Paragon MJ Custom

This is a 2003 Paragon MJ03, hand built to my specs by Rob and Mark
of Paragon Guitars. The top is solid cedar and the back and sides are highly flamed Walnut. Ebony fingerboard and ebony overlay on the headstock. The neck is a touch wider than standard (per my request for fingerstyle playing). Grover tuners.

When I ordered this guitar from Paragon I had this sound I was chasing. Warm and woody, but neither too bright nor too boomy. This guitar natiled that sound to perfection. The combination of Walnut and Cedar just fit the bill perfectly. This guitar is loud and projects very well, and is so well balanced! It sounds like my dream guitar is supposed to sound.

Everything was perfect! I cannot find a flaw in the workmanship nor in the finish. The wood is incredibly beautiful, and the rosette (koa and silver) is stunning. The 'theme' Rob (of Paragon) and I came up with for this guitar was 'simple elegance', and that it is. A single inlay at the 12th fret crowns this jewel of a guitar.

Everything of this guitar speaks quality at high volumes. Whe you buy a custom made guitar you expect the best, and that is what Paragon delivered to me. Even the smallest details were noticed and cared for.

Rob is the best guy to deal with. From day one he bent over backwards to insure that my guitar was exactly what I wanted. I've never dealt with better people in any industry. Lifetime warrenty on the guitar, and I know if there ever was a problem, it would be be handled quickly and professionally. But I don't expect there ever will be a problem!

I've been into serious acoustic playing now for about ten years, and I've played guitar for about 25. I've owned several other 'top end' guitars (Martin, Lowden, Langejans), and I've played scores of hand made and top maker guitars. Paragon makes as good an acoustic guitar as can be bought today. They deserve to be mentioned in the same whispered tones that does with 'Olson' or 'Ryan' today. I love this guitar! If I get another acoustic - it will be a Paragon. They build as good a guitar as can be found today at half or less the price of the 'big name' luthiers. If you are seriously considering having an acoustic guitar built - check Paragon out!

This is guitar #116 from the guys in Vancouver, BC. Although I purchased it used, you would never know it. The back and sides are flamed maple, and the top is some of the tightest grained sitka I have ever seen. The rosette, logo, purfling, and snowflake inlays are beautiful abalone. Tuners are gold Grover Minirotomatics

This guitar is LOUD! The bottom end is full, without being boomy. The mids and highs are crisp, clear, and resonant. I play almost exclusively fingerstyle, and this guitar responds well to the lightest touch.

The action on this guitar is a little high for my tastes, but I knew that beforehand. I had spoken with one of the builders regarding this instrument (yeah, even on used guitars), and he filled me in on it's build history. A minor adjustment and it will be perfect for my playing. The fit is exactly what you would expect on a world class hand built instrument.......perfect.

Who knows at this point. I had a local luthier inspect the guitar however, and he was very impressed with the build quality.

If you want to see what having a close personal relationship with a builder is all about, drop Paragon a line.

I have had the good fortune to own some classic vintage instruments, as well as several high end guitars from production builders who are considered by many to be producing world class instruments. In my opinion, they aren't. This guitar is what lutherie is all about. In fact, this is actually the second Paragon I have purchased. The "first" one however, is still being built by Rob and Mark. I just couldn't pass up the chance to own this guitar at a bargin price..........used or not. Seriously though, if you are considering a custom guitar, check these guys out. The build times are getting longer, and I can't imagine their prices staying this affordable for long. Right now they are this great little Canadian secret, but I can't see it staying that way.

I purchased this Mini Jumbo Custom in 2003, I received it on April 9th as a matter of fact. When it came to building a custom model, I had to play a bunch of fine guitars to determine exactly what sound I wanted to acheive. I chose the flamed maple for the sheer robust nature of the sound and the beauty of the wood. It has a sitka spruce top with ebony binding and silver, abalone and ebony inlay around the sound hole. The neck is a three piece mahogany and ebony that is a perfect fit for my hand. The head stock is the Haida Gwaii style and is very pretty. It came in a great hardshell case and it is a nice snug fit. It arrived in 2 days from British Colombia, Canada. I designed (with help from the luthier Rob Bustos) a custom Celtic cross inlay for the frets and Celtic initials inlaid on the bridge. The bridge is a custom string through since the company puts bridge pins on all their models. All the features were flawlessly installed and finished to the highest standards.

This guitar can fill a room with sound!! The bass notes boom out and the mids and highs are crystal clear without being over bearing. This guitar is a fantastic finger picking guitar because the jumbo frets make fretting each string effortless. The action is low and very easy to slide your way around the fret board.

As previously mentioned, the action is low and that makes playing all the easier. All the parts of this guitar are matched almost seemlessly. The only reason I would give this guitar a 9 is that there was a very small mark on the neck at the first fret which is superficial and very easily fixed. The finish was smooth and shiny and not one fingerprint could be seen.

Just to handle this guitar is to know how solidly they are assembled. They are backed by a great warranty and the luthiers are completely dedicated to satisfying the customer.

When this company is contacted, you deal with the owners/luthiers personally. They have intimate knowledge of every guitar they have built and are most concerned with making the guitar that YOU want, and not the guitar they think you want. They are very detail oriented and they will work with you to make sure your desires are met. They exceeded my expectations in quality and customer service!!

This model rates right up there with all the custom models. I love the playability and the ease of fretting. I have owned Ovations and Ibanez guitars and I was very happy with them, but they now will take a back seat to my Paragon. What I like most about this guitar is that it was my design, and it was built with every bit of attention to detail. Rob Bustos and Mark Vantaa have a great product to offer and I would encourage others to give them a shout when they are ready to get that custom model. You sure can't beat the price!!