Featured: Daniel Slaman Jazz Pauletta
"Daniel Slaman's new solid body electric model, the Pauletta, is a wonderfully bold statement; no punches pulled here. Slaman set out to create an archtop sounding electric that was feedback resistant, rich and woody sounding, and inspiring to play. Crafted with lightweight resonant tone woods by one of our finest builders, the Pauletta offers the modern jazz player a truly honest alternative to a hollow body guitar.
"It is one of the finest jazz solid bodies I have ever played. The custom Charlie Christian design pickup along with the handmade 250 style tailpiece add a sonic quality that I haven't experienced in other solid body electrics. The sound is immediate and present with a warmth and brilliance that is addictive. I'm sure Les Paul himself would have loved this guitar. Make no mistake, the Pauletta is breath of fresh air for the contemporary guitarist..." - Craig
Featured: Johan Gustavsson Bluesmaster Custom 59 LTD
"I just love Johan Gustavsson's Bluesmaster Limited. In fact, for the last several years that model has been my Bluesmaster of choice. In my opinion, Johan is the preeminent builder of vintage LP style guitars. He just nails that platform, plain and simple. And to those who know, his finish aging work is second to none. He takes a deep dive into that world with meticulous skill and accuracy, ultimately bringing out the timeless feeling of a guitar that has been lovingly cared for yet soulfully played. It's hard to explain but like I said, those who know, know. Think of it as a perfectionist's version of a Gustavsson 59 Bluesmaster. I can't think of a higher accolade than that.
"When this offering showed up at the shop, I was thrilled. Not only is this a sublime Bluesmaster — a one piece old growth top and back!! — it is the very first Limited that Johan built..." - Craig
Featured: Buscarino Grand Cabaret, Preowned
"Timing is everything. Years ago, I found myself going down the classical guitar rabbit hole. I was studying and practicing hard, trying to master the technique, which for me, a pick guy, wasn't easy. Classical guitar playing has lots of rules and lots of rigidness. On top of the rigors of playing the music, finding the right instrument was equally difficult. Many guitars went through my hands in the quest to find a guitar that felt like home to me. I just couldn’t find one to bond with. Until now. That's right. I really wish I had found this Buscarino Grand Cabaret back when nylon string guitars were front and center in my guitar life.
"It's beautiful. It's elegant. It's Grand. It's what a crossover guitar was meant to be. From Segovia to Jobim to Byrd to Sting, this Buscarino Grand Cabaret covers all the bases. It's as at home with a Bach prelude as it is with Fragile. The acoustic sound is sweet, warm and bold, thanks in part to its arched, carved back and lattice braced top. The added side port gives the player a front row seat to their music. The workmanship is at the absolute highest level, which is something you'd expect from master luthier John Buscarino..." - Craig
Featured: PRS Private Stock McCarty 594 Preowned 2017
"Straight out of a collection this stellar PRS, originally sold here at CR Guitars is taking a new turn through our shop in search of a new owner - near mint with virtually no sign of playing wear. My original write up follows...
This exceptional guitar is not ostentatious in any way, but rather has a refined aesthetic, and also succeeds in being visually exciting, the kind of guitar that gets your heart racing just looking at it. The now classic bird inlays are sophisticated yet simple, and I love the curly maple binding. Not to mention the vintage pattern carved figured mahogany neck, which looks and feels just wonderful.
Tonally the guitar is a chameleon, with the extended dynamic range of the PRS 58/15 LT pickups and fantastic clarity when coil tapped, it can cover any kind of music with ease. The 58/15s are pretty special pickups in that they have more clarity in the high mids, are a little rolled off in the low mids and have a strong and rooted bass response..." - Craig
Featured: Stephen Marchione Vintage Tremelo
"In my mind, there is a spectrum of guitar builders. It ranges from assemblers to builders to craftsmen, to artisans, to artists. An artist imbues every one of his (or her) creations with a part of his or her soul. It's something that's hard to characterize in words, but it's something you can feel the moment you touch the instruments. There's no question that Stephen is a true artist.
"Always searching, Marchione has upped his game by gently refining his VT for 2019. His use of torrefied woods, refined shapes and contours and tweaked pickups has added next level sensibilities to an already superb design. As always, Stephen chose only the finest mastergrade woods for this build. And to top it off, he dressed this VT in a sublime transparent limed butterscotch nitro finish..." - Craig
News:
Fender Diamond Collection Now Available
An alert from CR Guitars owner Craig Snyder:
"A very special collection of Fender guitars has been just put up for sale at the Music Gallery (musicgalleryinc.com). The Music Gallery is owned by my good friend Frank Glionna. I've known Frank for many years, even before I opened CR Guitars, and he is the guy I've always turned to when I need a guitar with an "F" on the headstock. He is also a Fender Diamond Dealer and gets the very best of the best. I don't usually tout other shops in news entries, but this Diamond Collection is so special that I felt it worthy of a special mention and a heads up for any interested parties..."
CR Guitars Guitar Safari
An update from CR Guitars owner Craig Snyder:
I am absolutely dedicated to offering only the finest hand selected guitars and amps here at CR Guitars. To that end, I have been on my own guitar safari, on the hunt for the great stuff. And when I mean the great stuff I'm talking about the most righteous gear. Everything I bring back has to be the best of the best; great playing, great sounding – the sweetest versions of whatever flavor guitar or amp they happen to be.
Behind The Scenes At CR
At CR Guitars there is quite a lot of activity that happens behind the scenes, activity (guitars) that you, our Internet viewers, never get to see. That's not say that what's on our site isn't our best stuff; it is, but it doesn't represent everything. You see, part of our 'hand selected' ethic means serving many customers directly, and that means many guitars get ordered directly through us and never make it to our website...
...Read More
The Yanuziello Milano Series - Interview w/ Joe
Like every artist Joe Yanuziello is always looking for new territory to conquer, the next mountain to climb. Enter the first in a 10 piece Limited Edition Series called the Milano, what Joe considers his next level instrument. It's that great. So great we decided to interview Joe for a feature on his new Milano Series. Joe's insatiable curiosity has taken him off the beaten path to a line of unique guitars that harken back to the European electrics of the early '60s, particularly Italian makers, that over the years have become quite collectible in the vintage market. Read on to find out about the truly remarkable Milano Series...
...Read More
Tao Guitars; Engineering Prowess, Cultural Finesse
We have been fortunate to obtain a few Tao Guitars over the last few months and honestly, we're completely blown away. From their automotive-inspired body carving/shaping to their unique finishes to their impeccable build quality these are instruments that truly stand out. When you examine the myriad of small details that make these instruments what they are you get it; these are guitars built by consummate designers with an engineer's edge. Every aspect has been considered and deeply designed. Designed for tone, designed for ergonomics, designed for visual impact. Tao guitars are created by true artisans. You simply HAVE TO check them out.
Friends of CR Guitars: Jostein Gulbrandsen
Jostein Gulbrandsen, who has done many product videos for CR Guitars and is a longtime friend of CR Guitars owner Craig Snyder is originally from Norway. Since 2001 he has been based in New York where he received his master's degree in jazz guitar from the Manhattan School of Music in 2003. Gulbrandsen has played at Kongsberg Jazz Festival, Blue Note, Birdland, BB. Kings, Cornelia Street Cafe, Smalls, Smoke, Blues Alley, The Kennedy Center and many other places. He has toured in Norway and Scotland and also held master classes at Agder College of Music and Hobart and William Smith Colleges...
...Read MoreFeatured Videos:
- CR Guitars Features: Collings I-35 LC Custom Faded Cherry
- CR Guitars Features: PRS Private Stock Archtop II with Piezo
- CR Guitars Features: Johan Gustavsson 59 Bluesmaster Limited
- CR Guitars: Unboxing Stephen Marchione Semi Hollow
- CR Guitars Features: Daniel Slaman Sisterhood #6
- James Tyler Psychedelic Vomit
- CR Guitars Features: Yanuziello “ala Frisell” Spruce Top (4K)
- CR Guitars Features: Raymond Kraut Modified Dreadnought
- CR Guitars Features: Lowden S35 WA/RC 2015
- Fryette Aether Amp Part 2 - In the Shop with David Torn
Recent Arrivals:
Johan Gustavsson Bluesmaster-S Preowned 2012
Originally sold in 2012, this amazing JG Bluesmaster Semi has found its way back to CR Guitars and is looking for a new home. It's a guitar that speaks for itself. It's got everything, everything, you'd want in a Bluesmaster...
Stephen Marchione Vintage Tremelo 2019
Always searching, Marchione has upped his game by gently refining his VT for 2019. His use of torrefied woods, refined shapes and contours and tweaked pickups has added next level sensibilities to an already superb design...
John Slobod Circa OM Custom
The Slobod Cira OM a joy to play. The action is on the lower side for ease of play and the neck profile is perfect. Right out of the box, there is a maturity to the tone, like a great vintage classic steel string...
PRS Special Semi Hollow LTD
The 58/15 MT pickup tones are everything you would expect from great humbuckers. Then add in a great neck profile and the wonderful PRS workmanship, and you have a guitar that is an inspiring, superbly capable, multi task music-making machine...
Stephen Marchione Master Burst Electric
Stephen's Master Burst covers all the sonic bases but at the same time provides a player with an inspired platform to express their individual voice. It's a remarkable instrument. And here's what it's not: just another 'burst clone...
Buscarino Grand Cabaret, Preowned
It's beautiful. It's elegant. It's Grand. It's what a crossover guitar was meant to be. From Segovia to Jobim to Byrd to Sting, this Buscarino Grand Cabaret covers all the bases. It's as at home with a Bach prelude as it is with Fragile...
Daniel Slaman Jazz Pauletta
Daniel Slaman's new solid body electric model, the Pauletta, is a wonderfully bold statement; no punches pulled here. Slaman set out to create an archtop sounding electric that was feedback resistant, rich and woody sounding, and inspiring to play...
Collings 360 LT Lollar Gold Foils, Preowned
Part of the joy of this guitar is the remarkable Lollar Gold Foil pickups. They exude a wide dynamic range with a crystal clear top end and lots of in your face harmonic overtones. It's a classic sound, one that any single coil lover - from Ry Cooder to Bill Frisell to Julian Lage - would appreciate...
Marchione Uni-Body Carve Top, 2018
Stephen's Uni-body model is a very special guitar. It's one that you simply can't order. The reason is that Marchione only builds this rare model when he finds the perfect piece of wood - perfect in every way...
Collings City Limits Gold Top, Preowned
This preowned Collings City Limits Gold Top is a vintage-inspired solid body CL, with a subtly aged finish for that classic look and feel. It was special ordered with a great set of Wolfetone P90s, the vintage output Mean in the neck and the slightly higher output Meaner in the bridge....
PRS Private Stock McCarty 594 Preowned 2017
This exceptional guitar is not ostentatious in any way, but rather has a refined aesthetic, and also succeeds in being visually exciting, the kind of guitar that gets your heart racing just looking at it. The now classic bird inlays are sophisticated yet simple, and you'll love the curly maple binding...
Marchione Custom 15 Archtop Preowned 2016
This Marchione archtop is absolutely stunning, a superlative world class guitar that has everything you could possibly want from an archtop instrument. It is both a museum piece and an eminently playable guitar. Beautiful to look at, with Stephen’s distinctive aesthetic sense...
Bourgeois OM Banjo Killer Preowned 2017
Our latest acoustic offering is a highly customized 2017 Dana Bourgeois OM with Dana's "Banjo Killer" bracing. Usually offered on the Slope D model, the BK bracing adds extra cutting power to the overall guitar tone...
Collings 290 Custom
The tone just bleeds out of this guitar, with clarity and a voice that is just alive. This is yet another example of Collings taking a beloved historical instrument, capturing the essence of what we love, and making it available to us with incredible playability, stability and a beautiful finish...
Sadowsky LS-15
Based on Sadowsky's well-known and loved SS-15 model, the LS15 offers a longer scale (25 1/2"), two PAF style pickups and 16 frets to the body. Like the SS-15 the 1 3/4" body depth makes this a very comfortable archtop to navigate...
Sadowsky LS-17
Roger has added another dimension to the LS-17. The 17" body, the 25 1/2" scale, and PAF pickup were all designed to satisfy players who are used to a more traditional archtop, but all the particulars were designed in such a way that the player could become one with their instrument.
Benedetto Custom 7 String Archtop
This current offering was one of those special Stroudsburg era guitars and was created for a wonderful professional guitarist. What makes this particular 7 string so special is that it is a duplicate of the one that Bob made for none other than the great Bucky Pizzarelli...
Sugita Kenji Carrera 00
At just 3.7 lbs this Carrera is a pure joy to hold. With all of this guitar's stellar attributes, what stands out is the tone. What amazing tone! The sweetness of a vintage 00 Martin but with the focus and clarity of a modern bespoke guitar...
Rick Toone Spearfish Prototype
Rick Toone offers instruments that are head turning works of art, yet wonderfully playable. This Spearfish is the very first ever Spearfish and is absolutely unique. It serves as both prototype and as a new (pivotal) evolution of design thinking.
