House of Musical Traditions, in conjunction with Fredericksburg, VA-based luthier Bob Gramann, is pleased to present this very special guitar - The Sligo Creek, #150 - to commemorate HMT's 50th Anniversary in 2022!
All of the woods used in its construction (with the exception of the Ebony tuner buttons) were grown in the United States. Some trees of these types can be seen in Takoma Park, MD - although none of them were cut down for this guitar.
Sycamore, often seen along Sligo Creek (these pieces are from WV), was used for the back and sides. Aside from its beauty, this wood was selected for its tonal response. The top is made from new growth, NY Adirondack Spruce. This wood provides a rich tone with a lot of headroom. Osage Orange from VA is used for the fingerboard and bridge. As it ages, it will turn a golden brown. This is a hard and very dimensionally stable wood, well-suited for a fingerboard.
Black Walnut was used for the neck, rosette, bindings, and the peghead veneer. The white accents are Holly - that tree with the prickly leaf points and red berries you might find growing in your yard. The bridge and end pins are made from Persimmon (purchased in Maryland). Persimmon is American ebony: hard, but not black.
Bob describes the size of this guitar as a "Big Parlor" or 00. In the parlor guitar tradition, the neck joins the body at the 12th fret, and has a slotted headstock. The Rubner tuners feature ebony buttons and bearings at each end of the string barrel.
The guitar's tone is rich and balanced, with plenty of volume. As the Adirondack top plays in, it will only get richer.
Deluxe, pro-level TKL hard case is included.
Many thanks to Bob for building this wonderful guitar to celebrate our 50th year in business!
Bob Gramann is a respected luthier throughout the midatlantic region. Based in Fredericksburg, VA, he has been building guitars since 1992 and has been a player for over 40 years.
Built with the fingerpicker in mind, each of these instruments sings louder than than its size. The top braces on all are scalloped and the bridges are carved to be light to allow the top to respond quickly to both high and low notes. The saddles are tall allowing easy picking and a strong response to a soft touch. Bob's other models are named after rivers in Virginia.
Bob says "Most important is achieving such a rich, full sound that it is loud enough for performances without amplification. Amazingly, even tiny adjustments can enhance both tone and volume, producing a responsive instrument that feels good to play. Building these "live" guitars has become almost an obsession. Any idea for a new feature or an improvement means I have to build a guitar to try it out. I build only a few instruments each year, so I have always tried to build something I would want to play. So far, I feel successful. And, I feel honored by the great players that have bought my instruments."
For more information, visit bobgramann.com
