I'd love to see pics of your Koa guitars! Taylor just released a 722ce and 724ce about 3 weeks ago, and they look and sound awesome based on the videos you can see that are out on them. The range of look in Koa is amazing- this one to me is stunning:


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1655220140.jpg


This is one of the owners of the place where I got the Mini, Adam Schuman. Super nice guy. He has a goofy sense of humor which I like. He's got a series of "Danville Music Spirits and Sounds" videos which are a lot more light-hearted than videos I've seen from other stores. Tiny following so far- your chance to get in on the ground floor! He also does "Quickie Lessons" for some chord riffs. Here he is on the 724ce:

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Steve,

Here they are,

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1655780342.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1655780380.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1655780446.jpg

I got to choose the Koa wood that went into the Prestige that they made for me. The details in the guitar are amazing and it is amazing to play. Check out the Peduk inlay in the cutaway.... :)

The Taylor is beautiful as well. Plays nice and bright like most Taylors. Great guitar.

I am likely going to have Prestige build me another commission as well. Amazing guitars and amazing people. Very fortunate to have them within a 35min drive.

Cheers

That's really cool that Prestige is so close to you and you can choose the wood! There's so much variety in Koa, that would help a lot. What are you going to order? What do you get to specify?

A few days after I got the Koa GS Mini, I got an email from Taylor touting their 700 series in Koa. The 724ce has the sound I'm looking for, so I traded back the Mini and another guitar that was tying up a lot of money for a 12-string and left with this and a $60 store credit. Super happy with this...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1655860224.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1655860240.jpg

Steve, that is a great looking guitar! Love it.

Prestige builds "stock" models of their guitar range. So one may see exactly what they want on the wall.

Mike, the owner, also has a larger business that sources/imports/exports/distributes tone woods around the world. To many of the major guitar manufactures. I was amazed I can walk into the back and choose wood. You can also choose the neck wood and fret board wood. They will do custom fret board inlays, custom logos, etc. Pick your hardware, pick ups, etc. Amazing customization.

I am having them put a Fishman Pick Up set up into my Guild 12 string. Same set up I have in my Prestige Koa.

I love Prestige Eclipse body for sound and fit. The neck works well with my chubby fingers.... I am thinking about a Devin Townsend Empath, or seeing what they can do for me using some woods I don't have in many of my guitars.

My Prestige Eclipse Koa was the first guitar I bought from them. Yet they treated me like I was their best client. Truth be told, despite having 19 guitars, in the big scheme of things, I am a hack. I can play along to all my fave songs, play a few original riffs, sit around a campfire with drunk people and make them thing I am great.... get me? I am a drummer as far as a musician goes. If you need me on stage with a band, I will play drums. That I am good at. If I am playing guitar, my mic will need to be turned down.... :)

I consider Mike and Prestige good friends, we chat business, music and life when we get to see each other. Great human and true passion for his brand and taking care of his clients.

If you are interested in any of their guitars, I am happy to go out there and look at the woods or strum a few chords on your behalf. I have them as my luthiers as well. Despite having plenty of music shops in our area (some where I have spent considerable sums) I prefer the locally owned businesses where I get to meet the people behind the vision and the work. I am out there at least once a month. Would love to help anyone looking at one of their guitars.

Cheers

I hadn't heard a Prestige and looked them up when you mentioned them. They have a very good reputation for quality and price. The Empath looks great, but I don't see any samples of it being played online and there's no dealers in California. That's okay, though. I have a nice dreadnought already. What kind of woods would you have it made with? Which Guild- an F-512 by chance?

If I get an Empath, I would get a stock one. I am thinking about an auditorium cut-away with spruce top and Zirocote back and sides. Peduk inlays in the cutaway and arm rest.

Don't laugh, but also considering a standard build with Cedar top. Not the prettiest wood out there by any stretch of the imagination, but soft smooth sound....


Here is the Guild. It is a lovely instrument.... Its a JF30. It was a gift from a friend with too many guitars... :)



http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1655872690.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1655872714.jpg

Cheers

Steve,

We have Morgan Guitars in our back yard as well... https://www.morganguitars.com/ One of my best friends, an incredible player, has one. True piece of art. Tone woods sourced through Mike's other business.

Larivee was also started here locally. https://www.larrivee.com/ Not the same company it once was. I believe there is a "story" about what happened to the brand/owner(s), but they still make amazing guitars.

Cheers

Looks like Morgan makes some wonderful stuff! Very few dealers in the US, so I doubt I'll ever see one. I've always liked 12 strings- bought a Takamine "Lawsuit Guitar" F-400 in Westwood in the late '70s when I was in college. It was like a minty 1978 car with 5,000 miles on it, but the action was high and it would have cost double its value to fix the neck and still wouldn't have sounded great (I thought it did at the time), so I donated it to Guitars for Vets. Got this Taylor 355 and had it set up with a compensated bridge and neck reset by Lex Luthier (Axetech in Novato, CA). Now it plays very easy for a 12 and sounds great like a jumbo should.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1655925240.jpg


Good cause! https://guitars4vets.org/

That Taylor is awesome! Love the look of it. Beautiful.

I have the Guild reworked about a year ago. The neck had come loose. I had sent it on a float plane over to a small island where a good friend lives so his son could play it for a while, lesson learned. After the re work and set up, amazing.

Cheers

I have a Legend Guitar Company 12 string, Sitka top and maple B/S that is amazing. It was a NAMM model that was made by some ex Larivee employees who started the company. Hand built, hand carved necks, no CNC just a nice solid guitar.

Here's some info on the company, they were out of B.C.

"The Legend Guitar Company was formed in the latter days of 1998 by master luthiers Jeff Sigurdson, Michael Soper, and Jesse Brace with the able assistance of business partner and renowned guitar broker, Robert Brown.

Jeff, Michael, and Jesse bring nearly 40 years of combined experience in larger guitar shops to the design and building of their own handmade, high-end acoustic guitars. Their specific goal was to create vintage sounding instruments with the performance characteristics of more modern designs at a price that was within the reach of a much wider audience. The combination of silky fast action, deliciously balanced, highly resonant response, as well as classic yet functionally rich beauty, makes these limited production instruments simply irresistible."

Craigster59,

Yes, Larivee was a local Vancouver area company. Employed some incredible talent. I would love to see pics of your Legend 12 String! I had never heard of them, but you have certainly got my intersest!

Steve,

Morgan is a "one man band" now in his shop. Sadly, I think when he retires the company disappears. Hope I am wrong. I am planning a visit out there and may well buy one just because. I feel that will be happening to many small instrument companies, like many other industries. I think the average age in that boutique guitar making industry in 40 or older....

That is sad. As much as I love my Fenders, Taylors and Gibsons, I really like getting to meet and engage with the people creating an instrument I am thinking about purchasing. It is a rare thing. I love hearing the passion, asking questions about why they chose particular woods, nut width, bracing etc. It is an education for me every time I am fortunate enough to interact with those people. The passion for what they do is incredible.

Cheers

I think our biggest guitar hero locally is Richard Hoover. I want to tour their factory in Santa Cruz once they open it back up the public.

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https://santacruzguitar.com/


It was suggested that I see Walter Strauss a couple of months ago and he was amazing. He was in love with a guitar he just had built in Petaluma, CA with fanned frets. That would be an interesting place! Here is is playing it in Berkeley a couple of months ago:

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Here's the shop Walter got his fanned fret guitar: https://sexauerluthier.com/index.html

Leo Kottke plays in Berkeley at the Freight & Salvage 7/22 & 7/23. He knows his way around a 12 string. I'm intrigued by the Bozo guitars. This has to have been recorded well before 2017:

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Some well knowns playing Santa Cruz guitars at their 40th Anniversary Celebration. Colin is funny!:

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Colin Hay is a gem.

Cheers

OK 945! My next guitar will be an Eastman ED20. I played one a few years ago and it was amazing! How do you like yours . My main guitar is a James Goodall I bought new in 1981. Yes Martin will fix your guitar but as you know, the Martin 12 string guitars would get a bow. Very hard to play!! Martin even recommended using a capo. Anyway, please tell me all about that Eastman!! I have the cash saved! I play a lot of finger style so can’t wait to get it.

944, sorry!

The Eastman has everything, solid wood, very much like a Martin HD 28. The sound is amazing.