Huss & Dalton FS Custom - Dark Forest Ancient Cypress & Figured Black Walnut #6564

Huss & Dalton Guitar Company has long been known for building instruments that feel alive in the hands, but the FS Custom with Dark Forest Ancient Cypress and figured black walnut pushes that philosophy into something almost archaeological in its presence.

At the heart of this guitar is a Dark Forest Ancient Cypress top that has been carbon dated to 3758 years old. That means this tree began its life around 1730 BCE, in a world where the Bronze Age was in full motion. In Mesopotamia, the Old Babylonian period was shaping law and culture under early dynastic kings. In Egypt, the Middle Kingdom had given way to a period of shifting political power and regional rule. Across the broader ancient world, early urban civilizations were refining writing systems, trade routes, and architecture that would define human history for millennia. This cypress did not just witness time, it absorbed it in the slow, patient language of growth rings, storms, droughts, and silence before it ever became tonewood.

The material itself comes through Aaron Lucas, founder of Dark Forest Cypress, whose work focuses on sourcing and preserving ancient, naturally fallen cypress from deeply forested environments. His efforts have made it possible for luthiers to work with wood that carries both geological and historical weight, not as a novelty, but as a legitimate tonal partner in modern instrument building.

Paired with figured black walnut back and sides, the guitar balances that ancient, airy top with a grounded, complex midrange. The Honduran mahogany neck offers stability and warmth, while curly koa bindings around the body, fretboard, and headstock add a refined visual frame that feels understated rather than ornamental. Ziricote is used throughout the bridge, fingerboard, and headstock veneer, reinforcing both density and clarity in the instrument’s voice.

Abalone detailing appears as a rosette, backstrip, and offset fingerboard dots, catching light in subtle flashes rather than glare. B/W/B top purfling outlines the body with precision, and hide glue top bracing keeps the structure responsive and acoustically open. The large soundhole contributes to a broad, immediate projection, while the 25.4 inch scale length and 1 3/4 inch nut width provide a familiar, balanced playing feel with room for nuance.

Additional specifications include body width of 15 1/4 inches, body depth of 4 1/8 inches, body length of 20 inches, and saddle spacing of 2 5/16 inches. Gold Gotoh 510 tuning machines ensure precise, smooth tuning stability. The instrument ships in a Huss and Dalton tweed case and weighs 4 lbs 0 oz.

This is not just a custom guitar built from premium materials. It is a convergence of deep time, careful forestry stewardship, and modern American luthiery, where every note carries a sense of history already in motion long before it was ever played.

Other specifications of the FS Custom include:

• Dark Forest Ancient Cypress Top - Carbon Dated 3758 Years Old
• Figured Black Walnut Back and Sides
• Honduran Mahogany Neck
• Curly Koa Body, Fretboard & Headstock Bindings
• Ziricote Bridge & Fingerboard
• Ziricote Headstock Veneer
• B/W/B Top Purfling
• Abalone Rosette
• Abalone Backstrip
• Abalone Fingerboard Dots - Offset Inlays
• Hide Glue Top Bracing
• Nut Width 1 3/4"
• Body Width 15 1/4"
• Body Depth 4 1/8"
• Body Length 20"
• Scale 25.4"
• Saddle Spacing 2 5/16"
• Large Soundhole
• Gold Gotoh 510 Tuning Machines
• Huss and Dalton Tweed Case
• 4 lbs 0 oz
• #6564

For more information about the Huss & Dalton FS Custom, please contact us.

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