Amplifiers Vintage and Used

Gone, but never ever forgotten. Join Dorit, Miles and Friends To Celebrate The Life of Ed Kopala (1952-2023)Sunday 11 June 2023 from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Hirut Cafe And Restaurant 2050 Danforth Avenue Toronto Ontario Ed loved to get together with friends and make music, so let's make this party one to remember. Join us for a celebration of his life through music. Bring your memories and stories to share! *Please send photos and videos by 1 June 2023

The Twelfth Fret and Allparts are pleased to announce the first Canadian Allparts Premium Installation Partner!

Sometimes people wonder what these odd four-string instruments are when it comes to Tenor Banjos and guitars.

Locking tuners are one of the more recent significant innovations in the field of musical instrument tuning gears and bring real benefits to electric and acoustic guitarists.

We sell over 800 instruments every year on consignment.  Your instruments – guitars, banjos, and amps are quickly posted on our website and viewed by our clients world-wide.

We sell over 800 instruments each year on consignment, providing your guitars, banjos, and amps with immediate exposure to a global audience both through our website and in our shop. With the increasing demand for quality instruments, sales have never been stronger! Let Us Sell Your Used Guitars, Instruments And Amplifiers Bring in your instrument, and once it’s sold, we’ll send your payout cheque directly to you! Our consignment fee is 25%, with a minimum fee of $200., depending on

Dear Customers,  We want to take a moment and connect with you directly, as COVID-19 (coronavirus) continues to unfold. At present our shop is open and operating under usual shop hours. This includes our repair shop and music school. The health, safety, and well-being of our customers and employees is a priority. In addition to our current procedures, we wanted to share how we are tightening up cleanliness and safety within our shop. Here are some of the precautionary steps

The Twelfth Fret music school is participating in the “6th Annual “Teach Music Week” event taking place Monday March 16-22, 2020.  Teach Music Week helps to create more awareness for music education and the importance of music. We are offering a FREE introductory music lesson to new students who book during Teach Music Week! This annual week-long action invites musicians, music schools, music stores and other music organizations to offer a free lesson or class to new students (kids &

The Twelfth Fret is hosting a JP Cormier clinic Monday April 1 2019! Running from 7PM to 9PM, this will take place at our shop at 2132 Danforth Avenue, at Woodbine.

Join us for an Evening of Bluegrass with Marc Roy at The Twelfth Fret! Marc Roy has spent the last 25 years with an instrument in his hands. Monday 24 February you can join Marc for an invigorating workshop mixing things up with some folk, blues, country and more! Event Details: WHERE:  The Twelfth Fret   WHEN:   Monday 24 February, 2020 TIME:     7:00 – 8:30 P.M. PRICE:  $20.00  which includes entry PLUS a $20.00 Twelfth Fret Gift Card, redeemable for full

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) introduces the American Ultra Series, the most-advanced modern guitar from Fender. An evolution of American Elite (Fender’s premier electric series that launched in January 2016)  – the Ultra Series boasts all-new modern features, state-of-the-art craftsmanship and nuanced design. Luxurious, sleek and cutting-edge, this series sets a new industry standard for precision, performance and feel with Ultra Noiseless pickups and Fender’s fastest-playing necks. Created for a wide range of today’s highly-skilled modern artists, session and working

Charvel guitars have a long standing reputation as the guitar for choice for modern players looking for a fast playing feature laden instrument. The new DK24 HH 2PT model from the Pro-Mod series boasts a feature set and playability that will rival instruments double the price. The first thing you may notice is the lovely roasted maple neck. In addition to the rich visual aesthetic the process of roasting the maple and taking out moisture makes for a more stable

Join us for another fun, instructional Ukulele Night with host Douglas John Cameron on Monday 2 December, 2019.  The evening’s theme – “Formby Strums” – will be an introduction to the strumming techniques that gave George Formby his unique style. A step-by-step tutorial through the “Triple Stroke”, the “Fan Stroke” and the “Split Stroke”, as applied to one of Formby’s most famous tunes “Leaning on a Lamppost”. George Formby was not just the most popular and successful entertainer of his

Join us to celebrate the 4th Annual “Kids Music Day” kick off – Friday October 4th, 2019. We are jumping in on the international action and placing a spotlight on the importance of including music in children’s education.   Each year, Keep Music Alive partners with music schools, music retailers like us – and other music organizations worldwide to highlight the importance of including music in children’s education.  Events held by participating locations include open houses, instrument petting zoos, student music

Join us for a night of Acoustic Music with Jacobe Lauzon and Alanna Jenish. As a duo, Alanna and Jake continually impress audiences with their sweet harmonies, lightening-fast instrumental solos and dynamic musical arrangements. More About Jacobe Lauzon Jacobe Lauzon began his musical journey at seven years of age, after showing a persistent interest in playing his father’s guitars. Years later, Jacobe has emerged as an accomplished young musician and singer, and has been busy playing regular gigs across Durham

“Hot enough to raise sweat on a chunk of granite!” Join us for an evening with music artist, Paul Pigat Monday 21 October, 2019! Paul is a guitar player’s guitar player, the real deal. Premier guitar says: “Through a grassroots approach Pigat has garnered a massive fan base and achieved cult status. Two recent Canadian only releases, It’s a Sin, the raucous album from his Cousin Harley project, and Boxcar Campfire, a more acoustic outing, hit the States in February

A new Master Builder joins the Fender Custom Shop: Carlos Lopez. With decades of experience in guitar luthiery, he’s worked on countless designs during his four years as an Apprentice Master Builder under esteemed Fender Master Builder Todd Krause.   “Masterbuilt Fender Custom Shop guitars are in more demand now more than ever, which explains why we’ve added three new Master Builders since 2018,” said Mike Lewis, VP of Product Development at Fender Custom Shop. “Our apprentice program continues to

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC), in partnership with HBO Licensing & Retail today announced the introduction of three masterbuilt handcrafted Game of Thrones guitars – dubbed the Game of Thrones Sigil collection – including three models for three fan-favorite houses: GAME OF THRONES HOUSE STARK, TELECASTER GAMES OF THRONES HOUSE LANNISTER, JAGUAR GAME OF THRONES HOUSE TARGARYEN, STRATOCASTER The trio of deluxe, one-of-a-kind guitars embodies the true essence of Westeros’ most iconic, notable families and are built to order via the

  Join us for a night of Bluegrass Music with Jacobe Lauzon and Backcountry. Steeped in tradition, passion and talent, Backcountry plays the kind of hard-driving and soft-hearted bluegrass music you know and love. This lineup of award-winning musicians have formed a band built on a reverence for the old standards, a fearlessness in playing with new sounds, and years of friendship and musical collaboration.  Jacobe will be on guitar with Backcountry members Marc Roy on mandolin, Alanna Jenish on

Locking tuners are one of the more recent significant innovations in the field of musical instrument tuning gears and bring real benefits to electric and acoustic guitarists.  Though they are simple in concept and name, we’ve found that there can be some confusion about what exactly it is they do, how they work, and what they are for.  And specifically, what they lock.  First, though, let’s state what locking tuners do not do.  They do not lock your guitar into

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) released the Duff McKagan Deluxe Precision Bass the latest iteration of Fender’s collaboration with the Guns N’ Roses bassist and New York Times bestselling author.  The newest model in Fender’s Artist Signature Series captures the true musical essence of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee McKagan. Best known for his work with Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver McKagan has had an epic music career, entertaining and inspiring countless fans. Now, with the Duff

Following screenings at the world’s most prestigious film festivals – Venice, Toronto, New York and SXSW (Austin, TX) – Carmine Street Guitars opens in Theatres across Canada on April 5th, 2019 with exclusive engagements at TIFF Bell Lightbox, Toronto, The Cinematheque, Vancouver and Cinema du Parc, Montreal. Ron Mann’s latest feature documentary Carmine Street Guitars is an intimate portrait of the fabled Greenwich Village guitar shop. There, custom guitar maker Rick Kelly and his young apprentice Cindy Hulej build handcrafted

We’re Giving Away Five Pairs of Tickets (10 tickets total) to see Jimi Hendrix: Electric Church – on 13 March, 6:15pm – a documentary film playing at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, about the music legend’s Atlanta Pop set and the circumstances surrounding it. Back in cinemas for a limited time, the film documents the massive festival hailed then as the ‘Southern Woodstock’ and recognized now as the last great US Rock Festival. The film presents the story of how

  Boucher Guitars make very high quality hand crafted guitars in the heart of Quebec and their calling card is their use of locally harvested Adirondack Red Spruce. Simple elegance and outstanding quality control are on display when you first observe these fine instruments. Top notch materials and a wonderful build translate to a sonic palette that will go toe to toe with all other boutique builders and classic flat top guitars. The Boucher Studio Goose SG-21-G is an orchestra

Fender research findings revealed that, much like the instrument itself, the archetype of the “guitar god” in music and culture has evolved. Guitar isn’t dead – musicians are playing guitar now more than ever, but in new, innovative ways in today’s diverse, popular music landscape. With the rise of streaming and sharing platforms, artists around the world have even more access and empowerment to create and share music. In tandem, Fender consulted with award-winning neuroscientist, musician, record producer and author Daniel Levitin, who

Sometimes people wonder what these odd four-string instruments are.   These days, we’re so used to the 5-string banjo and the 6-string guitar that other forms are unfamiliar. In the early part of the 1900s, the four-string banjo started to appear, with the first commercially produced model built by Vega around 1908.   This instrument was based on some principles of other mandolin, mandola type instruments – particularly being tuned in fifths to CGDA and played with a pick.   This provided a

We are pleased to partner up and lend support to Guitars For Kids (GFK) Toronto as the drop-off depot for donated guitars for the city’s east region. We are ready to collect your unwanted used or new guitars on behalf of GFK- Toronto. Guitars for Kids -Toronto, located in the heart of Toronto, is a not-for-profit foundation dedicated to helping those in need. With the dedication of our volunteers, staff members, and partners, we strive to improve the lives of children

Our good friend Duncan Fremlin’s new book “My Good Times with Stompin’ Tom” is out and available (from 19 November) right here in the shop.  Duncan Fremlin played banjo with Tom on his epci cross-Canada adventures, enduring the glory of seedy motels, boozy hoedowns, and thousands of screaming Hosers fro coast to coast. (excerpt) There are over 35 stories featured in “My Good Times with Stompin’ Tom”. Some crazy, others outrageous but all true as stated by Fremlin. They’re behind

Spanish guitarist and composer Carlos Piñana will perform on two occasions during upcoming Festival du Monde Arabe de Montréal: 9 November, 2018 – Aga Khan Museum 11 November, 2018 – Théâtre Maisonneuve, Montréal The first performance, Aga Khan Museum is pleased to present the world premiere performance of Qudud Flamenco, in collaboration with the Festival du Monde Arabe de Montréal (FMA). Don’t miss this new production fusing flamenco with the traditional qudud of Aleppo in a unique union of two of the greatest musical traditions of

Fender Musical Instruments is collaborating with one of rock’s most legendary guitar players – Jimmy Page – to recreate his famous 1959 Fender Telecaster 50 years after Led Zeppelin formed in October 1968. Among music’s most iconic guitars is Jimmy Page’s Telecaster, known for its two “mirror” and “dragon” designs. It helped launch Page’s career in The Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin, and the guitar was used to record “Led Zeppelin I” along with countless hit songs on world-renowned albums. To celebrate the 50th anniversary

  Ukulele night is now sold out. Stay tuned for future dates. Join us for another Ukulele Night with host Douglas John Cameron on Monday 19 November, 2018 Douglas will be breaking down his version of Paul McCartney’s Blackbird.  “Blackbird” is from the Beatles 1968 double album The Beatles (also known as “the White Album”), which was performed as a solo effort by Paul McCartney. The song was also written by McCartney, although it is credited to Lennon–McCartney. McCartney has stated that the lyrics

Join us to celebrate the 3rd Annual “Kids Music Day” kick off – Friday October 5th, 2018. We are jumping in on the international action and placing a spotlight on the importance of including music in children’s education.  There will be approximately 800 to 1,000 locations joining in worldwide over Kids Music Day weekend, kicking off Friday 5 October.  In celebration we are offering a special incentive lesson package promotion – FIVE LESSONS FOR THE PRICE OF FOUR – and profiling

Gold Corium Straps is a luxury bespoke leather guitar strap company from Toronto, Canada. They believe that a guitar strap should be as beautiful as the guitar it’s holding. Not just functional, it’s about style. This is why Gold Corium Straps focus on high-end products for the fashionable guitar player. Every strap is untouched by machine; meticulously made by hand with the finest precision. Every design is a unique Gold Corium creation. But what we offer is more than a product, it’s

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) announced the expansion of the Squier Contemporary Series with four models debuting at Summer NAMM in Nashville, Tenn.; they include all-new Jazz Bass and Jazzmaster models with an all-modern look, feel and aggressive tone at an accessible price. These additions mark the continued growth of modern Squier offerings to support today’s aspiring players.   “After introducing the Fender Contemporary Series earlier this year, the demand for our modern Squier offering continues to grow to meet

Enter now for a chance to win a Taylor 414ce, now featuring our revolutionary V-Class bracing.  The Taylor 414ce is among Taylor’s most popular Grand Auditorium guitars and newly upgraded to V-Class bracing, has long been a favorite of gigging and recording musicians thanks to its versatile tone and clean, workmanlike aesthetic.  Featuring a solid Sitka spruce top over ovangkol back and sides, this guitar represents the essential needs of the working guitarist from sound to style. This unique pairing of tonewoods produces a vibrant mix of clear mids and

The ID:Core BEAM is the first Blackstar product with Bluetooth functionality, allowing you to stream your music to the amplifier. The hi-fi quality playback of your MP3s through the ID:Core BEAM will redefine what you can expect from a multifunctional product and with Super Wide Stereo the sound will fill the room.

Fender Musical Instruments released a new line of electric guitars and basses for aspiring players and artists who represent the future of guitar. Dubbed the “Player Series,” the line will establish a new level of excellence for players ready to take that next step in their musical journey with Fender’s iconic models–whether their dreams lie on a big stage or in a garage band and beyond. The Fender Player Series replaces the Standard Series and is the new foundational offering

You like your instrument and play it a lot.   Now, you’ve come to the point where the frets are worn enough that you need to consider whether to dress and re-crowned, or re-fret.    If they can be dressed, this lasts for a while.   But if they’re going to be replaced, what kind of fret should you choose?  Fret choices used to be easy because little was available and even that was hard to find.  Fret wire was wider and low

Now until August 31, 2018, you could win a brand-new Taylor 814ce DLX Grand Auditorium guitar, an enhanced version of  Taylor’s flagship model featuring the new V-Class bracing system. One (1) winner from the USA or Canada, and one (1) winner from France, Germany, the Netherlands, or the United Kingdom, will each receive a V-Class Taylor 814ce DLX acoustic-electric guitar, an approximate retail value of $3,999.99 (€3,429.49). Our 800 Series Grand Auditorium has long been one of our most popular models, and the 814ce DLX

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) announced the 60th anniversary celebration of Fender’s most creative and expressive model: the Jazzmaster. A hero of the underground, the Jazzmaster has been adopted by generations of artists looking for unique sonic qualities and combinations, unlocking genre defying sound that lives on today within music and culture.   In 1958, Fender introduced the Jazzmaster as the top-of-the-line electric guitar for jazz musicians; later the sound and easily modifiable style attracted counterculture and misfit players, including aficionados of surf guitar

Among Taylor Guitars’ exciting new model releases for 2018, the Builder’s Edition K14ce leads the charge as one of four new guitars featuring the all-new V-Class bracing system — a ground-breaking innovation that dramatically improves an acoustic guitar’s volume, sustain and intonation to deliver an extraordinary playing experience. Taylor master guitar designer Andy Powers, who developed the V-Class bracing scheme, conceived of the Builder’s Edition to celebrate the V-Class launch, creating the equivalent of an enhanced “director’s cut” edition, matching

Many instruments pass through The Twelfth Fret Repair shop, and some are significant by themselves. On the occasion of ?Canada Day? and by generous special permission, we’re delighted to share these photographs of the late Stan Rogers’ 1977 William Laskin guitar (which is not for sale) and this story by luthier G. W. Barry with you. Stan’s Guitar Stan Rogers created a legacy of songs that celebrate our country and the spirit of its people. His musical and lyrical craftsmanship

The annual NAMM Show (National Association of Music Merchants) is an interesting event. There’s so much to see and learn about when it comes to anything music. A lot of it is so overwhelming you start to see a lot of the same things, or at least a lot of the new things, seem to be extremely repetitive. I like going as I get to do the complete opposite as most others. My job is to intentionally look for something

Going to the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) show always affords us a great opportunity to see the latest and greatest gear for the upcoming year. Over the last number of years one of my main observations has been the increase in compact and lightweight amplifier and preamps for the gigging musician. This trend has been going on for a while now and includes some of the most interesting innovations for guitar and bass players like the Line6 Helix (all

Travis picking is a great tool that every fingerpicker should have in their bag.  It’s the backbone to many popular songs both past and present and offers the player almost endless variations. This article will just begin to scratch the surface of how to take simple alternating thumb patterns and turn them into more interesting ideas. Here is what I would consider to be about the most basic Travis style pattern.  We will be using a first position C major

June 2018 is officially “Eastman month” at The Twelfth Fret! All instock Eastman instruments – guitars, mandolins, ukuleles and banjos are featured at special pricing.  When it comes to building a guitar, there is a big difference between assembly and artistry. If history taught Eastman anything, it is that there is no substitute for skilled craftsmanship. At Eastman, each instrument is given the attention to detail required to ensure that it reaches its maximum potential. Features such as hand-scalloped bracing

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) released six new, innovative effects pedals, marking its official entrance into the category with all-original circuits designed by in-house experts – the first of many in a long-term commitment to the category and sonic innovation. The new offerings provide a diverse set of effects – reverb, delay, overdrive, distortion, compression and buffering. From weekend warriors and pro players to guitarists looking for their first stomp box, Fender effects pedals give all types of players a

Join us for another Ukulele Night with host Douglas John Cameron!  Purple Berries 2  is an exploration of Joni Mitchell and an introduction to open tuning on the ukulele – performed by Douglas Cameron. Joni Mitchell is perhaps the most influential singer songwriter of her time. We will look at how she used open tunings in her own unique way by exploring some of her early songs Bring your ukulele and play along. If you wish to use one of our

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) announced the expansion of its offerings with the new Squier Contemporary Series, which includes Stratocaster® and Telecaster® electric guitars with an all-modern look, feel and sound at a meaningful price point. The first new series added to Squier’s offering in several years, this line is ideal for players – entry level and beyond – seeking progressive features in a guitar that that has authentic vibe and style. “When we set out to design this series, we

  My students will frequently ask me what my thoughts are on various online articles they may have come across.  It might be a specific video tutorial, maybe a how to hold your hands article or a how to structure your practicing time column.  There is a lot of information out there, much of it conflicting and a lot of it in my opinion misses the mark, in some cases by miles.  I remember in one case a student was

  In my opinion two of the most important things to look for in a great beginner electric guitar is quality in the craftsmanship and versatility both in sound and playability. While there are many guitar makers that are offering these traits in their line of student and starter guitars and for this I am going to focus on two Ibanez models – the RB and the RGA models – from the Ibanez standard series. The Ibanez RG and Ibanez

  When the time of year arrives where both temperatures and relative humidity drop, and musical instruments start to respond to the changes, that’s the time when extra care for humidification is required. The rule of thumb is that once the furnace comes on, it’s time to humidify and if it comes to the point where you are uncomfortable, instruments will be at risk.   Maintaining a good humidity level of around 45% in your spaces will help you, not just

Most of the photos seen on The Twelfth Fret’s website are taken in a room next to the Repair Shop’s intake desk, usually the room I often spend time in.  One of the most common requests I over hear is to replace tuning gears because the guitar won’t stay in tune.   However, the parts are usually fine – the problem is that the guitar isn’t set up properly and can’t get in tune at all! There are situations where parts

One of the less glamorous but critically helpful tools for any musician is the metronome. Ranging from simple clock-spring click devices to electronic boxes capable of multiple rhythms and time signatures, properly used the metronome can quickly improve your playing. It is essential if you are playing with other musicians or want to record your music. Like tuning, our sense of time is partly learned and many things that will cause a player to speed up or slow down. We

From time to time a new guitar product comes along that can be truly called an advancement;  the BladeRunner Bridge qualifies as a major advancement in floating-bridge technology.  At first blush, the BladeRunner is a solidly made bridge; lovely machine work and plating on the saddles, and a smooth-feeling whammy-bar adjustable tensioner that eliminates slop in the trem-arm threads. But the unique innovation is the elimination of the knife edges; THE principal cause of tuning issues. Visit our Parts Tailpieces and

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) released the JMJ Road Worn Mustang Bass, the latest addition to the Fender Artist Signature Series that debuted at Summer NAMM 2017.  Evocative of JMJ’s (Justin Meldal-Johnsen) versatile music background, the bass is modeled after his own vintage 1966 Daphne Blue 4-string Mustang Bass. Often working behind the scenes, JMJ has used his prized Mustang Bass and diverse talents – from playing to producing – to make a big impact on the modern rock genre in collaboration

The Demeter MB-2 Midboost / Fat Control is  for guitar players looking to add depth, warmth and extra punch to their tone, a midbooster can be the perfect tool. Demeter’s MB-2 Midboost / Fat Control is a powered, onboard preamp designed to enhance the midrange frequencies of your guitar. Demeter has voiced this mid booster beautifully, allowing it to give your guitar the extra power and sustain you want for enhancing your solo tones, without adding harshness or making things

Bond Guitars was set up by Andrew Bond (who died in 1999) in Muir of Ord, Scotland, in 1984. The company ceased trading in 1986.

At my recent visit to the Martin factory I purchased several already built Custom Shop guitars which will arrive at The Twelfth Fret in the next few weeks.  But the real fun came with my visit to the Custom Shop where I put together an order for two guitars.  I was allowed to sort through stacks of wood to choose the actual top, back and sides plus input every structural detail in construction and internal bracing. My fellow dealers were

Music Man Guitars is a long-time favourite among many players seeking excellent playability and functionality in a US made instrument. The St. Vincent signature guitar with GRAMMY® award-winning musician Annie Clark aka “St. Vincent”– brings her own signature model to the ranks of these exceptional instruments. Annie and the award-winning engineering team at Ernie Ball Music Man set out to design a unique electric guitar that fit her form, playing technique and style Annie is a singer songwriter and multi-instrumentalist

Just days before the launch of her first LP ‘Just The Beginning’, Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) is proud to announce the launch of pop-sensation Grace VanderWaal’s very own Signature Ukulele series– available Spring 2018.  Fender’s popular artist signature models are geared toward product progression and storytelling, creating instruments designed to the unique specifications of the world’s most iconic artists. Adding the winner of the 11th season of NBC’s top-rated America’s Got Talent to the Fender family, VanderWaal is among a wave of

Gretsch announces a handful of new Limited Edition models: G6136T Falcon. G5422TG Electromatic Hollow Body. G5435TG Electromatic Pro Jet. G9500 Jim Dandy Flat Top guitar. G6136T Limited Edition Falcon With String-Thru Bigsby Offering all the classic Falcon elements, in a new arresting Azure Metallic finish- the G6136T Limited Edition Falcon with String-Thru Bigsby offers iconic style and richly robust Gretsch tone that cuts through a dense onstage mix. It’s a stand-out-from-the-crowd guitar, both sonically and visually. A pair of TV Jones Classic

We’ve all been there before; a lot of us learned the hard way. Learning the guitar is tough! Especially in the beginning stages, and since we’re so focused on learning the instrument we tend to ignore certain things that could actually hinder our playing in the long run. Here are seven mistakes beginner guitar players tend to make, and ways to avoid them.   NOT Tuning Your Guitar Before You Start To Play.   When I was in elementary school, we

It’s a common question: “How much money should I spend on a guitar cable?” Anyone in the market for a new cable will quickly discover a massive range in price. Surely, a $160 cable must be vastly superior to a $10 cable, right? Well, perhaps not. Many high-end guitar cable makers will make bold claims about the tonal improvements provided by their cables. But “tone” is a tricky thing to compare. The way we hear can be very subjective. There’s

You know from the very beginning when something is called “dead thumb” it’s going to be cool!  The dead thumb technique is very old and many of the oldest blues and roots recordings feature it fully or in some variant form.  People interested in older blues styles will know the sound of this technique right away, but lately a number of newer, popular artists are revisiting it with great success and bringing it to a wider audience.  The artist Hozier

The Ashburn Guitar from John Page is a uniquely familiar guitar with classic lines and some subtle yet impactful features. John Page has 40 years of guitar building experience including co- founding and leading the Fender Custom Shop and building instruments for Eric Clapton, David Gilmour, and Pete Townshend. He set out to design a guitar with richer more complex tones and effortless playability. John feels the neck interaction with the body in addition to the chosen materials and electronics

“Purple Berries” Ukulele Night With Douglas John Cameron • 27 November 2017 Join us at The Twelfth Fret with host Douglas John Cameron. The evening’s theme is “Purple Berries” after the line in “Wooden Ships” from Crosby Stills and Nash’s (CSN) first album. Selections from Crosby Stills and Nash’s first album arranged for ukulele, performed by Douglas Cameron. Sing and play along with “Helplessly Hoping” and “Marrakesh Express” and enjoy renditions of “Guinevere”, “ Lady of the Island” and a work

Banjos began to be commercially produced in the 1850s and enjoyed huge popularity.   During the next 40 years over 80 American companies produced banjos. 19th Century banjos remained true to their African roots; they were fretless and fitted with friction-peg tuners.   In the 1880s, fretted banjos appear, offered by companies such as C. Bruno and Sons of New York.  By the 1900s only a handful of fretless models remained, catering to the older players who had cut their teeth on

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) announced the launch of its newest addition to the Artist Signature Series: the Jimi Hendrix Monterey Stratocaster; it honors the late and great rock icon, whose persona and legacy is not only synonymous with the Fender Stratocaster, but also rock ‘n’ roll at large. Jimi Hendrix took the world by storm with his incredible 1967 Monterey Pop Festival performance, which he concluded with the sacrificial burning of his now-iconic, hand-painted Stratocaster. First revealed at Summer NAMM

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) – born and raised near the coast of Southern California – launched of its new California Coast Series Ukuleles, celebrating the brand’s California roots. All five, diverse soprano, concert and tenor models are named after beaches along the coast of California – from Los Angeles to picturesque Santa Barbara, capturing the spirit of California beach culture and the lifestyle it has to offer year-round. Coming soon, all models from the California Coast Series Ukuleles will

You’re invited to join us at The Twelfth Fret for the Taylor Guitars Road Show 2017! Here you’ll enjoy guitar talk and demos with Taylor factory staff from El Cajon, California. DATE: Wednesday October 25, 2017 TIME: 7PM  ADDRESS: The Twelfth Fret Shop, 2132 Danforth Avenue.  Evening Highlights Include:  • Experience the new Academy Series & GS Mini Bass • Test-drive Taylor’s latest guitar models • Consult with Taylor’s experts to find the perfect guitar • Special Road Show pricing on Taylor

The question of instrument restoration regularly comes up at the repair bench.    Here, we’ll talk about the broadest outlines of restoration and repairing and look closer in upcoming episodes.  Many people who have older, often badly worn or damaged instruments, and especially inherited from family members, want to know about restoring them to playable or new condition.  Answering these questions requires looking at all the aspects of what’s happened to the instrument over time, what outcome is hoped for and

NOTE – This model has been discontinued and is out of stock.  We’re maintaining the post for historical purposes, but we will only see these again as used.   Ever dreamed of owning a classic single cutaway-style guitar but the price tag on most brands you look at is somewhat out of your reach? Well, you owe it to yourself to check out the Godin Summit Classic Ltd.  The in particularly the sparkled desert blue finish – Godin has really turned

If you’ve been getting the feeling you’re stuck in a rut, playing the same old chords, in the same old rhythms – on your ukulele, this article is for you. The ukulele is a surprisingly fun little instrument which plays much like a guitar. It’s super convenient to travel with, and even easier to grab for an outdoor summertime tune. It’s also fun to just strum chords – for a while. I frequently see students on both the guitar and

A few weeks ago on a Saturday night, I played a show for my band’s CD release party. As you might imagine, I’ve played quite a number of shows in my time – and no matter how much you prepare, they never seem to go as well as you’d expect. Though often they’re amazing – all the way through – with everything going right. But on other nights, it’s like living through a nightmare!   To help you along, or

Though it was available as an option from the 1954 introduction, the Fender Stratocaster Hardtail version is not as well known as its trem-bridge brother.

Descending directly from the ES-339 line, the Gibson ES-339 was an immediate hit when it appearead in 2007, sporting a scaled-down body but full-size neck.

Traditionally, tapered friction tuning pegs made of hard wood were carefully fitted into matching holes on the headstock.   This is still the case with violin family instruments and traditional Flamenco guitars.   However, as metal working techniques improved during the Industrial Revolution mass-produced reliable tuning gears or “machine heads” appeared, offering easier and more accurate adjustment. Tuning Machines – the Twelfth Fret Tuners and Tuning Machines Friction Tuners You’ll recognise a friction tuner right away – they are the standard part

Most people know of the Ukulele as a little Hawaiian guitar like instrument that has one foot in the world of music and the other in the world of toys, or at best tourist souvenirs. Tiny Tim and his goofy version of “Tip-Toe Through the Tulips”  from the late 60s did little to change this impression.   The ukulele is thought to be a 19th century Hawaiian adaptation of a Portuguese machete, a small four string guitar-like instrument that made

Here we’re looking at a common issue and some ways to address it. This is, of course, getting a Fender Stratocaster guitar – with the original style vibrato bridge – to stay pretty much in tune even when using the bar. As well, we’ll look at setting up the bridge to pull the strings up specific intervals from its resting position. First, it’s necessary to understand that the Fender Stratocaster vibrato bridge isn’t a part, or a set of parts;

In my last article on fingerpicking, I introduced some of the basics needed to turn simple chord knowledge into some basic finger-picking techniques.  Now, I’d like to introduce some slightly more advanced right hand techniques and start getting into some intermediate level exercises with a focus on Travis style picking. Travis picking is a very distinctive and specific right hand technique that takes its name from American music pioneer Merle Travis (1917-1983). Although the technique bears the name “Travis” today,

Amplifying acoustic guitars is always a bit of a challenge. Capturing the lush, natural tone of your favourite guitar is not easy to do without introducing feedback, unwanted handling noise, and a list of other annoyances. But with so many pickups on the market, how do you choose the best one for your guitar? Which acoustic pickup is right for you? Today we’re going to do a little rundown through some of our favourites here at the Twelfth Fret, and

Recently I was flown down to the Martin Guitar Factory in Nazareth, Pennsylvania for a two day dealer-tour of the factory and Custom Shop. It is fascinating to see over 500 people building some of the world’s finest guitars in such a quiet, clean and organized fashion. The constant attention to detail and quality is what strikes me the most.  Martin Guitar seems to understand that though some degree of automation is needed, a constant hands-on component is essential to

In 1978, the legendary Ed Bickert visited my shop for the first time.   As he dragged his heavily worn blond Tele out of his gig bag, his little daughter looked up and said “daddy, are you going to paint your guitar?” Ed never touched the finish but he did have me install a new pickup in this famous Telecaster.  We experimented with several humbucker pickups, finally settling on a Gibson PAF reissue.  Early in his career he played a late

During the fifteen years I’ve been teaching at The Twelfth Fret I’ve noticed my beginner and intermediate students seem to hit the same road blocks. Students of all ages can get really discouraged that they’re not improving and wonder if learning an instrument is something they have the ability or the time to do. It’s almost always the same things that bog them down and the following five tips can help you overcome frustration and grow your skills as a

The Tech 21 Fly Rig 5 is a great sounding feature packed portable amp and pedal solution for guitar players. This small and stylish unit weighs in at just over 18oz and 12 inches in length. That means you can easily fit the Fly Rig 5 into your gig bag and away you go. At the core of this unit is the analog Tech 21 sansamp which simulates the amp, speaker and microphone and allows you to dial in your

A guitar strap is a useful accessory especially if you’re standing to play or during practise.   Guitar straps are selected for practicality, as well as personal style.  When we checked out handcrafted Stinger Straps we just had to share the discovery with you. Stinger Straps are beautifully designed, comfortable and provide excellent weight distribution – and each one is designed right here in Canada. Stinger straps combine quality and style. Stinger Straps is a collaboration of leather accessory designers Victor

If you have ever wanted to expand your guitar playing beyond strumming an accompaniment chord part then finger-style guitar is great way to add variety to your playing and a great way to impress your friends too. In the following article I’m going to talk about some simple techniques to get any guitar player started down the road to finger-style playing and answer some of the most frequently asked questions – FAQS –  I get from students learning to finger-pick.

Created by Wyres Strings, this special blend of oil and PTFE (is a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene) is ideal for nut slots, string trees, open machine tuners, electric guitar saddles and whammy bar knife edges.  The luthiers in our busy Twelfth Fret workshop have used Guitar Doctor Lube daily since the early 1990’s. Guitar Doctor Lubricant reduces tuning problems plus prevents rust and tarnish on bridge hardware that is in constant contact with your hands. Most busy guitarists with three or

The guitar is a great instrument for many reasons, it’s a folk instrument, meaning “of the people”. It’s compact, portable, capable of different tunings and it comes in many different varieties; acoustic, electric, nylon string, baritone, 12 string or even 7 string. With this much variety it’s no wonder there are so many musical styles that the guitar can cover. One thing it is not however, is a piano. By that I mean it does not have the capability of

The new Ramirez del Tiempo Guitar celebrates 135 years of the historic “Casa Ramírez” established by José Ramírez I –  in 1882; currently enjoying its fifth generation of Ramírez family ownership. 

Designed by Maestro-Luthier Amalia Ramírez, the Del Tiempo is a continuation of the esteemed 130 Años model.   Typical of all Ramirez guitars, the classic “Spanish sound” is immediately apparent; full bass response, plenty of volume and warm, sensitive trebles with good balance through the entire range.

Every now and then a student arrives for a lesson and complains that they cannot play up to the speed they would like. “Speed” meant literally; they can’t play fast. When they try, their lines sound sloppy and disjointed, with lots of unintentionally muted notes. They try over and over to increase the tempos and simplify their lines, but to no avail. This is actually a symptom of a larger issue. It’s an issue of technique for sure, but not

Wyres strings use the finest materials; Phosphor Bronze windings on premium grade, nickel-plated, musical-steel-wire core and the “P.T.F.D; Enhanced” coating makes them unique in the guitar string world. These ultra-high quality strings are handmade in Queens, New York. Then the strings are packaged in Toronto where the unique Wyres coating is also applied. The Wyres proprietary coating is a “hydrophobic” polymer which repels water and oils.  Applied by hand before packaging, this ultra-thin polymer prevents oxidation and discolouration of the

As we know, guitar players are some of the most finicky people around. This is especially true when it comes to purchasing a guitar. Like most stringed instruments, guitar making is usually of wood, and currently is the common practice today. But seriously speaking, they shouldn’t be – not anymore – and here’s why. Learn From The Past Does you recall the Brazilian rosewood?  How epic the figuring was on an old Martin. How amazing it sounded when combined with

The world of guitar amp modeling has come a long way in recent years. Take a look at the gear being used by active, touring guitar players all around the world and you’ll notice a common trend; “real” amps are steadily being augmented or replaced by a variety digital amp modeling units. Units like the Axe-FX II by Fractal Audio Systems or the Kemper Profiler have become the backbone of countless guitar rigs. As pioneers of the amp-modeling world, Line 6

One of our Twelfth Fret Music School teachers and renowned musicians – Richard Smyth, shows us in this video, a finger-style method he uses a lot. Richard notes that the thumb of the right hand plays a walking bass line, while the fingers pluck the chord changes. Great for jazz , or any tune where a walking bass is demanded. Any questions, or if you wish to book time in the studio with Richard, simply use our contact form.  

Over the years at The Twelfth Fret, we’ve encountered a mindset accompanying the first guitar buying process which actually, couldn’t be further from the truth.  A belief where beginners, or parents buying for their kids are under the impression that to buy something cheap and affordable is the right way to start. And later on when they become more advanced at playing, they’ll upgrade and spend a bit more money for a better guitar. This also is a way where

Banjo Night returns to The Twelfth Fret! Featuring Banjo Experts :: Chris Quinn and Frank Evans – Join Us! ►DATE: 20 March, 2017 (Monday) ►TIME: 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. ►LOCATION: The Twelfth Fret Shop – 2132 Danforth Avenue FEE: Tickets to Banjo Night are $20.00 This includes your admission PLUS a $20.00 Gift Card *Gift Card redeemable at The Twelfth Fret during normal shop hours. RSVP: • Send an email with subject “RSVP BANJO EVENT” to: sales@12fret.com • Call us

One of my favourite new products at the 2017 NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) show was the MV50 series of guitar amplifiers from Vox. Small, incredibly lightweight, versatile, and best of all – it sounds great. It is also the perfect example of an ongoing trend in the world of electric guitar amps, and how they are used. For decades, amplifier designers and guitar players alike seemed obsessed with the idea of earth-shattering guitar amps. Every new amp needed

While attending the 2017 NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) show in Anaheim, California recently, I was overwhelmed by the amount of amazing guitars, amplifiers, effects and processors now available. What an exciting time it is for consumers! However, how does one go about choosing a guitar, an amplifier or effects pedals when there’s so much choice and so much marketing buzz competing for your hard earned dollars? This can make it difficult to navigate and equally challenging when trying

While attending the 2017 NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) show in Anaheim, California recently, I was overwhelmed by the amount of amazing guitars, amplifiers, effects and processors now available. What an exciting time it is for consumers! However, how does one go about choosing a guitar, an amplifier or effects pedals when there’s so much choice and so much marketing buzz competing for your hard earned dollars? This can make it difficult to navigate and equally challenging when trying

One of the surprisingly common events that brings instruments to The Twelfth Fret Repair Shop is a broken headstock.

The Deering Golden Era banjo is an accurate reproduction of the classic banjos of the 1930’s made with the same materials and the same weight, design and features of the originals.

Presenting the new 2016 Gibson Les Paul Standard T! Gibson has provided real, but not radical, upgrades to the Les Paul Standard.

The Windsor Zither Banjo was built from 1887 until the Birmingham factory was destroyed in 1940 in a German air-raid.

A guitar’s (or any fretted instrument’s) scale length is the basic distance between the nut or zero fret and the bridge’s saddle. This measurement not only determines the placement of the frets for proper intonation, but has a profound effect on string tension, tone, and in some cases, tuning stability.

This little tenor from the early 30’s is in great overall shape for its age, sounds great and comes with a cardboard case.

Paul Beard – Gold Tone PBS-D Deluxe Maple Resophonic guitars feature Paul Beard’s own spun aluminum cone and spider assembly on a Beard designed open sound well that rivals the sound of instruments at twice the price.

Huber Workhorse Curly Maple Banjo

Domenic Troiano and his customized Telecaster were highly influential and literally held in awe! Donnie played with an intensity and emotion that set him apart from an entire generation of guitarists.

This is seriously cool – a 1955 Silvertone S1384 Archtop Guitar. This guitar is virtually identical to the 1955 Harmony Espanada model, with the difference being the branding logos.

One of the true classics, the Gibson Hummingbird is instantly recognizable by its square-shoulder dreadnought design, rich warm tone, and distinctive hand-painted pickguard.

Here is a lovely Walnut-bodied Parlour Guitar from the shop of John Loomer in Darien, Connecticut. John has been repairing and building in Darien for quite some time.

We’ve just received a new Gibson 1963 ES-335 in a VOS cherry finish, built at the Gibson Memphis plant. What a guitar!

This 1987 David Wren Maple 12 String Guitar draws some visual influences from the classic Guild jumbo 12’s, though the modified body shape produces a tigher, more focused and less boomy sound while retaining much of the raw power of the Guild. This was David’s largest model, and he referred to it as the ‘Roundup’.

Weymann banjos were built by H. Weymann and Sons, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Originally produced with the name ‘Keystone’ in early 1900, in 1924 the Weymann name appeared and was used until 1934. Weymann instruments are known for high-quality construction and unique features

Carlos Santana has had a long relationship with Paul Reed Smith guitars, to the point where there are a number of PRS Santana models. In 2008, the PRS Santana MD was released – the MD standing for ‘multi dimensional’. The key difference is in the wiring – there’s an extra switch that enables the ‘Multidimensional Voice Control’ circuit, allowing a range of new tones.

2004 Heritage Super Eagle Archtop Left Handed

Cruz Tools GrooveTech The Best String Cutters

From 2003, this Lawrence Nyberg Bouzouki features a carved Engelmann spruce top paired with Indian Rosewood back and sides. The 24 inch scale length is mahogany with an ebony fingerboard and headplate.

It’s always fun to review a Collings guitar. The build quality is always exceptional, the materials are top notch, and the tone is all there. This 2002 Collings SJ Maple is no exception.

This very special instrument has just arrived from the Gibson Nashville Custom Shop – the Gibson Dave Grohl DG-335 in Pelham Blue, signed by Dave Grohl and numbered 95 of 200.

This lovely 2006 Sergei de Jonge Brazilian Steel String is in very good condition. Featuring a German spruce top, Brazilian Rosewood for the back, sides and headplate; snakewood for the ebony-bound fingerboard, bridge, binding and trussrod cover, and mahogany for the neck.

Introduced in 1950 as the Broadcaster, Leo Fender’s initial design has more than stood the test of time. This 1956 Fender Telecaster blonde is in very good condition, with expected play wear.

The Parker Hornet PM-20 Pro features a Mahogany body and Mahogany through-neck construction, faux abalone top binding, ebony fingerboard with faux mother of pearl star inlay at octave fret. This version uses the distinctive Parker ‘hockey stick’ headstock; some versions were made with a traditional 3×3 design.

In 1981, the Fender Strat Walnut was introduced as a top-tier version of The Strat. The Fender Walnut Strat was built using American Black Walnut with a clear gloss finish for both the body and one-piece neck.

The Gretsch Nashville G6120 6-12 Doubleneck was introduced in 1997, as a new model and built in very small numbers. There isn’t a lot of demand for doublenecks in the first place. However, they are impressive on stage, and if you need one, there is no substitute!

The Martin Dreadnought has been in regular production since its re-introduction in 1931, as a revival of the pre-1920 Ditson models. First listed as the D-1 and D-2, these models had 12-fret necks like the Ditsons. The D-1 combined a spruce top with mahogany for the back and sides, and the D-2 spruce and rosewood. In 1934, these models were rebuilt with 14-fret necks and became the Martin D-18 and Martin D-28.

The Fender Telecaster has been an extremely popular design since its introduction as the Broadcaster in 1950. Its tonal versatility, reliability and durability led to its use in a huge range of musical genres. On this 1968 Fender Telecaster, the blonde finish is in good original condition with some yellowing due to age. All parts other than strings are original

This sunburst example of the Collings MF Mandolin from 2008 has been used as intended by a prominent bluegrass player. It is thoroughly played in, so along with the honest, well-earned wear and tear, its tone has fully developed.

Louis Panormo was the most successful of all nineteenth-century London guitar makers. His clients included Trinidad Huerta Madame Pratten and probably Fernando Sor. He built guitars from 1822 to around 1855 when his nephew took over the business.

The Fender Telecaster is probably the most successful musical instrument design in history. It’s brilliantly simple yet highly versatile, extremely durable, and the fact that it’s easy to configure and customize has made it one of the most produced and copied guitar concepts.

The Gibson Mandocello was built between 1902 and 1943, as the Style K1. The Style K2 was built from 1902 to 1922, and was basically a dressed-up version of the K1.

Join us for an Evening of Bluegrass with Marc Roy at The Twelfth Fret Monday December 8 2014, from 7 to 9 PM.

This example of the 1965 Gibson Country Western is in good overall and playing condition. It has had its major service – a neck reset – so the neck angle is very good with plenty of saddle for action adjustments.

Built from 1955 to 1959, the Gibson ES-225T was a thinline but fully hollow, single P-90 pickup, florentine cutaway guitar. In 1956, a two pickup version was introduced, the ES-225TD.

Shown here is a lovely SS Stewart Special Thoroughbred Banjo, built in 1895 and in completely playable condition. This open-back style banjo features the original tailpiece, and a period dowel stick adjusster. This is one of the few we’ve seen that have all the stickers and plaques complete and in place.

Roger Stuckless builds exceptionally high quality instruments to custom order. He is well known for his high level of craftsmanship and creativity. This Roger Stuckless SCE model was built in 2008 and is in near mint condition.

Manuel Velazquez has been near the top of North American classical guitar builders for decades. This Ano 1969 Manuel Velazquez Classical guitar was built in 1969, after Velazquez’ 1966 return to the US. At this point, he was working alone and building 10 to 15 instruments per year.

Guild began producing instruments in 1952, and at opening its staff included a number of people from Epiphone who naturally brought their influences with them. The Guild X-350 Stratford was heavily influenced by the Epiphone Emperor Zephyr Regent, down to the pushbutton pickup selector.

Weymann banjos are fairly rare and have some unusual features, one of which is most noticeable with the resonator removed. The Weymann company began producing banjos around the turn of the 20th century, and often used the ‘Keystone’ name. In 1924, tenor and plectrum models appeared, and these are the best known Weymann Banjo models.

Here’s something that is rarely available – a brand new, custom order Martin D-18 Authentic. It hasn’t been played or out of its case for more than a few minutes (not counting the hour the photos took).

This fine 1999 Peter Coombe Mandola is built with European spruce for the top, Tasmanian Myrtle for the sides, back, and neck, and ebony for the fingerboard and headplate. The pickguard is birds-eye maple, and it’s finished with a traditional varnish.

From his shop in Chelsea, Quebec, Sergei de Jonge comes up with some innovative designs, and excecutes them flawlessly. This 2010 Sergei de Jonge Classical Guitar features a lattice braced, combination spruce and cedar top with Indian Rosewood for the back, sides and headplate, mahogany for the neck, and ebony for the fingerboard and bridge.

In addition to being a great player, Chet Atkins came up with many great ideas to push the guitar forward. During his association with Gibson, two novel instruments appeared: the Gibson Chet Akins CE Classical Electric, and the Gibson Chet Atkins SST solidbody acoustic.

Oskar Graf has been building fine quality guitars since 1970, and works near Clarendon, Ontario. In his small shop he has produced many excellent instruments, focusing mainly on guitars.

The Gibson J-35 featured a spruce top with mahogany for the back, sides and neck, and rosewood for the fingerboard and bridge. Originally, the available finish was sunburst, as this hides many visual flaws in otherwise good-sounding and usable wood, which in turn lowers costs and price.

This Collings DS2H features a Stika Spruce top, Indian Rosewood back, sides and headplate, and ebony for the fingerboard and bridge. The top is bound with herringbone purfling and the back features a herringbone center strip.

This 1955 Gibson J-45 has clearly been played, and has had some work done over the years; the original strip-mount Kluson Deluxe tuners have been replaced with Grover Roto-Matic models and a Fishman pickup with endpin jack has been added, and at some point the bridge was replaced with a fixed-saddle design.

Here’s something cool and unusual – a 1995 Fender Stratocaster Flip Flop Finish. The Flip Flop finish offers a range of looks – what colour it shows depends on the viewing angle. From some directions, this instrument is blue or teal, from others, it’s trending to purple.

For a brief period in the early 1990s, Ramirez Guitars offered a model called the Ramirez SP (Semi-Professional). In the early 1990s I received several of these SP guitars: fitted with simple Estudio labels but marked with the letters SP. They were clearly FAR superior to any Estudio guitar and the woods and interior bracing suggest that they were a variation on the 1a Professional Especial model.

Here is a lovely 1984 Fender DAquisto Standard Archtop Black. In late 1983, in a co-operative effort with James D’Aquisto, Fender introduced the single-cutaway, fully hollow D’Aquisto Archtop as part of the Master Series. The Fender D’Aquisto models include the Elite (with one pickup and gold hardware) and the Standard (two pickups and chrome hardware).

Join us for an evening of Ukulele Blues! Doug Cameron will be demonstrating Robert Johnson tunes on ukulele.

Here we have a TC Electronic G system. Aside from its quality and flexibility, and its tank-like construction, its design is interesting. It is basically two systems, a rack-mount processor bolted under a controller board. This means that the processing unit can be removed and installed in a rack for permanent mount in a studio.

Tom Anderson’s shop builds a small number of instruments, focusing on quality rather than quantity.

New Old Stock! Built in 2007, this Martin 000-18 Authentic 1937 Model is brand new with full warranty!

Left handed Les Pauls are not always easy to find, and lately it’s even harder to even order one. At the time of writing, this 2009 Left Handed Gibson Les Paul Standard Cherry Sunburst is one of the only left-handed Gibson Les Pauls available as new in Canada. Since it’s new old stock, the original warranty applies to the purchaser.

This example of the 1978 Fender Telecaster Thinline Natural is in good playing order, with some normal play wear and dings. At some point two holes were made on either side of the bridge and these have been plugged. There is a moderate amount of fretwear and some finish wear along the treble side of the fingerboard; this guitar has been played!

Whoa! A new Strat! This guitar, the Fender American Standard Limited Edition Stratocaster, is very comfortable to play, and the compound radius board really works well.

The immensely successful slope-shoulder dreadnought design of the Gibson J-45 produces a distinctively warm, full tone with sparkling highs and rich midrange tones, and a well represented but not booming bottom end. It’s also fairly loud, but not overwhelmingly so.

This 1963 Gibson J-50 Natural is in quite good playing order, with lots of saddle height. It plays well and sounds great – it has been played over the years and you can tell from the tone.

One of the iconic 1960’s guitars, the Rickenbacker 330 features a mostly hollow maple body with a distinctive ‘crescent moon’ cutway body style.

This 1976 William Laskin Cactus Guitar is named (by us) for the fingerboard inlay. Between the last fret and the soundhole, there is a small inlay of a cactus and a moon, rendered in mother of pearl and abalone.

It’s almost a certainty that you’ve heard a mid-1960’s Epiphone FT-79 Texan – Paul McCartney used his on the recording of ‘Yesterday’, which appeared on the 1965 Beatles album ‘Help!” and as a single; and on the tune ‘Blackbird’, on the Beatles’ White Album.

Between 1968 and 1972, Marshall built a number of ‘combo’ style amplifiers, where the amp and speakers are in one cabinet. This 1972 Marshall Model 1958 2×10 Combo features four inputs on two channels; channel 2 has a vibrato circuit.

Made circa 1900, this Williams and Son Echo Style 17 banjo still plays beautifully. Thrilling to play a 100 year old instrument that still plays as it did when new.

The Mesa Boogie Mark III combo added a third ‘crunch’ channel to the Boogie’s standard rhythm and lead channels. The controls are generally shared between channels as is the switchable EQ.

This specific 1999 Schoenberg Soloist OM was built by at Martin Dana Bourgeois before he launched his own shop and label. It is built with an Adirondack Spruce top, Brazilian rosewood back,sides and headplate, mahogany neck, with snowflake-inlaid ebony for the fingerboard and pyramid style bridge.

This 2008 Lowden 025C is in great condition with just a few dings and minor playwear. The combination of a Cedar top and Indian Rosewood back and sides on the jumbo body produce a full, rich and very well articulated sound with lots of volume and projection.

By 1964, the Fender Precision Bass was the most used electric bass in the world, appearing on all kinds of stages and recordings and spawning endless numbers of copies.

This example of the 1963 Fender Precision Bass in Sunburst is in great playing condition, and is largely original. There is lots of buckle wear on the back, and the neck finish is worn; the decals are in good condition and not flaked off.

The Guild Starfire Bass II was popular with a number of high-profile bass players in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, notably Jack Casady of Jefferson Airplane, Phil Lesh of the Greatful Dead and Berry Oakley of the Allman Brothers Band.

Today we have a great looking and great playing 1997 PRS Custom 22 with a cherry finish on the top.

Here’s a well used, and well taken care of, 2007 PRS SC245 Gold Top. The SC245 is Paul Reed Smith’s take on the classic single cutaway guitar.

Here’s a well used, and well taken care of, 1997 PRS SC245 Gold Top. The SC245 is Paul Reed Smith’s take on the classic single cutaway guitar.

Here’s a guitar with history. This Gibson J-50 in natural was owned by the late, great Domenic Troiano and was used by him on many recording sessions. It’s in great playing condition and ready for use, with no appreciable fret wear and a decent setup.

The Ramírez 1a and 2a Flamenco Models are the benchmark for flamenco performers and Master-Luthiers world-wide. We refer to this example of the 1967 Ramirez 2a Flamenco as ‘The Fracas Guitar’ because of its history. It was built in 1967, with the serial 2.261.

Tonally, this 2001 Sergei de Jonge cutaway steel string is huge. It’s fairly loud, the highs are rich and sparkling, the midrange is fully represented and the bass strings have the bell-like resonance of a plucked Grand. This could be a spectacular instrument to sit and play – or listen to – or record.

The Gibson J-45 is justifiably one of the most popular steel string guitars ever. The physical design of the slope-shoulder dreadnought is comfortable standing or sitting – not too large – and the tone is full, rich and warm without being boomy in the bottom or harsh in the high end. It fits perfectly into many musical genres.

The Arnold Hoyer archtop Herr im Frack, or “Gentleman in Tails’ was introduced in the late 1940s and was popular throughout the 1950s as a professional quality guitar. These instruments were very important as quality guitars were in short supply during the long recovery from the war.

Here’s a rarity: A 1962 Martin F-55 Electric in good condition. This instrument appears to be complete and all original with the possible exception of the bridge. It plays quite well, with some fretwear.

The Gibson SJ, or Southern Jumbo, was Gibson’s slope-shoulder answer to the Martin square-shoulder dreadnought. It was introduced in 1942 with Sunburst as the available finish until 1954. This example of the 1956 Gibson SJ is in good playing condition, with lots of wear. This guitar has been used as intended!

Here’s a beautiful piece – a 2005 Gibson Les Paul 1959 Reissue, with a nicely flamed top and ‘teaburst’ sunburst. This is a reissue of the 1959 Gibson Les Paul, and it’s hardly been out of its case and played even less.

This example of the Gibson ES-345TD (the TD standing for Thinline body, Double pickups) is in good physical condition with no breaks, little scratching and one small chip at the top of the back of the head. It’s in good playing condition; it was professionally refretted and there isn’t a lot of wear on the frets.

The Gibson F-9 mandolin is a ‘no frills’ model featuring a carved and tuned spruce top and flame maple back, flame maple sides and neck, and a rosewood fingerboard and bridge. Only the top is bound, and the instrument sports a satin finish in a vintage brownburst.

This 1974 Guild Starfire II Walnut is in good shape and is a good example of the quality of Guild instruments. The Starfire II is a fully hollow, 17 inch mahogany guitar with floating rosewood bridge and a florentine cutaway. The lacquer finish is lightly checked and there are just a few dings and scratches. It plays quite well and is set up with a moderately low action.

The Zemaitis Greco GZMF 500 is part of the GZ line, handbuilt in Japan by Greco under license from Zemaitis. These are top quality instruments. The body and neck are single pieces of Honduran mahogany, with an ebony board and headplate. The metal parts are Duralumin in the original Zemaitis design and a lot of engraving and decoration.

This example of the Ibanez George Benson GB-10 is in very good condition, with light play wear; with a good clean it could look near mint but aged. The binding has yellowed very nicely, perhaps to the tone of a 1950’s guitar.

This 2012 Fender American Standard Jazz Bass is in fantastic, near mint condition. It’s all original with Fender Custom Shop pickups and rosewood fingerboard with dot position markers, and the alder body sports a classic 3-tone sunburst and faux tortoise pickguard. The strings mount through the back onto the new High Mass Vintage bridge – this is just as adjustable as the original vintage bridge but with much more weight to add sustain and clarity.

Michael will bring his artistry to the Twelfth Fret for an in-store clinic/performance on Monday, September 8th, 2014.

The focus of the session will be Michael’s work on the National Steel guitar, including slide playing, alternate tunings, gear choices, finger style approaches, and the hybrid picking that characterizes much of his guitar work. Michael will also showcase material to be released on his forthcoming album later this year.

To my eye this is one of the most distinctive guitar shapes – in a 1995 Rickenbacker 360v64 Fireglo. Introduced in 1958, the Rickenbacker 360 became popular in Europe, sometimes under other names and with subtle differences – for example, the Rose-Morris 1993 on the Who’s iconic Maximum R&B poster. But for many people in North America, what really brought the 360 to attention was the 12-string version used by George Harrison.

Here’s a great piece – a well worn 2009 National Resophonic NRP 12 Fret Left Handed in shaded green. The NRP is designed to capture the look and feel of of the first National Duolians, and is available in 12 and 14 fret versions.

Here’s a great deal on a Stelling Sunflower Banjo! This New Old Stock 2012 model is at the 2012 price – $3850, a savings of $645! It’s new with all warranties; it’s been tucked away in our Banjo room and was recently rediscovered during inventory.

Here’s a Gibson Les Paul Traditional with P-90s and Bigsby – and its’ a very interesting factory Bigsby installation. The Gibson Les Paul Traditional is based on late 1950’s Les Paul models. Using the traditional Les Paul construction, the top is carved maple, the back is a 2-piece mahogany slab with only the original wiring routing; the neck is also mahogany, using the late 1950’s profile, with bound rosewood fingerboard and the classic trapezoidal markers. It has Kluson Deluxe tuners with plastic keystone buttons and a wireless ABR bridge made by TonePros.

The example of a 2001 Sergei de Jonge cutaway steel string demonstrates many of the qualities of Sergei’s skill. The workmanship and joinery are very good, and the design is very successful visually and tonally.

This 1972 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe Gold Top is in good playing condition with lots of vintage vibe. The gold has checked nicely and faded to a slight greenish tint. Correct for the period, it has a 3-piece neck and a 4-piece body.

Here is a very nice 1977 Guild X-175 Blonde Manhattan Archtop. Guild archtops are not extremely common, but are highly valued. Originally drawing from the heritage of the Epiphone workforce, Guild has produced many extremely good instruments over the years. They feature solid, practical designs, excellent wood selection, and top level craftsmanship.

There are few guitars more instantly recognizable than the Gibson Flying V. Prototyped in 1957 and introduced in 1958 as part of a wave of radically futuristic designs, the Flying V sold so poorly that it was dropped in 1958. Perhaps 98 production models (made with Korina wood) were shipped, and these are extremely collectable – and expensive.

Here’s a great early piece – a 1944 Gibson J-45, built during the third year of production. Drawing heavily on the design of the just-discontinued J-35, the J-45 mostly differs with stiffer X bracing, tall, thin and scalloped top bracing, a fatter, non-V neck profile, and only being available with a sunburst finish.

The Hofner 500/1 Cavern Bass is a reproduction of the first 500/1 purchased by Paul McCartney in 1961 and is named after London’s Cavern club, where so many bands played. Some went on to become great, others – not so much. McCartney used his Cavern bass while recording ‘Let it Be’ and ‘Revolution’.

Here is the very, very cool Gretsch 130th Anniversary Junior – G6118T LTV JR. Gretsch has from time to time made smaller-bodied versions of their guitars, perhaps to balance out the giant Falcon and Country Club models.

But this isn’t a ‘Mini’ guitar – the body is smaller, close to the size of a George Benson model, but it’s full scale so the tension and tone are all there.

The Gibson Super 400 was the top of the line for many years, and appeared on stages in many genres. It was not only popular with jazz players, but also with country and rock guitarists; Merle Travis of course used a Super 400 CES and Scotty Moore recorded a lot of early Elvis material on his Super 400.

Here’s an original – a 1944 Gibson J-45, built during the first year of production. Drawing heavily on the design of the just-discontinued J-35, the J-45 mostly differs with stiffer X bracing, tall, thin and scalloped top bracing, a fatter, non-V neck profile, and only being available with a sunburst finish.

This is a beautiful and well-preserved piece – a 2000 Marc Beneteau cutaway classical crossover, featuring very nicely figured cocobolo sides and back and a cedar top. It has almost no wear; the finish has sunk into the wood, which is a natural part of aging, and that’s pretty much the only sign that this isn’t a new instrument.

Should you use a capo, or is it cheating?

Here is a very well preserved 1978 Fender Jazz Bass in a custom colour. Officially, this colour was designated ‘Walnut’, but many people call it ‘Mocha’ – which was never an official colour.

This 2009 Ernie Ball Music Man Axis Super Sport 25th Anniversary is in very clean condition with very little wear. These instruments play very well, and the combination of the maple cap on basswood balances the tone and makes the guitar quite light.

The Gibson Byrdland features a unique blend of large and small; a full 17 inch wide body with a 2.5 inch depth, and a rather short 23.5 inch scale length that’s intended to allow players to grab big chords and play fast.

The Gibson ES-175D first appeared in 1953, as a two P-90 pickup version of the single pickup ES-175 introduced in 1949. In 1957, Gibson added their all-new humbucking pickups to the ES-175, along with much of the rest of their lineup. Over the years, the Gibson ES-175D has become known as just the ES-175.

This 1965 Edgar Monch Classical Guitar is from just before his Toronto period, one of the last from Munich. It has a clear, commanding voice with a full, rich tone and is suitable for the hands of an advanced or professional guitarist. It has a clear, commanding voice with a full, rich tone. It’s had some top cracks repaired, and is structurally in good condition. Of a similar design to Hauser guitars of the period, It features a spruce top, Indian rosewood back and sides and bridge, an ebony fingerboard with 650mm scale length and 50mm nut width.

The Taylor 912e is in the top range of Taylor’s rosewood model lines. It’s built with Sitka Spruce top, Indian rosewood for the back and sides, tropical Mahogany for the neck and ebony for the fingerboard and bridge.

2010 PRS JA-15 McCarty Burst

Cleanly built, with a very well balanced tone, this 1993 Marc Beneteau 00 guitar is a good example of his work. It offers good representation throughout the sonic range with full but not overpowering bass, rich midrange, and sparkling highs.

This 1983 example of the Gibson L-5 CES is in very good condition with a natural finish. There’s very little wear and the gold plating is in quite good shape; it’s possible that the original owner rested a fingertip on the pickguard and the corner of the bridge pickup, and there’s a little corrosion in the plating there.

The Benedetto Bravo was introduced to meet a need for a top-quality archtop that a player could travel with. The body uses a laminated spruce top and laminated maple back and sides – laminated woods are much less prone than solid woods to movement or cracking from natural changes in environmental temperature and humidity.

Here’s a very clean 2011 Huber TrueTone VRB-4 Banjo. The VRB-4 is a replica of pre-war (WWII) style banjos, and features walnut construction, HR-30 tone ring and engineered rim.

resenting the new Mod-C from G.W. Barry Guitars in Malaysian Blackwood and Italian Spruce with Snakewood appointments. This is one of the many transcendent custom built offerings you can experience at this weekend’s Handmade Guitar Showcase at Chalker’s Pub, Billiards and Bistro – 247 Marlee Avenue, Toronto.

Introduced in 1958, the Gibson ES-335 Dot was an immediate success and while details have changed over the years, it’s been in production ever since. The tonal versatility of the design has taken it into many different styles, from jazz to pop, from blues to hard rock.

Today we’re visited by a lovely Ron Belanger dreadnought guitar in Bubinga. Ron Belanger works in the area of Orillia, Ontario, where he’s been a woodworker for many years. In 1998 he started building guitars, and in addition to the instrument pictured here, builds Irish Bouzoukis, resophonic guitars, and 12-strings.

Tenor guitars like this Martin 0-17T were very popular for quite some time, partly because they’re fairly portable and with only four strings, perhaps easier to use as an accompanying instrument to a voice. They seem to have fallen out of favour with the rise of amplified music, but have a solid place in some country and Celtic styles.

The Gibson L-4 was built between 1912 and 1956, and underwent a number of changes. Originally it had – like many archtops of the time – an oval soundhole; this changed to a round soundhole in 1928, and finally to the now-common F-holes in 1935.

2006 Gibson L-5 CES Sunburst

In the early 1960’s, Gibson – like other manufacturers – responded to the change in markets caused by the folk boom. These instruments, like the Gibson C-1e Classical were not really meant to be strictly traditional classical guitars – they were meant to play softer folk styles, often with a pick.

The Ramirez 1a is the benchmark, the standard for professional, concert level classical guitars. Built entirely in the Ramirez shop in Madrid, Spain, the 1a uses the best materials available, and comes in Classical and Flamenco versions.

At a young age, Masaru Kohno developed an interest in classical guitar and travelled from Japan to Europe to learn guitar construction. He may have spent some time in Barcelona studying under Fleta, but certainly spent six months in the Madrid, Spain shop of Arcangel Fernandez before returning to Tokyo where he established his own shop. He quickly gained the respect and patronage of many highly skilled guitarists, and his instruments are regarded as top quality.

The Gibson Les Paul Custom model was introduced in 1954 as an upmarket version of the still-infant Les Paul model. Instead of a maple cap on a mahogany slab, the body was all mahogany, and came in black with gold hardware. The original versions featured single-coil Alnico pickups, notable for their rectangular polepieces, and the now-ubiquitous Tune-o-Matic bridge and stop tailpiece combination.

And here it is, needing little introduction – an all original 1952 Gibson Les Paul Gold Top. Gibson introduced the Les Paul model in 1952, and produced it as seen here for only a short time.

This 1985 Sergei de Jonge 8 string classical guitar is in very good condition and has a full, rich tone with sparkling highs and really way down deep lows. It’s really a remarkable experience to sit and play an instrument like this!

Introduced in 1962 and built until 1975, the Fender Jaguar was intended to be the top of the line model aimed at Gibson players – the Jaguar features a 24 inch scale length, compared to Fender’s usual 25.5 inch scale and Gibson’s 24.75 inch.

This is a 1970 Gibson Hummingbird Custom, and while it’s seen a lot of playing in smoky rooms over the years, it’s got a great sound and is in overall decent condition.

Ramirez guitars are special to play; so much of the history of guitar music is interwoven with the history of the Ramirez guitar shop. This is a 1972 Ramirez Flamenco 1a Guitar in very nice condition. Featuring traditional construction with friction tuners, cedar top, cypress back and sides, Spanish cedar neck and Spanish construction, this guitar is loud and brilliant yet not harsh.

The Handmade Guitar Showcase is developed by Allan Gorman and David Wren, and features twenty-five of Canada’s preeminent guitar makers in the informal atmosphere of one of Toronto’s finest jazz venues. In conjunction with the Toronto Jazz Festival, Chalkers Bistro is hosting an event that brings together some of our most talented craftspeople displaying a diverse array of their guitars … from electric, to flattop to carved tops.

This is very nice – a 2004 Martin OM-40 Rory Block in great shape. Aside from the basic fact that the OM guitar design works so well from tonal and playability perspectives, this guitar is very attractive and has an unusual ‘Road’ themed inlay pattern!

The first of the run, a 2007 Martin 00-42K2 Robbie Robertson in pristine condition. This is number one of one hundred built, and it’s a spectacular instrument, visually and tonally.

Relatively rare, this 1963 Fender Bass VI is in good visual, working and playing condition. Introduced in 1961 and built till 1975, Leo Fender intended the Fender Bass VI to be both a bass and a baritone guitar. But it was never the roaring success that the Precision Bass, the Telecaster or the Stratocaster were, and only about 800 of the original design were made. However, some of those 800 appear in influential music of the time, including the Lovin’ Spooful albums, The Beatles White Album, Let It Be and Abbey Road.

This 1954 Fender Stratocaster is both one of the youngest and the oldest. Leo Fender introduced the Stratocaster in the spring of 1954, and the last date on this particular guitar is on the end of the neck: TG 10-54, for Tadeo Gomez, signing off in October, 1954.

It is a joy to open a case and find an instrument like this 2012 Andreas Kirmse Classical Guitar. Hand built with a double cedar top, rosewood back and sides with sound port on the upper bass bout, mahogany neck and raised ebony fingerboard, this fine instrument illustrates the high level of current classical guitar construction.

This has just arrived – a 1990 Fender Signature Edition 59 Stratocaster, in really great condition. With all original hardware and very little wear, this reproduction of a 1959 model is a great deal.

It’s not often we see guitars as clean as this 1959 Gibson Les Paul Junior. This guitar is in very good condition, with a few small marks on the top and back, but very little play wear.

Here it is – the Beard JD Blackbird Jerry Douglas Signature Squareneck. A cosmetically stripped down version of the Beard Jerry Douglas Signature model, the Beard JD Blackbird features the E model body built with solid mahogany top, back, sides and neck and a very interesting translucent black finish.

This 1988 Martin D-18P is a subtle variation of the basic D-18 design, with a lower-profile ‘Performer’ series neck shape. This example is in quite good condition, and has that clean, tight D-18 tone.

It’s always a pleasure to play guitars like this 1961 Gibson J-45 adjustable bridge. The body design and neck shape are very comfortable, and they produce an envelopingly warm, rich tone, especially if they’ve been part of a lot of playing over the decades, as this one has.

It’s Ukulele Night! Come on out to The Twelfth Fret on Monday June 2nd, 7 to 9 PM for a beginner’s Ukulele clinic with Douglas John Cameron. Price: $20, which gets you entry PLUS a $20 Twelfth Fret Gift Card, redeemable for full face value during normal store hours.

For The Twelfth Fret’s 35th anniversary in 2011,we commissioned a number of instruments including this Martin OM-28 Custom. Featuring a spruce top and Indian Rosewood back and sides, with herringbone binding on the top and ‘zipper’ back strip, this guitar is in very good condition.

Here’s a 1962 Gibson J45 Sunburst in good playing condition – and with that great vintage J-45 sound. The Gibson J-45 was introduced in 1942, and has been in production ever since.

1997 Guild Starfire 4 Blonde Maple Thinline Guitar

This 2004 German Vasquez Rubio Flamenco Guitar is really quite exceptional. As with most Flamenco Blanco instruments, it’s quite light but it’s also extremely resonant and responsive — it’s almost as if you are playing a living instrument.

This 1999 Gibson Super 400 1939 Reissue is in near immaculate condition, with a carved spruce top, carved and very highly flamed maple back, flame maple sides and neck. There is no significant wear.

Today we have a very clean 1941 Gibson L7 Sunburst Archtop Guitar. This guitar comes with a copy of the original sales contract, to a young man about to go into the US Coast Guard.

This 1965 Manuel G Contreras Classical Guitar is in good playing condition. Constructed with Spruce top and Brazilian Rosewood back and sides, it has a light French Polish finish.

This is a lovely 2002 Morgan Concert Cutaway Koa Steel String Guitar, in excellent condition. It’s a full size guitar with a rounded Venetian cutaway, distinguishing it as an older model; most cutaway Morgans are now Florentine (pointed). The highly figured Koa back and sides are very attractive, but also add a warm brilliance to the tone.

Here’s a lovely Sunburst 1972 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe. Gibson introduced the Les Paul Deluxe in 1968 and it was produced until 1985. The Gibson Les Paul Deluxe is very similar in construction to the Les Paul Standard. The primary differences are in the pickup routes and the actual pickups

Here’s something unusual! A 1967 Deep Green Guild Starfire XII in good playing condition, though the finish is worn. Guild introduced the Starfire in 1960 as a thinline semi-hollow single cutaway guitar. By 1963, the double-cutaway Starfire IV was introduced.

This is a very clean 1998 Martin D-28 Dreadnought guitar. Martin introduced the Dreadnought body shape in 1916, building the first ones for the Oliver Ditson company – these did not carry the Martin brand name. These instruments had mahogany backs and sides, and the necks joined the body at the twelfth fret. The Ditson company disappeared in 1920, and the Dreadnought guitar went with it.

This is seriously cool – a 1955 Silvertone S1384 Archtop Guitar. This guitar is virtually identical to the 1955 Harmony Espanada model, with the difference being the branding logos.

The Taylor Spring Limited series is back! We’ve just received a Taylor 320e Baritone SLTD guitar and it’s really something. This baritone guitar, based on the dreadnought body, features sapele back and sides paired with a mahogany top, a mahogany neck and ebony fingerboard and bridge.

Here is a lovely 2011 Sadowsky Jimmy Bruno Archtop. It’s in great condition with one small chip at the end of the headstock, plays very well and has a wonderful smooth sound.

The iconic Gibson J200 isn’t just an impressive looking guitar. It can be an incredibly good sounding instrument. This example of 1958 Gibson J200 Sunburst production is in quite good condition and has a full, rich sound. The tuners were changed at some point to period Epiphone gears.

Following the success of the Telecaster, Leo Fender decided to expand his product range and in 1954, introduced the Stratocaster. This 1955 Sunburst Fender Stratocaster is a decent example of early Stratocaster production.

The Gibson SJ 200 is one of the iconic steel string flat top guitars. Introduced in 1937, it was an immediate hit. While it’s a fairly large guitar – according to the 1938 Gibson catalog, the SJ stands for Super Jumbo, after all – it’s actually quite comfortable to play. Tonally, it’s very even, and can be rather loud with great projection.

This is a rather nice 2012 example of the Gibson 1958 Les Paul Standard Reissue R8. The R8 is just a short form for ‘1958 Reissue’, as the R9 model is the 1959 reissue; the main difference now is the neck profile. The R8 has a somewhat chunkier neck compared to the R9.

The Avalon Legacy A10c is a cutaway jumbo guitar resembling earlier Lowden guitars but with an Auditorium body (hence the A designation). Tonally, it’s well balanced with good volume. Physically, it is in good condition with a few small dings.

The Avalon Legacy 10c is a cutaway jumbo guitar closely resembling earlier Lowden guitars, such as the O-32c and L-32c. It features a cedar top with mahogany back and sides and a mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard. Tonally, it’s well balanced with good volume. Physically, it is in good condition with a few small dings.

Here is a very cool Lavant Green Little Walter Tube Amps 22 Watt Head with 1×12 Cabinet, built to The Twelfth Fret’s specifications.The Little Walter 22 Watt head has two channels, normal and bright; each has a volume control but share a tone control. It’s capable of great breakup with good volume and lots of character. It’s based on the Little Walter 15-watt model, but with larger power and output transformers.

This 2010 Kanilea Custom Tenor Ukulele might be the best-sounding uke I’ve ever played. Of course it’s comfortable to play and has a good action, but the tone is outstanding, with a rich fullness and great harmonic overtones, excellent separation between notes, and very good sustain.

This 2008 Fender Twin Reverb Amp 65 Reissue is in great condition, very clean and all original, with original 12 inch Jensen C-12K speakers. No cover or footswitch included.

Here’s something quite unusual – a 1976 Fender Starcaster Sunburst. The Starcaster was introduced around 1974-1975 and was produced until 1980 or 1982. While it’s a good design, and well built, it was never commercially successful; there’s apparently a perception that Fender makes solidbody guitars, and semi-hollows come from other makers like Gibson.

Here is a wonderful 1950 Gibson L-7 P Premiere Cutaway Archtop. Gibson was a major player in the Archtop guitar world, with Epiphone as its main rival. And of course, after WW2 the volume wars were still being fought and amplification was the coming thing for guitars. In 1948, Ted McCarty filed a patent for the pickguard-mounted pickup assembly seen on this instrument (the patent was issued as #2,567,570 on September 11, 1951) and many others dating from its introduction at the 1948 Summer NAMM show until the mid 1950’s.

The Ernie Ball Music Man Albert Lee MM90 in candy apple red is one sweet looking and sounding guitar!

Bluegrass At The Twelfth Fret 7PM to 9PM Monday May 12 2014. with Marc Roy, Will Meadows and Carol Simpson. When and Where: 7PM to 9PM, Monday May 12 2014 at The Twelfth Fret, 2132 Danforth Avenue, Toronto M4C 1J9. Price: $20 admission – your ticket is a gift card redeemable for $20 in store merchandise – an unbeatable deal!

Here’s something relatively unusual – a 2009 Gretsch Anniversary 6117T-HT. This means it’s an Anniversary model, based on the venerable 6120 design, but with a sunburst finish, trestle bracing, and HiLo ‘Tron pickups.

This is a beautiful 2010 Sergei de Jonge classical guitar with Brazilian Rosewood back and sides and an elevated fingerboard. Sergei de Jonge builds from his shop in Chelsea, Quebec, and has for many years been prominent in the Canadian lutherie scene; he also runs courses out of his shop, including instruction on French Polish finishes.

On display here is a very rare Pierre Rene Lacote Heptachorde circa 1840. Rene Lacote of Paris, Master Luthier of the Paris school of guitar makers was one of the most influential makers of the early nineteenth century. Today his guitars are sought after by both collectors and performers. Past guitarists who played guitars by Lacote include Ferdinando Carulli, Fernando Sor, Dionisio Aguado and Matteo Carcassi.

Today we’re looking at a 2009 Morris SS-102iii Grand Auditorium guitar. Morris guitars are built in Nagano, Japan. The company was founded before 1964 by Mr. Toshio Moridaira and was the first Japanese distributor to carry both Fender and Gibson instruments.

On display here is a 1929 1929 Bakelite Neck National Triolian. Bakelite-neck Nationals were made from about February 1929 to August 1930 for a production total of around 1800 instuments. Bakelite-neck Nationals are quite rare, for two main reasons.

This is likely the best-condition Late 1950s Kay Model K5965 Hollowbody Electric Bass I’ve seen. There’s very little wear and one mark on the back. It looks like it’s spent most of its life in its case.

Here’s an all original 1965 Vox AC10 2×10 Combo Amplifier. Vox was the pre-eminent musical instrument amplifier manufacturer in the UK and much of Europe in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, and produced most of the amps used by the most popular bands at the time. If you’ve heard an early 1960’s pop or rock record from the UK – you’ve heard Vox amplifiers.

It’s great to see Gibson mandolins again, as few and far between as they are. This Gibson F-5L Fern mandolin has the ‘L’ designation, for Lloyd Loar; the F-5L model was introduced in 1978 as a return to the specifications Lloyd Loar used on his original F-5 Master Model instruments between 1922 and 1924.

Marc Beneteau has been building instruments in Ontario since at least 1974, and in that time has produced many archtop, steel string and classical guitars, plus a few other instruments like dulcimers and ukuleles. This 1983 Marc Beneteau Classical Cutaway demonstrates Marc’s skill and the quality of his workmanship. The tone is rich and full, with warm highs and deep lows.

Today we’re looking at a near perfect 2004 Collings OM1 Guitar. The Orchestra Model, based on the OOO body style, was originally built by Martin for Perry Bechtel to accomodate the first 14-fret necks. The object was to help sell guitars to plectrum banjo players, who were used to the longer necks. This example of the OM1 has been very carefully kept and well maintained.

Here is a pristine 2013 Collings D2H-A Dreadnought. The -A designation means that this is a D2H – Dreadnought body size with 2 level decoration and Herringbone binding – with an Adirondack spruce top.

As with all Collings instruments, the build quality is stunningly good and the tone is even better. Collings dreadnoughts produce all the volume, presence, bottom end and mids you’d expect and have full sparkling highs.

I have to say that this instrument caught my eye very quickly – long ago, I spent years slaving over one of these on small stages. This 1974 Black Fender Telecaster Custom really brought back some memories, and my ears are still ringing!

The Ernie Ball Music Man John Petrucci Red Pearl Burst guitar is a versatile rock guitar with great looks and plays like butter!

This 2011 Godin Montreal Mahogany Two Voice Guitar is an extremely versatile instrument and is in great condition. The Montreal Mahogany uses a chambered, bolt-on design. The body is built from a slab of mahogany; the top is sliced off, the blank is routed out for the chambers, the top gets the pickup and F-holes, is glued back on and bound. The strings mount through the back, and the result is a full, rich tone with lots of sustain.

Here is a lovely 2008 Alhambra Model 10p Cedar Top Classical Guitar. Alhambra guitars are built in Muro de Alcoy, in the Alicante region of Spain.
The Alhambra Model 10p is built with either spruce or cedar tops; this example from 2008 uses the Wester Red Cedar top.

Gary Benson Memorial 1939 – 2014 Gary Benson was one of Canada’s premiere jazz guitarists, in a career covering three decades. A regular backup guitarist for the best vocalists, Gary also worked in bands at the Stratford and Shaw festivals.

Here is a lovely 1899 Lyon and Healy Mystic Banjo, in fully playable condition. This instrument features a 30-hook pot, a mahogany neck with carved heel and ebony fingerboard, and lots of mother of pearl inlay. The Lyon and Healy firm grew out of an effort by Oliver Ditson – beginning in 1864 – to expand his wholesale musical instrument business into the US Midwest, with a facility in Chicago.

This is a rare 1932 Martin OM-18 Sunburst. During 1932, the C. F. Martin guitar company produced 3,000 instruments in total. The OM-18 features the Orchestra Model body, with a tighter waist and slightly narrower bouts than the Dreadnought design. It’s also sometimes known as the 000 size.

The beautiful Stelling Red Fox banjo is a new model, another superb example of Geoff Stelling’s craftsmanship. Inspired by master banjoist Bill Emerson, the Red Fox features Stelling’s unique bronze ‘Wedge Fit’ tone ring fitted to a Tony Pass ‘Lost Timbre’ block rim. The Red Fox inlay on the headstock and abalone maple leaf inlay on the fingerboard help make this fine instrument really quite fetching.

Here’s a lovely, near mint 2010 FireGlo Rickenbacker 4003 Bass. The 4003 Bass is the successor to the 4001, which it finally fully replaced in 1986.

Visually, the differences between the 4001 and 4003 are subtle. However, the 4003 sports a different truss rod system with adjusters at either end of the neck, and updated wiring.

As the last of the legendary John D’Angelico’s apprentices, James ‘Jimmy’ D’Aquisto produced some of the best, most sought after – and most expensive – archtop guitars ever made. In a 1994 agreement with Fender, Fender built D’Aquisto Elite archtops at their Terada plant in Japan. These guitars were re-issued between 1989 and 1994. This 1989 Black Fender DAquisto Elite Archtop is in pristine condition, and the black finish is quite rare.

As the last of the legendary John D’Angelico’s apprentices, James ‘Jimmy’ D’Aquisto produced some of the best, most sought after – and most expensive – archtop guitars ever made. In a 1994 agreement with Fender, Fender built D’Aquisto Elite archtops at their Terada plant in Japan. These guitars were re-issued between 1989 and 1994. This 1990 Black Fender DAquisto Elite Archtop is in pristine condition, and the black finish is quite rare.

This 1989 Fender DAquisto Elite Archtop sports a natural finish,which really shows off the flame maple laminate used on the back and sides. It’s in excellent condition with very minor wear. They feature maple laminate back and sides, solid spruce tops, a maple neck with ebony fingerboard and ebony fittings; and one humbucking pickup at the neck, with the metal parts gold plated.

The AER Acousticube 3 Amplifier is widely considered THE reference standard for acoustic amplification. Built in Germany, AER amps are used on stages and studios by top level performers worldwide. The sonic quality is outstanding, and the amp offers 32-bit digital effects with 100 presets.

Here’s a nearly perfect, built in 2000 Fender 56 NOS Stratocaster. The NOS stands for New Old Stock and this looks like it’s never been out of the case, and the case stored in a time capsule! All of the original case candy and Custom Shop certificates are included. This is about as close to mint as you can get without actually running the presses.

This 2006 Tobias Growler 5 String Bass is in excellent condition. The swamp ash body provides good tone with only a moderate weight, and the body design balances well.

Here’s a medium-level relic 2013 Fano Alt de Facto EB6 Gold Top. It’s in close to new condition, though with a relic that means something entirely different than shiny! This instrument has unique lines, is extremely well built. It’s got a great clear, crisp tone with lots of definition. It’s very resonant and just rings right out. And it looks like it’s 50 years old!

If you’ve been in Canada in the last 30 years, you’ve heard Mike Francis play. He’s been in uncountable sessions and stages for many musicians, movies, TV and radio shows, and commercials. Here’s a great opportunity to find out how a top session player approaches the guitar, recording, performing, and the business.

The Gibson Les Paul Custom is an iconic guitar. It’s been used in pretty much every genre, from jazz, to pop, from country to metal, from punk to fusion and points between. This 1981 Wine Red Gibson Les Paul Custom is in good condition. It’s definitely seen some playing over the years, and that’s a good thing.

Gibson Brad Paisley Model J-45

This 1953 Gibson Les Paul Gold Top has been converted, as many were, to a what is now standard – a bridge and stop tailpiece configuration. Aside from that, it’s been refretted for playability, and the output jack plate has been replaced, but is otherwise in original condition. The original trapeze tailpiece is included in the original 4-latch case.

This 1977 Martin M-38 is from the second year of production. It’s in good shape with a few pick marks on the top upper treble bout, but otherwise no major dings or dents. It plays well and really sounds good.

This Martin Custom Shop D-18 Sunburst is an outstanding instrument. Without being played in at all, it’s bright, full, crisp and clear with brilliant ringing trebles and rich bass and midrange. What a sound – and it’s just going to get better.

This 1966 Martin D-21 was built just before Martin stopped using Brazilian rosewood in response to Brazil’s restrictions on the export of Brazilian Rosewood in lumber form. This, then, is one of the last Brazilian D-21s.

This example of the D-21 line is in good physical shape and good playing condition, and sonds quite good.

This refinished 1959 Fender Precision Bass is in great playing and structural condition. It plays really well and has great punch and tone – even with the mutes installed and active!

We seldom see things like this 1969 Robert Ruck classical guitar; this is partly because Robert Ruck doesn’t build much anymore, and his guitars are so well regarded that they seldom change hands.

Here is a beautiful Larrivee L-05 with an aftermarket side port modification!

I had a lot of fun with this Gibson Guitars SGJ 2014 120th Anniversary model. Took it off the wall, plugged it straight into one of my current favourite amps – a Vox AC15 – and it sounded great.

Here is a 1994 Deering Calico banjo in excellent condition. The Calico is a professional grade instrument known for its crisp tone, great highs and distinctive bass response. It’s designed to provide great tone and excellent projection.

Here’s a near-perfect 2011 Martin 00-15M steel string acoustic guitar. The 00 body style is one of the earliest Martin designs,
dating to 1877 with a 12-fret neck and 1934 with the 14 fret neck.

Today we’re looking at a very nice 1965 Hofner 500 1 Beatle Bass. Originally introduced as the Hofner Violin Bass, this model gained an unshakeable association with Paul McCartney and the Beatles.

This is just great – a near-perfect, one year old Cadillac Green 2013 Gretsch G6196T Country Club. The Gretsch G6196T Country Club can look a lot like the Gretsch White Falcon, and that’s because it shares body and neck dimensions. However, the Country Club has a solid spruce top instead of laminated maple and more — restrained decoration.

1964 Gibson Trini Lopez Custom

This G.W. Barry M Style flat top from 1990 has a lovely well balanced tone with plenty of rich low end and silky smooth treble frequencies!

Here we have an Olympic White 1970 Fender Stratocaster in almost completely original condition. It’s been played a lot over the years, so the strings have been changed but aside from that, all the parts look stock. It has not been refretted, so predictably there is a significant amount of fretwear.

Own part of Canadian guitar history with the Larrivee LV-03 Vancouver Edition!

Here’s another example of a real workhorse guitar – the 1959 Gibson J45. Introduced in 1942, the J-45 has been in production ever since and is one of Gibson’s most successful designs.

This is a spectacular instrument – a 2008 Eastman MDC805 Mandocello in near-perfect condition.

From time to time, I am forced to “house clean” when I run short on storage space. Since I can’t resist buying any vintage instruments things eventually reach the breaking point where I have to ‘thin the herd’.

These ‘project instruments’ are put on a shelf with the best of intentions…but many cups of espresso later I come to the realization that I would rather be out on my motorcycle and many of these projects will simply never be looked at.

Here’s an almost perfect 2011 Gibson Hummingbird True Vintage. Gibson introduced the Hummingbird in 1960 and it was their first square-shouldered dreadnought body guitar; to this point, Gibson was known for slope-shouldered dreadnoughts like the J-45.

Here’s a cool 1977 Gibson Les Paul Custom Cherry Burst. The Les Paul Custom was introduced in 1954, as a dressed-up version of the ‘new’ Les Paul model (introduced in 1952). Originally, it featured a black finish (with a mahogany top rather than maple) and with very low frets.

Here’s a pristine and unusual instrument – a 2013 National M1 Tricone Cutaway. This cutawy version of the M1 doesn’t even appear on the National site! This lightly-used fine example is in nearly new condition, and appears to have been hardly played at all.

Based on the Collings D3 model, this D41G is in very good condition and features a German Spruce top (this is the G in the model number), Indian Rosewood back and sides and abalone trim on the top.

Collings guitars are exceptionally well built and great sounding and this guitar has a wonderfully full, rich tone with undeniable presence.

Here’s a lovely 1976 Guild Capri CE-100D Blonde Archtop. Guild introduced the CE-100 in 1956 and it was built till 1983. A new version is now available from Guild.

This guitar is in great shape and is very comfortable to play.

Here’s a rare treat – a 1931 Martin 0028. Adding to the value and historical interest of this instrument is a set of photos of the original owner playing it while in the Canadian Forces in the European Theater during World War 2!

The D-18 is known for a brilliant tone with lots of attack and great separation between notes, which makes it very suitable for styles as diverse as bluegrass and solo fingerstyle

2012 Taylor T5X Thinline Electric

One of Guild’s best values in jumbo acoustics, this 2000 Guild JF30 is in good condition and plays very well. It’s had a pickup added so it’s ready to go!

CLINIC POSTPONED – NEW DATE: MONDAY MARCH 3RD     Clinic: Mike Francis with Neal Davis Where: The Twelfth Fret Guitar Shop, 2132 Danforth Ave, Toronto ON. When: Monday January 20th MARCH 3rd , 6pm – 8:30pm Price: $40 per person (limited space available)   Mike Francis has been the “go to guy” in the Toronto recording scene for over 30 years. His guitar playing can be heard daily on numerous TV & radio commercials, TV shows, feature films and the recordings of many

Today we have a 2001 Jose Ramirez Elite 1a Traditional. The 1a Traditional model is the top of the range for Ramirez guitars, and the Elite version uses the highest quality materials available.

This copper finish Danelectro DC-59 is a cool retro guitar that will have vintage fans drooling with envy!

Feast your eyes and ears on the beautiful Music Man Axis Super Sport 25th Anniversary model selling for $1475.00

This purple Music Man Axis Sport MM90 has a super smooth playing neck and a creamy tone great for blues and rock!

We recently received a Northfield NF F5S Mandolin! We’ve had a very few Northfields basically as demo instruments, and they were very well received.

Brand new and very cool! This is the new Gretsch Falcon G6139T CBDC.

At 16 inches across, it’s one inch smaller than the Double Cut, and it has what Chet always wanted – a spruce center block to reduce feedback and increase sustain and note to note separation.

2008 Tom Anderson Hollow T Classic

Here is a beautiful David Wren Concert with Sinker Redwood and Macassar Ebony!

This 1994 Heritage H150 Sunburst is based on the classic Les Paul design, but with a number of subtle changes. The body shape is slightly different and the headstock is narrower and tapered – this is a good thing as it decreases the angle the strings take out of the nut.

Boucher guitars are fairly new for us, but they bring a fully developed and realized instrument line.
Today we have a Boucher Guitars Alancia Goose OMH, or Orchestra Model Hybrid. This model features cocobolo back and sides, this specific example a wood set with lovely sapwood providing visual effects.

This Midnight Blue 2009 Rickenbacker 4001c64s is one of only four in this particular colour – there are two more in satin. It’s in excellent condition.

While the Fender Precision Bass holds the record for the most recordings, the Rickenbacker 4001 bass provides a bright punchy sound that comes right to the front of the mix. It’s hard to miss it on a recording or stage.

This 1973 Rickenbacker 4001 Bass is in good shape and great playing condition.

Dave Nichols has spent decades doing custom inlay work, including a lot for Martin. His work shows a high degree of familiarity with pearl inlay – it looks like it was easy for the builder to do, a sure sign that it isn’t.

This 2002 Dave Nichols 00 Style acoustic guitar is in good playing condition and looks fantastic.

The debut EP from Emoticon is now available at the Twelfth Fret. City at Night is the debut EP from the Twelfth Fret’s own Nevin Douglas. Instrumental electronic music with a retro / new wave / synth pop sound. Minimal, catchy, and fun. We have CDs available for $11.95. To place an order contact us here.

This 1960 Gretsch 6124 Single Anniversary is in good playing and visual condition, with most original hardware and case. Intended as a lower cost alternative to the 6120, the Anniversary originally had a pair of Filter ‘Tron pickups and an ebony fingerboard,

This 1974 Rickenbacker 330 Jetglo is in very good condition – though it has been played and has some fretwear, it has very few marks or wear otherwise.

The Saga company has been producing an excellent version of the Selmer concept under the ‘Gitane’ name for some time. This fine 2004 Gitane D-500 Professional Gypsy Jazz Guitar is a wonderful example of the Grand Bouche design, is in great shape and is really entertaining to play.

The 1939 Kalamazoo KHG 14 is very much like the Gibson L-00, but without the truss rod. It’s had its bridsge replaced, cracks have been repaired, and has been converted from Hawaiian setup to ‘standard’ fingerstyle.

Here’s a really great condition 1965 Gibson RB-100 Banjo, delivering a warm, woody tone, hard attack with quick note decay

Here is a wonderful 1920 Windsor Artiste Model 4 Zither Banjo. Built in Birmingham, England, this instrument is in perfect playing condition.

This 2012 Bishline Clermont Banjo is in excellent condition – it would be hard for it to be cleaner – and is just a beautiful instrument. Loud, sweet yet clear and bright. The heavy figuring of the neck and resonator maple combines with the shaded, tinted finish for a spectactular effect.

Specializing in high-quality examples of proven designs, Heritage demonstrates a commitment to craftsmanship and attention to detail. This 2008 Heritage H 535 Antique Natural Thinline is in excellent condition.

Classic British chime and crunch await with this Vox AC 30 head from 1963!

The Larrivee Custom Shop LS-04 Bloodwood is a quietly spectacular guitar. Not that it has a low volume – it doesn’t – but while it’s not exceptionally ornate, it’s got a fabulous sound and tunes just fall out of it.

The Fryette Memphis 30 Combo is a versatile combo amp in all original condition.

The Ramirez 1a is the top of the range for concert instruments, in classical or Flamenco styles. Built only by a few of the most skilled and experienced luthiers in the small Ramirez shop, the 1a uses the finest available materials.

Lowden guitars have been favoured by both fingerstyle and plectrum players since they became available. The O, or Original model, is a fairly large jumbo design, which produces a suprisingly even, rich sound with lots of articulation and projection.

This 1997 Lowden O25C steel string was built in Downpatrick, Northern Ireland.

The 65 Amps Memphis, formerly know as the Monterey has the classic 6V6 format and can go from warm American tones to modern boutique distortion setting at the flick of a switch!

Introducing the Fender American Special Mustang! The Fender Mustang was introduced in 1964 as a step up from the late-1950’s MusicMaster and Duo-Sonic ‘student’ guitars. However, certain aspects of this design attracted a number of professional players who at the time weren’t comfortable with other guitars available at the time. They seemed to like the 24-inch scale and the compact, lightweight body.

Fender’s just introduced a new variation on the Jazzmaster – the Fender American Special Jazzmaster!

I’ve never actually seen one of these before – but, there were only about 200 produced, between 1948 and 1955. This is a 1950 Gibson Super 300. The Super 300 is very similar to its much better known older brother, the Super 400. The key difference is the modesty of the 300’s decoration – at least compared to the Super 400.

We don’t see these very often, but here’s a fine example of a very influential guitar – a 1990 Gibson Chet Atkins CE Solidbody Classical. The late, great and greatly lamented Chet Atkins was responsible for not only great music, but a number of musical innovations. Given his many performances over decades, under a very wide range of conditions, it’s not surprising that he often sought out ways to control or prevent feedback at stage volumes.

This 2006 Epiphone Joe Pass Emperor II is in great shape. The compact body is comfortable yet full-sounding, and the hardware is of good quality. It’s had so little use that the foam shipping strip is still under the bridge!

Taylor Guitars run a seasonal ‘Limited Edition’ program during which they offer customized versions of their more popular guitars, but with highly figured wood sets and less-common material combinations. This means that a number of unique and often breathtaking versions of otherwise standard guitars become available, and it’s been quite a popular offering.

The banjo has an extremely long and varied history – aside from the drum and the human voice, it’s one of the oldest instruments. Over millennia the banjo has taken many forms but they all have common elements.

Orville Gibson basically invented the modern mandolin around 1895, combining the basic stringing and tuning layout with violin-type construction technology. To this point, the mandolin was usually a bowl-backed instrument, though some related flat-backed instruments such as the cittern had existed for some centuries.

This 1989 David Wren Cutaway Acoustic is in great visual and playing condition, with a lovely peacock inlay on the headstock.

Epiphone flat-tops date back to the 1940’s, and the FT-79 Texan first appeared in 1942. The last of the original (non-reissue) production was in 1970, when Gibson ownership changed hands to Norlin.

The Harmony company made a huge number of instruments between 1945 and 1978, under their own name and under contract to other distributors and retailers. At one time, if you went anywhere in North America, somebody had a Harmony-produced instrument.

1990 David Wren Concert Cutaway Left Handed

The Vega Little Wonder is intended to be a quality instrument at a reasonable price – so it uses quality woods (maple and ebony) and good hardware but doesn’t have a lot of decoration.

Spain has a long and rich history, and music is no small part of it. Flamenco comes to us from the Andalusian region, consisting of simultaneous song, dance and guitar. It carries many influences of Spain’s folk history – Gypsy, Moorish, Jewish and Andalusian.

This 2011 Martin Custom Shop D18-12 Ditson is in perfect, brand new condition with full warranty – the legendary Martin ‘lifetime’ warranty is available to the original purchaser only. Martin built a total of 75 of these instruments, and based them on a 1929 Ditson model 111 that resides in the Martin Museum.

Leo Fender’s Telecaster has been an enduring aspect of popular music for over sixty years. In that time, many Telecasters have been built and many have been modified – part of the genius of the design is its adaptability and customizability.

This 2009 Galloup Hybrid acoustic is a stunning instrument featuring top quality woods, very clean construction and great tone. It also uses the patented Feiten tuning system, a combination of nut compensation, saddle placement, and tuning offsets designed to bring as many notes into tune with each other as possible.

Here is a Fender Deluxe Reverb from the 80’s in great overall condition!

This silver panel Fender Twin Reverb from 1976 is in excellent overall shape and pumps out 80 watts of tone through 2 12″ Oxford speakers!

Today we are featuring a beautiful Larrivee L-10 with a Jester headstock inlay.

This fine example of a 1967 Gibson Mastertone TB-250 Tenor Banjo is in great condition, with no significant wear — especially given its age.

Here we have another fine instrument from the Clarendon, Ontario shop of Oskar Graf.

This 1979 Oskar Graf classical has all the standard features – Indian rosewood and figured spruce top with 7-bar fan bracing, mahogany neck and ebony fingerboard.

Here is the new G.W. Barry 000 Plus in Brazilian rosewood and Adirondack spruce!

This Tungsten amp is the size of a Fender Pro and features a Mather cabinet, a Scumback M75 12″ speaker and cool looking tweed tolex.

The Telecaster is not only the first succesful (wildly!) solidbody electric guitar, but it’s also been in uninterrupted production the longest.

There have been some variations over the years, and this 1969 Fender Telecaster with Bigsby is a prime example. The Bigsby unit itself is the oldest successful vibrato unit made, and as we can see here it’s been available in a branded form to manufacturers. This unit has the ‘F’ logo on the body casting. To go with this, the body does not have the string ferrules on the back; there is a custom pickup plate and a Jazzmaster-style bridge is used. This one even has the original bridge cover!

The Les Paul is one of the classic workhorses of modern popular music. Produced since 1952 in a number of variations, it appears on all kinds of stages and recordings.

The Mesa Boogie Mark 1 was one of the first amps to provide many features now standard on most modern amps!

The Komet Constellation 30 amp is a beautiful wood panelled 30 watt amp powered by 4 EL84 tubes.

Here is a Traynor YCV 50 watt tube amp for an awesome price!

Dmitri Kulakov builds very innovative instruments in his shop in Ottawa, Ontario. We’ve seen his ‘Picasso’ model previously, and here is his ‘Forte’ model.

This 1953 Gibson J-50 demonstrates why Gibson flat-tops are so desirable. It has obviously been used as the makers intended, and has had the service that any 60-year old might need. And the sound is incredible! Full, bright, LOUD, crisp and even, this guitar has exceptional tone and would be a very positive addition to any trac

Gibson’s Jumbo guitars – the J-200, J-185 – have been popular since the J-200 was introduced in the 1938. There have been many variations, and between 2006 and 2008 the CJ-165 was built at the Gibson plant in Bozeman, Montana, under the watchful supervision of Ren Ferguson.

Here is a Fender Twin 1961 with tons of tone and volume!

This Hughes and Kettner Statesman 60 watt combo amp is in excellent condition and offers a great value for the price!

George Lowden has been building guitars since the early 1970’s in Northern Ireland. He’s known for producing quality instruments with innovative body and bracing designs.

David Wren has been one of Canada’s premiere builders for decades, along with stints doing repairs at The Millwheel in downtown Toronto and being part owner of The Twelfth Fret.

This 2010 Wren Concert is in excellent condition and is a fine example of David’s work.

This tweed Fender Princeton from 1959 is a sweet sounding 12 watt amp with the original 8″ speaker. This is a killer amp for recording or small gigs!

Here is a Fender Custom Vibrolux Reverb from 2009 which is in very clean shape.

This mid 60’s Magnatone Estey M15 stereo amp is in good overall condition and features reverb and great vibrato effects!

The Ramirez SPR classical guitar is the newest version of the hand made, maestro-built “SP” model. The model designation SP stands for Semi-Professional model and we find it to be effectively very much in the league of the Professional 1a models we carry, but at roughly half the price.

Rarely do we see a 12 year old Martin that has been so well cared for.

This 2001 Martin D-35 was custom ordered through the Twelfth Fret for a client who wanted the neck contour that he grew up playing as a kid; the soft V profile of the late 1960s.