Blazer & Henkes D-18 Phoenix 1937 Shadetop Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (2017)
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Blazer & Henkes D-18 Phoenix 1937 Shadetop Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (2017), made in Germany, serial # 568, sunburst top, natural back and sides finish, mahogany back and sides, Alpine moon spruce top; mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard, Karura molded fiberglass hard shell case.
Based in Germany, luthier/historians Willi Henkes and Rudi Blazer together crafted fairly small numbers of exceptionally high grade American-style steel string guitars over the past few decades. Some players have opined that Blazer and Henkes built the very finest modern extrapolations of the most desired classic pre-war vintage flat top guitars. These are no longer available as production items as the team recently finished their final batch guitars and closed their shop, with the last orders taken in 2021.
Rudolph Blazer himself explained their process in an 2011 interview: "Our specialty is build guitars like they did in the '30s, right? So we use hide glue. We use a nitrocellulose finish. We use very light wood. And that makes them come out much like the '30s, and I guess that's what our customers really appreciate." He continued: "It's simply not possible these days to make guitars like they did in the '30s on a larger scale. So that's what we try to do, which has a lot to do with finding out how they did it. It's a science, actually."
This beautiful D-18 "1937 Shade-Top Phoenix" shows just how well Rudi and Willi mastered this science. This is quite simply one of the finest modern iterations of the venerable D-18 design we have ever handled, a HUGE sounding guitar that retains exceptional clarity and detail over the entire sonic range. The Alpine "Moon Spruce" top is beautifully symmetrically bookmatched over a lush-grained mahogany back and sides, with a lovely shaded dark sunburst. The C-profile mahogany neck is superbly comfortable, authentic to the "1937" spec so a bit chunkier feeling with a wider nut than many modern D-18 clones. Every detail of this guitar is lovingly crafted to the highest standard. This "Phoenix" is the first B&H we have had the pleasure to handle, and we are extremely pleased to have it in our showroom.
Overall length is 40 3/4 in. (103.5 cm.), 15 3/4 in. (40 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 7/8 in. (12.4 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 25 3/8 in. (645 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.).
This guitar is not new, but shows only light signs of use and very minor play wear. There is very light scuffing and handling marks overall and that's about it. There is a strap button mounted on the side of on the heel. This is simply a fantastic playing and sounding Dreadnought, one of the finest modern guitars of this type we have ever had the pleasure to handle. It comes with a deluxe Karura molded road case. Excellent + Condition.
Based in Germany, luthier/historians Willi Henkes and Rudi Blazer together crafted fairly small numbers of exceptionally high grade American-style steel string guitars over the past few decades. Some players have opined that Blazer and Henkes built the very finest modern extrapolations of the most desired classic pre-war vintage flat top guitars. These are no longer available as production items as the team recently finished their final batch guitars and closed their shop, with the last orders taken in 2021.
Rudolph Blazer himself explained their process in an 2011 interview: "Our specialty is build guitars like they did in the '30s, right? So we use hide glue. We use a nitrocellulose finish. We use very light wood. And that makes them come out much like the '30s, and I guess that's what our customers really appreciate." He continued: "It's simply not possible these days to make guitars like they did in the '30s on a larger scale. So that's what we try to do, which has a lot to do with finding out how they did it. It's a science, actually."
This beautiful D-18 "1937 Shade-Top Phoenix" shows just how well Rudi and Willi mastered this science. This is quite simply one of the finest modern iterations of the venerable D-18 design we have ever handled, a HUGE sounding guitar that retains exceptional clarity and detail over the entire sonic range. The Alpine "Moon Spruce" top is beautifully symmetrically bookmatched over a lush-grained mahogany back and sides, with a lovely shaded dark sunburst. The C-profile mahogany neck is superbly comfortable, authentic to the "1937" spec so a bit chunkier feeling with a wider nut than many modern D-18 clones. Every detail of this guitar is lovingly crafted to the highest standard. This "Phoenix" is the first B&H we have had the pleasure to handle, and we are extremely pleased to have it in our showroom.
Overall length is 40 3/4 in. (103.5 cm.), 15 3/4 in. (40 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 7/8 in. (12.4 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 25 3/8 in. (645 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.).
This guitar is not new, but shows only light signs of use and very minor play wear. There is very light scuffing and handling marks overall and that's about it. There is a strap button mounted on the side of on the heel. This is simply a fantastic playing and sounding Dreadnought, one of the finest modern guitars of this type we have ever had the pleasure to handle. It comes with a deluxe Karura molded road case. Excellent + Condition.