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CLASSICAL GUITARS
1809 Mauchant Freres, From Mirecourt, France, built with carved top and back, archtop bracing ('violin' construction), but with two C (viol) holes and a central O hole. Among the earliest carved top and back guitars, and a wonderful sounding and playing instrument. Besides the forementioned characteristics, there is the Stauffer peghead, curved fingerboard, archtop-style ebony bridge with ebony pin-style tailpiece inlaid into the top, solid maple one-piece carved back, solid maple sides, very slim neck-approx. 15 mm, ivory binding, purfling and rosettes are alternating bands of ebony and ivory. This is amazingly advanced for its time, and, more remarkably, entirely successful as a player's instrument.
• Nut width, 44 mm; Scale length, 630 mm
• Sold
1968 David Russell Young, Classical, out of the finest quality Brazilian rosewood. Young is a famous builder better known for his steel-strings. Author of "Steel-String Construction and now a builder of high-end violin bows.
• Nut, 51 mm; Scale, 645 cm
• Cash price, $2785
2007 Carmona Flamenco, By Juan Miguel Carmona of Granada, Spain. Materials include German spruce, Spanish cypress and cedar (neck). the neck is stabilized with two imbedded ebony bars, which contribute to added strength and sustain. Carmona is a highly regarded luthier by guitarists as diverse as Pepe Romero and Pierre Bensusan. Condition is excellent.
• Nut, 54 mm; Scale, 650
• Cash price, $3750
2007 Thomas Fredholm, Double top, from this greatly gifted maker's rare new innovative modern concert guitars. With their quick warm round exceptionally smooth deep musical sound, impressive dynamic range, powerful projection, even balance, ease of playability, and elegant appearance, Thomas Fredholm's guitars represent a wonderful value in a fine concert guitar. Fredholm's guitars are played by David Russell, Andy Summers and LAGQ's John Dearman.
• Cash price, $6975
Marc Silber Cutaway, Made by/for Marc in Paracho out of the choicest materials, a super high-quality, great sounding and playing classic. The top is Cedar, the back and sides an extremely rare black cocobolo.
• Nut width, 52 mm; Scale is 660 mm.
• Cash price, $1995
Renaissance RN-6H Custom, The Renaissance Nylon String Hybrid with koa back & sides and cedar top; designed to reproduce full-frequency acoustic tone for recording and performances - a job that true acoustics are not cut out for! The thinline body is built like a fine acoustic guitar, but with an added mahogany center block to cut feedback. A Turner piezo bridge pickup feeds full-spectrum signals to an 18-volt D-TAR pre-amp.
• Cash price, $2489
We have a selection of high-quality student grade classicals, from $205-$600 by La Patrie (Godin/Seagull), as well as sized guitars for children. We start at 5 years old, which we feel is the youngest age for 6-string learning, with a 1/8 size, then we have 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4.
• Call for more information.
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INDEPENDENT LUTHIER GUITARS
Fabrizio Alberico 00 "Mary Rose", New, made for us, 14 3/8" wide and 4 1/4" deep. The top is German spruce, back and sides are Mahogany with cocobolo accents.
• String spacing: 1 3/4" x 2 1/4"
• OM Scale, 25.375"
• Cash price, $5900
2005 Mike Baranik CX model, sn #05198. Euro spruce top, beautiful figured straight grain Brazilian rosewood back and sides, ebony fretboard and bridge, figured lacewood rosette, top trim, headstock back trim. 15 1/4” lower bout, 4 3/8” depth at tail, 25.6” scale, 1 25/32” nut width, 2 1/4” bridge spacing, clear pickguard, Gotoh 510 tuners with lacewood buttons. Mint original condition, new old stock, Cedar Creek case. Replacement cost is currently around $11,500.00
• Cash price, $6995
Laurent Brondel B-3C, Just in, very beautiful 12-fret 00 cutaway, with fabulous sunburst finish. Tone is warm, open, deep , clear, balanced. Laurent is new on the scene, yet showing himself to be among the top luthiers today, with his own distinctive, artistic stye.
• Red spruce top, cocobolo B&S
• Cocobolo backplate
• Spacing: 1 3/4" x 2 1/4"
• Cash price, $6200
Laurent Brondel Essential 00, All Koa 14-Fret 00 "recession" model, a chance at a fully hand-made box by a fully established luthier for a lot less than we're used to seeing. Cosmetics are simple, yet this is an extremely beautiful instrument with elegant lines, perfect craftsmanship and a truly wonderful sound, as only the best koa-topped guitars attain. Features include:
- 25.6" (650mm) scale
- 1 3/4" nut width
- 2 3/8" bridge string spacing
- Top, back and sides: Koa
- Neck: Honduran mahogany
- Fretboard & bridge pins: Ebony
- Headplate: Brazilian RW
- Bridge, binding and end graft: Indian RW
- Tuners: Gotoh mini 510
- Nut & saddle: Cattle bone
- Oil varnish finish
- Hide Glue construction
• Cash price, $3849
Laurent Brondel "The Essential" B4, A great instrument, boiled down to the "essentials". As it happens, those essentials are gorgeous! Single "0" size, 12-Fret.
• Scale 25", String spacing 1 13/16" X 2 3/8"
• Top red spruce, Back & sides Indian rosewood
• Bridge Honduran rosewood, pins ebony
• Bindings tortoise shell, Tail wedge Madagascan rosewood, Neck Sapele laminated, • Fingerboard Macassar ebony, radius 12"
• Headplate Madagascan rosewood, Backplate Indian rosewood
• Bolt-on, glued fretboard
• Tuners nickel Grover Sta-Tite with ebony buttons
• Cash price, $4250
2006 Ted Davis Jumbo, Gibson style Jumbo, an Advanced Jumbo in woods, bracing and most cosmetic details with the exception of scale length, which is 24 3/4", by Ted Davis, of Loudon, TN. This is an unsold instrument from Ted's estate which has been set up and prepared for sale by John Arnold. Woods are spectacular Brazilian rosewood from the very first batch of stump wood imported by Todd Taggart of Allied Lutherie, and the highest quality Adirondack spruce (Ted, along with John Arnold, was responsible for the modern availability of this amazing tonewood).
• Dry, powerfull, loud, clean, beautiful tone
• Waverly tuners, Greven pickguard
• Spacing: 1 3/4" x 2 5/16"
• Cash price, $7849
John How XGC, Based on the Stella guitars of the 1920's, this one differs in that it is X-Braced. The idea came from a very nice Stella we had that had been rebraced, with very successful results—it sounds amazing! This Grand Concert from John is 14 5/8" wide, with very enticing flame mahogany—it glistens, some would even say it glows—and Lutz spruce, a mating of Sitka and Engelmann. Other features are bone pins, upgraded colored wood purflings & nitro finish. Must be played to be believed (you could say that about all guitars;) it's a very light guitar with quick response, and a delicate yet full tone. All in all, a delicious guitar to play and hear. 1 3/4" x 2 5/16".
• Cash price, $4285
John How XBC, Sinker redwood, curly walnut, a small (13 1/2") 13-fret parlor style guitar by our favorite luthier in Cool, CA. When I was little, I was told that the best presents come in small packages, and this is a perfect example: beautifully made, sweet and strong sounding, incredible materials.
• String spacing: 1 3/4" x 2 1/4”
• Cash price, $4250
Howard Klepper 12-Fret 000, 15" lower bout, but not Martin shape, with the long 25.4" scale. The back and sides are quartersawn Cocobolo, with black "ink" lines and some beeswing figure. The top is of western incense cedar (Libocedrus decurrens, also known as Calocedrus decurrens). This is the premier wood for making pencils, hence another common name is pencil cedar. It is rarely available for guitar tops--most of the trees are owned by or committed to the pencil industry--but it has outstanding structural and tonal properties. It is a lot harder, stiffer and stronger than western red cedar, and tends toward a vibrant tone with a quick attack. This guitar's bindings are curly Ceylon satinwood, another rarity in the lutherie world. The fretboard is African blackwood with inset bloodwood purfling, and the bridge is Brazilian rosewood. The top purfling is some of Howard's custom half-herringbone marquetry. The multi-piece neck is of mahogany and Brazilian satinwood, with black and maple veneers.
•1-3/4" nut, 2-1/4" string spacing at the bridge, Gotoh tuners, and a hard shell case.
• Cash price, $6490
2008 Klepper 12-Fret 00, Slightly used, from a multiple Klepper owner and professional recording engineer, and used only in the studio. Out of Brazilian rosewood and cedar, with Howard's usual incredible workmanship, with maple bindings, multiple neck, peghead veneer and backstrap laminations, AAAA grade Brazilian, side soundport, graphite neckblock trusses, laminated sides, hand-poured tortoiseshell-oid pickguard, and more.
• Tone is an amazing combination of warmth, clarity and balance.
• Neck spacing, 1 3/4" x 2 1/4+"
• Price new was $7500
• Cash price, $5850
Randall Kramer PrairieGrass, Fourteen-Fret, slot head, German Spruce top, Honduran Mahogany, Brazilian Rosewood bindings, head and back plates, rosette, bridge and fingerboard. It has the Kramer Soundport, Gotoh antiqued nickel tuners, bone nut and saddle. The top is tuned and graduated in the Kramer method, braces are out of Adirondack Red Spruce, and owing to the extreme long grain stiffness of the top, has tone bars perpendicular to the centerline. The bridgeplate is light yet hard cherry wood. An exceptionally balanced, fundamental, resonant and projective guitar with broad dynamic range that suits light to aggressive playing styles.
• Cash price, $5995
AJ Lucas Pavilion Wedge, From Lincoln, England, a first-class luthier, one-man shop.
Wedge-shaped body for comfort
Adjustable angle tilt neck
Soundboard: bearclaw sitka spruce
Back and sides: cocobolo - Manzer wedge taper
Neck: reclaimed Honduras mahogany
Fingerboard: ebony
Bridge: caviuna
Scale: 650mm (approx 25.6")
Nut width 45mm (1 3/4")
Body depth at tailblock: 115mm (4 1/2")
Machine heads: Gotoh 510 minis
Case: Hiscox pro II
• Cash price, $4000
Merrill 0-28, Adirondack and Rosewood, hide glue construction. On its way ...
2007 Merrill OM-18, A beautiful as-new natural finished OM out of Adirondack spruce top and mahogany back & sides. We love Jim Merrill's guitars, and the OM-18 has been particularly strong, due to Jim's style of strong bass which marry's perfectly with the clarity on mahogany and the OM box. This one is particularly nice: James kept him for himself—he traded it in on a Schoenberg!
• Cash price, $5795
Moonstone 000-12-Fret, First of all, you've never seen such a dramatic piece of cocobolo—incredible ink blot grain with a white heartwood center. Top is Adirondack, spalted rosette, wood binding, pyramid bridge, slot head, Waverlies, double bound headstock, 1 13/16 x 2 1/4". A phenomenal instrument.
• Cash price, $6400
The Schoenberg 00C Soloist, a 14-Fret Cutaway, in Indian rosewood and European spruce by Robert has been our most popular model, with the first one quite a few years ago having been chosen by jazz fingerstylist Jamie Findlay as his dream flattop. The last one we had was in for just a couple days. I call this model the 00-OM, after the fact that the greatness of the OM comes more from the scale length than from the 000 size. In fact, the 00 with the longer scale has its own special qualities, such as a more pure balance in which counterpoint lines have equal prominance and a particularly musical treble. Robert's guitars are more reminiscent of the Larson Brothers qualities, with a domed but lightly built top, giving great projection and strength of each individual note, as well as more overall volume and powerful bass.
• Cash price, $7495
Schoenberg 000 Soloist, Out of Engelmann spruce and Panama rosewood, a straight OM with rosewood body and fingerboard binding, pyramid bridge, thin abalone rosette, logo of inlaid ivoroid, short pattern diamond & square fingerboard inlay and a slim traditional mild "V" neck shape with 1 13/16" nut and 2 3/8" bridge spacing. The slimness of the neck gives it the feeling of being much narrower, yet there is plenty of room for fingers. The tone has the unusual characteristic of being warm and bright, with clear, strong trebles and rich bottom end—the choice of Engelmann spruce works particularly well with the domed top, adding warmth and depth.
• By Robert Anderson and Eric Schoenberg
• Cash price, $7265, with Deluxe Hard Shell Case.
Schoenberg 000 Soloist, OM size, out of Indian and Adirondack, parts made in our Massachusetts shop, and assembled and beautifully hand-finished fifteen years later by Schoenberg luthier Sparky Kramer. The one variation from standard Schoenberg specs is a 1 7/8" nut width. The neck shape is patterned on the best Martin shapes of 1929-early 1931, creating a wide neck with a narrow feel. String spacing at the bridge is 2 3/8".
• Cash price, $5885
Mid-1990s Schoenberg 000C Standard, This guitar is phenomenal. Played for years by a great player, and still in perfect condition. Woods are Adirondack and Indian rosewood. It is from our Littleton, Mass. facility from the mid 1990's. 12-Fret body with slotted peghead, ivoroid binding, individual Waverly tuners. Lush, rich, clear tone, must be played to be believed!
• Sold
Bruce Sexauer FT-14, Bruce's 14-Fret 00 out of church bell cocobolo and Engelmann spruce. It has a meaty, very satisfying bass and a bright clear treble, with an amazing amount of solid power. The kind of instrument that's very hard to put down.
• Cocobolo veneers, front & back of peghead
• Gorgeous snakewood binding and backstripe
• Flame maple and rosewood purflings
• Varnish finish
• Cash price $9500, Calton case available for $600 extra
Bruce Sexauer FT-16-D, This one is new growth Brazilian Rosewood and very high quality Adirondack Spruce. Bruce it up as a D-28 in the pre-war style except for a couple of things: the modern backstrip and a slight wedge shape to the body lessen the width under the player's arm.
• Light amber burst varnish finish
• Spacing, 1 3/4" x 2 5/16"
• Cash price, $12,995, incl. Calton case
2005 Sexauer FT-15 000, Bruce's version of a12-fret 000 with Adirondack top and Mahogany back & sides. The woods are top class, especially the top, which is as nice as any Adirondack I've seen. The binding is wood, appears to be rosewood, with OM-style Tort-tis teardrop pickguard and short pattern slotted diamonds on the fingerboard, belly bridge, Waverly individual tuners on a solid peghead, very delicate wooden purflings with a beautiful thin zipper backstripe and stylistic three-cornered pearl inlay in the heel plate. There is a repaired (by Bruce) crack in the top from the bridge to the end. Workmanship and quality of the highest order, as we've come to expect from this top class Northern California luthier.
• Cash price, $5500
Yamamoto Talus, A new model from Tony, serial #99, this is OM size approximately with cutaway, out of Honduras rosewood and Cedar. A dynamic shape featuring longer body on the bass side and shorter on the cutaway side to combine the best tonal qualities of a 12-fret and 14-fret body. Tony has developed a glueless neck joint & fingerboard extension with an adjustable truss rod & two carbon rods under the fingerboard, all the way to the end of the fingerboard extension, in order to obtain maximum adjustability and to minimize the age-old conundrum of how to keep the fingerboard straight over its entire lenght.
• Cash price, $3400
Yamamoto MS6, Tony's unique and marvelous MultiScale Six-String Baritone slant-fret, his 100th guitar. This baritone has been an ongoing project of Tony's, developing a thoroughly modern and effective instrument with a specific strenght in open tunings with rich, low bass and clear, solid trebles. The scale length runs from 27" in the bass to 25.5" in the treble
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NEW STEEL STRINGS
Art & Lutherie Ami, Parlor size, by Godin, available in steel and nylon stringed versions, super as travel or student instruments, hopefully always in stock. What an incredible service to humanity that Godin Guitars makes these inexpensive parlor size guitars available!
Art & Lutherie Folk Cedar, Antique Burst finish, a newly reintroduced model; we mourned its passing but happy to have it back. It is the lower (less expensive) line with the important part of the better line, the solid top.
• Hopefully always in stock
Blueridge Guitars, A branch of Saga Musical Instruments. These are phenomenal values, with tone unheard of at these price levels, indicative of the great strides being made by Chinese musical instrument manufacturers. Patterned after true vintage models, these boxes get an amazingly good sound quality. These are the long-awaited (by us) Blueridge 000 size: more comfortable, more healthy for nerves and tendons, and more balanced tone of the smaller bodies. Solid spruce top with forward-shifted, pre-war style scalloped X braces. We carry the ooo size Blueridges since they have plenty of power and volume, so who needs a dreadnought. And being smaller, they are far superior ergonomically, especially for student instruments.
• Our full set-up, custom for each buyer:
• BR-42, Their brand new model, a 12-fret 000. Using the same body as the BR-43 puts the bridge lower down and brings out a much warmer, richer sound. We love the 1 3/4" nut as well!, $396
• BR-43, 000-size. Solid top, mahogany b & s, $396
• BR-63, 000-size. Solid top, rosewood b & s, Sold
• BR-143, All solid, long scale, the right size (000), mahogany back & sides. Remarkable tone, coming from the unbeatable concept of repeating the traditional styles that work instead of always trying to reinvent the wheel. $565
• BR-163, All solid, long scale, the right size (000), rosewood back & sides. Dreadnoughts have been foisted on us for years—finally we have great choices in real guitar sizes. $749
• BR-341, At last a small bodied high-quality guitar at an affordable price. Based on a specific Martin 0-18 from 1906, this one, at 14", is between a '0' and a '00' and offers a wider neck and slotted peghead. The tone is surprisingly strong and rich. $839
• BR-361, Our most popular guitar, same as the 341 except rosewood body, herringbone rosette and ivoroid tuner buttons. Modelled on a 1906 Martin, these guitars offer qualities never before found in this price range. We've been selling them to owners of great vintage instruments, to be used for gigging, travelling etc. The tone is surprisingly strong and rich—these have been possibly the most popular model here lately.
• We have a used one in stock, excellent condition, Sold
• BR-143A, Brand new, the long awaited Adirondack-topped OM, a long scale, 1 3/4" nut, all solid wood 000 size box with solid mahogany back & sides. Amazing bang for the buck! $787
• BR-163A, Brand new, the long awaited Adirondack-topped OM, a long scale, 1 3/4" nut, all solid wood 000 size box with solid rosewood back & sides, herringbone binding and snowflake inlays. A simpler, more classy peghead design. Amazing bang for the buck! $859
• BR- 140A, This is the Blueridge D-18 style box with an Adirondack spruce top, possibly the least expensive Ad. top guitar in the world! This venerable rare spruce is often credited with being a major factor in the tone production of pre-war Martins, and the difference can easily be heard in this 140A. It has depth and power that one would love to hear in an instrument 10X the value of this one. Back & sides are solid select mahogany. $799
• BR-60T, About a year ago the owner of Saga (Blueridge) bought a very nice early 1950's Martin 0-18T from us. A few short months later, their copy showed up in the Blueridge catalogue. This one is like an 0-28T. $449
Eastman AC122, An amazingly priced guitar with a big, full voice and excellent neck. The top is solid Sitka spruce, the back is laminated sapele (mahogany), nut width is 1 3/4", small Jumbo style. Comes with a quality hard shell case!
• Sold
Eastman AC222, An amazingly priced guitar with a big, full voice and excellent neck. The top is solid Sitka spruce, the back is laminated rosewood, nut width is 1 3/4", small Jumbo style. Comes with a quality hard shell case!
• Sold
Guild GAD F-20, The original F-20s of the '50s and 60's (Hoboken period) were the sleepers of the generation. They were the bottom of Guild's line, yet I knew a number of great players who started on them and never let them go. Now they're quite rare and always an exciting find. All Solid Spruce and Mahogany, natural finish, small body for total comfort.
• List, $1099; MAP, $829, includes hard shell case
Guild GAD-30, Orchestra body, based on the original Guild F-30 (actually based specifically on a 1957 F-30 that Fender purchased from us), solid spruce top, solid mahogany back and sides, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, bone nut and saddle, mahogany neck, wood binding.
• List, $1099; MAP, $829, includes hard shell case
New US-Made Guilds:
Guild F-30 Aragon, Natural finish. This is Guild's reincarnation of their best model (in our biased opinion, since it's very close to an OM) from the early days when they were made in Hoboken, NJ. One major difference: Red Spruce top and braces. The quality is exceedingly good, with a warm, full, balanced and open tone.
• Sold
Guild F-40 Valencia, I couldn't not have this Iced Tea Burst in the store, it is so beautiful! The rest of the guitar is not bad either! Adirondack Spruce, Scalloped Adirondack Spruce Braces, Traditional Early Guild 16-inch Body, Solid Mahogany Back and Sides, Dovetail Neck Joint, Bone Bridge Pins, Tortoise Shell Bindings, Bone Nut and Saddle, made in Tacoma, WA. This is one high class instrument!
• List, $2749; MAP, $2249, includes hard shell case
Guild F-412 Bld, 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. This is an arched maple back.
• List, $3299; MAP, $2599
Martin LXM, LXME, LX!, LX1E and LXM2 the LXMB (Black) Has Fishman Mini Q pick-up, the LXM2 is faux koa. Martin's brand new travel guitar, out of HPL and Stratabond, sounds great; the best travel guitar on the made today for the $, as well as a great 3/4 size steel string for kids.
• Includes nice gig bag
• Our full set-up, custom for each buyer
• MAP Price: LXM, LXK2 & LXMB, $279; LX1, $299; LXME, $339; LX1E, $359
Martin OM-1, Martin's newest line, a recession buster all solid wood guitar (body) with the strastabond neck—Martin at its best-for-least. Sitka spruce top, sapele back & sides, scalloped braces.
• List price, $1199; MAP, $899, includes hard shell case
Martin OMC-1E, Martin's newest line, a recession buster all solid wood guitar (body) with the strastabond neck—Martin at its best-for-least. Spruce top, mahogany back & sides, with Cutaway and Fishman pickup and onboard digital chromatic tuner.
• List price, $1499, MAP, $1099, includes hard shell case
Martin 000-15M, All solid genuine mahogany, a perfect blend of vintage features and modern technology. Enhancements include black/white inlaid wood fiber rosette (not decal) and bone nut & saddle.
• List price, $1499, MAP, $1149, includes hard shell case
Martin OMC-16 GTE, Mahogany & spruce, this instrument features the magic of the OM model with the Schoenberg cutaway, all solid woods, and the new Roland pickup...Roland's Composite Object Sound Modeling tone variations. Controls include 7-band eq, anti-feedback control, digital reverb and a chromatic tuner.
• List price, $2199: MAP, $1,649, includes hard shell case
Martin DC-16 GTE, Mahogany & spruce, this instrument features all solid woods, and the new Roland pickup...Roland's Composite Object Sound Modeling tone variations. Controls include 7-band eq, anti-feedback control, digital reverb and a chromatic tuner.
• List price, $2199: MAP, $1,649, includes hard shell case
Martin D-12-28, One of the great unsung 12-strings, a workhorse with all the tone in the world for a mucho-affordable price. Essentially a Martin D-28 adopted to 12-strings. Once upon a time, players would take a D-28 and replace the neck and bridge for a special 12-String. No need now, just buy this guitar!
• List price, $3149; MAP, $2399, includes hard shell case
Martin M-36, A brand new old model. A rare sought-after model from the mid-Seventies based on an arched-top 1930's Martin that had the top replaced with a flat top by Marc Silber and has been Dave Bromberg's prime instrument. Same depth as an OM but 1" wider, it works much like an OM with more bass. Versatile as both fingerstyle and flatpicker, with the cleaner bass that comes from the thinner body. Scalloped Braces, forward shifted, 1 11/16" nut width, Low Profile neck.
• List price, $3149; MAP, $2399, includes hard shell case
Martin 00-18V, Mahogany/spruce. We're excited about this one because the 00 size has been ignored by steel-string makers for a long time, and it's a delightful size. The 00s from the 1930s have been very hot lately, with prices reaching into 5 figures, and this one is a reproduction. 1 3/4" nut width, 2 1/4" spacing at bridge, modified V neck shape, 24.9" scale length and 1/4" scalloped braces.
• List price, $3349; MAP, $2499, includes hard shell case
Martin OMC PA1, Totally new from Martin, the Performing Artist Series is the newest and possibly best acoustic/electric box on the market. An OM, meaning 000 size with long scale, and some very snazzy cosmetic enhancements. The Fishman F1 Aura combines incredibly high-end acoustic tone images, onboard tuner a powerful set of tone shaping features for endless tonal versatility.
• List price, $3999; MAP, $2999, includes hard shell case
Martin OM-21 Special, A new OM, with vintage features including the pyramid bridge with drop-in saddle (yeah!), custom ordered with no toner on the top, full scalloped 1/4" braces, low profile neck, spacing of 1 3/4" x 2 5/16". We love OMs, and now we have another with which to enrich the world. The tone is remarkable, possibly because of the pyramid bridge, and we think the natural finish is much nicer looking than the dark aging toner. The Indian rosewood is particularly nice on this one as well.
• List price, $3849; MAP, $2935
Martin 00-18 Tim O'Brien, Possibly the best 00-18 to come out of Martin in ages, it is an Adirondack top, mahogany, long-scale, vintage-braced powerhouse of a guitar. With the long scale, it is suitable for flatpicking, while being a superlative fingerstyle guitar. We've been breaking this guitar in with the ToneRight, and it is sounding phenomenal!
• Abalone rosette, Delrin pickguard
• Individual Waverly tuners
• List price, $5499; MAP, $4399, includes hard shell case
Martin D-18 GE, Not a common stock item for us because of our focus on the smaller models, but the clamor for this model has been so great that we couldn't resist. A number of our most respected professionals, such as Scott Nygaard and Julian Lage, have chosen the D-18GE over all other models. Somehow the combination of its numerous virtues seems to have created a monster guitar: Adirondack top combined with the mahogany back & sides, the Golden Era bracing, the high X, plus the wider neck, fossilized ivory and various 1934 stylings. As in the original 1934 era Ds, the earlier style bracing seems to be most effective with the mahogany body, in that the open, bassy effect of lighter bracing and high-X does amazingly well with the contrasting happiness, clarity and definition of the mahogany.
• Sold
Martin M-38 Koa Special, Wow, this is one great guitar! Playing it right out of the box was exciting; fantastic neck shape (a much improved modified V with 1 3/4" nut, 2 1/4" bridge spacing), beautiful tone, scalloped braces with the high X and first rate fancy koa. Other attributes include abalone logo, rosette and '45' style snowflake fingerboard inlay, grained ivoroid, and the Martin script logo out of abalone on the peghead. The M models stem from a vintage F-9 ƒ-hole with a flot top replaced by Marc Silber in the 1960's, made famous by Dave Bromberg. The lower bout is 16" with the narrow depth of the 00 & 000, bringing a big sound with lots of definition and clarity.
• List price, $6299; MAP, $4699, includes hard shell case
Martin 00-21 Custom Cutaway, There was only one 14-fret 00-21 made in the 30s, and here it is again. Adirondack spruce, IE rosewood, OM neck spacing, 21 appointments such as herringbone rosette and tortoiseshell binding. An OM pickguard is a perfect touch for this smaller body. We had a used Custom with these features a couple years ago, and it was so successful we decided to order another one, with the addition of Hide Glue construction.
• Nut: 1 3/4", Bridge: 2 5/16", Scale: 25.4"
• Binding: Tortoiseshell
• Neck Shape: Modified Low Profile
• Bridge: Small 1920's rectangular bridge with Drop-In Saddle
• Tuners: Vintage Gotoh
• On Order
Martin 000-28 Cutaway Custom, 12-Fret Cutaway, slot-head, Adirondack/Indian, herringbone purfling, long scale, pyramid bridge, Low Oval neck. We love to order customs from Martin which combine our favorite qualities. The idea of a Cutaway 12-Fret is intriguing in that it offers full access (better than a 14-Fretter) with the very appealing tone of a 12-Fret body. The tone is remarkable: full, clear, airy, rich, liquid, smooth.
• Hide glue construction
• Nut: 1 13/16", Bridge: 2 3/8"
• Inlay: Diamond & Squares, Short Pattern
• Binding: Grained Ivoroid
• Neck Shape: Low Profile
• Bridge: Pyramid with Drop-In Saddle
• Tuners: Waverly Nickel
• Cash price, $5679, includes hard shell case
2010 Martin Custom 000C-18 12-Fret, Practically new, ordered by us out of Adirondack spruce with mahogany back & sides, Adirondack braces á la Golden Era, hide glue construction, cutaway, solid head, modified low oval neck w/1 13/16"-2 3/8" spacing. All the specs don't mean a thing until you play and hear this amazing instrument, proof that they can make them as good as the old days. I feel this is their best current neck shape, and the sound must be experienced to be truly appreciated.
• Cash price, $4795
Martin 1833 Custom 00 12-Fret, Very beautiful, unusual Martin with amber-stained birdseye maple back & sides, Adirondack spruce top, maple neck(!) with a rosewood lamination running down its center, rosewood binding and fingerboard. Golden Era bracing, 1 7/8" modified V neck, long scale(!), 42-style fingerboard inlays and the early torch inlay on the peghead. The maple neck is the most unusual aspect for Martin; the denser material can pull a lot of extra sound out of the box, as does the long scale—it'll be a lot of fun experiencing this instrument as it breaks in!
• It's been sitting with the ToneRite for quite a while now, and boy does it sound old!
• Cash price, $4995, includes hard shell case
Recording King RO-26 & 27, 000 size,e, all solid, African mahogany (RO-26) & Indian rosewood (RO-27) and Engelmann spruce, with classy vintage features and a big, full sound. The nut is 1 3/4" wide, a great advantage especially for learners.
• Cash price, RO-26, $395; RO-27, $516
Recording King Century Studio 000 12-Fret, Recording King Century Series guitars feature 000 12-fret style bodies for a robust sound and comfortable playability, and a hand-buffed nitrocellulose finish. This model has the deep, authentic tone and warm projection found on original guitars from the early 20th century. Other features include AAA solid Sitka spruce top, solid figured mahogany back and sides for the model 626, solid Indian rosewood for the model ROS-627, one-piece mahogany neck with a vintage ‘V’ profile, slotted headstock and pyramid bridge. The 647 is rosewood b&s with pearl border and vintage abalone fingerboard inlays.
• ROS-616: Cash price, $879
• ROS-626: Cash price, $759
• ROS-627: Cash price, $899
• ROS-647: Cash price, $1035
Recording King Century Jubilee ROJ-26, The best yet, in that this model represents Recording King's top features, and has the most universal neck shape and string spacing.
• Hand-Rubbed Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish, Gibson-style Sunburst
• Hand-Shaped Scalloped Spruce X-Bracing
• Solid Sitka Spruce Sunburst Top, Solid African Mahogany B&S
• Gibson Nick Lucas style fingerboard inlays
• Hand-fitted Dovetail Neck Joint
• Attention to the neck profile
• Vintage-Style Grover Tuners
• Bone Nut and Saddle
• 1-3/4” X 2 5/16"
• Lifetime Warranty
• Cash price, $699
Recording King RNJ-25, A recreation of the Gibson Nick Lucas of the mid-1930s, out of solid figured maple and Sitka spruce, sunburst finish. The Nick Lucas is an L-00 (14 3/4"") shaped body with extra depth, which compliments the maple very nicely. This Century Jubilee series has the nicest neck shapes
• Hand-Rubbed Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish
• Hand-Shaped Scalloped Spruce X-Bracing
• Dovetail Neck Joint
• Rosewood Fretboard and Bridge
• Vintage-Style Grover Tuners
• Bone Nut and Saddle
• 1-3/4” Nut Width
• Scale Length: 24.75"
• Cash price, $749
Recording King RD-327, A small limited edition, this represents Recording King's top quality: Adirondack spruce, Indian rosewood. The Adirondack adds a whole extra dimension to the tone: try it you'll like it!
• Open back Grover 18:1 Statites
• Cash price, $979
Seagul Coastline Grand, A modern parlor guitar, solid cedar top, mahogany back & sides, with a wonderful sound and a small size that will have you feeling warm and comfortable instead of trying to fit yourself around a house-sized instrument! What an incredible service to humanity that Godin Guitars makes these inexpensive parlor size guitars available!
• Hopefully Always In Stock
Simon and Patrick Songsmith Folk, Finally, a narrower body in the Folk model! I first asked for this about fifteen years ago, and here it is. Solid spruce top, classical size, a comfortable size and as good a tone as can be found in this price range.
• Always in stock
Simon & Partrick Pro Parlor High Gloss, We've loved the Simon & Patrick Parlors since they first came out, now there's this new model, not bigger, but better. Featuring all solid mahogany and spruce (looks like Engelmann) and high gloss finish, definitely a large step up from the already high quality S&P Parlors of the past.
• Cash price, $499
• Other Simon and Patrick models available.
Trinity College TG-120, All solid cedar and mahogany make a smooth, rich toned instrument, and of course we like the wider spacing and cutaway. It is 14 frets to the body, 25 3/4" scale, 1 3/4" at the nut. These TC models have a lighter construction, influenced by Schoenberg Guitars, and as a result have a fuller, more responsive and very pleasing tone.
• Sold
Trinity College TG-222, The 14-fret model of this part Schoenberg Soloist clone by Saga. It's all solid rosewood and spruce with rosewood/maple binding and scalloped braces. The Schoenberg cutaway is, in my view (obviously) ideal. Body is 15 5/16" wide, depth is 4 1/8", neck width is 1 3/4 x 2 3/8", copied off of a Schoenberg Soloist. These TC models have a lighter construction, influenced by Schoenberg Guitars, and as a result have a fuller, more responsive and very pleasing tone.
• Cash price, $995
Voyage-air OM1C, The ultimate travel guitar, a professional quality, full 000 size yet the neck folds without retuning—ask for a demonstration—and a backpack case that will go onto any airplane.
• Sold
Voyage-Air OM2C, The ultimate travel guitar, a professional quality, full 000 size yet the neck folds without retuning—ask for a demonstration—and a backpack case that will go onto any airplane.
• Cash price, $1665
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MANDOLINS
1908 Gibson F-2, Three-Point, Blackface, in VG+ to excellent condition. The peghead ear has been reattaches, as is so common with these, and theres a bit of pickwear on the top, has all its original parts including Handel pegs and hand-tooled leather case, no cracks other than the reglued peghead ear, plays great with lots of volume and great tone.
• Cash price, $3675
1913 Gibson H-2 Mandola, Black faced, marked "H-1" on the label but features fit the H-2 model. Condition is Excellent +, all original including original excellent hard shell case.
• Sold
1915 Gibson A Model, A fully original, excellent plus condition, sweet playing and sounding Pumpkin top A Model; the cherry finsh on the back & sides have faded nicely. No cracks, no nothin!
• Cash price, $1795
1916 Gibson F-4, Excellent original condition, with the beautiflul glowing sunburst finish, a true sunburst! Excellent + all original condition. with Handel tuners and original hard shell case, no cracks. This instrument is a thing of extreme beauty forever with a rich, deep, loud round-hole tone.
• Cash price, $6750, temporarily unavailable
Gibson A-3, White face, wreath inlay on peghead, serial number is unreadable, so no date. Has plain ivoroid tuner buttons, so fairly late pre-Loar, most likely circa 1919, all original except that the peghead finish is shiny, indicating possible refinish, adjustable bridge and no pickguard. There is some finish flaking over the ebony neck lamination, and armpit wear on the top. The neck is straight, action low, lots of volume and sweet tone.
• Cash price, $1965
1920 Gibson A-3, A beautiful, fully original (including pickguard and case) whiteface in almost mint condition except for wear on the peghead. The neck is straight, action is low: No Issues!
• Cash price, $2395
Weymann, Excellent condition, possibly made by Stromberg-Voisinette or Kaykraft, with a unique body shape similar to the guitar made by the same companies. Plays very nicely, new (Weber?) tailpiece, new tuners.
• Cash price, $525
1929 Martin Style E, Martin's 45 style mando, with the abalone border inlay around the top, back and sides, beautiful pearl peghead and fingerboard inlay, engraved tailpiece and tuner cover, Brazilian rosewood (of course). There is a bit of pick wear and pickguard distortion, no cracks, all original (incl. Case), straight neck and very low action. extremely rare & gorgeous, EX-, all orig.
• Cash price, $4995
1936 Martin 2-20, Two-point, carved top, ƒ hole, the slightly plainer version of their famous 2-30. These are extremely rare and beautifully made.
• Cash price, $2800
1937 Gibson A-00, A rare ƒ-hole model with a wider body and longer scale length than standard for Gibson mandolins. Yes, we have two of them. Actually three—look at the next item..(one has sold).
• Cash price, $1850, w/original hard shell case
2005 Altman MT-F5, One of Altman's earlier mandolins—supposedly #8—an F but not a Loar copy. This one is a Fern with light brown shaded finish, Handel copy tuners, curved fingerboard and wooden 3-layer pickguard. Condition is excellent, with Calton case. Bob's mandolins have many enthusiastic fans, including Herschel Sizemore and Mike Marshall.
• Cash price, $7995
Collings MT2, Serial number 715, Collings' exemplary version of the A-5 with curved fingerboard, flamed maple back, sides and neck, red spruce top, tone bar bracing, tobacco sunburst and two tailpieces, the original in the case and a more standard lighter one on the instrument. Condition is excellent except for a few pick scratches below the treble ƒ-hole; it plays great with a phenomenal sound.
• Cash price, $2650
Recent Gibson F5G Deluxe, Serial #41118020, with the Sam Bush neck with wider spacing (and block inlays), and Virzi. Revoiced by Roger Siminoff in July, 2007.
• Cash price, $3750
Randy Wood Solid Body 5-String, From one of the best known mandolin builders, this is a five-string Esquire-like solid body with a single-coil neck pick-up and maple fingerboard. The body is mahogany and the back is contoured like a Strat.
• Cash price, $1249
Loar LM-600VS, Patterned very closely after the 1920's Gibson F-5 by Lloyd Loar, this mando is a hand-made, hand-carved instrument with a graduated solid spruce top and solid flame maple back, sides & neck, hand-rubbed delicate nitrocellulose finish. This is a remarkable instrument!
• Sold
Loar LM-700-VS, Loar's new, much talked about top-of-the-line model, all solid, all hand-carved top and back, best woods, rounded V neck profile and hand rubbed lacquer finish. The best new mandolin at this price, includes deluxe hard shell case!
• Cash price, $1049
Kentucky KM-150, All solid spruce and maple, nitro finish(!), an extraordinary value and best selling model.
• Cash price, $229
Kentucky KM-161, Newly upgraded model, black finish, hand crafted, adjustable truss rod, set up by us to super low action so students will have no excuse!
• Cash price, $246
Kentucky KM-250, Saga has recently upgraded these mandos: they are all solid (maple & spruce,) hand-carved and graduated, radiused fingerboard, high-quality nickel-plated tuners. And they sound great!. Our last one was purchased by Scott Nygaard for an upcoming tour with Joan Baez.
• Cash price, $369
Kentucky KM-505, A shape, ƒ-hole out of hand-selected solid spruce and solid flamed maple, hand carved and graduated construction and Vintage Amberburst nitrocellulose finish. The fingerboard is radiused and bound, peghead is bound and inlaid with a very tasty pearl inlay This is truly amazing quality with professional level tone and playability.out of hand-selected solid spruce and solid flamed maple, hand carved and graduated construction and Vintage Amberburst nitrocellulose finish. The fingerboard is radiused and bound, peghead is bound and inlaid with a very tasty pearl inlay. This is truly amazing quality with professional level tone and playability.
• Cash price, $449
Kentucky KM-550, New model, all solid, hand-carved top, back & sides, tiger-stripe maple, vintage sunburst matte lacquer finish, bone nut. Wreath inlay
• Cash price, $519
Kentucky KM-630, An F-style with the fern peghead, all solid hand-carved spruce and maple, gold-plated hardware, nitro finish; an outstanding quality for an unbelievably affordable price.
• Cash price, $579
Kentucky KM-650, Handmade, professional quality, this model has hand carved top and back of top quality maple & spruce and wreath pattern peghead inlay. Kentucky keeps out-doing themselves!
• Cash price $669
Kentucky KM-675, Saga has recently upgraded these mandos: they are all solid (maple & spruce,) hand-carved and graduated, radiused fingerboard, high-quality nickel-plated tuners. And they sound great!
• Cash price, $769
Kentucky KM-900, Master A-Model, Kentucky's best! Hand carved solid northern flamed maple and spruce, Cremona Brown shaded Nitrocellulose finish.
• Sold; on order
Eastman MD-515, Eastman's newest line, the 500 series, is fully in their tradition of releasing less expensive models that are just as good, if not better, than the higher models. Same woods: spruce anbd maple, a little plainer in decoration...but not much, the metal parts aren't gold plated, Sunburst Varnish; loud, clear, plenty of bark; a top quality professional instrument. A nice touch is the curved fingerboard.
• Cash Price, $995
Eastman MD-614, The venerable Gibson F-4, Gibson's highest grade round-hole mandolin, has a sweeter tone than the ƒ-hole mandos of otherwise similar design, fully hand-carved of the best materials.
• Cash Price, $1295
Eastman MD-615, Eastman's great mid-level F-5 style mandolin, hand-carved back with sunburst top and beautiful antique red finish on back & sides. Other than the nickel tailpiece and the finish, it's exactly the same as the MD815!
• Cash Price, $1195
Eastman MD-805, A-5 style, an extra-fine hand carved, rich varnish sunburst finish; very alive and full sounding, excellent neck shape. From the first batch of this new line made by China's leading maker of violin family instruments.
• Cash price, $895
Eastman MD-814, ƒ-style roundhole, Eastman's version of the old Gibson F-4, a brilliant, loud, clear sounding mandolin. It is fully hand-carved by expert violin builders in Beijing, China. The finish is hand-applied violin varnish
• Cash Price, $1585
Eastman MD-815V, Very beautiful high-flame maple and Adirondack Spruce a fully hand-carved top and back by Eastman's skilled violin craftsmen, and a very rich sunburst hand-applied oil varnish finish F-5. The competition is strong, and each American/Chinese mandolin manufacturer keeps topping the others. This is the newest, and we are very impressed! If you're interested in an F-5 at this level, now's the time to come in and compare—we have all three.
• Cash price, $1595
Eastman MDA-615 Mandola, Beautiful, deep, rich, throaty, H-5 style, meaning ƒ-hole & F-style, elevated fingerboard. Beautiful hand-applied varnish with thin laquer over-coat, hard shell case.
• Cash price, $1695
Eastman MDC-805, We are very pleased to be able to offer this rare Mandocello! Designed after the Gibson Lloyd Loar K-5, which used the body of the early 16" L-5 guitar. This is a gigantically rich instrument, with it's bass string tuned to the C below the guitar's low E. Finish is a gorgeous sunburst varnish, highly flamed maple back and sides, beautiful wide neck.
• Sold
Rover RM-75, by Saga (Kentucky), a copy of the Lloyd Loar F-5, this mandolin is all solid spruce and maple, hand-carved, nitro-cellulose laquer finish, scalloped fingerboard extension to eliminate pick noise. For it's price, it is extremely successful—you'll be shocked at how good it sounds and feels.
• Price, $395
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BANJOS
Lyon & Healy 5-String, 11 1/8" head, 24 3/4" scale, spun over rim with a rounded boat heel, no markings, set up with a recent skin head and nylon strings, very nice, fat sound.
• Cash price, $695
1929 Vegaphone Professional Tenor, Early individual flanges, superb 19-Fret tenor, in great shape and all original condition, except for replaced 5-Star Planet pegs, including case.
• Cash price, $1195
Lame Horse Gitjo, Hand-made six-string guitar banjo, great sounding and very nicely made, made by Jeremy Jenkins of Austin, Texas. Features are:
Rim - Mesquite w/ Lace Wood cap
The neck is Anigre w/ a Spalted Maple faceplate
The fret board & tail piece are made out of something called Diamond wood, which birch wood impregnated w/ epoxy under extreme pressures. Very cool stuff, completely impervious to moisture, so there is no shrinking or swelling.
The bridge is maple w/ an ebony cap.
• Cash price, $2495
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UKULELES.
Martin Style 5K, New, reintroduction of possibly the best ukulele ever made, koa top, sides and back, '45' style pearl inlay (the uke version) around top, back, rosette, fingerboard and peghead, beautifully finished. The tone rings loud and clear—a very successful reproduction.
• List price, $5199; MAP price, $4199. Includes a classy hard shell case
circa 1920 Martin Style 1C, A sweet mahogany concert, one crack in top, wooden friction pegs indicating pre-1926, quite loud and clear.
• Sold
circa 1929 Martin Style 2 Taropatch, Rare, all mahogany with Patent pegs, dating between 1927 and 1931. The body is Concert size, was actually the origin of the size when players ordered the taropatch with four strings instead of eight. This one is in excellent condition and totally playable.
• Sold
1930's Gibson Style 2 Soprano, '30s, all mahogany, great (!) sounding—bright & loud, refinished top. Check out the name on the back!
• Cash price, $495
1940's Martin Style O Soprano, Late '40s, all original, near excellent condition, good setup. Very loud, singing tone like that found only in a Martin, the best ukes ever made.
• Cash price, $595
1930s Martin Style 2 Soprano, Circa 1930, beautiful condition, all original, plays great—what more could anyone want? All mahogany, stamp on back of head, no decal, patent tuners, ivoroid binding.
• Cash price, $1275
1940's Martin Style 0, An extremely clean mahogany uke, with peghead decal, white (now yellow) plastic tuner buttons and soft shell case. Looks practically new!
• Sold
1940's Martin T-1 Tenor, Reglued top seam, otherwise in fine condition, tortoise-shell binding. Peghead has decal with no stamp on the back, black button (Champion?) tuners.
• Cash Price, $1495
1928 Martin 5-17T, A small tenor guitar that was converted, probably around 50 years ago, to a baritone ukulele. The work looks to have been done by Vega, but that's just a guess. We've reset the neck so it plays well. The result is maybe the world's best Baritone Ukulele.
• Cash price, $128d5
1965 Martin T-15 Tiple, All mahogany 10-string wonder; not too many play these any more, but they sound amazing, like a ukulele on steroids. This one is in excellent condition except the bridge has been off and screwed down with four screws.
• Cash price, $950
1971 Martin T-18 Tiple, Spruce top, mahogany back & sides, X-braced, excellent codition (practically as-new). These are not often found with nice low action like this!
• Cash price, $1350
Johnny Marvin "Tenor" Uke, The Professional Model, by Harmony, dark sunburst, aactually a Concert, with 14 3/4" scale. Excellent condition, loud, clear & full tone, nice roomy fingerboard.
• Cash price, $469
2007 Ron Phillips Concert Uke, A gorgeous metallic creation from Ron, our local resonator Artist/whiz kid. An art nouveau design masterpiece that is also an amazing instrument: loud, clear, full, sweet toned with three piece mahogany/maple neck and mother-of-toilet-seat peghead veneer.
• Cash price, $2675
Cigar Box Concert Uke, 2009, hand made out of an antique cigar box, with match-stick headstock veneer. Not a mere amusement—this is a fine sounding and playing ukulele.
• Cash price, $285
Pohoku Concert Koa, By Peter Hurney of Berkeley, CA. A truly gorgeous instrument, all top grade fancy koa with a maple medalion in the top below the bridge, rope binding and rosette, mahogany neck and and beautiful glossy clear finish.
• New geared "Peghed" Tuners, which look like ebony friction pegs
• Cash price, $1100
Pohoku Concert Mahogany, By Peter Hurney of Berkeley, CA. Beautiful Cuban mahogany back & sides and Honduras mahogany top, chosen for optimal tone production, with gentle but tight curl in the Cuban. No binding and a subtle amber sunburst, which Peter feels sets the wood off to its best advantage. The mahogany has a different tone color than the koa, and breaks in much quicker.
• New geared "Peghed" Tuners, which look like ebony friction pegs
• Cash price, $900
Pohoku Tenor Koa, Hand made by Peter Hurley, formerly from Oahu, now from Berkeley. This is a lightly-built, deeper bodied instrument with a rich, smooth tone. Out of Hawaiian koa with Indian rosewood fingerboard and bridge, rope binding and rosette, nice wide neck.
• Cash price, $1250
We are proud to represent Scott Wise, of Western Australia, with this initial offering of three of his latest ukulele output. This is what Scott has to say about them:
My interest in ukuleles started when I started building guitars 30 years ago. My first commission was for a concert size uke and I think I designed something Schneider / Kasha -ish. After all, it was the latest thing just then. It was well received but in many subsequent years of repair and investigation I found the older Hawaiian instruments were what did it for me. There were plenty of old Martin, Gibson, Harmony etc ukes around. Some of them were nicely made, but in terms of sound they didn't hold a candle to the fairly plentiful Soprano Kumale instruments. I don't know how they found their way to Australia, probably with U.S. servicemen in WW2. There were a few Kamakas as well. They had an authentic sound but were heavier, and to my ear not sensitivity and quick response of the Kumales was just not there.
I started building ukes for my daughters, experimenting with woods, weight, body depth etc and after many years arrived at dimensions very close to the standard older Hawaiian instruments in Tasmanian Blackwood which many people know is very similar to Koa. With plenty of different blackwood boards to try I found some grain/weight/figure combinations which delivered optimum tone for my instruments. I have looked at a lot of the currently available Koa and have found it a little light and cardboard-ish for my purposes, however I don't doubt there is some superb Koa out there. I'm just working with what is readily available.
Another observation of the traditional Hawaiian ukes is that apart from lightness in construction they were very lightly finished. They were, in fact, cheaply, quickly made instruments with just enough varnish on them to protect the wood - and they sounded the best. Nearly all the modern high end ukes I see have way too much finish on them. Combining this light construction with my violin making training and some of the top arching techniques of Spanish classical guitar making I have been able to make a very traditional uke with real refinements to optimize the sound. I know just how light I can make them for them to sound great but survive a long life. I use ebony fingerboards and although time consuming, the traditional "rope" binding frees up the top and protects the glue joint. International attention for my instruments started happening when the Hawaiian singer and uke player Douglas Tolentino came to a small festival here in Western Australia. He played my instruments, said "wow" and insisted on buying a tenor uke. Doug thinks I have surpassed the quality of the best traditional ukes. He can play my tenor uke into the same microphone as his vocals and it cuts though perfectly. The light weight means he is never fatigued after a 3 hour gig. He invited me to Hawaii to show my instruments and since this coincided with the timing of the Healdsburg guitar festival I took the ukes there as well. Local player loved them. At Healdsburg, there were many people who were knocked out by the sound of the ukes. Over half of them were Hawaiian! I plan to show them in the U.S. some more. I am honored to have them at Schoenberg Guitars as well.
Introductory prices:
• Wise Soprano, $1195
• Wise Concert, $1295
• Wise Tenor, $1395
• Wise Baritone, $1595
We are also proud to be the sole representative of John Morton, builder of some of the classiest resonator instruments ever. John moved from the Bay Area to Port Townsend, WA a couple years ago and has been busy setting up his new shop, Finally, he is in his new shop and coming out with some fabulous stuff:
• Tenor, Gorgeous brass/nickel plate fully hand made tenor uke. Neck is flame maple, 4:1 Five Star tuners, 17 1/4" scale and a larger 7 3/4" cone. The detailing is exquisite, a true work of art! $2195
• Tenor, Designed by Robert Armstrong, this is a positively gorgeous work of art! Koa on the peghead overlay. Five Star 4:1 tuners. 7 3/4" cone, brass/nickel plate body. $2595
Kala Ukes, A great line of student grade and beyond ukes. Our favorite feature is guitar-style tuners - way more user friendly than the old standard straight-through uke tuners. Call, or better yet, come in.
Asturias Ukuleles, I recently came across these wonderful ukes, made by the Asturias Guitar company in Kobe, Japan, the maker of the "John Mills Model" classical guitar, one of the most esteemed production guitars to come out of Japan. I believe they're the only Asturias ukes in the country. The concert size is just a bit larger than the soprano, though tuned the same. The intention is to give a fuller sound. The neck is wider as well. It seems to be particularly popular these days. They all include a very nice gig bag now (prices varies with the exchange rate).
• Asturias Soprano Koa 12, with beautiful flamed koa from Hawaii. $579
• Asturias Soprano Custom 17 Mahogany, maple bound, vary tastefully done. $479
• Asturias AH-1, Soprano, Kamaka shape, 16 frets, beautiful koa. A first-class top quality uke. $479
Pohaku "Big Sistah" Tenor, Art deco design out of curly maple and spruce with a hula girl inlaid in the peghead. Bright clean tone—a uke with a very sunny disposition and incredible tone.
• Cash price, $1500
Kala Ukes in all sizes, all personally set-up here at the shop. This local company is producing some of the best quality student ukes and cases. We are particularly fond of the Flame Maple, Solid Spruce models and the new All-Solid Mahogany in all sizes, the archtop Tenor and two versions of their cutaway electric Tenors. We are also carrying their various cases, both hard foam and hard shell.
• Kala UBass 2-FS, The KA-UBass-2-FS, new and wonderful...you'll be the hit of every party. Just plug it in and see the eyes light up of every member of the opposite sex in the room. This amazing thing used thick poliurithane strings that, when plugged in, give you a wonderful authentic electrified stand-up bass sound. $399
We have some beautiful Tweed hard shell cases for Soprano, Concert and Tenor, prices are $69 - $79.
We also carry the nice hard foam violin style extra-light cases for all uke sizes, $49.
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CASES
We have a virtually new Cedar Creek Custom all leather covered 12-fret 000 case.
• Cash Price, $895
Cedar Creek Custom 1 Size, Extremely nice, great fitting. Exterior is tweed fabric (black seems to me to be the worst color for a case, unless you want to bake your instrument on a sunny day), dark green plush lining, comfortable handle, nickel hardware (none on back), double neck support.
• Cash price, $299, Now in stock
Tamarkin 0-size, Very nice black plywood, two grades, Arch Top and Flat Top.
• Cash price, Flat-top, $99; Arch-top, $119
Cedar Creek Custom 0-Size, Extremely nice, great fitting for 12 or 14-fret 0s. Exterior is tweed fabric (black seems to me to be the worst color for a case, unless you want to bake your instrument on a sunny day), dark green plush lining, comfortable handle, nickel hardware (none on back), double neck support.
• Cash Price, $299, Now in stock
Cedar Creek Custom 00-Size, Extremely nice, great fitting for 12 or 14-fret 0s. Exterior is tweed fabric (black seems to me to be the worst color for a case, unless you want to bake your instrument on a sunny day), dark green plush lining, comfortable handle, nickel hardware (none on back), double neck support.
• Cash Price, $299, Now in stock
Cedar Creek Custom 000 and OM case, as per the original Harptone Schoenberg cases, a smaller (00) footprint meant to redo the concept of the original 1930's Geib cases.
• Cash Price, $299, Now in stock
Reproduction Geib-Style (Golden Gate) F Mando, with red stripe, $99
Excellent Arch-Top 0, 00 and 000 Hard-Shell black, from China, for only...
• $64.95 to $95
Size 1 (12 1/2 inches) Hard Shell, unavailable for eons, finally Seagull is producing this flat-top hard shell for their Parlor series, which happen to be exactly...Size 1! My wife's 1901 1-21 is comfortably ensconced in one right now, and we're happy to finally have a properly fit case for it.
• $79
Very nice ƒ-Style Mandolin gig bags, $59.95, by Boulder Alpine
Various other Hard Shell Cases and Gig Bags , from TKL, Cedar Creek, Seagull, Guardian, Golden Gate, Kala, etc. Call or email for more info.
Ukulele Cases: We have some beautiful Tweed hard shell cases for Soprano, Concert and Tenor, prices are $69 - $79.
We also care the nice hard foam extra-light cases for all uke sizes, $49.
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Jimmy Buffet Tour Jacket
We have an unusual offering, from Jimmy Buffet's personal tour pilot: an original Jimmy Buffet Coral Reefers Tour jacket, virtually unused and in perfect condition. It was Buffet’s first such item. Only forty were made, for crew only—none were made for sale. It was given to the pilot, Michael Lofton, personally by Buffett. Also included are materials from other clients of Michaels' such as the Rolling Stones, Greatful Dead, Yes, Van Halen, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Heart, Jefferson Starship, Paul Simon and others. Here's a link to the full information: Jimmy Buffet Tour Jacket
• As we have no idea as to the worth of these items, you are welcome to make offers.
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