, and it’s matched by exceptional tone and playability. The Collings OM2H Orchestra Model Cutaway is based on the proven Orchestra Model body design, also known as the ‘000’ body size, with a cutaway and herringbone binding and backstrip. The OM body size is very comfortable and well balanced.
If you are a dreadnought lover searching for a hog top picking partner at a great price you need to check out the Taylor 320!
The National Resophonic company presents the Triolian, featuring a steel body with walnut burst finish and a single cone. The National Resophonic Triolian is available in original style 12 fret or 14 fret necks, these guitars produce a full, rich and lush vintage tone.
Constructed the “old way” the Martin D-18 Authentic 1941 is hands down a beautiful flat top!
The Martin D-18 Authentic 1939 is one of the most authentic “New Old” Martin’s ever created!
Here is a lovely, very clean 2005 Santa Cruz OM-PW acoustic. OM is the normal designation for the ‘Orchestra Model’ body shape and PW indicates that this instrument is built to Pre-War – World War II – specifications, with a specific advanced and scalloped X brace.
Feast your eyes and ears on this beautiful Collings C10 Mahogany Burst small body guitar, and watch the video review!
When Bill Collings decides to make something, as we have all come to know, he doesn’t mess around! So when he decided to tackle the task of creating a ‘small jumbo’ that would offer a different sonic slant to the Collings tone palette, it was no surprise that the Collings SJ workmanship was immaculate and the wood selection of the highest standards.
For years, I’ve been convinced that many guitar players would love to add a Baritone guitar to their stable of guitars but were held back but the high price tag of these specialized instruments. Over the past few NAMM shows I’ve made it my mission to find an “offshore” guitar maker willing to produce a low priced Baritone guitar…but on a limited basis. Many were agreeable provided I could order several hundred guitars !
We’ve just received a new shipment of Eastman guitars, and it included the E10P Mahogany and E20P Rosewood parlor guitars! This great little guitar has adirondack spruce top with scalloped braces, mahogany back and sides (the ’20’ model is rosewood), ebony fingerboard and bridge, bone nut and saddle.
The Collings DS1 Slope Shoulder Dreadnought is a re-creation of the original dreadnought design, using the early slope-shoulder, 12-fret neck configuration.
Bill Collings makes a lot of really wonderful, top-quality instruments. They look great, are very comfortable, have tone for days, and the build quality is exceptional. This SJ Indian has the fullness and presence of a dreadnaught but without the boominess and more midrange; it’s rich and evenly balanced with crisp trebles and effective representation across the frequency spectrum.
I remember a time not that long ago when you had to spend close to $1000 if not over to get a high quality guitar with solid wood construction!
Fortunately with Canadian companies like Simon and Patrick we now not only have the choice of a great solid wood guitar for under $700 but they are augmented with stunning good looks and high end features!
This is a very nice Slope-D with all the warmth and power of that design. Comfortable to play and sounds great.
Part of the Traditional Series of guitars from Eastman the E10-SS slope shouldered dreadnought is an excellent tribute to the iconic guitars from the 30’s and 40’s! Inspired by great flat top guitars from the Golden Era of guitar making such as the Gibson J-45, it features an Adirondack spruce top which provides plenty of punch and crisp note fundamentals to complement the warm and sweet midrange of the mahogany back and sides. Top it off with a lovely looking vintage style tobacco burst and you have a guitar that sports a classic look and sound!!
Today we are featuring a beautiful OM1 from the workshop of Bill Collings. The OM1 is an outstanding example of the consistently exceptional sounding mahogany guitars from Collings. This piece defines the Collings sound with a crisp attack, strong note fundamental, sweet midrange and lovely overtone detail. The 1 3/4″ bone nut and soft V neck profile are a perfect fit for the fingerstyle player and the classic looking tortoise body binding subtly frames the gorgeous looking wood sets. If you are looking for a sweet little fingerstyle guitar or a light to medium strummer you can’t go wrong with this guitar!!
Eastman E10D: Adirondack spruce top and mahogany sides and back.
$999.00 with hardshell case
Taylor has just introduced a mahogany top version of their popular GS Mini guitar. The addition of the mahogany top adds more midrange punch and a warmer top end!
Small body, Big tone! Based on the big and bold tone of the popular Grand Symphony body shape this guitar is scaled down to be the perfect size for the couch or on the go. This guitar has such a full voice its hard to imagine it coming from such a small, comfortable package. Featuring Taylor’s patented NT neck and optional ES go pickup this modern parlor guitar is built to last, gig ready and so much fun to play it should be illegal!
We are proud dealers for Collings Guitars of Austin Texas. We stock around 25-30 guitars and mandolins of their most popular models. We can also special order any custom models.
Small body, Big tone! Based on the big and bold tone of the popular Grand Symphony body shape this guitar is scaled down to be the perfect size for the couch or on the go. This guitar has such a full voice its hard to imagine it coming from such a small, comfortable package. Featuring Taylor’s patented NT neck and optional ES go pickup this modern parlor guitar is built to last, gig ready and so much fun to play it should be illegal!
Taylor is consistently one of the best selling acoustic guitar brands here at the 12th Fret, and with guitars like the 310ce it is no surprise. A wonderful take on the traditional dreadnought design, the 310ce provides plenty of power and low-end, but with the extra clarity and balance we’ve come to expect from all Taylor guitars. Add in one of the finest acoustic guitar pickups ever made, and you end up with a truly pro-level instrument at an affordable price.
Here’s an Eastman E10P Mahogany parlor guitar! This great little guitar has adirondack spruce top with scalloped braces, mahogany back and sides, ebony fingerboard and bridge, bone nut and saddle.
In Part 1 of the Hollowneck Report, we took an overview of our project comparing five squareneck National ResoPhonic guitars as bluegrass instruments. In The Hollowneck Report Part 2 we’ll start into the recordings so you can see and hear what they’re really like.
The Hollowneck Report Part 3 features National ResoPhonic guitars played by Burke Carroll in contemporary Bluegrass tuning, with Chris Bennett on rhythm.
The Hollowneck Report Part 3 features National ResoPhonic guitars played by Burke Carroll in contemporary Bluegrass tuning, with Chris Bennett on rhythm.
The Hollowneck Report Part 5 features National ResoPhonic guitars played by Burke Carroll in contemporary Bluegrass tuning, with Chris Bennett on rhythm.
The Hollowneck Report Part 6, our final installment, features National ResoPhonic guitars played by Burke Carroll in contemporary Bluegrass tuning, with Chris Bennett on rhythm.
This really is the most versatile guitar in the extensive Bourgeois line. In Dana’s words; “JOM stands for JUMBO OM. The JOMC is an original body style developed in the late 80’s, in response to players’ requests for a mid-sized guitar having the balance and clarity of an OM–but with a bigger presence. The idea was simple: Start with the OM outline, enlarge it a bit, play around with the curves, deepen the sides, then add the Bourgeois trademark cutaway. The result is our most versatile guitar; larger than an OM, smaller than a Dreadnought, capable of handling almost any playing style you can imagine, and equally capable of operating in solo or ensemble situations.”
Bill Collings’ C10 guitars are a supercharged modern take on the old 14 fret parlor instruments from ’20s and ’30s. These great looking guitars only have a 14 3/4″ wide lower bout dimension but they pack a powerful punch! As with all of Bill Collings’ instruments, the clarity, balance and sonic detail are exceptional … but Bill has somehow managed to also infuse this particular model with a hint of the sweet midrange character that has distinguished this body style for decades!
Taylor’s Build-to-Order program allows any guitar player, anywhere in the world, to design their very own customized ‘dream guitar’, at a fraction of the cost of most custom instruments. Choose your wood sets, body style, inlay package, binding details, and much more. Here at the 12th Fret, many of the Taylor guitars you will see hanging on our walls were designed and ordered through Taylor’s BTO program.
For many, the Advanced Slope D from Dana Bourgeois is the ultimate dreadnought guitar. With it’s extra deep lower bout (4 5/8″), the Advanced Slope D produced massive amounts of volume and power. Of course, like everything Bourgeois makes, this guitar is also an example of fine craftsmanship at its best. The bracing work, joinery, binding and inlay work, and finishing is all exemplary. Simply one of the finest power-house guitars made today.
In the late 1920s the Style 1 Tricone was the considered ultimate Hawaiian guitar. The three small cones powered by the Aluminum three footed bridge produce a very different quality of tone than the Single Cone Style 0 guitars
The Martin 000-28 EC Sunburst is based on the guitar Eric Clapton chose for his famous and extremely influential MTV Unplugged performance.
The C.F. Martin D-42 features the classic, unmistakable Martin Dreadnought body built with back and sides of premium solid East Indian rosewood and a Sitka spruce top, and is enhanced with vintage appointments found on many Martin pre-war classic guitars. te highs makes the D-42 a fine choice for the discerning player.
Based on the legendary C.F. Martin Guitar Company D-35 model, the Martin HD-35 features a three-piece back, a bound fingerboard, all wrapped together in Martin’s classic herringbone inlay.
An extremely popular model, the C.F. Martin HD-28 includes many of the features and options guitar players and collectors prize in historic Martins.
The C.F. Martin guitar company has offered several large soundhole model guitars in the past, but none as affordable as the Martin HD-16R Large Sound Hole (LSH) Herringbone Dreadnought acoustic guitar.
The C.F. Martin 00-15M model continues the Martin tradition with a 00-14 fret body size, solid all-mahogany construction and a rich satin finish.
The T 145 is the ideal club jazz guitar; Small comfortable body: fully carved top and back with plenty of acoustic volume yet small enough internal displacement to make it useable on stage without the troublesome feedback issues associated with full body archtops.
The folks at National Reso-phonic Guitars are constantly experimenting with new models, as well as tweaking their existing models to squeeze out even more tone and response … one of the advantages of being a small production company! Their latest endeavor is the release of their new reproduction of the Triolian.
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Is there anybody on the face of the earth that makes consistently exceptional sounding mahogany guitars like Bill Collings? I don’t find it surprising that lovers of mahogany are singing the praises of these instruments … it is the folks who come in our store insisting that rosewood is a much more viable tonewood … then hear one of Bill’s D or OM1 guitars and fall completely and hopelessly in love!
Collings offers a number of options to upgrade their guitars and we often order in custom pieces for stock and our customers. In the case of this guitar simply adding a Herringbone trim enhanced the simple elegant look of the D1 model.
Today we are featuring a beautiful OM1 Custom Deep Body from the workshop of Bill Collings. The OM1 is an outstanding example of the consistently exceptional sounding mahogany guitars from Collings. This custom piece features a 4 3/4″ deep body which provides an augmented low end presence to complement the crisp attack and overtone detail that defines the collings sound. The 1 3/4″ bone nut and soft V neck profile are a perfect fit for the fingerstyle player and the classic looking tortoise body binding subtly frames the gorgeous looking wood sets. If you love a smaller body guitar mahogany guitar but crave more low end depth to go along with sweet midrange and crisp trebles you owe it to yourself to check out this guitar!
There’s something about sitting down and playing a beautiful small-bodied guitar that just puts a smile on my face. The way it responds in detail to the softest strum. Now, I love a nice powerful dreadnaught as much as anyone, but I really do feel there are elements of any guitar’s personality that get lost under a heavey right hand attack. The subtle overtones hidden within the note bloom, the way the harmonics shift throughout the decay… you don’t always get to appreciate these things at higher volumes. With that in mind, it’s easy to understand why I’ve fallen so deeply in love with this Collings 001 Mahogany. What looks at first glance like a simple little guitar quickly reveals a huge ammount of sonic personality and character. The more you listen, the more you hear!
The Standard D model from Dana Bourgeois gets my vote for THE best flattop guitar in its price point … period! This instrument consistently utilizes some of the nicest tonewoods I ever see on a dreadnought. It displays all of the attention to detail that you would expect from a Bourgeois, and each Standard D model has its top “tuned” by the maestro himself!
