12 Fret Sloped Dread Options

[Zissou Intern]

You may want to consider a Pono DS20. There are several threads about them here on the AGF.

[btalley]

so, just learned this week that there's a luthier in the town i live in! pretty wild. Rose Creek Guitars. gonna head to his shop to play a few guitars on monday to play some 12 fret dreads he has to see if i'd be interested in doing a custom build with him. it would be 3k+, which is more than I want to spend...so that might be a deal breaker. but there is something about a custom build with a local luthier that has my interest piqued.

[Mandobart]

Originally Posted by btalley

so, just learned this week that there's a luthier in town... see if i'd be interested in doing a custom build with him. it would be 3k+, which is more than I want to spend...so that might be a deal breaker. but there is something about a custom build with a local luthier that has my interest piqued.

When a new Martin or Gibson is around $3k, spending that much on a good custom build is a real bargain.

I had Tom Jessen of Cricket Fiddle build a couple custom instruments for me - both carved top and back. One is my 26" 10 string mandocello and the other is a 10 string Hardanger viola.

I've known TJ and bought 5 of his builds over the last 15 years. He's a straight shooter. He told me after buying the wood, finish, tail piece, tuning machines, etc. he ends up making about $15 per hour at $3k. That was 5 years ago.

[Malcolm Kindnes]

Originally Posted by btalley

so, just learned this week that there's a luthier in the town i live in! pretty wild. Rose Creek Guitars. gonna head to his shop to play a few guitars on monday to play some 12 fret dreads he has to see if i'd be interested in doing a custom build with him. it would be 3k+, which is more than I want to spend...so that might be a deal breaker. but there is something about a custom build with a local luthier that has my interest piqued.

The problem with this approach is if you want to sell it in the future you will have a struggle and probably lose a lot of money. Big name 12 fret dreds are not an easy sell to start with, never mind those by small local builders.

[btalley]

Originally Posted by Malcolm Kindnes

The problem with this approach is if you want to sell it in the future you will have a struggle and probably lose a lot of money. Big name 12 fret dreds are not an easy sell to start with, never mind those by small local builders.

i totally get that. other than the amount, it's one of my hesitations. i mean...i sure wouldn't go into it with a plan to sell it. it would likely be an heirloom kind of guitar for me. BUT...if something did happen & i need to flip it, i realize the resale wouldn't be like it would if i bought another option like the Iris DF that looks good (or martin/gibson, of course).

i'm heading over there tomorrow & really curious to play some of them. i don't think i've ever even played a handbuilt guitar.

[Arapaho G]

Originally Posted by btalley

i have been watching any of the iris df smecks for sure. i don't love their standard headstock, but did find an iris DF smeck with an open headstock that looks amazing. it's in nashville, which would require a drive & it's $2800, which is a bit over my max. i'm really not sure if i can go up that high...but i'm tempted.

In that case you shouldn't go play the Iris. If you do there's a good chance you'll take it home. Over your max would be a short term issue.

[guitargeorge]

Originally Posted by btalley

i have been watching any of the iris df smecks for sure. i don't love their standard headstock, but did find an iris DF smeck with an open headstock that looks amazing. it's in nashville, which would require a drive & it's $2800, which is a bit over my max. i'm really not sure if i can go up that high...but i'm tempted.

The open headstock is a $500.00 upgrade on an Iris, so that is a good price for a Smeck, and you don't see them that often.

[martom2]

I've owned a 2011 Martin D18VS and now a 12 fret southern jumbo ultimate that I'm about to list.

The D-18VS seem to be going for $2300-2800 these days. I thought it was fantastic as a standalone instrument. It was fantastic at flatpicking and had a foundation-shaking bass response. It was slightly over built though imo and it was more of a grand piano with averagish note separation. I found it didn't lend itself to writing or singing well (for me).

The 12 fret SJ is the best guitar I've played. It can do everything and anything well, from hard flatpicking to soft fingerpicking, and has songs seemingly falling out of it (for me). The note separation is special and can help playing very expressively. I'm assuming it's the torrefied Adi that helps with that.

While these of course aren't the only two kinds of 12 fret dreads, they are two archetypes that it seems other builders often model. You won't go wrong with either, but it depends on what purpose you need your axe for, imo. (Flatpicking cannon vs. beefy songwriter guitar is how I'd summarize that).

[Daddyo]

I love my Larrivee SD 50

[btalley]

i've learned a lot here, thank you all! i found keb mo in good condition for 2400 & an iris df smeck with an open headstock for 2800 that i'm trying to decide between at this point i think 😬

still open to other options. i visited the local luthier last week & it was a really cool experience. the guitars were great & it would be fun to go fully custom, but overall just too much out of my budget.