Froggy Bottom SJ: A Review

[leafs]

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[Rev Roy]

That’s a beauty! Congrats and thanks for the review.

[BrunoBlack]

I’m a fan and that looks like it’s got the Froggy Bottom magic. That M on TME site is a real beauty too. Enjoy.

[Brucebubs]

I made a big mistake .... I clicked on that Music Emporium link.
Wow!

[Wade Hampton]

Thanks for the in depth, thoughtful review, Leafs.

I've played a bunch of Froggy Bottom guitars over the years, close to two dozen now give or take a couple, and I've never played one that I didn't want to own. They're not just fine guitars, they're superlative in every sense of the word.

If you ever hear about any Froggy Bottoms made out of Bastogne walnut for sale within a two hour drive of your home, get in your car and make the trip to play the instrument and just REVEL in how good it sounds.*

That is, when you're capable of pulling yourself away from this great Froggy Bottom you already own!


Wade Hampton Miller

*Footnote: Bastogne walnut is an exceptionally good tonewood, and Froggy Bottom has one of the nicest stashes of it in existence. Which I know because a friend of mine sold it to them when he was president of Luthiers' Mercantile International (LMI.)

See below:

Bastogne Walnut Froggy Bottom Guitars

[Mak2525]

That is just beautiful - has to be the STRAIGHTEST grain rosewood I have ever seen - looks like they were drawn with a ruler. I love the red streaks in the Adi top as well. Of all the guitar joints in all the world, I have only had the pleasure of playing one Froggy - a small parlor size (not sure of the model), and it was just amazing! Thanks for the review and enjoy that fine piece of musical art!

[Rosewood99]

I’m surprised about the string spacing. Almost every froggy I have seen, and I used to own one, the string spacing was 2 3/16.

[zmf]

Originally Posted by leafs

While the Adirondack's red streaking may frighten some at first glance, I think it is/has become Froggy's signature look.

I think you've got this right.
Hadn't thought of it in such absolutes, but it's a dominant cosmetic character of mine.
I love the look -- kind of a minor rebellion in the guitar world.

[gfirob]

I can't speak to this particular guitar, but I did have the pleasure of spending a day with Michael Millard in his shop, as he worked on two guitar bodies, still in the white, without their necks. So this is a careful and fairly intense man and the guitars were very light and beautifully worked. The small shop environment is so different from the industrial workplace (and I say that as a Martin owner) that there is almost no comparison. Froggy Bottom guitars are genuinely unique and the best of them are off the charts as far as sound and playability. Congratulations on this new treasure of yours.

[leafs]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

If you ever hear about any Froggy Bottoms made out of Bastogne walnut for sale within a two hour drive of your home, get in your car and make the trip to play the instrument and just REVEL in how good it sounds.*

Thanks everyone.

As for the walnut, Wade, it is absolutely on the spec sheet for my next Froggy. I’ve only heard fantastic things. Would love to hear it on a smaller sized guitar, especially.

[tommieboy]

Originally Posted by paulzoom

...the string spacing was 2 3/16.

Yeah, if you don't spec out the string spacing you are going to get 2 3/16" at the bridge.

Tommy

[tommieboy]

Originally Posted by leafs

.... While the Adirondack's red streaking may frighten some at first glance, I think it is/has become Froggy's signature look....

I concur, as all my FB's have had this look to them.

Tommy

[FormerFoodie]

Originally Posted by leafs

While the Adirondack's red streaking may frighten some at first glance, I think it is/has become Froggy's signature look.

One of my Frogs has an asymmetric streak on the soundboard. Purists would probably vomit, but OMG, the TONE!!!! Michael sure knows how to pick his adi... I also love how his base price includes an Adirondack top.

[handers]

That's a lovely SJ. The ind RW is so colorful and rich with super straight grain. Perfect. I know Michael was very excited about a vintage Roy Smeck he acquired a few years back and I wonder if some of that vibe has inspired the SJs.

My perfect Froggy is a standard grade H12 with soft cutaway custom ordered with 1-7/8" nut and 2-5/16" saddle spaced strings. It has 25.1" scale and is the most comfortable guitar to play for fingerstyle. Michael says its the only classical he has ever built (haha, he knew I was trained as a amateur classical player and what I was looking for) and I play it with mostly classical technique. It loves a pick too but I am less facile with a pick. I have owned this guitar for nearly 20yrs and it never fails to excite me when I play it. Never. No fancy woods. I sometimes wonder if I wanted to upgrade to braz RW or honduran mahog Then I wonder what the point of that would be? Upgrade from stellar and exciting to what?

These are fine guitars, if appropriately pricey. I think anyone who has a chance would enjoy trying them and if you have specific goals in a guitar, speaking with the FBG team about that is usually hugely productive. They are excellent at listening and building custom guitars to a player's deep satisfaction.

hans

[Deliberate1]

Leaf, congrats on your FB. Earlier this year I became the proud owner of an H12 deluxe - Adirondack over Mahogany. I found it on Reverb 7 hours after it was listed by Acoustic Music Works. Built in 2012, it was owned and either ignored or utterly cherished by a collector who used to bring it into AMW for string changes. Flawless. As I was vacillating, my finger twitched without a brain command, and it showed up on my doorstep a few days later. No need for me to wax rhapsodic about it. I could just copy and paste every other owner’s review, including yours. I have boxes by Larrivee, Huss and Dalton an Bourgeois, which are all fine instruments. But the FB is a cut above in every respect. I feel grateful to own it.
As for the color of the top, mine is 8 years old. The cream colored top has matured into a gorgeous reddish honey tone, as has the maple binding. This has softened the grain contrast considerably. Again, to find an instrument that has seasoned sonically and visually is something I am exceedingly grateful for. Not to mention that it is the easiest guitar to play that I own.
I hope that yours brings you as much pleasure as mine has.
David