1880's Martin 2-21, excellent condition, fully original, transitional fan braces with single tone bar, beautiful multicolored herringbone rosette and backstripe, absolutely gorgeous Brazilian rosewood, one (repaired) hairline from bridge to butt, set up to play with extra-light gauge strings, though this box is very solid and strong, top doesn't flex. The tone is surprisingly big and full, therefore this instrument is a great player as well as gorgeous to see and feel
1893 Martin 0-28, A beautifully preserved museum quality example in excellent original condition (except we replaced the tuner rollers), engraved tuners with pearl buttons, the smallest herringbone purfling, ivory binding, original coffin case with two latches missing; we've set it up (neck reset, perfect fret leveling, etc) to be strung with Extra-Light strings and low action. They don't get any better.
1907 Gibson L-2, an extremely rare 12 3/4" x 2 7/8" petite model, especially considering the pin bridge (very unusual for these round-hole arch-tops, Gibson's first models,) which helps the tone immeasurably. With its 1 3/4" nut width and its wonderfully stout construction, it is especially desireable as a unique travel guitar!
Sonntag Parlor, circa 1910 , fron New York, an nice straight braced 12 1/4" (width at the lower bout) parlor with exceptional Brazilian rosewood that works nicely with steel strings in excellent condition, with attractive herringbone purfling and rosette, original coffin case.
1917 Martin 0-18, Brazilian rosewood, an unusual and beautiful, all original guitar. 1917 was the year that mahogany was used in the style 18. This one is early and still rosewood. Another unusual feature is the fan bracing, Yet another unusual feature is the bridge, which bears strong resemblance to a Washburn bridge of the era. Mike Longworth’s book tells us it’s original! This guitar is in excellent, original condition; experience shows that these fan-braced Martins can sound beautiful with steel strings. It will need a neck reset and the usual accompanying fret work to set it up for steel strings.
Circa 1920 Galiano Grand Concert, Ultra blues/bottleneck guitar made in New York City by one of the several Italian luthiers (Cerrito, Ciani, Grauso, Nettuno), all of whom used the "A. Galiano" brand name for their instruments, mahogany/spruce 14 7/8" wide and 26" scale. A close relative of the Stella/Oscar Schmidt guitars, also sharing a longer scale length and straight braces, which made these the standard of choice for the original blues players, This one has been fully and perfectly restored by Howard Klepper, has great action and big, strong tone.
1923 Wurlitzer/Martin 0-18K, Made for Wurlitzer, this is an all-original, excellent condition, beautifully set-up and, best of all, surprisingly great full and deep sounding vintage guitar. Unusual in a couple of ways, it is one of less than 30 Wurlitzer Martins of this model, and was not made as a Hawaiian lap-style guitar.
1925 Martin 2-17, a demure young (81 years old) lady, made as a child's instrument, yet the former owner says she makes a dynamite slide guitar; string it up with mediums, tune it to open G, and roar! All mahogany, 24" scale, 1 3/4" at the nut and 2 3/8" at the bridge. Frank Ford has reset the neck, made a new bridge and gone over the top finish with a little french polishing.
1926 Maurer 587, Circa 1920, top of the line Grand Concert size (14 3/16") Larson Brothers, with, from the original catalogue, "Rosewood (Brazilian) sides & back, top very fine selected white spruce...Madagascar ebony fingerboard, elaborately inlaid with pearl design in fingerboard & headpiece. Soundhole & edges elaborately inlaid with pearl and fancy colored woods, extension of pearl around fingerboard on soundboard...Ebony bridge inlaid with pearl ornaments, fancy engraved Waverly heads with pearl buttons, elegantly polished. A Most Magnificent Instrument in Every Respect." Other features: laminated X brace, 3 3/8" depth, 25 1/4" scale, 1 13/16" nut, excellent original (except some touch-up French polish on top and replaced bridge pins) condition, no cracks, very up-front strong tone, much clarity and balance—a truly incredible guitar, in every respect.
1926 Martin 00-18, A classic model, one of the great original 12-fret Martin models that is still relatively affordable. This one is refinished (a very nice, thin hand-applied French polish), replaced bridge (belly-style) and bridge-plate (over-size), 'period-correct' but not original tuners. It is professionally set up, including recent neck-reset, and plays very nicely with low action and plenty of saddle showing.
1927 Martin 0-21, An extremely beautiful example, in close to perfect condition. There is one issue: someone had drilled three holes through the bridge, which have been nicely plugged. It has not had its neck reset, which we would do if we owned it—these days it's so rare to find them pre-reset, the advantage of which is we can do it right. The bright side of this guitar is that it is otherwise fully original and 100% healthy. It still has its original soft shell case that looks practically new, partly because it has an old hardshell that fits around the guitar and its case!
1928 Martin 00-21, Brazilian rosewood (straight grain, fully quartersawn) and red spruce, top and neck have been refinished, back & sides oversprayed, We've measured the top and all seems to be original thickness. Replaced bridge and bridgeplate, done to original specs. A wonderfully robust sound, a quality impossible in a new instrument.
1928 Martin 000-28, Original condition except for original size bridgeplate by Randy Wood. A number of cracks, all solidly, if not attractively repaired. Tone to kill: this is the quintessential vintage Martin model—there ain't none better. Back & sides are Brazilian rosewood of a quality that will never be available again, top is most likely Adirondack spruce, standard style 28 appointments of the day: ivoroid binding, herringbone, slotted head, Waverly three-on-a-plate tuners, 1 7/8" nut width.
1929 Martin 0-18, 12-fret body with slotted head, extremely light weight though takes Extra-Lights very easily, The back & sides may have been refinished, but it's very difficult to tell; if it has, it was a perfect job. There are no cracks, though there is pickwear where a pickguard usually goes. We have set-up this guitar to play as well as any new guitar, yet it has a tone that comes from only the best design and construction with seventy-fire years of playing under its bridge.
1929 Martin 00-42, very beautiful instrument, fully original and excellent condition except for an old heel crack that has been redone to practically invisible more recently. It is my contention that the older Martin bar fret guitars can be set-up to the same specs as any modern instrument, which is rarely done. The bar frets actually afford some extra adjustment possibilities, and when these incredible instruments end up with a good neck set and truly level frets, they shine like no other guitars on the planet. This 00 has just come back from our shop with incredible action—a dream to play. We did a forgery grade bridge replacement, as the original bridge had been shaved down and mucked up a bit. Now it looks great, plays in tune, and you'd never know it if we hadn't told you
1929 Martin 00-21, A superb instrument, original finish in excellent shape except for touch-up under the arm pit, neck reset, fingerboard replaced with T-frets, belly bridge and pickguard added—we don't know if this is to original specs: most Martins of this period came with pyramid bridges with no pickguard. The tone is quite wonderful. I've played untold numbers of similar guitars, and this tone is exceptional: much power and depth, with clarity and treble all there.
1929 Gibson L-0, 12-Fret all mahogany and great looking, pre-pickguard model, full restoration including flattening top, restoring bracing as original, light as a feather, incredibly open, sweet and rich tone; this guitar has a quality of tone seldom encountered—in old Gibsons, mahogany is king! This one is unusual in that it is 14 7/8" wide, practically a 000. A propos of the repair work, we believe in maximum quality restoration whenever possible on instruments we offer for sale, maintaining the proper relationship between an instrument's originality value and its function as a musical instrument. I think I can safely say that we give our instruments (the ones we own) a higher level of restoration than many other vintage dealers, often at similar selling prices.
1930 Gibson L-0, 12-Fret, black finish, no pickguard, "The Gibson" on peghead very faded, VG+ original condition except replaced bridge. The guitar is incredibly light—we have to bolt it down to keep it from floating away. When you play it, you can tell it has the blues—it sounds great.
1930 Sovereign (Stella), an Oscar Schmidt-built Stella (Harmony bought the company in the late '30's), One of the fanciest, an all koa guitar with engraved ivoroid fingerboard and gold sparkle binding around top, back, and down the center of the back and the neck. In excellent condition with good action - someone has installed an adjustable rod with access through the soundhole. Extremely rare incredible sounding. Possibly was originally Hawaiian-style.
• Grand Concert: 14.75" with 26.5" scale
1931 Martin OM-28, very early in the year still with the small OM pickguard and banjo tuners, though the tuners have been replaced (with Waverlies), Adirondack spruce and straight-grain Brazilian rosewood, older top refin, beautifully done, replaced pickguard, might be original bridge. The tone of this guitar compares favorably with all the original OMs I've known, which is saying a lot! It is beautifully clear and musical, with trebles that are bright, yet exceedingly sweet, and a full yet unmuddy bass. It is a pleasure to play, and will add much beauty to your music. the neck is thin, disappears in your hand despite the typical wide spacing of the period.
1931 Gibson L-1, Very early, 12-Fret Sunburst, two repaired tight cracks in top, otherwise excellent with beautiful sunburst finish, firestripe pickguard. These L-family guitars have been getting a lot of positive attention lately, with the 12-Fret ones being rarer and better. They are extremely light, the perfect size, with 1 3/4" nut; all combining in one of the world's most desirable vintage guitars. In going through Gibson's Fabulous Flattops, this combination of early 12-fretter with white binding on both top and back is the last itteration of the L-1, with the mystery of why it has the firestripe pickguard, which came in with the 14-fret L's.
1932 Martin 1-17, a charming, comfy guitar that sits in your lap and purrs when you stroke it. At 12 15/16" wide at its widest point, actually almost 1/4" wider than Martin's spec for size 1, it's growing close to an 0. All mahogany, 12-frets, slot head, no binding, overspray on back, otherwise original, VG+ condition. We've re-set the neck and levelled the frets, so with the beautifully shaped neck she plays as easily as a butterfly floats on a breeze.
• nut width: 1 13/16", bridge spacing: 2 3/8"
1933 Martin OM-18, natural finish, excellent condition, set-up, neck-reset, a few repaired (touched-up) dings, all original, including SSC. When the owner passed away in 1943, his guitar was put in a closet until recently. It still sounds new, yet has remarkable volume, fullness and clarity. This is certainly the nicest OM-18 we've had here in years.
1934 Martin 000-18, early in the year and still long scale, thus making it a de facto OM-18. Somewhat worn but very beautiful, We have reset the neck and leveled the frets, replaced the bridge (forgery grade) and bridge plate. Otherwise it is original and crack-free. The startling thing about this guitar, however, is its tone. It is deep and powerful, fat and clear. Those who have played it since its rehab have ended up with a big grin. Rare even among great OM-18s, this thing stands out.
1935 Martin 00-40H, an extremely wonderful example, condition is fabulous, sound is way up there near the top: trebles are fat and sweet, full bottom, very musical quality. The set up is great, being the result of the conversion (from Hawaiian lap style) by Mario Martello thirty-five years ago. This very sexy, beautiful instrument, as good as it sounds now, hasn't been played in thirty years, so it'll only get better from here.
1936 Martin 00-18 Sunburst, an extremely sweet 14-fret 00 with an ultimately beautiful rich, deep sound. We have replaced an over-size bridge plate, re-set the neck and done the frets, put on Waverlies, and done a little bit of finish touch-up in the dark area of the sunburst by the endblock. It has a slightly over-size bridge that otherwise looks fine. There are no cracks, it plays beautifully with its full-on professional grade set-up, and has the tonal characteristics that we eternally strive for in a small mahogany body—the clarity and happy bounce that we expect with a gigantic bass response that is rare in these boxes. This could be a life-time instrument for the right player, w/orig. soft shell case.
1936 Gibson L-00, these pre-LG small Gibsons have become a tone icon—originally spurned as sub-Martin, but now recognized as a great American sleeper—incredible rich yet dry tone, non-Martin but equal. This beauty has the standard sexy sunburst spruce top, mahogany back & sides, 14-frets to the body, fire-stripe pickguard, some major finish flaking on the sides in one area (the bass-side waist), finish on top and back is excellent, with much of the typical Gibson finish-checking—quite beautiful actually. There is a very tight 3" crack near the top center seam by the end block and the centerseam has been reglued for 4 1/2". We've reset the neck, leveled the frets, took the belly out of the top (new orig. size bridgeplate plus some very clever violin-style repair techniques, so now it plays perfectly (you'll have to like the big neck!) and is forever stable with no loss of tone, as you can tell with two minutes of playing. Otherwise, the guitar is original. The new bridge-plate needs to be broken-in - this baby needs someone to play it.
1936 Gibson HG-Century, the Hawaiian version of the Gibson L-C, called the Century of Progress, basically an L-00 with maple back & sides and the exotic all-perloid fingerboard and peghead with rosewood squares with fancy pearl inlays inlaid into the pearloid. Fully original excellent condition, very rare. All the HGCs are 12-fret.
Circa 1938 Gibson HG-00, the Hawaiian version of L-00, with a big neck (1 7/8") and slightly heavier top to accomodate the Hawaiian style. Great tone and quite loud. We don't see these incredible small Gibsons very often, and they are almost always wonderful. By the way, I love the decorative squiggle on the truss rod cover, especially considering there is no truss rod! The peghead surface is undisturbed, a real surprise. Being a Hawaiian guitar, Gibson could leave the neck a larger size, and felt there was thus no need for an adjustable rod. I assume the truss rod cover was meant to keep the guitars appearance consistant with their other models, and the squiggle was to make up for the substraction of the feature. We have changed the straight saddle for intonation purposes, so now plays great
Circa 1939 Gibson L-0, black, 14-frets, rosewood fingerboard, VG+ condition...
1939 Martin D-18, the top along the fingerboard is scarred from removal of a pickguard, now has a replacement guard, replaced fingerboard, original finish (a beautiful color), bridge, tuners, a couple of repaired cracks, first class repair and set-up by Chris Berkov. The real story of this guitar is the incredible tone, as well as phenomenally loud. The set-up is great, making this a lifetime guitar for the player searching for the ultimate instrument.
1940 Martin 000-21, A beautiful, well loved and incredible sounding instrument, this guitar comes out of a very musical family that has played it for many years. Brazilian rosewood back & sides, top is probably Adirondack, scalloped braces (they didn't change to non-scalloped until the middle of 1944), herringbone rosette, tortoiseshell binding, long pattern slotted square inlays, ebony fingerboard & bridge, Grover butterbean tuners. Top has been refinished—there are two hairline cracks from the bridge to the but end, a beautiful repair except for the high buffing of the back & sides finish (makes it look too glossy). One interesting detail is the wear at the sides of the neck around the first fret-someone wigh calloused hands played this guitar so much in that one position to actually cause a slight narrowing of the fretboard! The tone of this instrument is exceptional - very full and loose, no doubt helped greatly by the efforts of that calloused-handed rhythm player.
1942 Gibson Banner J-45, a superb instrument, Adirondack top, firestripe pickguard, maple truss rod, three-on-a-plate stamped Kluson tuners with black buttons, replaced bridge and plate as original, overspray or refin back (because of some repaired cracks at at lower bout), first-class restoration consisting of reset, top leveling, etc. The sound is great: wide open and deep. I hear that Ren Furgeson of Gibson has borrowed it from the owner to figure out why it sounds so great.
1943 Gibson LG-2, "Only Gibson Is Good Enough" model, sunburst, the 00 size equivalent of the Banner J-45. One of the great, unsung small guitars of the 20th Century, this is a mahogany top, which, for some reason, often sounds better than spruce on Gibsons from this period. The neck is your quintessential big, round neck that one would expect to see on a Gibson of this period, the bridge has been replaced nicely though not exactly "forgery-grade", there is one crack in the top, glued solidly and a couple of minor side cracks, the action is great, the frets look new, and the tone is very warm and sweet. You could sit down for a couple of minutes with this guitar and get drawn in and lose a few hours!
1943 Martin D-28, 30 year old refinish, looks beautiful though still glossy, replaced pickguard, there is a very tight crack in the top by the edge that isn't visible inside and doesn't allow air through, we just reset the neck, did a fret job and installed the Greven pickguard. The tone is exceeptional, very big with a lot of clarity which seems to be a characteristic of this particular year, and endless dynamic range ("it's a cannon")
1944 Martin 00-18, a very clean original example, early '44 and scalloped, beautiful top same as the great '43 Martins, bridge has been shaved a little to get to low action, plays great and sounds great, and will sound a lot better as soon as it gets broken in!
1948 Martin 000-18, excellent, all original condition, 1 11/16" width at nut, 2 1/8"+ spacing at bridge, scale is 24.9", wide grain spruce top, doesn't look like sitka...could it possibly be Adirondack? The set-up is very nice, low action and the sound is sweet with a strong treble. An outstanding instrument!
1948 Martin 00-18, a fine looking, fully original example, the only issue being a football patch and a couple of repaired cracks in the treble side near the end pin. Neck has been reset. This is one of those rare 00-18s that has a big, full, deep sound, thus being a superb playing and performing instrument, a thrill and delight to play.
• Nut width 1 11/16", bridge spacing 2 1/8", scale 24.9"
1950 Martin 000-18, some scratching and belt-buckle-itis, but overall it's in great shape, as well as great sounding. We've done a full restoration and set-up, including a neck reset, so it plays great, with action anywhere you want it. Sitka spruce top, mahogany back and sides, Brazilian rosewood fingerboard, bridge, and headstock overlay. Gorgeous light-brown tortoise-shell celluloid bindings and pickguard. Original tuners, ivory nut and black bridge pins. Fully original including the soft shell case.
• Nut is 1 11/16", bridge is 2 1/8", scale 24.9"
1950 Martin 00-21, a very fine example, very low action and big, full sound. The back is extremely tight , straight grain Brazilian rosewood, top is bearclawed Sitka spruce, nicely darkened from age. There is one tight dryness crack in the back, fully repaired.
1950 Martin D-28, 1950, A fine, true sounding bluegrass axe, this one has been around quite a while and knows all the tricks. It has the sound of age and wisdom, with power and punch. There's the common pick-guard crack, and the top center seam looks like it's thinking like it might want to open up some time down the road, and someone has replaced the white plastic binding around the top with maple. There's much finish checking and the saddle has been nicely compensated, the neck reset, thus the action is low. The quintessential tight, loud and big sound of a great early non-scallpoed but thoroughly broken-in D-28. It has many stories to tell, one of which is that it was owned by Joe Satriani and used on some of his CDs.
1953 Martin 0-18, Clean as a whistle, one issue: overspray on back of the neck that has partly rubbed off; still it hardly detracts from the otherwise gorgeous condition, incredible guitar.
1954 Gibson J-50, all original, natural finish (this is the only thing that differentiates a J-50 from a J-45), small pickguard, much pickwear in two areas of the top, couple of minor back cracks, set-up by us, looks great, and sounds even better!
1957 Martin 00-18, 1957, a fine example in excellent condition and very low action and full sound. As with all 14-fret Martins of this period, the nut is 1 11/16" wide with 2 1/8" string spacing at the bridge, As with all non-Dreadnought Martins of this period, the scale length is 24.9". This is a superlative sounding 00-18!
1958 Gibson J-50, a couple of nicely repaired cracks in the top along with an overspray and professional repair to edge of soundhole, gigantic sound, just like you'd hope to expect from a great '50s Gibson J. This one formerley belonged to Tammy Wynnette.
1960 Martin 00-21, refinished by Martin, looks fantastic, in excellent condition. The Brazilian rosewood is of the highest grade.
1960 Gibson Country Western, natural finish, excellent original condition, actually close to mint, just a subtle pickguard crack, original case, brown leatherette w/green flannel lining, also close to mint. We've just reset the neck, so it plays great.
1961 Martin 0-18, Very nice condition and fully set up to play easily. There is a finish touch-up on the top that's excellently done, visible in the close-up photo of the top, and some well-done crack repairs. These guitars don't come along often in such nice playing condition, and they fill a nice slot that can't be found anywhere else; nobody makes guitars this size these days.
1962 Martin 0-16NY, excellent original condition. An extremely popular model, built much lighter than Martin's normal specs at the time. The "NY" refers to the "New Yorker" concept, meaning it was patterned (approximately) on the guitars made before 1898 which were stamped "New York", thus 12-fret and slotted peghead. Sitka spruce top, mahogany back and sides, Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard, bridge, and headstock overlay.
1964 Martin 0-16NY, these are surprisingly great sounding guitars, made in the Sixties, just two models, the 0-16 NY and the 00-21 NY, as a sort of Sixties-style emulation of the "New York" Martins—the early vintage 12-fretters. In those days, the "Folk" market was thought by the un-hip big guitar manufacturers to be devoted to Silk & Steel strings, and they also overestimated, as was the their thinking at the time, the amount of bracing needed for said silk & steel. Thus, out of serendipity, was born the NY models, made for silik & steel yet easily strong enough for standard light gauge. They are possibly the best sounding Martins of the whole decade—even this seemingly petite "0". This one is in VG condition, a few minor repaired cracks in the sides, some pickwear in the top, set up beautifully and, as I was saying, the best tone of the decade.
1964 Martin 00-21 NY, a rare and very desireable Martin, especially considering the standards of the time. These were the lightest guitars built, along with the 0-16 NY, throughout the 60s and 70s, meant to emulate the pre-20th Century 12-Fretters. Back and sides are Brazilian rosewood, condition is excellent. There is one area of the back by the butt end where we reglued a seam, added support and touched up finish. You wouldn't know it was there if we hadn't pointed it out, and is totally stable.
1964 Guild F-20-NT, People don't generally give much attention to this model, but these early Hoboken-made small bodied (13 3/4") guitars are almost always spectacular. The ultimate instrument for someone searching for smaller body and narrow neck with a superb tone. This one's all original and sounds beautiful. Nut width is 1 5/8", spacing at bridge is 2 1/4".
1965 Martin 00-21 NY, With a recent neck reset and its frets leveled and crowned for low action. This guitar is totally alive. With its Brazilian rosewood, and light build to emulate the early New York models, it also sounds older than it is. For anyone wanting a solid bass, liquid trebles and great balance to bring to their fingerpicking, this one has it covered. With one almost invisible repaired back crack, some residue of tape left in the lacquer on the back, and moderate pick wear near the sound hole very lightly French polished. Also, new Waverley tuners. From the UMGF forum, 8/25/07, "quite astounding for the sound it projected, its great tone definition and just great feel in hand."
1966 Martin 000-18, excellent condition, recent neck reset by Fank Ford, plays great, looks great, sounds great!
1968 Martin 0-16 NY, a favorite model of ours, as well as a bunch of other players: Roy Rogers, Mike Stadler and Eric Lugosch are all; dedicated players of 0-16 Ny's. They were the lightest guitars built by Martin, along with the 00-21 NY, throughout the 60s and 70s, meant to emulate the pre-20th Century 12-Fretters
1976 Guild F-30, my favorite Guild model. Lower bout is 15 3/16, making it basically 000 size. Very sweet-toned, pretty much unplayed. The neck is narrow, as was customary in those days.
1977 J.W. Gallagher 71 Special Custom, a Dreadnought made by the father in Wartrace, TN, in excellent, almost mint condition. Indian rosewood (beautiful set), Sitka spruce, snowflake inlays on the fingerboard, peghead torch with the "G" in pearl, herringbone binding, and low action. It was ordered custom with the "Doc Watson" model neck, with a nut width of 1 3/4".
1980 Martin M-38, 1980, Excellent + condition, Engelmann spruce top, Indian rosewood back & sides, same body size as the custom Matin 0000s listed below under New Steel Strings, 16" lower bout, same depth as a 000. This one has super-low action and rich, balanced tone.
• Nut: 1 11/16"; Bridge: 2 1/8"
1980 Martin 7-28, rare mini Dreadnought, 13 3/4" wide at the lower bout, 22 7/8" scale, a bluegrasser's travel guitar! The sound is quite good, amazing actually for the shorter scale. It is standard D-28 appointments, rosewood back & sides, spruce top, ebony fingerboard and bridge, with a neck width of just under 1 5/8". If you have a young precosious bluegrasser in the family, this will be the perfect guitar.
1983 Ronald Ho HSJ-12 Cutaway, big, beautiful maple 12-string made by a highly respected luthier from Port Townsend, WA. Ron hasn't been building for many years; I met him in the mid-Eighties at the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop, at which time he was producing very high quality guitars. Hot jazz fingerstylist, Jamie Findlay, has owned several of Ron's guitars, this 12-string having been one. The body is a 17" Jumbo shape with a sort-of Maccaferri-style cutaway, a pin bridge and excellently executed maple bindings and maple/ebony purfling lines all around the instrument. There are two small holes from pick-up knobs on the side next to the heel and a small amount of playing wear, the maple is stunning, the action is very low (super-important for a 12-string!) and the sound is big, clear and powerful.
1983 Martin Custom (OM-28), one of the rare original OM-28 customs ordered by Eric, out of Indian rosewood and European spruce. These few guitars basically started the OM's renaissance. They had been virtually ignored since 1934 when Martin shortened the scale length because opf the heavy guage strings of those days. The first batch of four of these were done with Sitka spruce on two and the other with Alpine spruce from the Levin factory in Sweden after Martin bought the company. The difference between the two top woods was startling, as this guitar will show. This one is 1 3/4" nut, herringbone purfling, perfect mint condition and the top is gently yellowed to perfection.
1987 Martin J-65M, my favorite Martin Jumbo model. The maple works well with the large body, less boomy than rosewood. These are hard to find these days, and Martin's use of maple is almost unheard of. This one is in excellent condition and tone.
1988 Schoenberg 000 Standard, One of the very first Schoenberg 12-frets, coming from our Martin era, out of bearclaw Engelmann spruce and top quality straight grained quartersawn Brazilian rosewood. 000 size with Brazilian rosewood binding and mitered purfling as only found on the earliest Soloists. The tone is very responsive and open, with a fat yet brilliant treble.
• Pyramid bridge, slotted peghead, nut width 1 7/8", string spacing at bridge is 2 7/16".
1988 Steve Andersen Concert, a Brazilian rosewood and Engelman spruce OM, formerly owned by Scott Nygaard, so this one has been played a lot and beautifully! Great, strong, clear tone.
1994 Martin 0-16NY, solid peghead, satin finish, must have been a custom order, someone longing for this wonderful model that had long since been discontinued.
1997 Martin Stauffer 00-45, #12 of a limited edition of 25, with an original list price of $20,000, this model is an adaptation of the earliest Martins with a Fender-style peghead shape derived from the Stauffer Guitars for whom the original CF Martin worked in Germany. It has 45 style inlays with the script logo in pearl on the peghead, Brazilian rosewood, a modified pyramid/belly bridge, fossilized nut, saddle and bridge pins.
1998 Schoenberg Standard 000C, Indian rosewood, Adirondack spruce, this one is as good as they get without exotic woods or inlay, positively perfect in tone. Pyramid bridge, ivoroid binding, our standard spacing of 2 13/16" x 2 3/8", 12-fret 000 - the ultimate box if there is one. There are some finish checks, otherwise the condition is supreme
2001 Kathy Wingert F, Kathy's first F, out of Cocobolo and Sitka, fancy koa binding and paua shell inlay. The cocobolo is a very unusual chocolate color looking much more like Brazilian rosewood, with a beautiful band of white heartwood in the center. The pearl borders the top and the soundhole, with a modern torch adorning the peghead. The nut width is 1 3/4", bridge spacing is 2 3/16", lower bout is 16", depth is 4 5/8", and the scale is 25 1/4". The tone is quite robust, with a rich deep bass.
2001 Martin 0000-28C Custom, 0000 sized body in one size bigger than 000, also called an "M" as in M-36 or M-38, we custom ordered this beauty, sold it to a professional player in Austin who has put several hours a day on it since then. It's not in mint condition, but it's not bad - couple of dings and scratches here and there but still looks great. Cutaway, Italian spruce, Indian rosewood, the body is one inch wider than an OM (16") but the same depth (4"), OM specs for the neck and bridge (1 3/4" x 2 3/8"). It is a very rich, sweet sounding axe with a stronger, nicer treble than your average Dread or Jumbo.
• Calton case!
2001 Martin 00-37K2 SM, in absolute mint condition. All koa 12-fret 00 designed by Steve Miller, 68 were made and this one is #68, the last one. Features include super fancy flamed koa, 
Martin's early 45-style torch inlay on the peghead (incredibly beautiful), herringbone binding with abalone rosette, ivoroid binding on the body, fingerboard and peghead, no inlays on the fingerboard, Waverly Sloan engraved tuners on the slotted peghead, nut width of 1 3/4" and string spacing at bridge is 2 5/16". This was an exciting release and the 68 koa-topped ones disappeared very quickly. It is an extremely tasteful and beautiful instrument!
2002 Martin D-42K2, Mint, unplayed condition. The koa on this box is unusual in that is a very dark, sultry shade with beautiful flame.
2003 Martin 00-45S, #17 of 100 Limited Edition. Reissue of 1902 model, #17 of 100 Limited Edition. Brazilian rosewood, Adirondack spruce, absolutely stunning inlaid pickguard and vine inlaid bridge, Two very early Martin 00's showed up a few years ago, one in the Nazareth and then another as parts never assembled in the attic of the old North Street factory. Mike Longworth sent the first one to Schoenberg Guitars for repair by T.J. Thompson, and had the second one assembled by the factory. They were catalogued as style '42' in those days as the '45' designation had not yet been established.
2003 Martin OM-28C Custom, a very sweet OM cutaway with Alpine spruce and EI rosewood, rosewood (looks like Brazilian?) fingerboard & bridge, in as new condition. Nut width is 1 3/4", brige spacing is 2 5/16" low oval neck, butterbean Gotoh tuners, originally custom ordered by us for stock.
2004 Martin OM-35, As new condition, a superb model offering the perfection of an OM at a very affordable price. The cosmetic details as a "35" are three-piece back, white binding around fingerboard, no "volute" on back of peghead.
2005 Martin 00-18VS UMGF, a beautiful 12-Fretter dreamed up by the conglomerate guitar fraternity of the Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum <http://p082.ezboard.com/btheunofficialmartinguitarforum> as a Martin Custom Shop special. Features include 00 12-fret body, fancy curly mahogany, Sitka spruce, slot-head,herringbone inlay inside tortoiseshell binding, belly bridge with removable long saddle, abalone dot inlays, Waverly tuners, 1 3/4" nut, 2 1/4" bridge spacing and herringbone back stripe. Condition is excellent.
2005 Sexauer Dreadnought, a remarkable pre-owned Sitka and Indian Dread with amazing power and clarity. Bruce is always up for a challenge, and his few Martin-style D's have all proven to be as remarkable in their genre as his other styles are in theirs. Nut=1 3/4", bridge=2 1/4", ivoroid binding, simple inlays, all details are tasteful and beautiful. Condition is excellent. Purchased by Joe Satriani.
2005 Sexauer FT-15 JB, January, 2005, slant fret 000 12-fret out of Honduras rosewood and 30 year old European spruce, one of Bruce Sexauer's slant-fret originals -- Martin long-scale in the bass and short-scale in the treble. This guitar has gravity and depth, -- it's an elder statesman in the bass --, while the treble is sweet and balanced. It's an amazing guitar: fingerpicking delivers a rich and responsive range of tone, fundamentals and overtones wrapping around each other. With a flat pick, the middle register comes alive with colors that throw sparks. One of Bruce's very best guitars.
2005 Martin OM Night Dive Limited Edition, one of only 8 made, absolutely incredible pearl inlay by Grit Laskin and Larry Sifel. Martin's original press release:"This collaborative effort between Inlay Artist William "Grit" Laskin, the technical inlay wizards of Pearl Works, and the craftspeople from the Martin Guitar Company has yielded a Brazilian rosewood Limited Edition (Orchestra Model or Dreadnought size options) incorporating the highest level of inlay art. Laskin's headstock and fingerboard inlay art focused around a "night-time diving for shell" motif is painstakingly executed by Pearl Works then assembled and lacquered by Martin.
The inlay, depicting shell divers above and below the water surface, a retrieval boat, a shell cutter and an observer, forms a visual allegory for the process of harvesting and processing shell into the small slabs that inlayers use. All but the divers are real people involved in the world of shell and inlay: Larry Sifel (of Pearl Works) works at the saw, Chuck Erikson (the Duke Of Pearl) retrieves the shell from the divers, and Grit Laskin peers over the edge of the uppermost boat, just an onlooker to the stages of the process that he, as the inlay artist, the end user, does not participate in.
"For more than three years," says Grit Laskin, "the folks at Pearl Works and I had been talking about collaborating. Pearl Works is a pioneer in computer-cut inlay; I've been busy pushing the envelope in my own corner of the inlay universe. The idea of blending my "one-off" design approach with their unique production abilities got us excited. Many late-night discussions about design themes led us, not surprisingly, to the theme of inlay itself, a fitting inauguration of this new collaboration."
Pearl Works worked for two years researching how to approach this project. "The challenge of making "Night Dive" in a production environment lead us to develop a completely new inlay technique that we have used on the D100 and beyond," says Larry Sifel, founder of Pearl Works."
Top is Bearclaw Sitka Spruce with an abalone border, bone nut and saddle. This particular example is in perfect condition.
2006 Martin 000-21GE Custom, Engelman spruce, E.I. rosewood, ebony fingerboard & bridge, tortoiseshell bindings, mint condition. A beautifull, elegantly simple esthetic, with sound up the wazoo!
• Nut width, 1 3/4", spacing at the bridge, 2 1/4"
Recent Collings 0042, 12-Fret, slotted peghead with torch inlay, IE rosewood, Engelmann spruce, perfectly crafted: a stunningly beautiful instrument in perfect condition.
Recent Collings OM-3A SS, IE rosewood and Adirondack spruce, the "SS" refers to "short scale", pearl rosette, Waverly banjo tuners, ivoroid binding throughout. Impeccable workmanship and a remarkably full tone, great bass, loud trebles, incredible condition.
• Spacing is 1 3/4" x 2 1/4"
ARCH TOPS. RESONATORS & ELECTRICS
1953 Fender Telecaster, Beautiful black-guard Tele, appropriately worn—looks fantastic—original p-u's in the case, routed under the guard for a humbucking, but has the original unaltered pickguard, set up with replacement Tele p-u's, sounds fantastic, great fat neck, refretted with oversize frets and oversprayed, all the right dated parts, 5/11/53, original camel case in very funky condition. An incredible player.
1960 Gibson ES-330T Sunburst, excellent original (including orig. ABR No-Wire Bridge—worth over $500 in itself) condition except for one screw hole from a Bigby.
1962 Guild CE-100 Capri, Wow, the condition of this instrument is amazing! A great jazz box from Guild's pre-Rhode Island days in Hoboken, when they were among the best guitar builders in the world. The box is 16 1/4" wide, only 2 3/4" deep, a Johnny Smith humbucking pickup has been attached to the end of the fingerboard with tone and volume controls cleverly mounted in the ƒ-hole without altering the guitar in any way.
1962 Harmony Roy Smeck H57, excellent condition, auditorium (15 3/4") size, single "P13" pickup (supposedly by Gibson, a forerunner to the P90?), sunburst, half way between full and thin body (2 3/4"), replacement tuners and tunamatic-style bridge. This is a great playing, sweet sounding box, great pick-up.
1968 Gibson Johnny Smith, natural finish, excellent condition, one of the most sought-after archtops of modern times. This model debuted the first floating humbucking pickup, now the industry standard. Smith resurrected the classic X-braced top, a design used by Gibson in the 1930's. With it's increased sustain and warm, throaty tone, the X-brace has become the standard as well among contemporary archtop builders from Benedetto on. Other Smith innovations are 1 3/4" nut, 25" scale, and 1/8" narrower body. All original, with the two JS pick-ups mounted on the pickguard, original hard shell case.
1968 Gibson ES-335, Cherry finish, narrow neck, tuners have been changed and Bigsby added. The first semi-hollow body guitar, same year as Larry Carleton's.
Recent Triggs New Yorker, When I first met Jim Triggs, he was head of Gibson's Archtop division, and was showing me an astounding new version of the earliest L-5 that he had built. He is now on his own, making top-flight custom archtops. This guitar is slightly used, a 17" hand-carved exact copy of a D'Angelico New Yorker. It has a single Johnny Smith style floating pickup mounted on the multi-bound colored pickguard, the classic D'Angelico engraved gold stairstep tailpiece, Grover Imperial gears on the oversize headstock with center finial.
Century Draleon Le Grand GTD8100, Very similar to the Samois, its only structural difference being a slightly deeper body to lean it more in the direction of rhythm playing. The other difference is its strikingly rich sunburst sunburst finish.
Eastman AR800CE, 16" round cutaway with Kent Armstrong pickup, fancy flame maple and spruce, beautiful sunburst hand-applied varnish finish, ebony pickguard and tailpiece. Top-class workmanship, playability and tone, throatier than the ƒ-hole models, creating a sort-of hybrid between the archtops and flattops
Eastman Uptown AR805, An exquisite sunburst just adds to the beauty of this acoustic jazz guitar. The body is based on the early small-bodied (16") Gibson L-5, though the construction is very light hand-carved and hand-varnished, easily comparable to some of the best hand-made American arch-tops. Being acoustic, this axe is strung with brass strings, demonstrating the strength and clarity of these Eastman jazz boxes.
Renaissance RS6 FS Custom, The new "Fingerstyle" model developed by Schoenberg Guitars and Rick Turner with wider string spacing. This one is all gloss finish with koa back & sides and spruce top and the Renaissance "Cremona" sunburst finish all around. a Turner piezo bridge pickup feeds full-spectrum signals to an 18 volt Highlander pre-amp wwith low noise volume and tone controls. A Turner piezo bridge pickup feeds full-spectrum signals to an 18 volt Highlander pre-amp wwith low noise volume and tone controls. The tone out of this box is quite beautiful—I just used it for a very noisy gig (with the UltraSound CP-100 amp) and was very pleased with the result. I had some trouble due to not being used to all those frets available—the cutaway clears all the way to the 21st fret!
1928 National Tricone Style 1, 1928, round-neck, ser. #0149, one of the earliest tricones, out of German silver; in 1938, the factory installed the current Model 97 neck. The body is very likely a prototype, since it has the later style metal cone well—the wood cone wells have been seen up to around #200. This instrument has been beautifully restored by Paul Vilagi of Pacifica, CA. A missing part of the heel was replaced invisibly, and many dents have been repaired. New National-style tuners have been "distressed" to practically forgery grade, and new National cones installed—the original cones are included, along with the original funky hard shell case. The tone is superb, the neck is beautifully shaped. All in all, an extremely interesting piece!
1929 National Triolian, Walnut sunburst, excellent condition, amazingly deep and full tone, fully original, full top-quality set-up to low action, astounding instrument—they don't get much better than this!
1931 National Duolian, made for Sears, with larger holes and five sieve patterns in the coverplate instead of nine, with no logo on peghead and R prefix of the serial number. Green duco finish in very nice condition, some wear in top and around the edges, the back is really nice. The neck is in great condition, with low action and straight, fingerboard is rosewood or ebony (replaced?), the body is light-weight, with a full, rich tone.
1932 National Tricone Style 1, #S2939, all original (tailpiece is non-functional, replaced by new one that has been relic-ized), exc. cond., neck is mahogany, 1 13/16" and very nicely shaped. Body is German silver, very few dents with very slight pitting in spots (in other words, the gloss is not shiny), some scratching on the back of the neck, tone is deep and full.
1941 National Style 0 Mandolin, 1941, quite rare and very good+ condition, first-rate set-up. Would also work great with single strings, as suggested by Radim Zenkl, who made this thing sound unbelievably sweet.
2000 National Style 1 Tricone, absolutely mint, unplayed condition, reintroduction of National's first model, designed for lap-style Hawaiian playing, with a fat sound with lots of sustain, and now prized as the all-around multi-use model, since it has a more musical quality than most of the single resonator models
recent National Style 3 Tricone, A beautiful, hand-engraved "Lily Of The Valley", supposed to have originally been owned by Roger McGuinn. It's in absolutely perfect condition, and has that sweet tricone sound.
Recent National Resorocket Vintage Steel, the cutaway single-cone model developed partly in collaboration between National and us. By serendipity, this model surprised everyone with a special, strong, loud tone, I believe because of the Tricone-style grid (basket-weave) soundholes that were necessary because the cutaway dis-allowed the traditional ƒ hole. This one has been upgraded with a nickel plated coverplate and tailpiece—the original parts are included—and National's super Lace Sensor pick-up. Condition is perfect, set-up is low, owner graduated to a beautiful 30's Style 0 from Craig's List!
Amistar Style 0 Crossroads, Single-Cone, used, from the Czech Republic, made by the makers of the Continental. Brass body, pearloid peghead veneer, Lace pick-up system consisting of a magnetic and a piezo with two knobs to blend them. An excellent sounding resophonic, and the electronics work well, giving an extremely natural sound.
• Cash price, $1595
recent Ron Phillips Parlor, very slightly used, it is perfect except for a couple of minor dents that don't show up in the photos. Ron builds these parlors out of German silver (also called nickel silver) for its superior tonal qualities. They have quite a big sound, sweeter than you'd expect from a single resonator.
RE Phillips Parlor Cutaway, used, in mint condition, single cone cutaway out of German silver, very close to the one Del Ray has been thrilling audiences with for years. It's parlor size (Martin size 1) with a deep bass, great clarity and sustain: a remarkable instrument, and beautifully made. Neck is flame maple, fingerboard and peghead overlay are grey mother of toilet seat—very classy!
• Scale: 25.25"; nut width: 1.75"; spacing at bridge: 2.25"
RE Philips Parlor, 2005, body of German Silver with frosted finish, ultimately portable. Don't down grade this guiitar because of it's size—it puts out a lot of sound! 24.9 scale, 1 7/8" nut, 4" depth.
Michael Dunn Weissenborn, very beautiful, out of koa back & sides, fir top (Michael says this wood sounds very much like koa but better for a top). Standard Weissenborn feather-light construction with hollow neck and rope-twist binding. This instrument has the gigantic sound of the W., and rings like a forest of bells!
José Ramirez Child's Flamenco, out of cypress & spruce, by the father of the current José Ramirez and the son of the original. This is a wonderful instrument. Although diminutive in size, you won't believe it's big, strong, sweeet tone. The trebles are clear and singing; what's more amazing is the fullness of tone throughout it's range. This little instrument sounds a lot better than many full-sized guitars! There is lot's of finish wear on the top, but otherwise it is just great. The action is wonderful.
• Nut width: 1 11/16", string spacing at bridge: 2"
• Scale length: 23"
1959 Hermann Hauser II, excellent condition, an extremely rare and fine instrument in the Torres tradition, from one of the world's most highly acclaimed luthiers. The tone is clear bright and full, with an astounding body and aliveness, extremely well balanced with great separation, strong but clear, non-muddy bass, excellent carrying power, singing trebles. The action is low, with a beautifully shaped thin neck. Hauser II's guitars were played by Segovia, Julian Bream and Pepe Romero. Here is how Bream described the Hauser guitar:“ The German instrument has what I can only describe as the very essence of classicism in guitar sound; the integration of the different registers of the instrument, whether in the extreme high positions or in the low, achieves a balance that is remarkable. The bass is deep but finely focused; it is sustained but has great clarity. The treble strings have a bell-like quality and a sweetness of tone that is never cloying. The third string which, on most instruments, can sound tubby and lacking a true center, on a great Hauser had a profound ring about it, and when played softly is quite magical. And because of this concentrated focus and clarity of sound, and its consequent fine separation of detail in both contrapuntal and chordal music, this type of guitar is ideally suited for use as a concert instrument.”
New World Munich, a new line from Kenny Hill, made in China by a crew personally trained by Kenny. Patterned on the Hauser design, the top is Engelmann spruce, back & sides Indian rosewood, fingerboard is ebony, scale loength is 650 mm. French polish finish (fully hand-applied), Schaller tuners. Kenny's goal is to build affordable high-quality guitars made from the best materials. Above all, his desire has been to offer guitars that sound great and are a pleasure to play.
New World Fingerstyle, narrower neck and cutaway make this model what is often called a "crossover" model. In other words, it is a great classical guitar with certain features to make it fully accessible to the steel-string player. The nut width is 1 7/8" instead of a classical's minimum of 2"; the cutaway gives access like the 14-fret steel string. Top isk Engelmann spruce, back & sides are Indian rosewood, ebony fingerboard, scale is 650 mm. The Schatten HFN CS Artist pick-up is installed.
1963 Martin 000-28C, a twelve-fret 000 body with classical neck and incredible Brazilian rosewood. This guitar is in beautiful condition except for on small nicely repaired chip by the bridge from a former reglue job and slightly high action. Its tone very rich and deep.
SCHOENBERG GUITARS
1985 Schoenberg Soloist Cutaway, Brazilian rosewood, bearclaw Engelmann spruce, abalone torch peghead inlay, close to perfect condition. This is the earliest Schoenberg I'm aware of other than a couple prototypes. When new I sold it to a friend and wonderful guitar player, Bill Whitcomb, who played it for hours every day for years. The Brazilian is very high quality, of an unusual chocolate color, and quite dense. The tone has much beauty and clarity.
1988 Schoenberg 000 Standard, One of the very first Schoenberg 12-frets, coming from our Martin era, out of bearclaw Engelmann spruce and top quality straight grained quartersawn Brazilian rosewood. 000 size with Brazilian rosewood binding and mitered purfling as only found on the earliest Soloists. The tone is very responsive and open, with a fat yet brilliant treble.
• Pyramid bridge, slotted peghead, nut width 1 7/8", string spacing at bridge is 2 7/16"
1998 Schoenberg Standard 000C, Indian rosewood, Adirondack spruce, this one is as good as they get without exotic woods or inlay, positively perfect in tone. Pyramid bridge, ivoroid binding, our standard spacing of 2 13/16" x 2 3/8", 12-fret 000 - the ultimate box if there is one. There are some finish checks, otherwise the condition is supreme
2000 Schoenberg Soloist Cutaway, cocobola and engelmann, virtually perfect condition, from our Mass. period, basically an OM. The cocobola supplies a very Brazilian-like punch which is matched by the sweeter, richer engelmann spruce. This match supplies a well-rounded tone, a best-of-both-worlds yin/yang, a specific philosophy of Schoenberg Guitars (matching top wood to b & s wood tonally).
• Nut width: 1 3/4"; spacing at bridge, 2 3/8".
2002 Schoenberg 000C Standard, 12-Fret 000 Cutaway out of Australian Blackwood and bearclaw European spruce, lightly built as was seen in the late 1920s by Martin and Gibson. Also in keeping with that early period, the finish is a lovely hand-applied varnish, which gives the wood an old-age look far more real than aging stain in a modern laquer. There is a repaired ding in the top, thus bringing the price of this lovely instrument into the reach of more potential owners
2002 Schoenberg Soloist Cutaway, Our OM model, this one from the shop of Bruce Sexauer, out of Honduras rosewood and European spruce. It is extremely light in weight, yet has a very positive, strong tone that relates more to an original OM-28 than any other sound. The neck shape is more flat in back than our usual shapes, and would be particularly desireable by a player with classical technique.
Schoenberg Standard 00 CM, Patterned on an early 00-28 with 12-frets, herringbone purfling, ivoroid binding, Martin-style herringbone back-stripe and solid peghead. This box we have altered, assembled and finished from pre-existing parts from our Massachusetts days, of Indian rosewood and Adirondack spruce, with french polished top. The tone is big, crisp and focussed and brand new...just wait till it is broken in!
Schoenberg 00 Soloist Cutaway, Schoenberg Guitars is breathing a new life for the 00 by turning it into an OM. Long scale and wider neck width, same as an OM except for 3/4" less width at the lower bout, gives us a full concert-grade instrument with a slightly different balance. This one is EI rosewood, Alpine spruce, 14-fret Soloist, with thin pearl rosette, rosewood and maple bindings, pyramid bridge with drop-in saddle.
• By Robert Anderson & Eric Schoenberg
Schoenberg Standard 0C, Our 'Single 0' size 12-Fret Cutaway, out of European spruce and Madegascar rosewood; bound with snakewood, with nut width of 1 13/16" (with our specialized neck shape, this still feels narrow) and traditional early Martin string spacing at the bridge. These little guys have been consistently strong, full instruments. I've taken mine all over the world; Our special custom case is form-fitting with no excess unused space, and fits in an overhead with ease. Tonally, it is a big, concert quality guitar with an exciting treble that can be pulled out with very little effort!
• By Bruce Sexauer & Eric Schoenberg
Schoenberg Standard 00C, Rare black cocobolo and carpathian spruce, a small-bodied cutaway with snakewood binding, Brazilian rosewood peghead veneer, and ebony fingerboard and pyramid bridge. We've been told that only a couple of trees of this black cocobolo have been found in one location so the supply of this tone-wood is extremely limited. It has a powerful bass response that belies the size of the box, and then found an ample supply of quick, bright trebles -- the kind cocobolo is rightly known for. But with the carpathian spruce top, and even with the great headroom we find, these are trebles without edge. The tonal envelope is huge and well-balanced. Some guitars with "punch" are one-dimensional-all impact and no richness.
• By Bruce Sexauer & Eric Schoenberg
Schoenberg 00 Standard Cutaway, 12-Fret out of Koa and Carpathian spruce, hot off the presses, another Bruce Sexauer/Eric Schoenberg collaboration. We modeled this one on Martin's "Style 30", a model from the early days that is one of their most beautiful designs. The top is bordered by a multi-colored mosaic purfling with a pearl rosette. We've departed from tradition in taking our standard backstripe and splitting it in half to use as the top purfling. The koa is stunning: dark-colored with dramatic tiger-striped grain, the sound is clear yet full, an enormous voice yet with a beautifully lyrical high-end, sweet and happy.
Schoenberg 00 Standard Cutaway, From the Massachusetts period but newly assembled, out of Brazilian rosewood and the top is ...? Who cares, it sounds fantastic! The treble sings—loud but sweet, with much sustain; the bottom end is clear, with no fuzz—all voices stanout equally, yet it is a big, full sound. The rosewood is not the most attractive grain, (but it's not bad) so it is a Brazilian guitar for the price of Indian.
Schoenberg Standard 000 Cutaway, 12-fret 000 body out of Indian rosewood and BC Engelmann (a hybrid of Engelmann and white spruce, has a stronger and punchier sound than Eng.) made by Robert Anderson. This box has an amazing,ly rich and powerful tone, with plenty of bass and treble. A very exciting instrument.
• Rosewood binding, Soloist style.
• Abalone rosette, less pufling than usual, very tasty.
• 1 13/16" by 2 3/16"
Schoenberg Standard 000 Cutaway Koa, 12-fret 000 out of Koa back & sides and red spruce (a rare variety from Japan). It's one of those guitars with a magical sound, so musical and lyrical. You can't describe the qualities with words, except by describing the smile on the players face and the fact that they don't want to give it back.
• By Robert Anderson & Eric Schoenberg
Schoenberg 000C Standard, Koa, European spruce, cocobolo bridge and fingerboard, by Robert Anderson & Eric Schoenberg. We have done several of these; each one has been so good, it has deserved repetition, though this time we changed from red spruce to European, we think very successfully. It is our 12-Fret Cutaway body, featuring Schoenberg's much copied gentle Venetian cutaway, with cocobolo fingerboard and bridge. The Nut width is 1 13/16", bridge spacing is 2 3/8". It is a beautifully crafted instrument, not at all ostentatious, with a 1930 style Martin neck shape and a glorious tone: very musical, lyrical treble with true beauty of sound, with a strong bass with a great punch yet still plenty of that very satisfying fundamental.
Schoenberg Soloist 00 Cutaway, by Bruce Sexauer, of AAAA grade Brazilian rosewood and Carpathian spruce. The body is bound in Brazilian rosewood and maple with a thinner-than-traditional heart abalone border around the body and rosette. The peghead has our logo inlaid in ivoroid, the peghead veneer is Brazilian and the pyramid bridge and fingerboard are ebony. The combined effect is stunning, but nowhere near as stunning as the tone. There is an inner strength that comes out with the lightest touch, as if it's coming from the center of the earth. Everything about the tone is fat, while having a bright clear treble, and the bass is deep and thick.
Schoenberg 00C Standard, Tastefully narrow pearl border on the top and rosette, pyramid bridge, the Indian rosewood is straight, tight and quartersawn. This incredible guitar has a big, rich voice with a very live treble that manages to be sweet at the same time. The neck is traditionally shaped á la 1929, a subtle, flat V that is exactly the kind of shape that disappears in your hand and lets the 1 13/16" width at the nut feel small yet leave plenty of room for your fingers.
• By Robert Anderson & Eric Schoenberg
Schoenberg Soloist 000C, EI rosewood and European spruce, thin pearl binding around the top and rosette, pyramid bridge with closed-end saddle. This guitar is wonderfully sonorous—rich, very open sound, great balance, lots of warmth with a strong, clear treble; and it's actually a bunch better than that, we just can't come up with the words. The woods are the best: the best looking Indian rosewood and totally quartersawn spruce full of medullary rays.
• By James Russell & Eric Schoenberg
Schoenberg Soloist, 000 size non-cutaway out of top-grade Madagascar rosewood and top-grade Adirondack spruce, binding of snakewood, belly bridge, 1 3/4" x 2 3/8", no fingerboard inlays, Waverly tuners, natural varnish finish. This Soloist is remarkable for its bigger than usual sound and great balance.
• By Bruce Sexauer & Eric Schoenberg
Schoenberg 000C Standard, 12-Fret 000 Sunburst, Old European Spruce (from the Levin factory in Sweden) and mahogany with an exceptional light amber sunburst and Schoenberg's adaptation of an unusual S.S. Stewart banjo peghead inlay, done in abalone. The binding is imbuya, (aka Brazilian walnut), the bridge pins are fossilized ivory, the sound is from heaven (call for a more accurate description).
Schoenberg Standard 000 Cutaway Brazilian, 12-fret 000 Cutaway out of AAA grade Brazilian rosewood and BC Engelmann spruce, by Robert Anderson. Remarkably light construction, yet a solid, strong, full yet bright & clear tone. Very reminiscent of the great qualities found in Larsen Bros. guitars, particularly the Stahl; a sort of combintation of a 1930 Martin 12-fret 000 and a Stahl of similar size. I'd say that this guitar is exceptional, even among all the guitars being made today. (I know that's a strong statement, and I don't say it lightly; I'm not a hype-type, marketing kind of guy.)
Recent Schoenberg 000-28, Non-cutaway Schoenberg 000 Soloist, back and sides are Brazilian rosewood (from a 1964 Martin 000-28). The top is Adirondack spruce, with the original 000-28 binding and appointments. The tone is startlingly good; if you owned an original OM-28, you'd be thrilled if it sounded like this.
Asturias Solo Standard S, a Schoenberg Soloist copy produced by Asturias, the former Schopenberg distributor for Japan, it is slightly smaller than an OM, with cutaway and all solod spruce and rosewood. Body is beautifully bound in maple with nut width of 1 11/16".
Circa OM, Adirondack and Indian by John Slobod, head of the Bourgeois shop, former and future builder for Schoenberg Guitars. The most beautiful Indian rosewood I've ever seen, meticulous, perfect craftmanship, not fancy but super clean, almost modern, lines. Construction is very much like a Schoenberg: lightly built, traditional specs, etc. An impressive instrument in many, many ways.
Circa 12-Fret Dreadnought, by John Slobod, shop manager at Bourgeois Guitars and former-and-now-again Schoenberg luthier, a beautifully detailed reproduction (with modern touches) of one othe most exciting of all vintage guitars, the earliest dreadnought from the end of Martin's 12-fret era. AAAA grade perfect straight grain Cocobolo, AAAA master grade Englemann spruce (the heaviest and stiffest John has ever used), 1 3/4" nut, 2 1/4" bridge spacing, boxed endgraft, Hand carved radiussed slots, Custom made top and back purflings, back strip, and squares and diamonds - all made to John's specs, Bone pins. The body is 4 3/8 deep, 5/8" less than the traditional spec, thus giving it some of the characteristics of an OM.
Eastman Uptown AR 805CE, 16" ƒ-hole cutaway with Kent Armstrong pickup, fancy flame maple and spruce, beautiful violin style Classic varnish finish, ebony pickguard and tailpiece. Top-class workmanship, playability and tone. Exquisite! A fine hard-shell case is included.
Eastman Uptown AR810CE, 17" body, beautiful high-flame maple back & sides, remarkably loud and clear tone with sustain and response. This is a fully hand-carved, hand-varnished instrument that could easily cost 5 times as much if it were made here. The beautiful blue finish is in the style of Scott Chinery's Blue Guitar project. A stunning and exciting instrument. A fine hard-shell case is included.
Eastman AJ515, 15" flat top, the only one available—basically an OM with a carved back. Natural top, and a beautiful rich brown sunburst and fully hand carved solid maple back. This, in my opinion, is a surprisingly successful prototype, both in design and sound. It competes very well with the 616 and 617 tonally, with lots of bottom end yet a sparkely treble. An exciting new model in a world of untold numbers of new releases from every corner of the globe!
• Nut width: 1.75"
Eastman AJ615C, Natural top, sunburst varnish-finished tiger maple back (hand-carved) & sides, the only cutaway 15"! This is a phenomenal blues guitar.
Eastman AJ616C Blond, Eastman's amazing hand-carved fancy maple back on a 16" guitar with cutaway, natural finish. Triple-bound fingerboard and headstock, its resonance and articulate string separation surpasses all of our expectations! And what a beauty! The tone is unique and captivating, a flattop sound with an archtop edge.
Eichelbaum OM, A new direction for Southern California luthier David Eichelbaum, this instrument is a true "Vintage" style Martin OM. Features include:
- 500 year old Quartersawn Brazilian Rosewood Back & Sides
- Master-grade Adirondack Spruce Soundboard with 3-ring Rosette
- Flamed Maple Binding
- Herringbone Top Purfling
- Washburn-style multi-colored Backstrip
- Adirondack Spruce Bracing Throughout
- One-Piece Mahogany Neck with Ebony Stiffening Rod as per 1931 specs.
- 1931 Neck profile w/12” radius Fingerboard
- Vintage Square-Style Headstock with Brazilian Rosewood Face
- 1 3⁄4” Nut Width & 2- 5/16” Bridge Pin Spacing
- 25.4” Scale Length
- Pre-war style Bar Frets
- Vintage Style Ebony Pyramid Bridge with 3/32” Saddle
- Bound Ebony Fingerboard
- Logo Brand on back of headstock
- Authentic Celluloid Tortis Pickguard
- Fully compensated aged bone Nut & Saddle
- Vintage-style Bone Bridge Pins (5 degree taper)
- Nickel Waverly Open-Back Tuners with nickel Butterbean Buttons
- Custom Calton Deluxe Case
This guitar represents a returning to the roots for David. He has a background as a repairman and restorer of early classic steel-strings, and has recognized that this is where his heart is. We are honored that he chose us to represent this wonderful line.
John How LBC, Ladder-Braced Concert model, a beautiful repro parlor guitar out of mahogany and Adirondack spruce. A lower bout of 13 1/2" makes this a very cozy instrument with clear, sweet tones, a joy to play and hold.
Ken Franklin Small Jumbo, "Marta", Ken is a part-time builder from Ukiah, (he teaches first grade) who bowled me over with the outstanding quality and character of his guitars. I first met this guitar ("Marta") when Ken came in and introduced himself. How unusual for a maker to surprise us with such an eye opener: this guitar is quite a home run! Back & sides are eucalyptus, (which look like incredible figured maple) Italian spruce top, and an amazingly alive, full sounding box.
• Nut width is 1 3/4", spacing at the bridge is 2 1/4", 3 7/8" depth, 15 5/16" width.
Ken Franklin Small Jumbo, "Madison" is the same box as "Marta" with Madagascar rosewood and Italian spruce, with poplar bindings. This one is a home run with all bases full! Astounding presence, clarity and fullness. A new voice in the world of guitars that sings with its own style and beauty; you must come in and hear (and see) this guitar! Construction details are impeccable, with an originality of design that is very refreshing.
• 1 13/16 nut, 2 5/16 bridge, 3 7/8" depth, 15 5/16" width.
Goodall Trad OM Adirondack spruce and EI rosewood. We'll be concentrating on their recent Trad models, which have been consistently astounding us with their incredible tone. Where does it come from? I don't know, but they are shockingly full, rich and bright sounding, and beautifully made.
• Nut width, 1 3/4", bridge spacing, 2 5/16".
Goodall Trad OM Cutaway Adirondack spruce and EI rosewood. These Trad series Goodalls have blown our socks off! Just incredible solid, fat, rich and bright tone! Features include herringbone around the body and rosette, slotted diamond pearl inlays, Waverly tuners with ivoroid knobs, white maple body and peghead binding, boxwood pins and bone nut & saddle. Scale is 25.5", spacing is 1 3/4 x 2 5/16"
Goodall Concert Jumbo Cutaway Custom, Indian rosewood and Adirondack, with curly koa binding, this jumbo body is smaller than others, 15 3/4" at the bottom bout and only 4 1/4" deep. We ordered it custom with the scalloped bracing that is found in Goodall's traditional models. The nut width is 1 3/4" with 2 5/16" spacing at the bridge, also specs from traditional models that we are particularly fond of; a powerhouse of a guitar.
Goodall Grand Concert Cutaway, A beautiful 15" jumbo shape, koa back and sides, Adirondack top, custom cutaway, superb in every way. Loud, full and punchy!
• Nut width 1 3/4"
Goodall 000 12-Fret, Honduras rosewood and Adirondack spruce, big, rich sound, beautiful wood. Honduras rosewood offers much of the quality of Brazilian without the humongous cost.
• String spacing specs, 1 13/16" x 2 1/4"
Guild F-47M, the newest release of Guilds Traditional Series, Flame maple, Iced-Tea Sunburst, 16" body, dovetail neck/body joint, Red Spruce top and braces, bone bridge pins. Another very exciting model from the rejuvenated Guild company.
Guild 512, A beautiful rebirth of the great Guild 12-Strings. Under their new auspices, Guild is coming on strong as one of the great reincarnations of a legendary guitar line. There is much talent and knowledge infused into the line as well as the Tacoma factory, which is receiving a major make-over. This is rosewood back and sides, D shape.
Howard Klepper "The Brazilian", Back and sides of quartersawn, old-stock Brazilian rosewood, along with more Brazilian for the bridge, fingerboard, and front and back headstock veneers. The top is of flawless Swiss spruce. While many of Howard's designs are experimental, this one shows his skill at more traditional steel-string lutherie. It has a 16-inch "small jumbo" body with the 4-1/4" body depth typical of an OM, which gives it a quick response and none of the boominess often found in this size guitar. The guitar speaks with authority: full, complex, and present in all registers. And that's before any playing in! The comfortable 25.4" scale multi-piece neck has a 1-3/4" ivory nut, and traditional abalone diamond fingerboard inlays. Details include abalone borders around the top, headstock, and ivory end graft; multi-layer backstrapped (banjo style) headstock, double layer sides with side soundport, a stunning rosette of buckeye burl, and more
Howard Klepper 0, A jewell by this Berkeley, CA luthier. Howard is perhaps not as well known as the big dollar makers, but of top level skill and experience. This 12-fret, O size guitar has Brazilian rosewood back and sides, and a Swiss spruce top. Ebony fretboard with mosaic pin inlays, koa binding, Brazilian rosewood bridge. Three piece mahogany and walnut neck with a backstrapped, slotted headstock and Brazilian rosewood front and back headstock veneers. Custom three-color herringbone purfling, and a herringbone and pearl rosette. The saddle is bone; the nut and endgraft are ivory scale is 24.9". Take a look at the photos: it's gorgeous!
Howard Klepper Curly Koa/Cedar 12-Fret OO, A wonderful example from one of the more knowledgable luthiers of our current guitar renaissance. There are a couple of innovative features, such as the negative neck angle and the sound-hole port in the side, combined with some very tasty, more traditional details, like the 12-fret 00 body with pyramid bridge and slotted headstock, pearl border and rosette. Then there are the beautiful details of high-end craftmanship, like the walnut burl peghead front & back veneers with cocobolo binding all around, the laminated neck (like the classic American banjos,) the mosaic pin inlays of brass and stainless steel. The flamed koa is exquisite, and the tone is loud, fat and brilliant.
Howard Klepper 12-Fret 000, A 12-fret OOO size guitar of Swiss spruce and African Blackwood back and sides, with a 25.4" scale, nut width is 1-25/32", string spacing is 2-5/16" at the bridge. The neck is a 7-piece laminate of mahogany and pau amarillo, with curly maple and black veneers, binding and backstrip are rare curly Ceylon satinwood, fingerboard is ebony, with abalone fret markers and black mother-of-pearl side dots. The bridge is African Blackwood with boxwood bridge pins inset with hematite cabochons. The rosette is maple burl with custom half-herringbone made from mahogany, maple, and black veneers, end graft and heel cap are pre-ban African elephant ivory, with more half-herringbone at the end graft. The headstock face veneer is bookmatched Maccassar ebony, and the rear of the headstock is backstrapped with black, maple, pau amarillo, and an outer veneer of ziricote. Gold Sperzel tuners and a bone nut and saddle complete the appointments. Hand-turned strap buttons can be installed at no extra cost. It has the singing trebles typical of Klepper guitars, with a strong, deep bass that handles drop tunings easily.
Howard Klepper, 16" 14-Fret Cutaway, Cocobolo is the theme of this long-scale 16" cutaway guitar. Quartersawn back and sides, with big curls in the grain of the back. The fingerboard, bridge, and headstock veneers are also cocobolo. The top is Adirondack red spruce, with a red-brown sunburst. Redwood burl rosette and endgraft; custom curly maple and rust-colored veneer purflings, and wenge binding, Sperzel tuners. This guitar has a powerful piano-like voice that stays strong all the way from the baritone up through the trebles. 1 3/4" x 2 3/16" x 2 1/4" string spacing, hand-turned strap buttons available as a no-cost option. This was designed as a flatpicker's instrument, but should work fabulously well with fingerstyle as well. It is constructed with Howard's blend of traditional and modern. The neck is cantilevered, creating a negative neck angle, graphite rods support the neck block and the sound-hole port in the side.
Howard Klepper 00 12-Fret, A 12-fret OO with dark, straight-grained and mostly quartersawn old Brazilian rosewood back and sides, and a western red cedar top. Custom half-herringbone purflings and a great buckeye burl rosette; curly koa binding, Waverly tuners. This guitar sounds crisp, loud, and well-balanced across all registers. Three piece mahogany and walnut neck with Brazilian peghead veneer and Brazilian/maple/walnut triple-layer backstrap (back of peghead), fancy three color half-herringbone purfling, slotted-head with Waverly tuners, pyramid bridge. This is an extremely responsive, alive box, that is exciting to play. It is lightly built, with Howard's blend of traditional and modern. The neck is cantilevered, creating a negative neck angle, graphite rods support the neck block and the sound-hole port in the side.
Randall Kramer Great Basin, a 12-Fret Cutaway with stunning Sunburst finish, out of Italian spruce and East Indian rosewood. Body is 15 5/8" wide, 4 1/4" deep, scale is 25", nut width is 1 3/4". Impeccable workmanship, with some lush details such as a flush joint between the cutaway and the neck heel, delicate wood binding and perfect miters everywhere; a true work of art. Tone is rich and sweet: lots of warmth, with perfectly balanced treble.
Randal Kramer Prairie Grass Cutaway, Fiddleback AAAA koa top, back & sides, fiddleback maple bindings, spalted maple rosette, heel cap & tail wedge, exquisitely detailed, perfect craftmanship with such details as the cutaway to neck-heel flush joint.
Randall Kramer Big Sky, from the Truckee, CA shop of this small-output, single-person luthier comes this subtle delicate looking yet powerful sounding box, out of super fancy "Firestorm" Brazilian rosewood and bearclaw Italian spruce, reminiscent of the Gibson L-00 shape, with 14-frets to the body, 14 1/2" lower bout, 1 3/4" at the nut, 2 5/16" at the bridge, golden flame koa purflings with Macassar ebony bindings surrounding the body and peghead, koa and spalted maple rosette. This is another stunning work of art from Randall ("Sparky").
Randall Kramer Great Basin, a strikingly beautiful small jumbo from this wonderful craftsman from Truckee, CA, out of Brazilian rosewood and Engelmann spruce. As we've come to expect from Sparky, this guitar is a tonal wonder—powerful across the board—and a dream to play. The binding, fingerboard and bridge are Brazilian rosewood, the purfling is flamed koa, scale length is 25 1/2", nut width is 1 3/4, tuners are Gotoh 510.
Martin 000-15S, the best sounding of the 15 series, being the 12-fret 000 body. The longer body increases the depth of tone. All solid mahogany, based on the much-beloved 0 & 00-17 and 0-15 series of bygone days.
• Slot head, Nut width 1 3/4"
• Our full set-up, custom for each buyer
Martin 000-16SGT, Same specs as the OM-16GT, but 12-fret 000 body and slotted head; all solid spruce and mahogany, the 'GT' stands for 'gloss top'. I've said it many times, but it's worth repeating: the 12-fret 000 is one of the premium sounding guitar bodies ever made.
Martin Custom OM-16RGT, a one-off custom that replaces the mahogany back & sides of the stock OM-16GT with Indian rosewood, thus making it more like an OM-21. Remarkable tone, even for an OM. This one ought to be a standard model.
Martin OMC-16E Premium, A super combination of acoustic and electric, an OM-16 plus cutaway plus the Fishman Premier pick-up. Two sound sources for the pick-up (under-saddle & microphone) and built in tuner covers all the bases (and basses!) very nicely!
Martin OMC-16E Koa, A simple yet beautiful combination of qualities that together might be all the guitar you would need for a lifetime of personal and/or professional music. First and foremost, (I'm quite biased here inj that I've been fixated on OMs for years) it's an OM, which is close to the ideal box. Secondly, it has the Schoenberg cutaway (about which I'm also very biased); koa and spruce is a wonderful combination; and Fishman's new Ellipse pick-up system blends an internal microphone with an under-the-saddle pick-up with controls that are brilliantly mounted inside the soundhole instead of cutting a hole in the side.
• Nut width, 1 3/4", bridge spacing, 2 1/4"
Martin OM-35, a rosewood OM model with "35" appointments: three-piece back, bound fingerboard, no volute, low profile (non "V") neck shape. A few years ago Martin had an OM-28 model that was quite successful. It was replaced by the more expensive OM-28V which meant that with the only choice available, one had to fork over for vintage appointments, including the "V" neck. Now we once have the choice with this model that is very similar to the old OM-28—very affordable with the top-end tone and a super-nice neck shape.
Martin 000-28VS, The 'S' stands for 'Standard', as the 12-frets were the only style from Martin for their first almost 100 years. The 12-fret 000 is considered by some (including me) to be Martin's best sounding box. This reissue is a part of their estimable effort to bring back the great models from their "golden era". Comes with the "Geib Style" hard shell case by TKL. Sitka spruce, Indian rosewood. "By the way, did you know that this baby really sings.... Awesome little guitar... I can feel the bass vibrate our oak floor when playing .... Luv it...(Mark Poole, customer—bought a 000-28VS)
• Slotted peghead
• Nut: 1 13/16"
Martin OM-28 Marquis, This model is derived by substituting Indian rosewood for the Brazilian in the OM-28GE, thereby cutting the price by two-thirds. Everything else from the Golden Era is still there: the Adirondack top and bracing, the 1930 appointments: small herringbone, original spacing, open saddle slot, etc. I don't know if it's consistent with other Marquis guitars, but the top on this one is very beautiful straight grain with bearclaw figuring ,quite rare for Ad spuce. A very popular model here lately.
Martin D-28 Clarence White, Indian rosewood, Adirondack (Red) spruce, bigger soundhole, forward-shifted X brace, grained ivoroid, vintage-style (smaller) herringbone, bone nut & saddle, no fingerboard inlays, Waverly tuners and unique pickguard that looks like the real tortoise one that Tony added to the original. This model has to be one of the premier Dreadnoughts of our time, with tone that compares favorably with that of the original herringbones!
• Nut width: 1 11/16''
• Spacing at bridge: 2 1/8'
Martin OM18 GE Custom, The fabulous recent model, customized with Waverly butterbean tuners (instead of the model's usual banjo tuners), modern closed-end saddle slot, and a beautiful Amberburst finish.
Martin OMC-28 Laurence Juber, Copy of the Schoenberg Cutaway Soloist (which was a copy of Martin's original OM) in Adirondack and Indian, and, as a result, the best new Martin to come along (I'm very biased here!)
• 1 3/4 X 2 1/4", 'V' neck.
• MAP Price, $3999
Martin OMC 28LJ Custom, an OMC with Madagascar rosewood and Adirondack spruce, the Schoenberg cutaway, and startlingly beautiful wood. The sound is very much like Brazilian. A very unlimited production, although they may decide to do more, depending on how well the public responds (by buying the existing ones—hint,hint).
Martin OMC-28M LJ Custom Edition #93, brand new, the latest in the line of Laurence Juber cutaway OMs, this one out of Madagascar rosewood and Adirondack spruce, with 1/4" scalloped Adirondack spruce braces, bone nut & saddle, fossilized ivory pins, fine herringbone purfling, ivoroid binding and no pickguard. The rosewood on this example is straight grained and beautiful, which is quite rare.
• Nut width 1 3/4"
Martin OM-42 Koa, a stunning instrument, with beautiful fiddle-back koa and spruce, a favorite combination of mine that brings brightness and clarity with plenty of bottom-end. The neck shape on this one is my favorite current Martin shape.
• Gold Waverly tuners.
• 1/4" scalloped braces
• Ivoroid binding, wooden purflings nextt to body pearl
• Nut, 1 3/4"; bridge, 2 1/4"
• Low profile neck shape
Martin 000-18 GE Sunburst, Mid-Thirties style sunburst with a rare top of bearclaw Adirondack spruce. We didn't order this guitar; the Martin rep brought it by and we liked it so much we decided to keep it. In the old days, when I was first getting into this business, the only good instruments were the old ones. Now you have to think twice—these Golden Era and Authentic models are absolutely amazing!
• Nut width: 1 3/4"
• Adirondack spruce and mahogany, ebony fingerboard and bridge
Martin 000-18 GE, Based on the 1937 000-18, Martin is going through a heady renaissance with vintage-based models. In the old days, when I was first getting into this business, the only good instruments were the old ones. Now you have to think twice—these Golden Era and Authentic models are absolutely amazing! Top ofquartersawn Adirondack spruce, mahogany b&s, ebony fingerboard and bridge.
Martin 0000-18 GE Custom, ordered by us, this guitar has standard 1930's style 18 appointments, including Adirondack top, mahogany back & sides, tortoiseshell binding and ebony fingerboard & bridge. The most interesting factor for me is thinner braces than standard for the 0000/M models previously, giving a richer tone.
Martin 000-28 Cutaway Custom, 12-Fret Cutaway, slot-head, Adirondack/Indian, herringbone purfling, long scale, pyramid bridge. A model that has become possibly the most popular Schoenberg, now we've ordered a version from Martin's Custom Shop. The 12-Fret 000 could be considered Martin's best sounding box; my focus on the OM for so many years is because it is the closest to the 12-Fret 000 with more access to the higher frets. Now, we just add the cutawauy to the 12-fret body and, voila!, even better access.
Martin OM-45 Marquis, Indian rosewood back & sides, Adirondack (red) spruce top and braces, pearl at every joint (Martin's original description of style 45). Similar to the early 45's, the pearl binding is surrounded by wooden inlay lines instead of plastic. I don't know why it is, but the style 45 usually has superlative tone quality, and this one is no exception: the sound is more than superlative, even on its first day in public!
Merrill Parlor 2-40, A builder like Jim Merrill has a certain advantage over the rest of us: He can act on a whim to make a wonderful work of art like this 19th Century Parlor for the fun of it. Of course, when it was done, it demanded to be played and to be out in the world. So here it is, available to an extremely discerning appreciator of beautiful instruments. And beautiful it is, not only in form but in function as well; time dissappears when you sit down to play this guitar. Hours later you realize you forgot to eat, go to work, sleep and (I hope not) breathe. A modern reproduction of a 19th Century Martin 2-40,out of the highest quality Adirondack Spruce and incredible Brazilian rosewood with alluring vintage detailing. The lower bout is 12 3/8", 24 1/2" scale, 1 13/16" at the nut, 2 5/15" spacing at the bridge. Pearl is style 40, around the body and rosette, body and fingerboard are bound in ivoroid, pyramid bridge is pure estate ivory, slotted peghead with perfectly convex slot sides. Workmansip is impeccable, everything done by hand, since this is a unique one-off by one of the world's most premier vintage-style luthiers.
• This is a steel=string guitar, made for silk & Steel or Extra-Light Gauge strings.
Santa Cruz OM, Forward-shifted scalloped X Adirondack and AAA grade Brazilian, herringbone top, rosette and backstripe, nut 1 3/4", custom with finest wood selection; extremely smooth and sonorous with beautiful clear highs and deep bass, one of the best sounding SCGCs I've ever played!
Santa Cruz Tony Rice, Forward-shifted scalloped X Carpathian spruce and AAAA grade Brazilian, herringbone top, rosette and backstripe, finest wood selection and extremely smooth and sonorous with beautiful clear highs and deep bass, one of the best sounding SCGCs I've ever played and a rare dreadnought in that it works wonderfully when played fingerstyle.
Bruce Sexauer "Companion", Single 0 Slant-fret. It is asymmetrically fretted, and uses Bruce's hybrid of standard Martin scales, being 25.4 on the low "e", and 24.9 on the high "e". Other than the asymmetry and the wood choices, the guitar cleaves very close to the American Tradition. The back and sides are quartersawn and highly figured Sapelle, an African Mahogany want-to-be which is actually quite wonderful in it's own right, the top is Italian Spruce, the fingerboard and head plate are Ziricote, the binding is Snakewood over flamed Maple purflings, and the bridge is also Snakewood and is a traditional pyramid though slightly skewed as it must be in this case.
2005 Sexauer Dreadnought, a remarkable pre-owned Sitka and Indian Dread with amazing power and clarity. Bruce is always up for a challenge, and his few Martin-style D's have all proven to be as remarkable in their genre as his other styles are in theirs. Nut=1 3/4", bridge=2 1/4", ivoroid binding, simple inlays, all details are tasteful and beautiful. Condition is excellent.
Bruce Sexauer JB-00, A Malaysian Blackwood/Adirondack 00 slothead cut-a-way full asymmetric "fanned fret". 24.9 treble scale and 25.4 bass scale with a body wedge, snakewood binding on flamed maple purflings, "Felicitous Birds" inlay pattern, Italian Nicolo' Alessi tuners. This is one of those magic instruments that surprise you every time you pick it up.
John Slobod 00-42, An extremely beautiful pearl-bound 12-fret 00 from ex-Schoenberg builder John Slobod of Maine (former 2nd in command at the Schoenberg Guitar shop in Littleton, MA). The top is AAAA grade Adirondack with a 3-piece back of top quality Brazilian rosewood, 1-25/32 nut, 2-5/16 bridge, 25.4 scale, 12"-20" fretboard radius, 14k gold side dots, elephant ivory bridge (Estate Ivory), fossil walrus tusk pins. The craftsmanship on this box is stunning: clean as a whistle. All details, such as the wooden inlay lines on either side of the abalone binding, especially in the complex area around the fingerboard extension, are so beautifully executed. Oh, and by the way, you won't believe the big, beautiful sound that comes out of this little box
Tacoma CB10CE6 Bass Guitar, The best of all the affordable acoustic bass guitars, this one is based on Tacoma's "Chief" series, with cutaway and off-center soundhole, out of mahogany and spruce. So many musicians I know have chosen the Tacoma to be their bass of choice—its tone is amazingly full and deep, with plenty of punch, all the way down to the low E!. It's as light as they come, for ease of playing and fullness of tone.
Bill Tippin Crescendo, A new and amazing model from Bill Tippin, out of Brazilian rosewood and Alpine spruce. The body is closest to Martin's 12-Fret 000, yet it has 14 frets to the body. The heel and bridge are beautifully sculpted, and the peghead is a new shape for Bill, what is often called "snakehead" design in which the strings are able to run through the nut without bending, a significant advantage in ease of tuning.
1906 Gibson A Model, pumpkin stop, early body style with pickguard inlaid into the top and a tasteful fleur-de-lis inlaid into the pickguard, and low bridge/neck angle. There has been an extensive repair to the peghead, done very beautifully, with peghead and half the neck refinished. The tone is loud, clear and bright.
1908 Gibson A Style, early black face with fancy inlaid peghead and fingerboard and beautiful tortoiseshell pickguard, which is both inlaid into the top as well as having a gorgeois abalone inlay in the pickguard. The instrument is extremely light weight with unusually strong, loud and full tone. Finish has been removed from the back of the neck, there is some overfinish on the top, the tailpiece appears to have been replated and it still has its original hard-shell case
1911 Gibson A-4, black face, excellent original condition except for missing tailpiece cover; beautiful rich singing tone and low action. Note the fancy inlaid Handel tuners.
1911 Gibson A-4, Blackface, beautiful, original condition, Handel tuners, including hard shell case. OK, I know I said all orig., but the bridge is actually a new forgery-grade replacement
1920 Gibson F-4,
1929 Gibson A, dark brown face with white painted Gibson logo, truss rod model. Tuners and tailpiece are replaced, still has original pickguard, all in excellent condition with very low action. Tone is sweet and loud, very pleasing
Circa 1930 Raffaele Tieri Mandola Harp, A banjo-mandolin style mandola with a wooden top similar in concept to the Paramount Tenor Harp, basically a banjo body with a wooden arched top and a resonoator integral to the wooden body. Tieri was a builder of unusual guitars, mandolins, harp guitars; all that I've seen have been fascinating and successful instruments. Photos will show all, soon.
Collings MT 2 Blackface (sunburst back & sides), a rare—fewer than fifteen—finish for one of the best mandolins being made today. This one is barely used and sounds incredible. A fully carved top and back and is crafted with a seasoned select spruce top and beautiful flamed maple back and sides with tone bars. A radiused fingerboard extends to the 22nd fret with a graceful extension that compliments the headstock. Grained ivoroid binding surrounds the body, neck and headstock. Even the adjustable ebony bridge is custom made in our shop. Mother-of-pearl Collings logo and inlay adorn the headstock which is fitted with Gotoh tuners. The finish is high gloss lacquer. Nut Width is 1 1/8" with a radiused fingerboard
Eastman MandoCello 805, Totally unique, this is the only one: a proto-type, designed after the Gibson Lloyd Loar K-5, which used the body of the early 16" L-5 guitar. Eastman, of course, used the body of their AR-805, the shape of which was taken from the very same 16" L-5. This is a gigantically rich instrument, with it's bass string tuned to the C below the guitar's lowest note. Finish is sunburst varnish, nut width is 1 3/4", same as the guitar, highly flamed maple back and sides, spirit varnish finish, fully hand-carved top and back, gold-plated hardware, 3-ply binding on the headstock and body, as well as side binding.
Eastman MD-804, "A" style round-hole, loud and clear, beautiful sunburst spirit varnish (without top coat of laquer) finish, giving it a stunning old vintage look. This 804 is surprising in that it sounds better to our ears than many Gibson A Models; come play it, see if you agree
Eastman MD-805D, A brand new model emulating the top-of-the-line Lyon & Healy asymmetrical two-point body style, though with ƒ-holes. The natural finish shows off the highly flamed maple, while the fully hand-carved body resonates from here to eternity
Eastman MD-815, F-5 style, triple bound, bound body, fingerboard and ƒ-holes, hand carved by China's leading maker of violin family instruments, beautiful deep sunburst varnish finish, very loud and clear full tone.
Eastman MD-815 Varnish, F-5 style, triple bound, bound body, fingerboard and ƒ-holes, hand carved, beautiful sunburst spirit varnish (without top coat of laquer) finish, giving it a stunning old vintage look. Absolutely gorgeous!
National Model One, a brand new concept for National, they were inspired by a rare pre-war wood bodied National mandolin, this new mandolin has traditional features like the biscuit bridge combined with modern touches such as an intonated saddle and a comfortably radiused fingerboard. The art deco cast tailpiece is a National exclusive. With the best modern gears, this new mandolin stays and plays in tune better than any mandolins in
National’s history. The musical tone and sheer versatility of this instrument will impress many musicians. While it has all the power and projection that you would expect from a resonator instrument, it also has a sweet, woody sound with terrific tonal balance. The most common musician’s reaction is that it sounds like a fine wooden mandolin played through an excellent PA system. The new National mandolin is the perfect instrument for both the serious mandolinist and for guitarists looking for a second instrument. Sweet, yet loud; lyrical, yet powerful.UKULELES
Manuel Nunes Soprano Koa, Circa 1910-1915, exc. cond. Label intact. Manuel Nunez invented the ukulele in Portugal and brought it with him when he immigrated to Hawaii in the 1870s. Notice the beautiful arched back.
• Sold
Manuel Nunes Soprano Koa, Circa 1910, all koa, with fancy rope binding. Manuel Nunez invented the ukulele in Portugal and brought it with him in the 1870s when he immigrated to Hawaii. This is the Grandpappy of all Ukes!
Wendell Hall "Professional" Banjo Ukulele, Made by Ludwig for Hall, a popular crooner and songwriter of the '20s & 30s. It sports a heavily nickeled bronze shell, top tension set-up, walnut neck and resonator. These Ludwigs were extremely popular, and considered by many, such as George Formby, the best sounding banjo ukes, being quite loud with great clarity and punch. All original, in excellent+ condition, with original skin head and hard shell case.
1940's Aloha Soprano, all koa, made in Hawaii built by Sam F. Chang
1920's Gibson UB-1 Banjo-Uke, very sweet little thing, all original, including skin head.
Clarophone Banjo Uke, By Gretsch, this is a sweet uke with surprising volume and clarity. Really a professional grade instrument, if even for future pro toddler..
Pohaku Tenor Ukulele, all solid koa, hand made by Peter Hurley, formerly from Oahu, now from Berkeley, CA. This is a lightly-built, deeper bodied instrument with a rich, smooth tone.
Pohaku Tenor Resonator, Made out of solid Western Big Leaf Curly Maple with a smooth lacquer finish. The resonator uses a spider bridge and cone mechanism, which has a different sound than the biscuit bridge arrangement found on most all resonator ukuleles. This set up has slightly less volume and instead of the 'bark' the other style projects when strummed it has more of a sparky bite to it. It's loud enough to play against an accordian. As with other resonator instruments its sound is mid and high biased with a weak bass response so it sounds like an old time radioor 78 record when it's played. The cover plate is molded ABS plastic and the tailpeice is nickle plated brass.