John David Scott Guitar Company Dreadnaught

This an all solid wood dred. Sitka spruce top, Honduran Mahogany back and sides. Bound ebony fret board, ebony bridge and bridge pins. Beautiful gloss finish. Mahogany neck with ebony overlay on the headstock. Gotoh tuners, clear pick guard and abalone soundhole rosette. The body is bound in what appears to be rosewood. Fit and finish is flawless.

I play mostly fingerstyle and this guitar just sings. Beautiful even tone with incredible sustain. I have played some beautiful high end guitars over the years and this ranks with the best of them.

Fit and finish appears to be beautifully done. Action was perfect for my likes. Intonation is absolutely spot on. I can find no fault with the action fit or finish.

I do not expect to have any issues here. The guitar is quite light but also seems to be solidly built. The gloss finish seems very durable but not thick enough to impede the sound. I would not hesitate to use this for a gig.

Lifetime warranty and Davis has been great to deal with!

I have been playing for 20 years and have owned and do own some beautiful guitars. I have owned Avalon, Martin and Guild guitars and this guitar is the equal to all and better than some. I would definetly want to replace it if it were lost or stolen. It did not come with a strap button which I will eventually have installed. I just love the sustain and timbre of this guitar. It really is a jot to play. I would not hesitate to recommend this guitar to anyone I know.

An absolute gem from a high-end, but relatively unknown company--John David Scott (http://johndavidscott.com). My guitar is a 2001 dreadnaught with a Florentine cutaway--strictly acoustic for now...I may put a pickup in it later. All solid woods--Sitka spruce top and the most gorgeous rosewood sides and back I have ever seen on any guitar. Ebony fingerboard and bridge--nothing but quality here. The company owner, David Amirault, formed JDS with a couple other folks (John and Scott...see the website). David was a former Larrivee luthier, and anyone familiar with that company knows its luthiers are among the best in the world.

If my description of the stunning appearance didn't grab your attention, hold on. This guitar has an incredible voice--really bell-like in its quality. I also own a couple other high-end guitars (Taylor 614CE and a Larrivee koa)---my JDS is equal to anything I have played. Dreadnaughts can often sound "muddied" but not this dread. In some ways, it is reminiscent of a maple body in its "brightness" but still has a fullness you'd expect from a world-class rosewood dread. Play it fingerstyle (my typical style) or heavily strummed, you won't find a better sounding guitar anywhere near this price range (about $2200 new).

The "fit and finish" on this comnpletely hand-crafted guitar is Rolls Royce-like--I don't think even Collings and Olsen can do a better job. The action is low without any fret buzz issues at all...perfect for my fingerstyle play. The gloss finish is of the highest quality without being so thick that the guitar can't respond. The matching bookend rosewood is so good I would challenge anyone to find the seem in the back. The neck measures 1 and 11/16ths inches at the nut, making it ideal for just about any style of play. Now let me brag a bit about the Florentine cutaway...this sharp cutaway is both highly attractive and extremely functional. The difficulty in perfectly matching the wood on this type of cutaway has caused many high-end companies to discontinue this option except on custom orders. JDS marries the rosewood brilliantly.

I was amazed at high light the guitar felt, which really explains a lot about the incredible tone (not thick chunks of non-responding wood). Yet I would not call the instrument delicate--it is extremely solidly built, but not a 10-pound block. I believe this work of art could easily withstand the rigors of live gigging, and I plan on playing it a bit in that environment, especially if I put a pickup in it.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record (or would it be a "broken CD" these days), the customer support is also second to none. I have personally discussed my JDS with David Amirault on multiple occasions...mostly complimenting him on building a masterpiece. Talk about your desire to meet your customer's needs! David is amazing. He even gave me advice on which pickups to consider installing in the guitar. I have no doubt that I could ask David just about anything and he would respond within 24 hours. To me, that type of support speaks volumes for the quality and integrity of John David Scott. This category rates a 20 on a 10-scale!

I have been playing guitar for over 30 years and typically like to play some Doyle Dykes, Phil Kaeggy, and other fingerstyle stuff. But I also thoroughly enjoy playing Praise and Worship music with the other guitar players at my church. I would be heart-broken if this guitar was lost or stolen, but I would not hesitate on replacing it. Quite simply, my rosewood dread is as good a high-end guitar as you'll ever find. I would recommend seriously looking at John David Scott while the company is sill rather obscure. Once the word gets out, JDS could become another Larrivee in price. It already matches (or exceeds) Larrivee in quality, and that is an incredible compliment!