Pre-Owned Guitars
Occasionally, if unpredictably, my pre-owned instruments become available for resale. They are usually fully restored and are accompanied by a written appraisal, my full new guitar warranty, a statement of provenance, a set of photos, a high quality hard shell case, and care accessories. The guitars offered here meet all my criteria for quality of sound, materials, playability, and craft.
When we fully restore a guitar it is made to look as new as possible, while also preserving its originality, and especially its tonal quality and character. This may entail a fret dressing or a total refretting, a new nut and/or saddle, bridge work, regluing any loose components, repairing any cracks, touching up the French polish as necessary, and having the tuning machines rebuilt or replacing them. All our work is fully guaranteed.
It might also be helpful to explain the distinctions between the terms "mint," “near-mint,” and "like-new" condition as I understand them. Although there may be differences of opinion, in my interactions with dealers, collectors, historians, and aficionados, the term "mint" means that it is in original condition with no repairs and almost no sign of wear. Since such guitars are extremely rare, I very seldom use this term. “Near-mint” also means that its originality has not been altered and there are no repairs, but there are more obvious signs of wear than if in “mint” condition. "Like-new" refers primarily to its appearance; however, this does not mean that the guitar has never been repaired, only that it may appear so, and allows for minor exceptions like hairline cracks, which have been reinforced, and are usually not visible. It is also considered normal for the finish to settle into the pores of the wood, glue joints, and hairline cracks, as the finish shrinks over time.
When we fully restore a guitar it is made to look as new as possible, while also preserving its originality, and especially its tonal quality and character. This may entail a fret dressing or a total refretting, a new nut and/or saddle, bridge work, regluing any loose components, repairing any cracks, touching up the French polish as necessary, and having the tuning machines rebuilt or replacing them. All our work is fully guaranteed.
It might also be helpful to explain the distinctions between the terms "mint," “near-mint,” and "like-new" condition as I understand them. Although there may be differences of opinion, in my interactions with dealers, collectors, historians, and aficionados, the term "mint" means that it is in original condition with no repairs and almost no sign of wear. Since such guitars are extremely rare, I very seldom use this term. “Near-mint” also means that its originality has not been altered and there are no repairs, but there are more obvious signs of wear than if in “mint” condition. "Like-new" refers primarily to its appearance; however, this does not mean that the guitar has never been repaired, only that it may appear so, and allows for minor exceptions like hairline cracks, which have been reinforced, and are usually not visible. It is also considered normal for the finish to settle into the pores of the wood, glue joints, and hairline cracks, as the finish shrinks over time.
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Instrument: 1984 Cynthia H. Burton classical guitar
String scale: 66cm Woods: Western red cedar top, East Indian rosewood back and sides Finish: French polish Tuners: Rodgers Case: HumiCase Protege Condition: Near mint This one-owner instrument has recently been completely refurbished to like-new condition. Like Elliott, Ms. Burton builds in the Torres/Hauser tradition, and this guitar faithfully reflects the traits identified with those instruments. It has a big, open, immediate response that is clear, warm, and mature, and is very well balanced, with excellent playability. The original new-guitar warranty is included. Price: Please inquire. This instrument is accompanied by a complete history of its provenance, it carries a new guitar warranty, and appropriate care accessories are provided. |
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Instrument: 1993 classical guitar
String scale: 65cm Woods: European spruce top; East Indian rosewood back, sides, bindings, and head veneer; CSA rosewood bridge; Spanish cedar neck; and African ebony fingerboard Finish: Traditional French polish Tuners: Custom Rodgers with buffed brass engraved sideplates and oval mother-of-pearl buttons Case: Cream-colored HumiCase Metro Pro Condition: Excellent (recently refurbished) Comments: This is the tenth in a series of twelve guitars commissioned by the late Julian Bream, following his purchase of one of my 1985 guitars, which he performed on and toured with for several years. It faithfully represents his preference for a richness and depth of character, a wide dynamic range, and an extremely broad and colorful tonal palette. While the instrument displays Bream’s preference for a traditional aesthetic, the top’s interior is braced with my open harmonic bar design, inspired primarily by his 1973 J.L. Romanillos. (See photos and description at Standard Classic.) A photo of this braced top graces the cover of the Guild of American Luthiers' Big Red Book of American Lutherie Volume 5, and along with several other views appears in my article “Shaping the Sound: A personal Approach to Building Classical Guitars,” pp.22-31. This is an extremely responsive guitar with great clarity of voice, evenness and balance in all registers, clear, clean separation between the courses, and excellent sustain. The original owner retired, and after twenty-four years of concertizing, it remains primed for the performance hall. The neck width is 52mm at the nut, and 62mm at the 12th fret; the string spacing is 42.5mm at the nut, and 57mm at the saddle. All woods were seasoned several decades, and are premium quality. The back and sides are sister-cuts of my 1985 Bream guitar, and the top is from the same source and a close match. Since these photos were taken, the original Sloane tuners were replaced with custom Rodgers tuners with buffed-brass engraved sideplates and oval mother-of-pearl buttons, and I have recently updated the bridge with a 12-hole tie block. Price: Sold |
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Instrument: 1990 10-string steel string harp guitar String scale: 65cm on 1st through 8th strings on fingerboard; 21 frets on first five strings Woods: Engelmann spruce top, flamed koa back and sides Finish: French polish Tuners: Schallers; planetary banjo 1-7, banjo D-tuners 8-10 Case: TKL arched top, tweed Condition: Near mint Comments: This one-of-a kind guitar has several unique features: The D-tuners on the three lowest strings permit key changes with a flick of the wrist; the top bracing is my hybrid X-and-fan design (see photos and a description here: Steel String Model); the bridge is my original pinless design with individual saddle posts (see photos and a description here: Bridges); it has my compound cutaway (see photos and a description here: Compound Cutaway); and it has a fingerboard extension to 21 frets on the first five strings. The neck width is 58mm at the nut, and 68mm at the 12th fret (44mm and 54mm respectively, if it was a six string); the string spacing at the nut is 56.5mm for the first through eighth strings (37mm if it was a six string), and the ninth and tenth strings float free from a separate nut on the head which provides for both longer string lengths and orients them below the player's line of vision for a clear view of left hand fingering. The string spacing at the 12th fret is 72mm for the first through eighth strings (45.5mm if it was a six string), and the string spacing at the bridge is 99mm (55mm if it was a six string). This guitar has been featured in articles in the Guild of American Luthiers American Lutherie magazine (AL #34 and AL #99), and on the Great Acoustics page of Acoustic Guitar magazine, October, 2005 (see below). It is also featured and described in detail on Gregg Miner's website, www.harpguitarmusic.com. The original owner has taken meticulous care of it, and I have maintained it since it was new. Price: Please inquire. This instrument is accompanied by a complete history of its provenance, it carries my new guitar warranty, and appropriate care accessories are provided. |
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