Nik Huber Blue Whale Ltd.
The German luthier’s latest beauty is essentially
a limited-run version of his Dolphin
model, and it was built to benefit the
Mingan Island Cetacean Study blue-whale
research institution. It features an intricate
blue-whale inlay with approximately 180
pieces of silver, mother of pearl, and black
pearl. Other appointments include a one-piece,
highly figured maple top, a Brazilian
rosewood neck and fretboard, and twin
Häussel humbuckers. The guitar is limited
to 25 pieces that go for $15,000 each.
nikhuber-guitars.com
PMC Guitars Acoustic Byblos
This 11-string handcarved acoustic instrument
comes from the mind of French luthier
Pierre-Marie Châteauneuf. It’s a hybrid
of an oud and a guitar, with the top five
strings being either in unison or an octave
apart, and it was designed to give guitarists
access to Eastern sounds with the playability
of a more familiar instrument. It has
a spruce top with a soundhole, an African
mahogany and padauk body and neck, and
a fretless ebony fingerboard with padauk
position markers.
pmcguitars.com
XXL Guitars Gargoyle Trio
Luthier Marc Lupien designed this trio as a commission for a customer who wanted gargoyle-
themed guitars. The designs were burned into the wood by a tattoo artist, and they
create a scene when all three instruments—Longhorn, Longhorn Bass, and Roxy models—
are placed side-by-side. The guitars feature mahogany tops with cedar cores and necks, and
fretboards of bloodwood.
xxlguitars.com
Michael Dunn Cubism Roux
Known both for his manouche-jazz guitars
and for being an accomplished gypsy-jazz
player, Canadian luthier Michael Dunn’s
newest art guitar and 600th career build
wowed all who passed it. Dunn’s nods to
cubism and artist Juan Gris features 25
woods, including eucalyptus for the fanned
fretboard. Other woods include rosewood,
ebony, satinwood, blackwood, ironwood,
bloodwood, sumac, mahogany, and maple.
The back of the guitar has a Dunn-designed
“sound slot” that runs the length of the
body and pushes air up toward the player
for superb note separation and a richer,
more enjoyable playing experience.
michaeldunnguitars.com