Gallery

  • Very few modern luthiers have captured that Larson Brothers sustain and what I call “shimmer” with a new build. This guitar, built by the master luthier Hans Brentrup in late 2009, has it in spades. We’ve never played anything but a 30’s Larson Bros’ that has the sustain this guitar has. Hans’ unique tone bars do what only the Larson tone bar system did– get the body of the guitar to sustain and impart that wonderful shimmer to the trebles especially.
    • Brazilian Rosewood back and sides
    • Engelmann spruce top
    • 000 size
    • 25.34 scale length
    • Easily accommodates Medium or Heavy strings
    • Hybrid ladder laminated bracing with Carbon fiber “Tone tubes”
    • Mahogany neck
    • Slotted headstock
    • Golden Age tuners
    • Ebony fingerboard with MOP dots
    • Pyramid bridge
    • Tortoise body binding
    • Lacquer finish
    With the top grade Brazilian upcharge, this is a $8K guitar, from the maker. This instrument is in almost mint condition. No dings, no cracks or hint of cracks– just the very slightest signs of use (what you might find in a brand new guitar that’s been in a showroom a few weeks).
  • Joseph Redman, based in Abingdon, VA, makes some nice, hand made, yet affordable classical and flamenco guitars. Their low price tags don’t reflect the quality of materials in each instrument. This was a custom order, featuring European Maple back and sides, and all hand French polished by Redman. Nice, rumbling bass response. The Maple tone here, doesn’t show up in the trebles as much as it does in the bass– adding a Maple crispness to the bass strings.
    • Finish: hand-rubbed French Polish
    • 650mm Scale length
    • European Maple back and sides
    • Canadian Spruce top
    • Ebony fretboard
    • Neck: Spanish Cedar
    • Bindings:
  • Martin has refined their “Authentic” series 1930’s recreations. When the first D-28A came out a about 5 years ago, it was Brazilian rosewood, with a price tag north of $20K. So when Martin decided to produce a Madagascar rosewood version, it was very welcome. In fact Martin learned from the earlier “Authentic” models and this guitar, one of the very first D-28 Authentics’s made with Madagascar rosewood, is a best of the breed– a recreation of the original 1937 D-28 model but now offered with Madagascar rosewood back and sides. And this instrument has a particularly good set of Madagascar.
    • It’s in virtually unplayed, mint condition.
    • Forward shifted hand-scalloped X-bracing
    • Fingerboard Width At Nut: 1 3/4''
    • Mahogany Blocks/Dovetail Neck Joint - Hide Glue
    • Top: Solid Adirondack Spruce
    • Top Braces: Solid Adirondack Spruce 5/16''
    • Back Material: Solid Madagascar Rosewood
    • Back Purfling: 28 Style Zig-Zag (Authentic)
    • Side Material: Solid Madagascar Rosewood
    • Neck Shape: Authentic 1937 Barrel & Heel
    • Scale Length: 25.4''
    • Bridge String Spacing: 2-5/16''
    • Saddle: 16'' Radius/Long Bone
    Beautiful tone– great action, with saddle height to adjust action as desired.
  • This is a new Allison Brazilian Rosewood dreadnought. Austin-based John Allison was a key part of the Collings Guitar team for years. John is now one of the most sought-after independent makers of fine instruments in the southwest. His guitars are carried by a number of top dealers in the U.S… and we’ve just snagged this brand new, wonderful Brazilian– a custom order guitar. Allison’s attention to detail is astounding. You just have to see and play this great brazilian. Right off the bench, it’s loud and beguiling, and it will only get better over time.  
    • Top: Adirondack Spruce
    • Back, and Sides: Brazilian Rosewood
    • Bracing: Scalloped X, Adirondack
    • Neck: Mahogany
    • Finish: Nitrocellulose lacquer
    • Herringbone purfling
    • Ivoroid binding
    • Fretboard: Ebony
    • Bridge: Ebony
    • Peghead veneer: Ebony
    • Scale Length: 25.5 inches
    • Nut Width: 1 11/16 inches
    • Tuners: Waverly
    Brazilian Rosewood is getting harder and harder to find, for new guitars. Brazilian dreadnought Allisons are few and far between.
  • Late 1970s, but in almost unplayed condition. Bluegrass banjo players seek out these 70’s Whyte Eagles, known for their tone and craftsmanship. It was a pretty short window of only about five years, when these banjos were made with this kind of craftsmanship. They blow away most any banjo made and marketed (from any country) in the 60s, 70s and 80s– and they show no logos on headstock– just beautiful mother of pearl. It’s the No. 4310 “Whyte Eagle”. Based on late 1920’s Vega Griffin (Tubaphone #9) style inlays, with engraved, carved heel. Sunburst finish maple banjo, Gibson-style 2 piece flange, full height 20 hole archtop tone ring, dual coordinator rods, flamed maple resonator, maple neck, chrome finish. Neck is butterfly with ebony strip on back of neck, down the center. Just set up, with new tailpiece, and new head, by Dave Trexle and ready to play: loud, clear, and bright. With original hard shell case.  
  • This is a one-of-a-kind custom banjo, from one of the country’s most respected luthiers, based in Appomattox, Virginia. I love this banjo for picking on the couch– it won’t put your back out, picking it up and putting it down, or crush your cat or your sweetheart. It’s lightweight, and with a custom-size head. But it packs beautiful full tone, not the tinny nasal sound from most open back banjos. It’s five or so years old, but with very little wear.
    • Dark stained maple rim, and neck
    • 11 inch pot
    • Ebony fretboard
    • Engraved dragon inlay in peghead
    • Custom MOP inlays
    • Bound neck
    • No Knot tail piece (Pat. Nov. 19 1901)
    • 18 lug
    • Brass hoop tone ring
    • Dowell stick construction
    • nut width 1-¼ inch
    • scale: 25- ½ inches
    • maple rim diameter: 10- ½ outside
    • maple rim thickness: 7/16 inches
    • Dark stained maple rim, and neck
    • 11 inch pot
    • Ebony fretboard
    • Engraved dragon inlay in peghead
    • Custom MOP inlays
    • Bound neck
    • No Knot tail piece (Pat. Nov. 19 1901)
    • 18 lug
    • Brass hoop tone ring
    • Dowell stick construction
    • nut width 1-¼ inch
    • scale: 25-½ inches
    • maple rim diameter: 10- ½ outside
    • maple rim thickness: 7/16 inches
    • With original case.
  • Out of stock
    • Cedar top
    • Depth at lower bout: 4 3/16 inches
    • Width of neck at nut: 2 inches
    • Body length: 19 3/4
  • This fine and early example of the French guitar was made in Mirecourt, France, around 1800 to 1810. And sold through the famous Parisian dealer Koliker.  It is a rare early example, as indicated by its rectangular bridge that does not have a separate saddle, but uses the top edge of the ebony rectangle as the saddle (this feature places it circa 1800, not like the more common 1820-1840 French guitars that have a more modern style bridge including a regular saddle). But for all its rarity, and exoticism to modern eyes, the most salient feature of this guitar is that it plays wonderfully. This is no museum piece to hang on a wall or shelf. This guitar is to play and enjoy. It plays beautifully, with all frets in tune. With no buzzing... I have had guitars from the 1960’s that do not play as well, in tune, and sound as well as this one. Even the action is perfect. The guitar has a wonderful tone, with a sweetness and brightness from the maple, and full bass response.
    • All original finish on the guitar
    • Flamed solid Maple back and sides
    • Spruce top, with no finish on the spruce… this is a characteristic of guitars from this time and place. While the back and sides of the guitar were French polished, the spruce top was left as natural wood, with no finish.
    • One of the friction pegs is a modern replacement
    • The two dark splices on the soundboard are later, but still 19th century, restorations, done as decorative flourishes.
    • Scale length: 64.3 cm
    • Length of body: 43.3 cm
    • Koliker, Luthier Rue Croix-des-Petits Champs No. 24 A. Paris
  • This new, custom made Lester Devoe Flamenco Negra is amasterpiece, from one of the world’s top luthiers. Lester Devoe needs nointroduction to the world’s great Flamenco players. The late, legendary Sabicasplayed a Devoe– and converted some of the great Flamenco players in Spain tothe fold. Paco De Lucia, and Vicente Amigo, among others, play Devoe Flamencoguitars. Paco De Lucia began playing a Devoe Negra guitar years ago– and thereare many Paco De Lucia recordings and feature films where Paco plays a DevoeFlamenco guitar.) This is the second custom guitar, that Lester has made for uswith select, old growth, quartersawn AAAAA Brazilian rosewood. Signed by LesterDevoe, 2012 (March).
    • 650mm scale length
    • Nut: 52mm
    • Neck width at nut: 52mm
    • 80 year old Brazilian Rosewood (pre-CITES) back and sides (Quartersawn).
    • European spruce top
    • Cedar neck
    • Brazilian Rosewood headstock overlay, and bridge
    • Brazilian Rosewood body binding, top and back
    • Ebony fingerboard
    • Sloane tuners
    • Nitrocellulose lacquer finish
    Tone is superb, the tone only old growth Brazilian imparts. To hear an audio clip (audio/video clip) of this guitar, click on the icon below the photo on left. In this clip, Michael Gratovichplays Joaquin Turina's Sonata op. 61 (Third Movement), on a Granados guitar(first 1/3 of this clip), and a Lester Devoe Flamenco Negra guitar (the last2/3 of this clip). We specifically chose this guitarist, and this piece ofmusic, to demonstrate how the Devoe Brazilian Rosewood Negra captures thenuances of more delicate passages, not just the bolder more flamenco-like runs.Recorded in stereo with Miktek C5 Small Diaphram Condensor Microphones (MatchedPair).
  • Vustom made Lester Devoe Flamenco Negra, a one-of-a-kind, Brazilian Rosewood guitar, from one of the world’s top luthiers. Lester Devoe needs no introduction to the world’s great Flamenco players. The late, legendary Sabicas played a Devoe– and converted some of the great Flamenco players in Spain to the fold. Paco De Lucia, and Vicente Amigo, among others, play Devoe Flamenco guitars. (I personally delivered a Devoe Flamenco Blanca guitar to Paco De Lucia in Spain in late 2010– Paco likes his Devoe’s hand-delivered. Paco De Lucia began playing a Devoe Negra guitar years ago– and there are many Paco De Lucia recordings and feature films where Paco plays a Devoe Flamenco guitar.) And it’s rare that Lester makes a Negra with Brazilian rosewood of this age and quality.
    • 650mm scale length
    • Nut: 52mm
    • Neck width at nut: 52mm
    • String Spacing at nut: 44mm
    • 80 year old Brazilian Rosewood (pre-CITES) back and sides (Quartersawn).
    • European spruce top, with some beautiful and understated “"hazelfichte" (what Americans call bear claw).
    • Custom, flamed Spanish Cedar neck
    • Brazilian Rosewood headstock overlay, and bridge
    • Brazilian Rosewood body binding, top and back
    • Ebony fingerboard
    • Sloane tuners
    • Austere yet elegant Santos style black and white rosette, that Devoe uses only rarely, on top custom models
    • Nitrocellulose lacquer finish
    There was only one of these guitars made, with this combination of wood. It’s a rare custom instrument from this maker, and the tone is glorious– with the trebles only old Brazilian Rosewood delivers. But this is a Flamenco guitar– made by one of the best– so there is not too much “sustain”– that would disqualify it from being a great Flamenco, where a fast “decay” of the trebles emphasizes the percussive quality of the guitar. Only a master luthier can make a Negra that captures the best qualities of Brazilian, making those bass notes both crisp and growly, while assuring that the trebles ring with Brazilian bell-like clarity.
  • Brand new, Lester Devoe Flamenco Blanca, custom made (details on request). Lester Devoe needs no introduction to the world’s top flamenco players. His reputation was established decades ago (and his new models are the best ever made, and in huge demand worldwide). His guitars are played by the world’s top performing and recording flamenco artists. This instrument, custom made with a unique Spanish Cypress to add a more robust treble response to the legendary deep, throaty, percussive bass response of the Devoe Blanca, will amaze.
    • Flamenco Blanca
    • 650mm scale length
    • Spanish cypress back and sides (custom, details on request)
    • European spruce top
    • Ebony fingerboard
    • Sloane tuners
    • Rosewood headstock veneer
    • Cedar neck
    • Nitrocellulose lacquer finish
    This is the only one of these custom Devoe Blanca’s (4 made) with this particular combination of wood and tonal specs, available in the U.S.
  • In the 1920’s and early 30's, the Hawaiian craze was in full bloom, and ukulele production was crucial to Martin’s success in this period. This is a wonderful, extremely well-preserved example of one of the most ornate of the Martin ukuleles, still in its original Geib case. Although Martin ukes built after 1916 carried no serial number, it’s possible to generally date them by stylistic elements. This Martin Style 3 is from the best era, the golden era, from about 1925 to 1930. Martin style 3 was first made in 1918. Martin Style 3, soprano (standard) specs:
    • Mahogany body
    • 7 layer top binding
    • 3 layer back binding
    • Ebony fretboard
    • 5 layer soundhole ring
    • Celluloid ornament on top, behind bridge (known as the "parend", or “shield”)
    • Bar frets
    • Small pearl paired-diamond inlays at fret 5, 7, and 9
    • Three lines inlaid down center of fingerboard
    • Nickel plated pegs (introduced in 1923)
    • CF Martin & Co, stamped on back of peghead, and inside-back (Martin logo was not put on front of peghead until 1932)
    This Martin Style 3 ukulele is in unbelievable original condition. It is 100% original. Aside from one naturally occurring dryness crack on the back (repaired), and some very light pick marks by the sound hole that you can only see in the right angle of light, this ukulele shows almost no signs of use. It even has its original ivory saddle, at full height like it left the factory. The tone is all that you would expect from one of the best, high-end Martin instruments of the golden era.