Number 60 of only 70 produced - the Haida Gwaii Guitar line is a unique and very interesting product of builders from Larrivee & Paragon - namely Mark Vantaa, Robert Bustos & Greg Williams.
These builders, with financial aid from the Canadian government were given the blessing of the Native Elders of Haida Gwaii (the region known today as the Queen Charlotte Islands in Northern British Columbia) to commemorate the ancient region. The guitars incorporated traditional Haida designs as the Raven, Eagle, Killer Whale, Wolf, Frog and Hummingbird, along with other animals and mythic beings. The bodies from this line were made of salvaged Sitka Spruce and cedar from Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands).- the instruments' ebony bridge representing the traditional coastal canoe. The exquisite inlays, decoration and carving make each guitar an instrument in which a musician or collector can take great pride.
This is a fantastic OM/Mini Jumbo style body with a 15.75" lower bout. As mentioned it has a very nice sitka Spruce top with a multi bound abalone rosette. The Mahogany body compliments this guitar nicely, with an open, warm but bright tone - really great for finger style and light pick work. As mentioned the bridge features a unique canoe shape in reference to the islands, with a graph tech saddle.
The neck is made of three pieces, Spanish cedar with an ebony strip in its center. The neck is nice and straight with a great neck angle yielding amazing playability. The ebony fingerboard joins at the 14th fret, with the upper register "fretless" so help showcase its frog inlay. The inlay work is a mix of nice green abalone with the mother of pearl. The neck is designed with a standard 25.5" scale length and 1.75" nut width. Grover tuners and the tribal face (done in ivoroid) adorn the peg head.