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  • Out of stock
    The Larson Brothers of Chicago never marketed any guitar, throughout their long career, that was marked “Larson”. Their designs were branded by Maurer, Stahl, Prairie State, Stetson, and a few other guitar makers– but never “Larson”. They were also known for making many “off-catalog” guitars, i.e. guitars with combinations of features that varied from the Maurer, Stahl, etc, catalogs, and guitars that were not marked at all with a brand. This guitar is a Larson Bros creation that is not marked at all. It is a custom made instrument–but it has all the typical Larson hallmarks. The tone of this Larson is every bit as wonderful as the Maurer/Larson listed above, indeed it is quite similar, due to the same patented “built under tension” design, and X-bracing. This Larson does not have laminated braces (it’s well documented that laminated braces were only used on certain models–and their use was not related to level or price.) Every part of this guitar is original, including original finish. There are two repaired cracks on the back, and three small, repaired cracks on top.
    • Lower bout width: 12 5/8 inches
    • Brazilian rosewood back and sides
    • Ivory celluloid Bound fretboard
    • Ivory celluloid Bound headstock
    • Spruce top
    • X braced
    • Larson’s patented “built under tension” design
    • Rosette: Abalone pearl and wood inlay bordering the sound hole
    • Radiused ebony fingerboard, and Classic Larson Brothers’ “ebony below the binding”
    • Engraved inlays on fretboard
    • Original tuners
    • Original ebony bridge
    • Original bridge pins
    • 1-7/8" wide nut
    • 2 1/4" bridge string spacing
    • 24.3" scale length
    • One-piece mahogany neck, round C shaped neck profile.
  • Read the full description below. If you're interested in this guitar, please call 512.922.8596 or contact us here.
  • Out of stock
    Another masterpiece from Charlottesville, Virginia-based Rockbridge Guitars. The slope shouldered dreadnought is faithful to the great Gibson J-35 of the late 1930’s, plus more: old-growth Brazilian Rosewood, with remarkable landscaping. Big big tone, volume, projection. Great sustain, ringing trebles, and yes most importantly string separation. Ebony fretboard. In a custom Cedar Creek case. Read the full description below. If you're interested in this guitar, please call 512.922.8596 or contact us here. ... no longer available ...
  • Out of stock
    This guitar is a masterfully crafted interpretation of the fabled Roy Smeck, a slope-shouldered Gibson acoustic from the 1930s, which pairs a 12-fret neck with a standard, slope shouldered body, in Brazilian rosewood. From Charlottesville, Virginia-based Rockbridge -- one of the country’s most intriguing and masterful boutique luthiers. In a custom Cedar Creek case. Read the full description below. If you're interested in this guitar, please call 512.922.8596 or contact us here.  
  • Tom Blackshear is a living legend in the classical and flamenco guitar worlds. He’s been building from his shop in Texas for decades, with an international client base and international prestige, and his older guitars especially are hard to find and in great demand (and rarely come to market. (There is currently one at Dream Guitars. This guitar was built in 1987, and was based on Jeffrey Elliott’s “1943 Hauser” plan. The tone is robust, and clear, with bright brazilian trebles, and the kind of nice string separation and clarity that an old German spruce top gives. The instrument:
    • Tom Blackshear classical guitar, serial # 184, built in 1987; signed on label by the builder; also signed in pencil, on underside of top
    • model: based on Jeffrey Elliott’s “1943 Hauser” plan
    • Brazilian Rosewood back and sides
    • German spruce top
    • Brazilian Rosewood bridge
    • Ebony fretboard
    • Scale length: 660
    In spring 2015, in consultation with Tom Blackshear who inspected the instrument in person at his shop and advised on details, the guitar was sent to New York-based master luthier David LaPlante, one of the top finish experts in the country. LaPlante did a French polish refresh on the top, back and sides. There had been a flamenco style clear tap plate installed by a previous owner, and that tap plate was removed, then LaPlante did the French polish refresh and the some addressing of minor tap-plate edge-shadows and various nicks. (note, neck, headstock were not touched and retain their original French polish). The result is a beautiful, thin, French polish that shows off the German spruce top and the Brazilian back and sides. Amazingly, this guitar is paired with its original sound hole cut-out from the builder from 1987! What a nice touch. See the attached photo showing the original cutout, with Blackshear’s original handwritten notes from the 1987 build right on the wood. Price: $4950. In a hard shell case.
  • Read the full description below. If you're interested in this guitar, please call 512.922.8596 or contact us here.
  • This is a very well made, custom Hawaiian guitar. Made by George Bailey, and signed and dated underside of top, 2009. The body style is similar to an early Ditson. In other regards, its size, sound, and feel is quite similar to a 1930’s Martin 0-17H.
    • Mahogany back, sides, and top
    • Mahogany neck
    • Ebony fretboard
    • Ebony bridge
    • Flush frets, with raised nut and saddle, for Hawaiian playing
    • Ladder braced
    • Lower Bout width: 13 ¼ inches
    • Scale length: 25 inches
    • 1 ¾ inch nut
    • Crack-free
    With a modern hard shell case. Price: $1295.
  • This 1922 Bacon & Day Serenader, tenor banjo is in great original condition. The well-worn head can be easily replaced– we retained it for originality. The banjo shows little wear. And all the parts are original–Tailpiece, tuners, dowel, everything. This is a golden era B&D, not one of the later 30s/40's banjos that are more common. In this condition it is rare. And it comes in its original hard shell case. Price: $1695.
  • 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.  
  • 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
  • Out of stock
    Circa 1860 guitar, style 3 built by well known luthier James Ashborn of Wolcottville, CT, for William Hall & Son music store. Brazilian rosewood back and sides; Adirondack top; maple binding. Rare Brazilian rosewood veneered neck. 100% original, including all original finish, and down to original nut, original bridge (and saddle) that has never been off the guitar. From an article in Vintage Guitar magazine: "Ashborn's design for the guitar was quite innovative for the early 19th century. Instead of making guitars fashioned after the typical parlor-style guitars, he made them in the Spanish style, by taking interior bracing cues from the Spanish while retaining the body of the English guitars. This included a fan brace pattern rather than the more common ladder pattern Ashborn guitars have a very complex dovetail V joint for attaching the head to the neck. The headstock was cut in roughly five steps, using some kind of tracing router, as suggested by the chatter marks on the inside ears of the pegbox. In addition to the complex head design, Ashborn made his own tuning machines in-house. They're made of brass, very much like contemporary machines, with worm gears, cog gears, and rollers. … Ashborn's shop was extremely advanced for its time, having a great deal of know-how and technology. Ashborn understood the need to have the technology as well as the skill, but more importantly he discovered a new way of making high-quality instruments that were affordable. He was able to create a factory environment where workers did what they were good at and, with practice, became very fast and consistent. With a new level of consistency in mass production, he created the path followed by other companies such as Martin, Gibson, and Taylor. Using designs ahead of his time, he was able to bring the sound and change to people who otherwise never would have been able to acquire an instrument of this quality."