Featured: Glendale Retro Blackguard, Preowned 2013
"There is something uniquely different about Glendale Guitars. They are a company based in Texas whose mission is to create the very best possible parts for T style guitars. Parts of such a high level that many builders have turned to them for their superior grade rolled steel bridges and saddles. It's not just bridges and saddles. Glendale makes its own pickups, and its own paper in oil capacitors.
"Here's your chance to experience all this goodness together in one great place. That's because Glendale offers their own guitars built by their extremely skilled artisans. Our current offering is the Retro Blackguard version of their Tele line. Exquisitely crafted and a featherweight - 5.10 lbs — this guitar has all the resonance and woody spank you'd expect from a fine T style guitar. The Glendale 1949 pickups bring out all the T style goodness from a vintage style guitar, with the added bonus of modern playability..." - Craig
Featured: Nico Moffa Americana “New Model”
"Straight from the skilled hands of Nico Moffa, I'm pleased to offer his very latest model archtop - the Americana. According to the builder, its sound is inspired by the historic American guitars which were the backbone of classic electric jazz guitar.
"But, as with many talented artists, Nico wanted to put his spin on the model and revise it in "Moffa" style. Nico has a way of drawing the most guitar-ness out of his materials and design, resulting in a stunning and modern looking handmade jazz box that is eager to be played..." - Craig
Featured: Yanuziello Red Velvet Cupcake
"Originally conceived as a touring guitar for the brilliant and eclectic guitarist Kevin Breit (Norah Jones, Cassandra Wilson among others) the Cupcake was designed to be something that could be taken on a plane without a hassle then played in the studio or stage without missing a beat. Kevin's Cupcake turned out to be such a success that he found no need to carry another 6 string electric on a gig. When Joe told me about his new creation I just had to order one for the shop in this yummy and wonderful red velvet finish.
"Truthfully, I'm amazed. Its scale length is 22.5", shorter than my 1958 Byrdland but it's oh so playable. In fact, because it has Joe's standard nut width and neck profile, it is actually more comfortable to play than my vintage Gibson. Don't think of this as a travel guitar as much as a guitar you can travel with. It is professional all the way. From the fit and finish to the exquisite appointments to the sound, it is another masterfully built Yanuziello..." - Craig
Featured: Marchione Uni-Body Carve Top, 2018
"Condition: This minty Stephen Marchione Uni-Body came straight out of a collection. It is in the same condition as when it first left our shop in 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. And I mean perfect in every way. You can imagine how rare it is to find a single piece of wood perfect enough to carve into a complete guitar. Add to that; there is no room for error in the crafting of a uni-body. One misplaced carve, one slip of the chisel, even a nick in the headstock, and the whole project is ruined. Bill Evans writes about a particular kind of Japanese calligraphy on the liner notes to "Kind of Blue." There’s no room for erasures, no room for error, no going back. This guitar is exactly like that. As Stephens says, it really takes his 30 years of luthier skills to birth one of these beauties. In the last 10 years, he has only made 6 of them..." - Craig
Featured: 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, both of which deliver rich, gritty Alnico 2 tones no matter the position. Aged hardware and a wrap-around Schaller bridge further that mid-50s inspired look. This beauty is in near mint condition.
"This classic body style looks gorgeous with the aged nitro finish so tastefully and finely done that it gives an extra bit of character to the gold top and mahogany body. Understated details include the cream 1-ply pickguard with matching cream pickup covers..." - 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...
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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:
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...
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...
1962 Gibson ES-335 TD with Block Inlays
This beauty is in excellent original condition, untouched other than an excellent fret job done by the great luthier Chris Mirabella. The sunburst finish has that warm glow that you see in well preserved vintage Gibsons...
Rancourt CR Guitars Signature Acoustic Archtop
Though this guitar appears to have a traditional archtop esthetic, it really breaks the bounds of those constraints. It is very light in weight with a rich modern acoustic tone that would satisfy every facet of acoustic guitar styles...
Andersen Vanguard 16 Custom 2015 - preowned
Following the success CR Guitars has had with our customized Andersen Electric Archie, I decided to work with Steve on another special model guitar, using basically the same esthetic formula...
Mirko Borghino Bluesy Walnut Model
Not only is the build impeccable, from the choice of woods to the masterful construction, but the tone is absolutely stellar. Though it is a bit smaller than an OM the rich sonorous sound that it produces feels likes it's coming from a larger guitar...
Serracini Grand Auditorium Model
What we currently have in the shop is a Serracini Grand Auditorium Fan Fret model. Davide uses a very slight fan fret design, one that is hardly noticeable when you play but really adds to the the sonic quality...
Stephen Marchione OMC Preowned 2017
Marchione's OMC is built in the Spanish tradition, with the sides let into the neck. What that means to the player, is that the string action is flawless for the length of the fret board, rather than having the board sink into the body as it nears the sound hole...
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.
Sadowsky SS-15
This 2019 Sadowsky SS-15 is brand new and a real winner. The body size is perfect for travel and the sound is sweet, clear and immediate. Its neck shape is a medium C with the right amount of taper...
Lowden Wee Lowden Jazz (WL-35 GR/AS)
New for 2019, the Wee Lowden Jazz is an exciting and inspired addition to George Lowden's very popular WL model guitars. It's remarkably comfortable to play with an alive and warm tone. The neck carve is superb, something that should appeal to any flat top or electric player...
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...
Gretsch G6192 ‘53 Electromatic II Relic
This very special guitar is about as good a Gretsch as you could ever play. Built in 2014, this very rare model came into being as a tribute to the great, and severely overlooked jazz guitarist Billy Bean...
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...
TLL Marvin
The Marvin is an exquisitely made instrument with careful attention paid to all the things important in a well-made bespoke guitar. The fit and finish, the binding and inlay work are all top notch. The fret work is up there with all the fine builders represented at CR Guitars...
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.
