Availability: This instrument is part of the Boutique Guitar Showcase Western USA Tour. Please contact us to confirm availability before placing your order.

Specifications

Brand: Matsuda Guitars

Model: M2 No.154A

Title: Crossroads

Price: $28,000

Country of Build: USA

Instrument Type: Acoustic Guitar

Body

Body Wood: Mahogany

Top: Adirondack Spruce

Bracing: Ladder

Finish: Lacquer

Neck

Neck Wood: Mahogany

Neck Shape: Matsuda Standard

Fingerboard

Fingerboard Wood: Wenge

Scale Length: 25"

Fingerboard Radius: Matsuda Standard

Nut: 1 3/4"

Frets: Standard Medium

Construction & Appointments

Headstock: Rosewood Multi Piece

Binding: Rosewood

Hardware

Bridge: Wenge

Tuners: Waverly

Notes

Instrument Notes: This is an OO-size guitar with a ladder-braced top, an Adirondack spruce soundboard, mahogany back and sides, a mahogany neck, and a Wenge fingerboard and bridge. It features a 25" scale length. Ladder bracing is often considered an early or “primitive” style associated with inexpensiveness. However, it was widely used in many budget instruments in the United States in the early twentieth century. Many musicians used these guitars to create remarkable music and recordings—especially in blues from the Mississippi Delta. I consider these instruments, and their distinctive sound, to be one of the roots of acoustic guitar tone in American music. This project is also inspired by two historically well-known stories of musicians interacting with supernatural forces. One is the story of Robert Johnson, the blues musician who, according to legend, sold his soul to the devil at a crossroads in exchange for his extraordinary musical talent.  The other is the Japanese folktale “Hoichi the Earless,” a well-known story in Japan. In this tale, a gifted travelling musician/storyteller Hoichi, is haunted by ghosts because of his musical abilities. He is ultimately saved by Buddhist sutra calligraphy covering his entire body, although the spirits take his ears. This guitar is my contemporary interpretation of instruments popular during the time when Robert Johnson was active in the Mississippi Delta. Also, it is covered in sumi-ink calligraphy, inspired by the story of Hoichi. Instead of Buddhist sutras, the calligraphy features phrases in English, Spanish, and Japanese drawn from the 1st, 4th, 5th, and 14th Amendments to the United States Constitution, along with passages on human rights from the Declaration of Independence.

Showcase Notes: Featured instrument from the Boutique Guitar Showcase Western USA Tour.

Availability Notes: Boutique Guitar Showcase instruments are traveling with the tour and availability may change quickly. An instrument may already be sold or temporarily reserved before our website inventory is updated. Please contact Angel City Guitars to confirm current availability before placing an order.