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Artisan Master  # 070

Top: Birdseye Maple
Body: 1-pc. Honduran Mahogany
Neck: 1-pc. Brazilian Rosewood
Fretboard, Headcap and TRC: Flamed Koa
Pickups: Wagner Fillmores w/ Birdseye rings
Bridge: Thorn 1-pc. Tremolo

This guitar also features stabilized birdseye tuner buttons courtesy of Roger @ THG Knobs. Some of you may remember me taking the standard Sperzel buttons and modifying the tops to match the tops of the Thorn headstock. These matching wood buttons will share this detail and are now included with all Artisan Master guitars.

Tone report:
This is the 3rd Wagner Fillmore equipped Thorn to date...and it won't be the last if I can help it.
The notes just blossom off the neck and sustain for too long .
Set the toggle in the middle position and roll back the bridge pickup Vol. and you've got Duane right there with you.

Shreve, I hope you enjoy playing this guitar half as much as I did building it. I am lucky to have a client, and a friend, like you...thanks!!!

Ron

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I'd like to start off by saying that I find wood to be a wonderful medium to work with. Much like pearl and abalone, each piece is different and has it's own beauty. Some woods, such as mahogany, are simple and earthy. No one can deny the beauty of 5A quilted maple. Rosewoods remind me of rich ornate antique furniture centuries old. Even individual pieces within the same species can differ enough so that one may be more attractive than the other.
A guitar is a perfect example of being able to take a small batch of these woods and create something equally as beautiful as a whole. On rare occasion, this combination is magical...

I feel Shreve's #070 is one of the most beautiful guitars I have ever seen.

I have caught myself just staring at this guitar more once over the past few days. It is a natural beauty. Each piece of wood is gorgeous.
The birdseye top has an underlying quilt that rolls around the eyes.
The koa fretboard and headcap is a hologram of colors and figure. Depending on the viewing angle it changes from dark walnut color all the way to light blonde. The curl just dances across the fretboard and distracts your eyes...it's tough to focus on one spot there is so much to see.
The mahogany back is simple and plain but contrasts perfectly against the faux birdseye binding and birdseye back plates.
The Brazilian rosewood neck is as black as coal with a soft sheen that demands to be touched.

There is a quick tone report in the specs above, but the lengthy one should really come from Shreve - after all, despite it's beauty...it's still a musical instrument .

Notice the great shot of the fretboard showing not only the rippin' flame koa fretboard, but also the hidden fret-ends...no filler here  ~  Ron

The rear trem cavity cover. I'll let Shreve explain the inlay. The inlay materials include ebony, redwood, dyed birdseye maple, black pearl, abalone and coral into a birdseye maple cover.

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SHAKING HEAD, SPEECHLESS ALSO.

I just wanted a flat out humbucker git to complement my other Thorn. Simple Lester electronics (grew up on Strats and Pauls, wouldn’t know what to do with a MIDI if I tripped over one) and the Fillmores. Other Thorn has a killer neck, so it was “Don’t do anything different, exact same specs.”

Backplate Inlay?  I buy, sell and collect Art Deco graphics, and this is the famous Dubonnet man from the thirties. Just thought it would be cool as an inlay. I’ve seen it printed hundreds of times, and trust me, Ron absolutely nailed it.

Yep, it is a fancy git, but I’ll play the frets off it. With its delivery, like Scott P., I’ll probably begin to thin the remaining herd. I just haven’t played the others as much after the first Thorn, and I’ll bet that will only be reinforced with #70.

To Ron, man, I’m still looking around for my jaw. I know it’s somewhere down there. Can only say thank you, thank you. You (and crew) are amazing!!

I need to go lie down for awhile.  ~  Shreve