For Sale: Halcyon SJ Lutz/Figured Walnut - donated

[syd2aussie]

I could not sell this one so donated it to a musician in need.

Halcyon SJ - Lutz Spruce/Figured Walnut, Ebony fretboard and bridge, all solid wood bindings on body and neck, solid wood purfling, solid but inexpensive case, JJB transducer pickup. Build #228.

Good condition. Great playability, low action, no fret wear, straight neck. Very loud and articulate. Dry, woody sound. Reminds me of a Larrivee SD-40 I used to own. I guess that’s no surprise considering that Ed Bond, the Luthier used to work for Larrivee Vancouver before setting out on his own. Very light: 4 pounds. Beautifully made with wood bindings on body and neck. Grover tuners (had been replaced with aftermarket tuners, but I put the Grovers back on so there are some impressions from the previous washers).

Specs:
nut - 1 3/4
saddle string spacing - 2 1/4
upper bout - 11 1/2
lower bout- 15 1/2
waist - 9 7/8
depth at endpin - 4 15/16
depth at heel - 4 1/8
x-braced - I'm guessing similar to Larrivees

Action at the 12th fret:
low E - 2 mm
high e - 1.75 mm


Now the reason for the low price:

I bought this guitar because I was interested in playing a Halcyon. None available around me, so I bought a used one that ended up not being quite “as described”. I didn’t really bond with the dry, fundamental sound (I like the modern Breedlove sound the best), but I discovered a couple things wrong with the guitar. Turns out the other "dry” aspect was that the guitar sat in a very dry environment which caused some issues:

1. Humidity crack in the top from bridge to endpin. Repaired by previous owner with a wood fill and cleats. Stable now, but not particularly pretty.
2. When I finally received the guitar the bridge was lifting, and the neck needed a reset (per Ed Bond after I sent him photos). Guitar is totally solid now.

If you have ever been curious about Halcyons now is your chance to check one out without taking the hit when/if you resell it.

[nwapoolguy]

Man this would make an awesome “take out of the house” guitar. I’ve owned a Halcyon before and they are lightly built and very responsive. I particularly like the non gloss, natural finish as well. It’s unfortunate the previous owner didn’t take proper care of this instrument. And more unfortunate they did not disclose obvious issues. Hate to see that happen to folks. But great value here in my opinion for someone looking for a luthier build on a budget.

[fregly]

Did the previous owner use Mediums I wonder? Halcyons are too lightly built for 13-56. The early neck reset is a head scratcher.

I suspect this is the most guitar for the least amount of money anybody could hope for.

[syd2aussie]

No mediums, always light strings. Ed Bond suspected all of it was due to very low humidity over a prolonged period of time.

[syd2aussie]

Bump for a great deal on a custom built guitar.

[syd2aussie]

Bump for a wonderful guitar that would like a new home

[occimoron]

What are the specs, scale length, nut width, neck profile, bracing pattern, etc.?
thx

[syd2aussie]

specs posted

[syd2aussie]

Bump for an exceptional guitar

[syd2aussie]

Bump for those offers

[syd2aussie]

Still looking for a new home.

[syd2aussie]

Buy this so I can buy another guitar ...

[syd2aussie]

Now is the time to buy if you've ever wanted to try out a handbuilt guitar at Chinese guitar prices: $895