2024 Circle Strings Dreadnought - German Spruce & Koa #187

The 2024 Circle Strings Dreadnought in German Spruce and Koa brings together extraordinary wood, graceful craftsmanship, and a direct connection to one of contemporary music’s most adventurous guitarists. Built as an exact replica of the instrument Adam Buchwald and his team created for Trey Anastasio, whose original serves as his main acoustic guitar for touring and recording, this dreadnought carries a particularly compelling musical pedigree. Its beauty begins with the materials, but its purpose reaches toward something far more personal: the relationship between a player, an instrument, and the music waiting to emerge.

At Circle Strings in Vermont, founder and principal luthier Adam Buchwald brings a musician’s perspective to the workbench. His background includes studying with respected repairman Bob Jones, restoring exceptional vintage instruments at Brooklyn’s Retrofret, and building guitars at Froggy Bottom. Those experiences inform an approach grounded in an intimate understanding of how great instruments are made, how they age, and how they respond to the people who play them. Alongside his talented team, Buchwald brings that knowledge into guitars that honor traditional craftsmanship while serving the expressive demands of modern musicians.

At the heart of this dreadnought is a remarkable 100 year old German spruce soundboard, paired with curly koa back and sides. There is something deeply moving about wood that has waited a century to find its musical purpose, particularly when it is joined to koa with such beautiful natural movement. The spruce provides a quietly elegant backdrop to the flowing figure of the back and sides, allowing the materials themselves to establish the instrument’s character. Beneath the top, scalloped Adirondack spruce braces complete a construction recipe designed to balance the breadth and authority of a dreadnought with sensitivity to a lighter touch. It is an enticing foundation for everything from spacious chord work to delicate melodic passages, with the promise of spruce clarity and koa’s characteristic warmth and focus.

The appointments frame these woods with exquisite restraint. English holly binding draws a pale, clean line around the body, while herringbone top purfling and a matching herringbone rosette lend the face a familiar vintage elegance. A zipper backstrip adds a beautifully detailed centerline to the curly koa back. Ebony provides a rich visual anchor across the bridge, fingerboard, and headstock veneer, with small fingerboard dots preserving the simplicity of the design. Every detail feels considered, giving the eye room to appreciate both the craftsmanship and the wood.

An old growth Honduran mahogany neck joins the body through a bolt-on mortise and tenon joint, pairing traditional materials with practical serviceability. The 25.4 inch scale length, 1 3/4 inch nut width, and 2 1/4 inch bridge spacing provide a versatile playing platform, with room for articulate fingerwork and a familiar feel for flatpicking. A bone nut, saddle, and bridge pins complement the ebony bridge, while Schaller GrandTune tuning machines bring precise adjustment to the headstock. Gloss nitrocellulose on the body gives the figured koa depth and luminosity, and satin nitrocellulose on the neck offers a smooth, inviting feel beneath the hand.

Weighing just 4 pounds, 2 ounces, this is a remarkably light instrument with a substantial musical story. Though previously owned, it remains in excellent condition with no issues and has been maintained in a studio environment. It is accompanied by a Visesnut Premier Series 1 flight case in Lemon Yellow, a vivid finishing touch to an otherwise wonderfully understated presentation.

For the player drawn to exceptional materials, thoughtful lutherie, and the creative world surrounding Trey Anastasio, this Circle Strings offers an unusually meaningful combination. A century of history in its soundboard, the natural poetry of curly koa, and the accumulated experience of Buchwald and his team come together in an instrument ready to become part of someone else’s musical life.

Other specifications include:

• 100 Year Old German Spruce Top
• Curly Koa Back & Sides
• Old Growth Honduran Mahogany Neck
• Ebony Bridge & Fingerboard
• Ebony Headstock Veneer
• Scalloped Adirondack Spruce Braces
• Herringbone Top Purfling
• Herringbone Rosette
• Zipper Backstrip
• English Holly Binding
• Small Dots on Fingerboard
• Bone Nut and Saddle
• Bone Bridge Pins
• Bolt-on Mortise and Tenon Neck Joint
• Schaller GrandTune Tuning Machines
• Gloss Nitrocellulose Body Finish
• Satin Nitrocellulose Neck Finish
• Visesnut Premier Series 1 Flight Case in Lemon Yellow
• 25.4" Scale Length
• 1 3/4” Nut Width
• 2 1/4" Bridge Spacing
• 4 lb 2 oz
• #187

For more information about this Circle Strings guitar, please contact us.

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