2007 Sheppard Ave Maria Grand Concert, Alpine Spruce & Brazilian Rosewood
Anyone seeking the "perfect" fingerstyle acoustic should be interested in this magnificent instrument. Offered is this Ave Maria Grand Concert Cutaway built by Gerald Sheppard in 2007. Gerald is a Tenessee-based builder who left a chemical engineering career to build his own instruments back in 2003, while being involved in guitar construction and restoration for decades prior to that. His work is reknowned in both the US and Europe. He builds (or previously built) just 6-8 guitars annually and each is a work of sonic fine art.
This is a Grand Concert-sized 14-fret instrument with a 25-7/16" string scale and a venetion cutaway option. The body is 19-1/4" long, 15" wide at the lower bout and 4-1/2" deep at the tail block. It has a 1-3/4" bone nut and a compensated bone saddle with 2-5/16" string spacing. The lovely Mahogany neck has a sleek oval shape with depth measurements of .80" at the first fret and .90" at the twelfth fret. As an Ave Maria series guitar, it is heavily decorated and features the finest grades of tonewood available. This one has an Italian Alpine Spruce top with the back and sides made from as beautiful a set of Brazilian Rosewood as you are likely to find anywhere. It is trimmed in figured Koa and Abalone. The tuners are Gotoh 510's with Ebony buttons.
Every element of this instrument is top knotch and no expense was spared. It just exudes excellence and is better than most of the many fine acoustics I have played over the years both quality and tone wise. Please check out the brief sound sample below. It plays quite easily with 6/64" and 5/64" 12-th fret string heights on the bass and treble sides, respectively and is set up with light gauge strings. While designed for those who fingerpick, it is a fabulous strumming guitar as well! The relatively slim neck is just a joy to play!
Built in 2007, this guitar has been meticulously maintained and shows little in the way of flaws. There is a tiny scrape in the headstock lacquer which runs along the red perfling line (see photos). I am told this ocurred early in the guitar's life and resulted from the use of a clip-on tuner. You may also find some very light shirt button scratches in the center of the back of the guitar if you have access to sufficient light and magnification but you will really have to be determined to find them! Other than these minor issues, this guitar is in superb condition, frets included. This magnificent guitar comes in a very nice high quality black case with green lining.
I don't believe Gerald is building guitars for sale at the current time, so I don't think you could replace this magnificent piece at any price. Maybe an Olson or similar would be a proper alternative, but one with these tonewoods would cost (at least) twice as much as this fabulous instrument. Definitely a "lifer" guitar. Make it yours.
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Refunds of the original purchase price less shipping and a 10% restocking fee may be requested within 48 hours of delivery. Exchanges within one (1) week of the original date of purchase may be made for an item of equal or greater value at the discretion of Capital Guitars. Where permitted herein, items must be promptly returned at the buyer's expense, in the same condition as received with all accessories and paperwork included. Sale items, purchases that are made via layaway, those involving trades and/or international shipping are considered final except upon an error by and at the discretion of Capital Guitars. All deposits are non-returnable. Our apologies, but we are a very small operation and returns are extremely time consuming and costly.