Originally Posted by tadol
Well - I drove up to Petaluma today, as it was the last opportunity to try the “Bluegrass Tool” before it left for its permanent home - plus, I was told there was cake -
And yes, the cake was fantastic (big birthday cake fan!). But even more important - I got a chance to play both of the bluegrass dreads that he recently finished up. I started with the non-mahogany - Bruce’s unique take on a D18 - and it was fantastic. Aesthetically, the figure in the wood is completely beyond what the camera can capture - the depth and color, and the way it is almost a perfect mirror match, and with the curly koa purflings and rosette, it is a truly gorgeous guitar. But when you play it - it has a clear dry tone with just the right depth of woodiness. It is by any measure the absolute best D18 style I’ve ever played - and at just a few days old, it’s hard to imagine how much more it’s gonna be in 10, or 20 years. Bruce says its so good, he’s not gonna sell it, but keep it for his personal guitar - which in itself is pretty unusual - but so far anyone who’s tried its first question is, “How much?”. I was pretty convinced it might be the best Sexauer I’d heard - or at least, the best dread - but then I put it down and he hands me the “Bluegrass Tool” -
First look - the braz rw on this guitar is some of the finest I’ve seen - the color, the grain, and the subtle flame in this set of outstandingly quartersawn material is the stuff dreams are made of. He paired it with an adirondack top that may be the most perfect I’ve seen - perfect qs, with medullary in beautiful display all the way to the very edges, and zero runout. Cocobolo sapwood bindings, in a pale grey, offset the colors of the top and sides perfectly. The understated elegance of the guitar is stunning. But then you strum it - and the guitar responds beautifully. The lightest touch makes the notes jump off the guitar, but you dig in, and it never breaks up - the tone is wrapped onto the volume like inseparable twins, rich and resonant and beautifully balanced at any level. Light finger picking, or heavy attack with a pick, and the guitar sounds incredible. It truly blows the doors off some of the best dreads I’ve ever heard. Shame to consider it a “Bluegrass” guitar, because it could be purely the best rw dread I’ve heard for any style of playing -
But - its new owner came by, and away it went, making one person happy beyond their wildest expectation - or maybe, 2, since now my wife doesn’t have to worry about me trying to afford it - ;-)
Can’t wait for the weather to improve and I can spend more time up with Bruce playing some of those other guitars I can’t have!
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