Here is a pic. The koa binding is off the chain!!!!!!

Beautiful Cartermac!!

I have a Country Boy Deluxe that sounds great. The wood Dana gets is second to none. Fit and finish are always excellent. Neck shape and playability perfect. Hard to imagine a better built guitar.

Howard

quote:

Originally posted by Dr. Bill Miller, St. Louis:
My Bourgeois slope shoulder, shaded top Bryan Sutton Model Banjo killer is both beautiful, and a great player. All the Original 30 guitars, had sitka tops (and mine is nicely bearclawed and has great volume and sustain), with a highly figured mahogany body, Snake headstock, nice.

Very interesting. Dream has one now that Al claims is the "loudest and clearest" dread he's ever played (not sure if I got that right). It's got me wanting to give it a go. Not a bad testimonial in any case.

i played that one when it was new. they have a shade top one at the 12thfret.com also.

I believe only one shaded top was built in the original 30 Bryan Sutton "Banjo Killer" series, though I seem to remember that AMW in Pittsburg, a BIG Bourgie dealer, may have persuaded Dana to make a 31st in the series, also to be shaded top. I have #28, the first (only?)shaded top.

These are not to be confused with the somewhat later shakehead, 14 fret slope-shouldered instuments. The wood for the original 30 (31?) was very carefully selected (especially the tops) and they were built as custom instruments.

Not to say that the later "Banjo Killers" aren't good also, but a more than a little extra went into the signature series.

If you haven't tried this model, you should; it will be a pleasant surprise.

Correction: Mine is #20/30, NOT #28. Sorry, and thanks for the correction, Doug.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Dr. Bill Miller, St. Louis,

the shade top at the 12th fret is listed as #30 of 30.

This must be the one that AMW got Dana to make at the very end. I kmow there were only two with shaded topsa nd this must have been the end of the run.

You guys are tempting me to drive down to the 12th fret and give it a go.

One of the few stores around there that has some decent guitars. They do seel a ton of Dana's guitars.

They have never been my favorite, but I was enormously impressed with Michael Wong's recording of one.

http://www.michaelawong.com/

Song 17 on a JOM

scroll down the songs. Should still be there, though i haven't been for a while. very distinctive sound.

Stuart

Add me to the list of Collings devotees who also have a great Bourgeois git.

I've now had a weekend of playing with my new OM-150 Podium Signature Braz/Adi Hide Glue git, and its a superb OM. How Dana can give you a Braz/Adi OM, built with Hide Glue, with this level of fit and finish, with exceptional tone and the magic, for under 7k is beyond me. Even with the new Braz price increase (which I believe would have bumped the price up $500), this git would have still been a relative bargain considering what you get.

Still love my Collings of course (that aint ever gonna change), but I am VERY impressed by Dana's work. I'll have to find out if John Slobod had a hand in building this one.

It should be easier soon to compare Bourgeois and Collings guitars in the SF/Bay Area. Gryphon is now a Bourgeois dealer, although I don't know how soon they'll be getting their first guitars from Dana. There's a shot of Richard Johnston with Dana from NAMM on the Pantheon website announcing the new arrangement. Seems like Dana has expanded his dealer network significantly over the last year, with Gryphon being the most recent addition.

Got one coming to me this week to add to the stable of Collings. I am looking forward to having a chance to compare them side by side.

I am still blown away every time I pick up my JOM. Its a really amazing all around guitar. The attention to detail Dana has is pretty amazing. Cheers all!!