Acoustic Guitars - acoustic

Even when it’s not one of their $5000-plus models, Martin still build guitars with incredible flair. The OMC-1E is an affordable OM-sized acoustic-electric, featuring a solid Sitka Spruce top, solid Sapele Mahogany back & sides, Rosewood board, plus a top-flight Fishman pre-amp with inbuilt tuner! Martin’s original OM, (“orchestra model”), is historically a very important guitar, as it was the first of the modern flattops. First appearing around 1930, the OM-size introduced a smaller, more manageable body size, (15” width), with a full scale neck, (25.4” scale). And with a slig...

Virtually identical to the original 1935 – 1939 National/Dobro Duolian models, this DS33, or ‘Model 33 Steel’ is a real “under-the-bed” find, with barely a fingerprint, mark or scratch on it! This magnificent Dobro looks like it left the Dopyera family’s Dobro factory at Huntington Beach only a few weeks ago, and appears to have never even had a strap attached. This is a rare opportunity to own one of the most famous hand-built acoustic instruments of all time. One of the very last OMI, California-built, Dobro models, the DS33 sits somewhere between a Duolian and a Triolian, (di...

Stunning – simply stunning! We’ve just traded this near mint Larrivée lefty, but we doubt it’s going to be here very long. Dreadnought-size, with all solid Mahogany and Sitka Spruce construction, this is one of the nicest looking, best sounding acoustics we’ve ever had hanging on the wall. The D-02 was a limited production run in 2000, (with only a handful of left-handed models built), and a variation on the classic Larrivée D-03 model, but with Mahogany back and sides, Black binding and a slightly deeper body for extended bottom end, making the D-02 ideal for both bluegrass ...

Get yourself on the big uke revival bandwagon! Everywhere you turn these days, every new band around seems to haul out a ukulele for at least one number in their set. Just Guitars favorites such as Sarah Carroll and Sweet Delores feature ukulele extensively, and with this awesome little Regal soprano model, you too can join the big name uke players. We believe this nice little soprano model comes from maybe a year or two earlier than the Regal “Rich Wood” Mahogany unit that we sold recently – perhaps around 1947/48. One hundred percent original, this one is all Maple, so the ton...

The Victoria line was a brand of Buegeleisen & Jacobson, New York, (who also manufactured the prestigious S.S. Stewart guitars, mandolins and banjos). Alongside their own manufacturing capabilities, Buegeleisen & Jacobson also imported some of their lines from top European manufacturers, and had some instruments built for them by several other US makers. Construction on this lovely bowl-back mandolin appears more American than European, and it is very similar to Martin’s turn of the century Style 1 and 00 models, (less so to any specific Washburn model), so it’s highly likely that ...

The original camp ukes were made from barrel hoops and cowhide, knocked together for fireside entertainment as the pioneers’ wagon-trains journeyed into the American Wild West, during the 1800s. By the turn of the century the design had been appropriated by several manufacturers, with Lyon & Healy creating the first of the all timber models during the mid-1920s. Some authorities state that this Gretsch version of the Lyon & Healy design was only produced during 1940, while others suggest they may have appeared as early as 1936 – regardless, this fantastic little camp uke is basi...

We make no apologies for this one! It’s been around the block a bit, the tuner buttons have been changed, and the action is high, (your left hand will probably hold out for around five or six songs) – but it would still be a useful beach house guitar, or a wall-hanger for the studio or home. And the faux flame Sunburst finish is so cool! Built at the Harmony plant in Chicago, for the Sears department stores Spring/Summer catalogue of 1966, (just in time for the original Summer of Love), the Silvertone H604 model is virtually identical to the H931 Harmony Stella model, with all s...

Barnes & Mullins, Windsor & Taylor, Jedson and other companies strove to meet banjo demand in the years from around 1890 to 1930 – the boom years for British banjo music. Bowley Barnes and Albert Mullins established their instrument business, (which continues today), in 1894 in Bournemouth, relocating to London in 1914. Today the company is based in rural Shropshire. We believe this Barnes & Mullins ‘No. 4’ banjo is from the company’s first year of full production, in 1895, bearing the indented logo, ‘THE BARNES & MULLINS’ at the base of the neck on the 5th string side. The No 4 mo...

The Legend series genuinely deserve their name, as these are some of the world’s very finest guitars, played and revered by many of the biggest names in the business. This particular model, the 1867 Legend, is favored by artists as diverse as Robert Fripp of King Crimson and Joan Armatrading. Another player is Arty White of Alicia Keys’ band, and here’s a LINK (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpdG5Ph1hPA) to a superb piece, played by Steve Ball on a Black 1867 Legend, courtesy of youtube. The absolutely killer Cherryburst finish makes for one of the most striking acoustic-electr...

We’re calling this early 1930’s, but it may actually be late ’20s – either way, its appointments date it to between 1927 and 1932. Very similar to Gibson’s A-style from the same time, we suspect this could be an excellent example of a rarely seen Regal Ultra Grand Deluxe model, featuring the more stylish extended fingerboard, compared with Gibson’s squared-off version. And with a sound-hole in place of the more usual f-holes, this little Regal beauty has amazing projection! Built at the famous Regal factory in Chicago, construction is all solid Mahogany, the fingerboard is Ebony...

Another great southern California discovery from our recent US buying trip, this highly desirable arch-back uke from the late twenties or early thirties was possibly built by Regal, or more likely Lyon & Healy, (Washburn). During the ukulele’s first big boom-time, early last century, the best instruments were all arched back models, as is this glorious example of 1920’s “decalomania”. Arch-back models had generally disappeared by the mid-30’s, so this nicely preserved piece is one of the last from the era. Dubbed “decalomania”, the art of adorning instruments with water-slide...

A brand new Bean Blossom BM100 mandolin, by Morgan Monroe, in its original hard shell case. Named after bluegrass pioneer Bill Monroe’s original bluegrass festival in Indiana, this stunning mandolin, in vintage tobacco sunburst, is a warehouse overstock, so for this price you won’t find a nicer production model mandolin in Australia. Spruce top, maple back and sides, extended rosewood fingerboard, adjustable rosewood bridge, gold hardware, fully bound body and neck, vintage-style pearlized tuners and beautiful inlaid headstock. It has an adjustable truss-rod, multi-ply black pi...