Tony Rice Tribute

The second ''Tribute Guitar'' we built as an honor to one of the greatest acoustic guitar virtuoso well known across the genres like Bluegrass, Jazz, Country and New Acoustic Music - Mr. Tony Rice, is a replica of his famous large soundhole 1935 Martin D-28 (#58957).

There are a lot of rumors (true or not) that tell stories about this guitar from which a history book could be written. While probably nobody knows all the relevant facts from the period between April 1935, when she was originally sold to a shop, and 1959, when Clarence and Roland Whites bought her in very poor condition with her significant and most notable feature (the enlarged soundhole to almost 4 & 5/8" in diameter carved by an unknown whittler) - the rest of her history is generally well known.

It was in 1960 when a 9-year-old bluegrass performer named Tony Rice – a recent transplant to Southern California and a guitarist in a family band, just like Clarence White – spotted the guitar backstage at a music show that was being broadcast over a local radio station. “It was the first time I’d appeared anywhere,” Rice recalls. “I saw that old D-28, and it didn’t have a name on the headstock, so I asked, ‘What kind of a guitar is that?’ and Clarence said, ‘It’s a Martin.’ I’d never seen one like that. I thought all dreadnoughts were D-18s! So I asked, ‘Is that a D-18?’ He said, ‘No, that’s a D-28.’ I’d never heard of a D-28. The only thing I knew was that it looked like hell but it sounded like a million bucks to a 9-year-old kid!”

So, either Tony Rice played this guitar already as 9-year-old in 1960, he became its owner 15 years later, in 1975.

As one of the best bluegrass guitarists, Tony Rice kept this guitar all his life and made it world-famous. And so, when "Tony Rice" or "larger soundhole" dreadnought is mentioned now, everyone knows what's talking about...

Our replica, as a tribute to one of the greatest bluegrass guitar player ever, includes CITES certified Brazilian Rosewood back & sides and headplate, Adirondack top and (as each guitar in our Artists' Tribute line) hand-cut and engraved portrait of Tony in mother of pearl, snakewood and recon stone to the headplate.

(Extracts from the article in the Fretboard Journal #5 used)

Materials

Top: Adirondack
B&S: Brazilan Rosewood
Neck: Honduran Mahogany
Binding: Plastic
Fingerboard: Ebony
Bridge: Ebony
Headplate: Brazilan Rosewood
Nut & Saddle: Bone
Pins: Ebony with pearl dot

Dimensions

Body Shape: DREADNOUGHT
Scale: 644 mm 25 & 11/32"
Neck Profile: Hybrid V/C
Nut Width: 43 mm 1 & 11/16"
String Spacing: 57 mm 2 & 1/4”

Design

Finish: Nitrocellulose high gloss body & headplate, satin finish neck
Colour: Natural
Rosette: Multiple b/w “28-style”
Position Marks: None
Inlays: Pearl Tony portrait on peghead, herringbone top and b/w back purfling, zipper backstrip
Tuners: Waverly relic nickel, oval knobs
Pickguard: Slim plastic tortoise

Will come in HISCOX PRO-II hardshell case.

Ask for shipping costs quote to your destination.

The CITES permit for inside EU shipping is ready, the permit for outside EU shipping will be arranged for the factual buyer just after the payment. Regarding CITES rules, shipping without the permit is not possible.