What’s New (Recent Arrivals)

This is a full featured classical designed for comfort and contentment of the steel string or electric guitarist – since it has an inviting neck feel and shape, a low action, and enough frets to keep you busy for an entire decade (or more).  The East Indian rosewood sides and back is stately and dignified, while its the cedar top is resplendent with a thin abalone single-ring soundhole rosette bordered in black on each side.  The combination of a fast neck, a great pickup and six high quality nylon strings is an unbeatable one if adding the nylon sound to your mix is your goal.

Per the requirements of the manufacturer, McPherson guitars can be shipped to their destination only by UPS Next Day Air or Messenger Service.

Uniquely Deering, The Boston Banjo breaks with tradition and provides a professional quality sound at a lower price point by creating the drum from 3/16” rolled steel which rings like a tone ring and upgrading the accuracy of tuning with guitar style tuners with a higher gear ratio. The uniquely Deering inlay pattern gives you visual beauty enhancing the great performance.  This banjo is often the preferred sound in country recording studios, and in non-traditional bands like the Keith Urban Band.  The Deering Retail Price is $2019

The Martin Style 00-21 Grand Concert sized guitar goes way back.  C F Martin was already making them in 1898 when they began serial numbering instruments; we know that they also made the model prior to that.  C F Martin Company produced only 24 in 1942 (it was a wartime year and few guitars were sold) and yet it was one of the finest years for beauty, tone, projection, volume and accessibility of the finest tonewoods.

This is a Grand Concert sized Martin guitar; it fits the same size case as does a classical guitar, but of course we will set it up for light gauge steel strings.   This example is in exceptional condition, not played very much and crack-free. Its top has mellowed to a deep and uniform orange; the headplate, fingerboard and bridge are all Brazilian rosewood.  It plays with great ease and is pleasing in many ways one never typically things of.  It can be your own personal philharmonic – lap sized yet strong and lyrical in performance.

This delightful instrument, appropriately called a Masterpiece, was made by builder Chris Forshage.  It is a chambered electric, meaning that it is not a solid body, but has air inside as does a Benedetto Benny or a Renaissance by Rick Turner or a Ribbecke Chambered Halfling.  This design is designed to reduce feedback at higher volume levels, and for the quality of its tone.

Bill Kraus builds guitars the old fashioned way, by hand, at his shop in Middleport, NY, northeast of Buffalo, described per the town’s website as a quaint little village of about 2,000 residents situated in the Royalton and Hartland regions on the eastern edge of Niagara County.   Kraus guitars are currently offered in two body styles, cleverly named the "OM" and the "D". While the shapes of these instruments are based on the traditional designs, the internal bracing and other design concepts are unique to this brand. It is a trade secret, so don’t even think about asking.

We are advised that this fine instrument is comprised of a Honduran mahogany body, and that the top is of triple-A quality maple; the neck is said to be built from quartersawn mahogany (but you can’t see the mahogany because the back of the neck and back and sides are finished in uniform brown).   It is awell-built, modern American lap steel, which, in its hard shell case is a little weighty, but fine sounding and easy to use.

Guillermo owned and operated a guitar shop in the Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn, NY for many decades.   Unfortunately, there is no biographical information about the man in Wikipedia.   In the New York Metropolitan area, however, he had a great reputation for making workmanlike guitars of high quality.

This guitar is accompanied by a photocopy of a receipt from Mr. Del Pilar that states "One Del Pilar Classical guitar made of rosewood.  Completed on August 19/69.   Guitar case included.   NYC Tax.  $500.  Paid in full.”

Featured worldwide in popular music of all styles, the ukulele is experiencing a phenomenal rebirth in popularity. At the request of Gretsch fans everywhere we have reintroduced a selection of classic best sellers featuring unparalleled tone and quality at sensational low prices.   The Gretsch List Price is $365

The Triolian 14-Fret captures the look and feel of the late 1930's W-Series Triolians.  The thin-gauge steel body is highlighted by a formed back and traditional ribbed sieve-hole coverplate.  Each body is hand painted in walnut-burst.  The maple neck clears 14 frets to the body and features an ivoroid-bound rosewood fretboard complete with inlaid mother-of-pearl position markers. Tuners are vintage-style engraved, open gear.  The National Retail Price is $2600

One of the finest nylon string cutaway acoustic-electric guitars known to mankind, this James Goodall hand-made instrument has a 25.5" scale length, 1.875" nut width, Gotoh Classical black tuners, with Crossover-fitted Ameritage humidity-control deluxe hard shell guitar case.  James Goodall formerly of Kailua-Kona, on The Big Island, Hawaii, is now of Ft. Bragg, California, where he and his son make some of the best sounding and beautiful guitars on the planet earth. When he set his mind to making a hybrid – a classical guitar for steel string players – the end result is heavenly.

Intermediate size between the standard and tenor. Has a fuller tone, while retaining the ease of the smaller standard. Also known as an Alto. Overall length: 23-1/2"Scale length: 15"Total # frets: 16Frets to the body: 12

This previously owned example, dated March 13, 2012, is both beautiful and wonderful sounding.  Kamaka Ukuleles, in business since 1917, is still run by two Kamaka brothers, whose attention to detail leading to unsurpassable quality of sound is without peer.    They themselves say that each one has:  “Fine tonal quality and full-bodied sound; generally preferred by professional entertainers. The comfortable size and scale length of the tenor 4-string make it one of Kamaka's most popular models. ”    We like it; you’ll like it too.

Kamaka's most popular ukulele, also known as a Soprano.  We haven’t double checked these numbers but according to Kamaka its overall length is 20-1/8", the scale length is 13-9/16".    Total number of frets: 16.    Number of frets to the body: 12.   (Some of these numbers  may have changed.)  It is made from  all solid Koa, has a mother of pearl inlaid peghead logo, white dot inlays, a rosewood bridge, nickel plated pegs with crème buttons, a gloss finish, and of course a very nice hard shell case.

Dowel stick construction without tone ring Cooperman 12" 3-ply Maple rim 25.4" scale length/bone nut/1-5/16" nut width Indian Rosewood cap on bottom of rim/dowel stick/heel cap Ebony 17-fret fingerboard with frailing scoop Mahogany neck w/traditional small peghead shape Nickel plated grooved tension hoop leaf inlay on peghead/Elite Amber head 5-Star Planet tuners/2-way adjustable truss rod brown stain and matte finish overall Tweed hard-shell case

Featured worldwide in popular music of all styles, the ukulele is experiencing a phenomenal rebirth in popularity. At the request of Gretsch fans everywhere we have reintroduced a selection of classic best sellers featuring unparalleled tone and quality at sensational low prices. The G9120 Tenor Standard features a mahogany top, back and sides; mahogany neck; rosewood fingerboard and bridge; bone nut and saddle; 19 frets (14 to body); 17” scale length; friction tuning pegs; Aquila® Nylgut strings; “open pore” semi-gloss finish and fitted gig bag.  The Gretsch List Price is $209

Announcing the return of the Gretsch New Yorker Mandolin! Styled after the 1950’s classic, these modern-day versions offer full-bodied tone, smooth playing performance and eye-stopping beauty you’d expect from none other than GRETSCH! The G9310 New Yorker Supreme features all solid mahogany top, back, and sides; mahogany neck; rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlays, rosewood bridge; Grover® machine heads; vintage “clam-shell” tailpiece; nickel hardware; 13 7/8” scale; 1 1/16” nut; antique semi-gloss mahogany finish.  The Gretsch List Price is $399 (without the gig bag)

Kentucky has really outdone itself on this one:  Solid, handcarved and graduated select Adirondack spruce top, solid flat-sawn, handcarved, select highly flamed maple back and sides from northern Michigan, one piece maple neck with dovetail neck/body joint at 15th fret, bound ebony extension fingerboard with M.O.P. dot position markers, ivoroid binding on all edges, vintage-style ebony bridge, with small adjustment wheels, traditional 2-screw truss rod cover plate, mother-of-pearl nut, peghead inlaid with Kentucky® script and unique flowerpot inlaid in pearl.