CR GUITARS - hand selected

Featured: Gretsch G6192 ‘53 Electromatic II Relic

"If you are a jazz guitar aficionado, you're familiar with the music of Wes Montgomery, Jim Hall and Kenny Burrell. But you've probably never heard of Billy Bean, who in my opinion stands toe to toe with any of the well known legends of jazz. I was very fortunate when I was a kid to sit next to him while he was playing in my father's band.

"One of the earliest - and rare - guitars jazz great Billy Bean played in the '50s was a Gretsch '53 Electromatic II. It caught my eye and heart. It was as cool as cool could possibly be, as individual as individual could be, totally iconic and totally mesmerizing, like Billy himself. Over the years I have never been able to locate one that looked like Billy's, so I reached out to the master luthier Stephen Stern to recreate the model. To my great fortune and with the help of my friend Frank Glionna, owner of Music Gallery, we made it happen. Stephen was so delighted with the project that he built 3 of them. Two were featured at Winter Namm and sold immediately. The first, and the original one, was sent to me and has been in my collection ever since - until now. I've decided that it's time for this beauty to move on, find a new home and a player/collector who will appreciate just how amazing a guitar it is...'" - Craig

Featured: Rancourt Concerto Signature 15” Archtop

"It's always a joy to discover, meet, and get to know exceptional and gifted talents who are devoted to giving inspired meaning to pieces of wood with strings on them. Case in point: I found Guillaume Rancourt through the legendary guitar maker and dear friend Ken Parker. I had asked Ken if he could recommend any young builders for me check out. Ken strongly suggested I contact Guillaume Rancourt, which led me to order one of his superb instruments for the shop. Rancourt was kind enough to hand deliver this Concerto to me and let me say I am not only immensely impressed with the guitar, but I was equally impressed with the man himself. Like I said, it's a part of my job that brings me great joy.

"Guillaume's commitment to excellence, his absolute care, his unrelenting search for perfection and his masterful talent just blow me away. So young and so able with such deep personal and professional integrity. Just like the the builder Issac Jang, he is a welcome addition to the world of lutherie and will be for years to come...'" - Craig

Featured: Jersey Girl Audrey Seneca, 2018

"I'm always on the lookout for exceptional guitars for the shop, so I will occasionally order an instrument from an exceptional builder that's new to me just to experience something new and to broaden my guitar horizons. Sometimes it works out and sometimes not so much.

"This amazing Jersey Girl Audrey model falls squarely in the former (an experience that worked out!). Jersey Girl guitars are all handmade in Japan, each unique, all with over the top fine detailed craftmanship. This particular instrument is named after the great Stoic philosopher Seneca. It's an LP style guitar and is absolutely a sight to behold. Every aspect of the guitar, from the woods to the fit and finish and electronics come together in a deeply thoughtful way. The sound is rich, woody and pristine with plenty of growl when pushed...'" - Craig

Featured: Gibson ES 175 D 1958

"I have always had a special place in my heart for Gibson ES175s, especially those made from the early '50s through 1964. They are iconic instruments played by some of the greatest guitarists of all time. Jim Hall, Pat Metheny, Steve Howe, Joe Pass; the list of fine players who have all found their distinctive voice within this work horse guitar goes on and on. For me, 1958 is a turning point year, because that's when Gibson made the use of PAF pickups standard. Some would say (and I agree) it brought this venerable guitar up to the next level.

"The ES 175D for offer here is a great example of this iconic guitar. It is all original except for a pro fret job and '60s ABR1 bridge which upgrade its sound and playability. This guitar has everything I want to see and hear in these guitars. It is imbued with a wonderful vintage PAF tone and a beautifully contoured neck profile. (The neck profile actually reminds me of Metheny's own 175, which I have had the good fortune of playing.)...'" - Craig

News:

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...

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...

Recent Arrivals:

Collings CJMRG Preowned, 2015

Originally sold by the shop, this 2015 Collings CJ was custom ordered with Madagascar rosewood body and a German spruce top. Where this guitar particularly shines is that it's got a very wide range sound and at the same time a real personality across its tonal range...

Sadowsky Broadway LS-13

Blistering soulful tones to addictive playability are provided by this Sadowsky Broadway LS-13. The H/S/H pickup configuration is stellar when paired with Roger's proprietary preamp system. If you can only bring one guitar to a gig, you'll definitely want to consider the LS-13...

PRS 509 Artist Package Faded Whale Blue

It’s finally here. This stunning PRS Artist Package 509 has arrived over a year since I ordered it. And it is everything I hoped for and more. My inspiration for bringing this PRS into to the shop was seeing the legendary session guitarist, Dean Parks, play a similar PRS in a concert with David Crosby......

Mario Martin CR Custom ‘56 S, Burst

For this CR Custom Mario used the same woods as a model '56, a lightweight alder body (unbelievable at just 7 lbs!!) and one piece maple neck. The neck carve needed to be very player friendly with a soft chunky V profile and, like the '56, a very satiny feeling...

Mario Martin CR Custom S, Black

For this CR Custom, Mario used the same woods as a model '56, a lightweight alder body (unbelievable at just 7 lbs!!) and one piece maple neck. The tone is vintage Strat all the way. Just the right amount of squish and compression blended with a sweet resonant punch...

Tao Guitars Yamakage

The Tao Yamakage is a guitar designed to have a voice all its own. It is just riddled with stunning small design details. You discover more and more of them as you examine and play it. Yet beyond the various Japanese-inspired design elements there is an instrument with immense depth and range...

Scharpach Custom Jumbo Flattop Preowned

In 2006, guitarist Matte Henderson approached Theo Scharpach with the possibility of building his ultimate seven string acoustic guitar. Due to Matte's lifetime obsession with North and South Indian classical musics, he was looking for an instrument that would enable him to do microtonal bends...

Tao Phaeton Villa d’Este

The whole idea for the Phaeton was to build a unique hollow body jazz guitar that could handle high volume feedback in a more compact rounded ergonomic body with solid body style sustain. For the player/collector the Phaeton offers, along with stellar craftmanship, remarkable tone...

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...

Michael Greenfield Model G3

This is truly one of the best small body guitars ever. Michael originally built this guitar to be his personal instrument and chose options that were close to his heart. Everywhere you look there is evidence of sublime craftsmanship yet there is nothing glitzy going on here...

Gretsch Model G6158, 2012

This near mint offering was the brain child of Gretsch master builder Stephen Stern, who wanted to marry the Anniversary Jr. size (14” lower bout) body with the "Classic Rocker" inlay design that he originated back in 1998 for a one-off guitar that showed at NAMM...

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.

Froggy Bottom M DLX Preowned 2016

This was a very special build for the folks at Froggy, using the finest and rarest woods available. The back and sides are old growth 5A chocolatey Brazilian rosewood - really rare and desirable stuff. The top is old growth German spruce with a touch of bear claw harvested in 1876...