G R (Rye) Bear may not yet be a "household" name on the AGF, but I'll bet he will be. Either way, a lot of folks will want to know more about him. He is an Australian born native of Vancouver Canada, who has been building some phenomenal sounding guitars from sustainable woods from his homelands. Having apprenticed to a well known classical guitar builder for a number of years, he is now applying much of that build technology to steel string acoustics. If you'd like an understanding of his unique bracing, etc., you may wish to check out his website, as well as an interview conducted by TNAG in the links below:
https://www.grbear.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD3WMCdb7R4
I recently acquired one of his 00 instruments. My decision was influenced by reading a number of reviews that all seemed to have a common theme, i.e., they greatly applauded the "surgical precision," "projection," "sustain," "clarity," "balance," and "separation." inherent in his builds. I agree with all of that. The tone that I hear is similar to that expressed by another owner....a hybrid between traditional and modern, with a bit of growl. On my guitar, it's near the middle between warm and bright, the projection is the match to my small jumbo, and the articulation permits me to create nuance as never before. I think the triple layered sides, plus unique bracing pattern and materials, account primarily for this, and it is so remarkable that it continues to astonish each time I play it.
Sure, we read these words applied to a lot of guitars, and we apply them to our own. I get it. But, I can only tell you what I believe. Rye is onto something with his approach to building. Hearing is believing, and I hope you get a chance to do so.
Some Specs: Western Red Cedar over Ancient Kauri; Mahogany Neck; Ebano fretboard; Padauk Bridge; Yate Burl Rosette; Yate Burl Headstock Veneer; Ebano Binding; Maple Purfling; Paulownia Carbon Falcate Bracing. (Notice the sustainable wood emphasis.)
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Sorry the photos are sideways! They were right side up on my computer and I've spent too much time trying to fix them already! Thank you for reading!