Circle Strings Baritone - Old Growth Sitka Spruce & Quilted Tochi #286

The Circle Strings Baritone is a commanding exploration of depth, dimension, and dynamic range. Built around Circle Strings’ powerful Jumbo body and a 27 inch scale, it possesses the immense low end one hopes for from a great baritone, yet its clarity is second to none. Each note arrives with authority and definition, allowing lowered tunings to remain articulate even when the guitar is pushed hard. Open chords expand with orchestral weight, individual voices remain distinct, and the entire instrument seems to breathe as one enormous, responsive soundboard.

At its heart is an exceptional Old Growth Vintage Sitka Spruce top, a piece of wood with the stiffness, maturity, and tonal complexity needed to control such a broad and powerful voice. Scalloped Adirondack Spruce tone bars give the top additional strength and responsiveness, helping the guitar produce tremendous headroom without becoming rigid or restrained. The result is a voice rich in fundamental power, layered overtones, and seemingly endless sustain. It can rumble with cinematic depth, but it never loses the precision and immediacy that make Circle Strings instruments so compelling.

The Quilted Japanese Tochi back and sides are simply breathtaking. Pale, luminous, and intensely figured, the wood appears to ripple like silk beneath the gloss nitrocellulose finish. The dramatic horizontal quilting gives the back an almost three dimensional quality, while the warm Cocobolo binding and backstrip provide a dark, elegant frame. Tonally, the Tochi brings a lively, immediate character that beautifully complements the seasoned Sitka top, contributing clarity, projection, and a quickness that keeps the Jumbo body’s immense bass response focused and controlled.

Its appointments are refined without distracting from the natural beauty of the woods. A vivid Green Rope rosette surrounds the soundhole, while black, white, black, maple, black, white, and black top purfling traces the sweeping outline of the body. A Cocobolo headstock veneer continues the rich wood theme, while the Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard and bridge are accented by small Mother of Pearl position dots. Gold Waverly tuning machines provide the final touch of warmth and understated elegance.

An Old Growth Honduran Mahogany neck, joined with a bolt on mortise and tenon construction, is finished in smooth satin nitrocellulose for an effortless playing feel. The 1 3/4 inch bone nut and generous 2 5/16 inch bridge spacing make the instrument equally inviting for fingerstyle work, expansive chord voicings, and powerful flatpicked passages. A bone saddle and bone bridge pins complete the responsive acoustic system.

Showcased at the 2026 Fretboard Summit, this Circle Strings Baritone is both a spectacular display of rare tonewoods and a deeply musical instrument with a voice all its own. Its beauty is immediate, but its true achievement lies in the way it combines massive power, remarkable clarity, and extraordinary responsiveness. Complete with a TKL hard shell case and weighing 4 pounds 4 ounces, it is a baritone of exceptional presence and one of the most arresting modern acoustic guitars imaginable.

Other specifications include:

• Showcased at Fretboard Summit 2026
• Old Growth Vintage Sitka Spruce Top
• Quilted Japanese Tochi Back & Sides
• Old Growth Honduran Mahogany Neck
• Brazilian Rosewood Bridge & Fingerboard
• Cocobolo Headstock Veneer
• Scalloped Adi Spruce tone bars
• B/W/B/Maple/B/W/B Top Purfling
• Green Rope Rosette
• Cocobolo Backstrip
• Cocobolo Binding
• Small Mother of Pearl Dots Fingerboard Inlay
• Bone Nut and Saddle
• Bone Bridge Pins
• Bolt-on Mortise and Tenon Neck Joint
• Gold Waverly Tuning Machines
• Gloss Nitrocellulose Body Finish
• Satin Nitrocellulose Neck Finish
• TKL Hard Shell Case
• 27" Scale Length
• 1 3/4” Nut Width
• 2 5/16" Bridge Spacing
• 4 lb 4 oz
• #286

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

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