A Visit to Gryphon Guitars

[jayhawk]

I'm down from Portland to the bay area on business and on Saturday decided to visit Gryphon Guitars, since I've heard so much about them.

When you get to the store there is nothing impressive about it. From the outside it looks more like a shoe repair or welding shop. Go on in.

While I was there, there was a steady stream of about 8 customers at any given time. I think they had about 5 people working there at any given time. Frank was working the floor, I did not bother him.

One of the things I wanted to look at was a Cervantes Crossover 1. I've been thinking about a nylon string and knew I didn't want a true classical. After looking around for a while, I didn't see one, but they listed one on their website. I asked one of the guys telling him the type of guitar I was looking for without specifying the Cervantes. I wanted to see what he would recommend. He immediately recommended the Cervantes.

Unfortunately it was being looked at by customers, Tammy and Bob. They were very friendly and invited me to look at it with them. Tammy played the Cervantes for a few minutes but hated the 1 7/8 neck. She wanted something with a thinner neck and something with a pickup. Tom, the sales guy told her there were no good pickups for classicals and wanted her to look at a Turner nylon string solid body. I'm not sure I agreed with 'no good classical pickups', but its not my place to say, he should be the expert.

I played the Cervantes for a while. The neck did not bother me. The strings were floppier than I was used to, but I suppose you'd get used to that. The sound of the guitar was very nice. It sounded very good on 'In the Bleak Midwinter Morning' and 'This is my Father's World'. The fact it had no fret markers was frustrating. I suppose you'd learn.

After that I played some steel string OM/OOO size. I played a SCGC H13. I have to admit I have yet to play a Santa Cruz that really speaks to me. They always sound tight. I played 3 Collings, one 000 short scale, one OM and an OM with a mahogony top. I liked them. They played and sounded good. I played a Martin OM-28 Marquis. I think I liked it better than the Collings.

I went then and looked at his used guitars. He had a 1969 Martin 000-18. It was in pretty good shape, didn't appear to have any cracks or major scratches or rash, still it looked 40 years old. I sat down to play it. Oh my. From the first strum this guitar was magical. What a great full sound. Whether strumming or picking it was killer. I played it for about 4 minutes and knew I had to put it down or bad things would happy.

I walk back to the wall and there is a guy putting up a D-45. I tell him he needs to play this 000-18. He takes it and I turn my back. When I turn around he is gone, with the guitar. I find him later in another room with the guitar. He agrees it is special. Asks me why I don't buy it. I tell him I'd like to stay married

I look around a little more before leaving. Very nice shop, especially if you are looking for mid to high end guitars. They have a great selection of Martin, Colling, Santa Cruz and Bougios (sp).

Yes, that 000-18 is going to haunt my memory for a while.

Jack

[min7b5]

Originally Posted by jayhawk

I'm down from Portland to the bay area on business and on Saturday decided to visit Gryphon Guitars...

I played a SCGC H13. I have to admit I have yet to play a Santa Cruz that really speaks to me. They always sound tight...

I'm down from Portland too, but didn't make it to Gryphon this time (though if this weather holds up I may be here tomorrow too,wow) Gryphon is such a great store. Hey, if you're bopping around NE Portland one day, drop aline and pop by so you can check out some very very open Cruz's

[jayhawk]

Originally Posted by min7b5

I'm down from Portland too, but didn't make it to Gryphon this time (though if this weather holds up I may be here tomorrow too,wow) Gryphon is such a great store. Hey, if you're bopping around NE Portland one day, drop aline and pop by so you can check out some very very open Cruz's

Yeah, the weather here this morning looks like Portland

Thanks for the offer to look at your guitars. I'll take you up on it at some point.

[Wade Hampton]

Jack -

Like you, I've visited Gryphon Stringed Instruments and found musical nirvana. But while there I played more than just one guitar I would have loved to buy!

Like Eric, I've also played some wonderful, open-sounding Santa Cruz guitars, though I don't own any. But what I've found is that there can be quite a range to the Santa Cruz instruments: I'd played some killers, but have also played some that, while not quite dogs, certainly didn't set me to feverishly calculating whether I could afford to buy them.

So I'd suggest playing a few more of them, because they do vary.

Anyway, I'm glad you had fun at Gryphon. That's a world class store run by world class people.


Wade Hampton Miller

[Glennwillow]

Jack,

I visited Gryphon last June on a 100°F day. My wife and I were in Palo Alto for a wedding at Stanford and that morning we decided to walk from our hotel over to the Gryphon store -- about a 3 mile walk in that heat.

I would like to visit there again; next time I will be more open minded about what I look at and play, because they had a terrific selection. But I was with my wife, didn't want to turn this jaunt into a free-for-all. I went there to find a Martin 000-18GE, they didn't have one, and instead they introduced me to a Collings OM1 with custom dread depth and adi top and I'm afraid I was hooked right away. I later bought that guitar via email after I got home to Washington state.

I appreciated that they gave us a lot of time to try out several guitars and to compare. I spent almost two hours playing, and when I needed a tuner or a thumb pick or a capo, they obliged each time. They were vey accommodating.

Glad you visit was memorable.

- Glenn

[Wade Hampton]

The star guitar for me the one time I visited Gryphon was a Martin 000-28H, which is essentially the same thing as a Martin Eric Clapton model in terms of its bracing, but with a modern neck profile.

What a great guitar.

I also played some Huss & Dalton guitars that I liked a lot, and a couple of one-off luthier guitars that left me underwhelmed - no names, thank you, but the worst-sounding of the bunch was made by one of the most prominent of the Healdsburg Guitar Festival participating luthiers, a guy who's known for his emphatic oratorical pronouncements regarding proper guitar design and construction (and his correspondingly emphatic price tags.)

Frank Ford had pointed the guitar out to me and invited me to play it, then impishly waited for a horrified expression to spread across my face before asking: "Doesn't sound very good, does it?"

You've gotta love a guy like Frank Ford....

Anyway, if I lived within an hour's drive of Gryphon Stringed Instruments I'd be in there all the time, so it's probably just well that I don't.


Wade Hampton Miller

[Mad Rose]

I live about 20 mins from Gryphon & while they do have a good selection of Martins, Collings, & Taylors, they seemed to have all but eliminated the Santa Cruz line. Once they were really big on them, now there's only a couple. They do stock a few models by custom builders that are unapproachable by my wallet. Still, it's a fun place to visit & I've found their prices on used instruments are w/in reason. I've also found that I know a little more than some of the sales people employed there...! Frank Ford has been a great source for me through years as has Richard Johnson.

[AllThumbsBruce]

Well, I live 1 mile from Gryphon and do drop in to check out their stock, specially the used selection. I usually try to buy strings or a book. One day I bought a D2HG. It is a dangerous place to live near.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by AllThumbsBruce

Well, I live 1 mile from Gryphon and do drop in to check out their stock, specially the used selection. I usually try to buy strings or a book. One day I bought a D2HG. It is a dangerous place to live near.

Well, it beats hanging out in bars and poolrooms!

I envy you having that close proximity to one of the all-time great acoustic guitar shops. I'm fiercely jealous (in my own soft-spoken way, naturally!)


whm

[FranK_S]

I visit Gryphon about once a month (whether I need to or not), bought a lefty Blueridge there last year. I wish they'd stock more than one lefty guitar in the store, all the beautiful (Righty) Collings and Martins sitting there waiting to be played.

[AllThumbsBruce]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Well, it beats hanging out in bars and poolrooms!

I envy you having that close proximity to one of the all-time great acoustic guitar shops. I'm fiercely jealous (in my own soft-spoken way, naturally!)


whm

True that! Although, as much as I enjoy my visits there, with my poor level of playing having Gryphon nearby is a bit like pearls before swine. I am sure you would be a more appropriate denizen.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by AllThumbsBruce

True that! Although, as much as I enjoy my visits there, with my poor level of playing having Gryphon nearby is a bit like pearls before swine. I am sure you would be a more appropriate denizen.

Not necessarily....but I did enjoy my visit there immensely, and have nothing but the highest respect for the proprietors and their establishment.


whm

[Paje]

Originally Posted by jayhawk

...I had to put it down or bad things would happy.

heh - no one else caught that Freudian slip yet?

Small world. I'm in Portland too but lived in the Bay Area prior. I stopped into Gryphon every so often. Had them install my Trance Audio Amulet sys on my Larrivee (which has a Gryphon inlay on the headstock actually, lol). Good spot.

[jayhawk]

Originally Posted by Paje

heh - no one else caught that Freudian slip yet?

Small world. I'm in Portland too but lived in the Bay Area prior. I stopped into Gryphon every so often. Had them install my Trance Audio Amulet sys on my Larrivee (which has a Gryphon inlay on the headstock actually, lol). Good spot.

Wow, I didn't see I had written that. A shrink would have field day with the comment.

Jack