The Eastman E10D follows a traditional dreadnought design featuring an Adirondack spruce top paired with mahogany fir the sides, back and neck. Based on the classic square shoulder dreadnoughts introduced to the mass market in the early 1930s and still the basis of many guitar lines, the Eastman E10D gets pretty much everything right. The Adirondack Spruce top produces a full, rich tone that holds up well when played hard, as might frequently happen in a bluegrass context. There’s plenty of bottom, shimmering top end and everything in between.
Abalone
The Carvin SH550 thinline archtop electric is still available from the successor to Carvin – Kiesel Guitars, run by descendants of Lowell Kiesel, founder of Carvin. Based on a carved Flame Maple top on a chambered Mahogany back with Mahogany neck and Indian Rosewood fingerboard, this is a very nice guitar aimed towards jazz players. This Carvin SH550 dates to around 2003 based on the owner’s recollection. Precise dating information is not available.
This instrument has sold
MORE →Here’s a PRS Tremonti HardTail Signature model, dating to 2015 and in exceptionally good, clean condition; the original pickups are in the case and PRS 59/09 models installed. Based on the classic PRS Single cut design, the PRS Tremonti HardTail Signature features a carved Maple cap on a solid Mahogany slab body, paired with a Mahogany neck and Indian Rosewood fingerboard. The characteristic PRS bird inlays are executed in Mother of Pearl and Abalone.
This instrument has sold
MORE →Based on a built up, carved top block of Swamp Ash paired with a bolt on Maple neck, the PRS Swamp Ash Special is a straightforward model. A pair of humbuckers bracket a Seymour Duncan Vintage Rail single coil format pickup, with a pickup selector, master volume and push/pull master tone control providing coil tap options. The PRS vintage trem is installed, and at the head there is a set of PRS locking tuners.
This instrument has sold
MORE →The grand auditorium body used on the Eastman PCH3 GACE is comfortable and versatile, and takes cues from another very popular brand; until recently, many guitars were based on classic Martin and Gibson designs. It performs well for both fingerstyle and strumming and the solid Sitka spruce top has good dynamics and clarity.
Here is a lovely Boucher HG54 M Heritage Goose Parlor 12 Fret Guitar, built with a Torrefied Adirondack Spruce top and Indian Rosewood for the back and sides. Once a dominant guitar design, the Parlor style guitar’s popularity faded along with the banjo and the introduction of Jumbo or Dreadnought body sizes in the early 1930’s. Parlor guitars tend not to be particularly loud, but do offer even, rich tone. As more players become interested in solo finger styles, the Parlor design is becoming more attractive again and builders are offering high-quality takes, such as the Boucher HG54 M.