Barbarossa 00

Body style is an OO size, about like a large parlor, with a slightly deeper bout. It is a 12 fretter with a cedar top and East Indian rosewood back and sides. The EIR is very nice, straight grained stock. The cedar is nice as well. Mahogany neck, all solid woods: ebony fingerboard (wide) and ebony bridge ( pyramid),ebony bridge pins with abalone inlay dots. Came with a TKL case. No electronics. Gloss finish.
Made in the USA in 2008. Frets are about standard. A 9 because of minor finish issues, see below

the sound is rich and full. It is louder with light gauge strings than guitars I have played with mediums. I ordered the cedar/rosewood combo because I wanted a complex sound with lots of overtones to compliment my sitka/koa guiar which has a more fundamental tone. the trebles are rich and not tinny at all. The mids are really good, and the bass is pronounced but not boomy. one and two string combos sound impressive ( all this is finger-style only) chords have a lot of authority. You have to control the sound... lots of power and overtones so you can overdo it and get more than you want. Excels for nuanced light fingerstyle and loves to project out when asked to. The overall quality of sound is, in my experience addictive. That's a good thing

Nicely bookmatched EIR back, looks like the sides came from the same, or a similar set. Neck is tight against the body, herringbone inlays are spot on. One detraction is the finish, while it is high gloss, some fine marks from the last buff are visible on the headstock and parts of the top. Action is very good. One slight buzz near the 12th fret on 2 strings, but the guitar is getting used to a different climate. I might tweak the truss rod in a month or two.

Appears very solid. I have dug in to get the loudest sound to listen for any loose braces, weird oscillations etc. no problems whatsoever.
Did some tapping/slapping. lots of bending etc. no problems. This is not a delicate guitar. The finish is not too thick, but will last.

Luthier stands behind his work for his lifetime as a builder. Responds to e-mail and phone calls. Has a great web-site with lots of information

I've played for over 40 years, electric, acoustic , slide. I currently have a Yari classical, a special order Takamine parlor, an epiphone electric, and the guitar this review is about. This is my first custom build and I think the builder has this model nailed. It is by a good degree the best sounding guitar I have ever played. I have owned and played a vintage small body Gibson, ovations, Yamahas, Epiphones, Seagulls.I have played some Martins. I have owned 20+ guitars since I started playing years ago. I am in it for the sound, and this guitar is really really nice. My previously nicest guitar mostly sits in the closet. My favorite feature is the wide fingerboard and comfortable neck profile. Easier to play than I anticipated. This custom build was in my price range... after corresponding with the builder and doing some online research, I felt confident enough to commission the guitar, best guitar move I have ever made.