Great Acoustics: A Mighty 1949 Epiphone Emperor Archtop
The Emperor pictured here was made in late 1949, and has a carved spruce top, carved maple back, and extensive inlay work befitting such a fancy guitar.
Great Acoustics: A Cutting-Edge 1931 Martin OM-18 Owned by Country Legend Conway Twitty
Twitty was renowned for his voice, his hair, and songs like “It’s Only Make Believe,” but he also had excellent taste in acoustic guitars.
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Great Acoustics: A Rare Gibson Bella Voce Guitar Banjo
With its extensively engraved gold-plated hardware, the Bella Voce (along with the equally fancy Florentine model) was the most expensive banjo in the Gibson catalog.
Great Acoustics: John Denver’s Luxurious 1978 Yamaha L-53
Denver used this ornate, custom Yamaha extensively in concert and on TV (and on his album cover with the Muppets).
Great Acoustics: Reverend Gary Davis’ 1949 Gibson SJ-200 Finds a New Home
The story behind Davis’ SJ-200 is as murky as a Louisiana swamp.
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Great Acoustics: The Late Robbie Basho’s Cherished 12-String Guitar Resurfaces
Basho created an alternate universe of mystical, spiritual music using this century-old 12-string of mysterious origin.
This 2022 Greg Brandt Custom Concert Model Is a Traditional Classical Guitar with Unique Ornamentation
All of the pieces fit together for Brandt when he built this “jigsaw puzzle” guitar.
Great Acoustics: Steve James’ Collings Custom C10 was His Main Steel-String Companion for 30 Years
The 1991 Collings Custom C10 (serial number 524) was James’ main flattop for three decades, and the one he considered his best.
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Great Acoustics: 1948 Levin De Luxe Archtop
Levin instruments have been played by many of the finest European guitarists. The 1948 Model 1 De Luxe archtop shown here sat at the very top of the Levin line.
Great Acoustics: A Loyal Customer Inspires a Bold New Big Hollow Jumbo
When a repeat customer asked Big Hollow Guitars' Bevan Frost to build a large-bodied guitar with unique inlays, the luthier rose to the challenge.
Great Acoustics: A Trio of Hand-Built Instruments from “Retired” Industry Icon Dick Boak
Since his retirement in 2018, former C.F. Martin & Co. mainstay Dick Boak has continued hand-building instruments like this dreadnought-ukulele-small-bodied-guitar trio.
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Great Acoustics: Rick Turner’s Personal 2007 Compass Rose Guitar Speaks to His Forward-Thinking Style
Rick Turner created many unique Compass Rose acoustics, but this one—regarded as among his finest—was the luthier’s personal guitar and a showcase of both his bold concepts and skilled execution.
Great Acoustics: George Gruhn’s Exceptionally Rare 1933 Martin 12-Fret D-28
This 1933 Martin 12-fret, slot-head D-28 is George Gruhn's favorite flattop steel-string guitar. Here's why.
Great Acoustics: This Custom Style 21 Cowardin 000 Celebrates a Decades-Long Friendship
A friend commissioned Jack Cowardin to build an understated 000 acoustic guitar to complement his 1938 Martin 000-18. The result was much more than just wood and metal.
Kenny Hill’s State-of-the-Art Modern Legacy Model Classical Guitar
This 2019 Kenny Hill Modern Legacy classical guitar, the luthier's main guitar for his own playing, is a prime example of his company’s top-tier offerings.
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Great Acoustics: Buck Curran’s Long Lost 2009 Sobell Model 1
Singer-songwriter and guitarist Buck Curran’s tale about his 2009 Stefan Sobell Model 1 is more uplifting than some other tales of "the one that got away."
Great Acoustics: A Pristine 1943 Martin 000-18 with a Fascinating History
This 1943 Martin 000-18 was originally a gift to a Spanish immigrant to Monterey, California, who was a regular performer along the famed Cannery Row.
Great Acoustics: A 2021 Santa Cruz OM Custom with a Storied Past
This Santa Cruz OM Custom was made with several storied tonewoods, including Tunnel 13 redwood; Brazilian rosewood; and figured mahogany sourced from the Tree.
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Great Acoustics: 2020 Collings OM3 Alaskan
A visually striking custom OM made from reclaimed old-growth Sitka that spent much of the 20th century floating in Alaskan waters.
Great Acoustics: Preston Thompson Masterpiece #2 Koi Pond
Dedicated to the shop’s founding luthier and namesake, who died in 2019, the Koi Pond guitar is a stunning piece of art that's meant to be played.
Great Acoustics: John Prine’s 1939 Gibson Super 400N
From the November/December 2020 issue of Acoustic Guitar | By Greg Olwell A few archtops were larger and some were glitzier, but all were trying to top the standard set by the stunning Gibson Super 400. Having an 18-inch lower bout and decorated with Gibson’s most premium appointments and hardware, the Super 400 surpassed the L-5…
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Great Acoustics: This 1930 Martin 000-45 Deluxe is a Rare and Opulent Offering
This beautiful, unique 1930 Martin 000-45 Deluxe is possibly the finest example of the early period of the American guitar.
Great Acoustics: Gurian’s 1973 S3B3H Incorporates Luxurious Nylon-Stringed Guitar Elements
This steel-string incorporates elements from the luthier's nylon-string background, such as the combination of an ebony fretboard and a rosewood bridge.
Great Acoustics: Bukka White’s 1933 National Duolian
For much of his career, White played this 1933 National Duolian, serial number C7094, which he called “Hard Rock.”
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Great Acoustics: Yasmin Williams’ Skytop Grand Concert
This unique Eric Weigeshoff-built instrument is as individual as the music Yasmin Williams creates with it.