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Add to Cart$20,750.00
Strahm Acoustic Guitars — Santa Cruz Mastery, Six Guitars a Year
Stephen Strahm's credentials read like a who's who of the finest acoustic guitar workshops in California. After graduating from Roberto-Venn in Phoenix in 1999, he spent nine years at Santa Cruz Guitar Company developing his craft at one of the most respected production acoustic workshops in the country. He then spent time with Rick Turner doing production work and final assembly, apprenticed his finishing skills under Addam Stark, one of the most respected finish specialists in the business, and in more recent years has worked closely alongside Jeff Traugott, whose instruments are widely regarded as among the finest acoustic guitars ever made.
By the time Stephen went fully independent, he had accumulated more hands-on experience in premium acoustic guitar construction, finishing, and voicing than most independent builders accumulate in a lifetime. He builds six instruments a year. Every one of them reflects it.
The North American Guitar described a recent Strahm EROS as quite simply outrageous, with a Strahm signature tone recognizable from any corner of the room. Guitar Gallery compared the experience of playing one to a Greenfield guitar in terms of tonal authority and projection. Dealers who carry his work tend to use the same phrase: fast becoming one of the most sought-after luthiers in the world.
The EROS
Named after the ancient Greek god of love and desire, the EROS is Stephen's primary acoustic model and the instrument most associated with his name. It is a concert-sized guitar designed around fingerstyle playing and alternate tunings, with a voice that is rich and full in the mids and highs and smooth and sophisticated in the low-end bass response, versatile enough to handle standard and drop tunings with equal authority.
Construction throughout is of the highest standard. Hot hide glue assembly. Traugott-style floating back brace system that enhances projection and sustain by allowing the entire body to vibrate with maximum efficiency. Sitka spruce braces. One-piece Honduran mahogany neck with two-way adjustable truss rod and dovetail neck joint. West African ebony fingerboard and bridge. Bone nut and saddle. Gotoh Cosmo tuners. Brazilian rosewood or ebony bindings with purflings tailored to each build. Multi-segmented headstock faceplates in Brazilian rosewood or complementary exotic woods. Every visual element is chosen as part of a coherent whole rather than applied independently.
The EROSc adds a Florentine cutaway for full upper register access while retaining the acoustic character of the standard model, and is available with Italian spruce or German Alpine spruce tops over Honduran rosewood, African Blackwood, Indian rosewood, Brazilian rosewood, and other premium back and side options.
The Von Strahm
As covered on our electric guitar page, the Von Strahm is Stephen's S-style electric, built with the same premium materials and finishing standards as his acoustics. For players who want a Strahm instrument in a different format, the Von Strahm is an extraordinary option and a natural companion to the acoustic lineup.
Six a Year. No Exceptions.
With an output of just six instruments annually, a Stephen Strahm guitar is among the most difficult boutique instruments in the world to acquire. The instruments that come to market through dealers like Eddie's Guitars, Guitar Gallery, and The North American Guitar are acquired quickly by players who understand that at this output level, availability is always temporary.
Browse our available Strahm inventory, and reach out to discuss a commission directly.