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Stunning hand engraved hardware with genuine rose, green and yellow gold inlets adorn the front and back of Sakura

The difficult Japanese winter ends with the arrival of cherry blossoms. In April, the Hanami Festival celebrates the rebirth and symbolizes the transience of life. My Sakura guitar celebrates this ancient tradition with classic features and handwork.

Sakura represents over one year’s work to bring to fruition. Created from genuine old-growth mahogany with a rosewood fingerboard, it was designed to ring like a ceremonial Dotaku bell—and it does. Traditional Japanese cherry blossom art has been painstakingly etched and hand engraved on steel front and back plates by master engraver Heidi Roos. Her incredibly detailed work required nine months to complete. Small details have been attended to—like the string nut  which was hand-shaped from oxen bone.

Petals of genuine rose gold, stems and leaves in green gold and a rising sun of 24kt yellow gold adorn hundreds of hours of the hand engraving work .

Twin humbuckers hand-wound by my friend Seymour Duncan feature engraved nickel covers. Vintage cloth covered wiring and oil-filled tone caps are used along with NOS potentiometers from CTS. The three way blade switch is a refurbished artifact from a 1950s telephone switchboard. The control knobs are hand cast acrylic, made in my shop, and the tuning machines were given a well-used patina with my own process that leaves them warm and friendly to the touch.

View the entire Sakura building process by following this link

 

The Story Continues

I put a massive amount of forethought into what I call the “pre-story” of each instrument. I employ 1930s wire, 1950s switchgear, old-growth wood and old world craftsmanship to build a soul into each guitar. Still, the most important part of any instrument’s life is the experience it gains by being played. In this connection, I have ventured out into the world and allowed my creations the luxury of being stroked and spanked publicly. These instruments are not vintage, nor are they new. They are not used, as in second-hand. They are becoming experienced. Every player who caresses my instruments imbeds a bit of their being into the guitar.

Some of the musicians who have played Sakura include: Jim Chapdelaine, Robben Ford, Steve Kimock, Eric Ambel, Keith Christopher, Matt Beck, Kenny Loggins, Andy Powell, Mark Spencer, Scott Bernard, Jim Weider and a host of others.

Price: 18,000 usd

 

Sakura Specs

• Mahogany body (old growth Honduras)
• Mahogany neck (old growth Honduras)
• Rosewood fingerboard (Brazilian)
• Ebony headstock faceplate with mother of pearl monogram inlay
• Heidi Roos enraved front, back and pickup cover
• Inlets: Rose, green and yellow gold
• 12” fingerboard radius
• 25.5” compensated scale
• Pearl dot inlays
• Japanese oxen bone nut
• 1.650” nut width
• 22 medium oval frets
• Vintage C neck carve
• Brushed nickel hardware
• 30 gram wrap bridge
• 2016 fine pitch steel anchors
• Hand-cast vintage style knobs
• Wraparound aluminum bridge
• Kluson tuners—hand aged
• Volume, tone contour controls
• CTS pots with custom taper
• Oil filled Jensen capacitor
•Treble retention circuit
• Vintage refurbished 1950s telephone switch
• Custom wound humbuckers (made specific for Sakura by Seymour)
• Nitro-shellac “violin” finish
• Custom cherry red interior Cedar Creek case