Schulte SGA-1

Schulte Model SGA-1, handmade in Danville, New Hampshire by Paul Schulte

000 14-fret equivalent - 11 5/8" upper bout, 16" lower bout, with a slim waist. true 000 style depth with a scale length of 25.4". Solid Sitka spruce top (with age toner), Adirondack spruce bracing, solid East Indian rosewood back and sides, ebony bridge and fingerboard, Honduran mahogany neck, Grover 18:1 gold tuners, bone saddle and nut, and an amazing curly maple binding on fret board, headstock, and body. Sound hole is 4" diameter with abalone inlay with a tortoise pick guard. Body length is 19 5/8 with saddle positioned at 8 1/4 from end block. Nut appears to be closer to 1 3/4 then 1 11/16.

The sound is the reason I purchased this guitar. I originally went in to play some 000-28's and a few Taylors - this was a complete suprise. Sounds good under almost all conditions, light picking, heavy chord attach, finger picks, slide - you name it. Sustain is better then anything I have ever played - I think it's the bout configuration.

Action: perfect (for me), only cosmetic flaw was a slight bookmatch seam - but the sound and feel made it easy to ignore this. Binding is out of this world beautiful - headstock perfectly understated. I can't imagine any better woods, especially the bracing. It's got that
"bone white" Adirondack (dismal wilderness) look.

Guitar is solid - feels more substantial than my D28. It felt infinitely more rugged then any of the other 000's in the store - bar none.

Intuitively, looking at this instrument, I don't think I'll need it - but warranty seems pretty reasonable. This instrument will definitely outlive me - no regrets.

I've been a hack for 40 years. This will be a great guitar for "everything", folk, strumming, alternate tunings, slide, and a little finger picking. My only other guitar is a pretty beat up vintage D-28 that absolutely refuses to die.