DuncanAfrica Selah / 2026 / A Beautiful Guitar and a Beautiful Story

Wow! Today, we have a rather unusual guitar to add to the store, a DuncanAfrica Selah CR in Near Mint Condition, with a serial number that puts its build year at 2026!  This is one gorgeous instrument, with classic appointments, a fast action, and a rich and nuanced sound.  

Duncan Africa guitars are the brainchild of Jay Duncan, a master luthier who trained under Jean Larrivée before starting the DuncanAfrica Society in 2004.  Through that charitable philanthropic organization, highly skilled luthiers train apprentices in the Suubi Trade School in Uganda, providing them with a skill set that will lead to meaningful, dignified work, and help them to escape the prevailing poverty of the area.  After the guitars have been constructed, they are sent back to British Columbia for final “fit and finish” work, before being sold.  A substantial portion of proceeds is then funneled back into the school and into the production of  a second tier of instruments, which are sold more affordably to African musicians.  This is yet another example of musicians, working to make a better world.

This example, the Selah CR model, is an OM style acoustic, made with a Western Red Cedar top and Indian Rosewood back and sides, and it really sings!  The tone is clear and warm, and the resonance of the Cedar top is something special.  It reminds me of my own Lowden F23. With its fast action and great tone wood combination, this is a finger-style player’s dream. 

Brand new, this guitar sold through DuncanAfrica for $3142.00.

Here are the important specs:

Scale:  25 11/16”

Top: Western Red Cedar

Back and Sides: Indian Rosewood

Neck: Mahogany

Bound Top and Back

Tuners: Open Back Grovers / 18:1

Fretboard, Bridge and Pins: Ebony / 10” radius board

Lower Bout:   15 3/4”

Upper bout:    11 7/8”

Body Depth:   4 1/2”

Nut Width:   1  11/16”

String Spacing at Bridge:  2 3/16”

Action at 12th fret: Low E - 4.5/64”, High E - 4/64”

Coming into the shop, the guitar did need a bit of work.  The action was a little high for our tastes, and the saddle was too low, so we reset the neck to improve both situations.  Now, we have a lightning fast action and a taller saddle (unbleached bone) that makes for a better break angle and incredible sustain.  Additionally, we raised the level of three of the nut slot depths (G-B-E) as part of the final set up.  

The neck is straight, the action is fast, the fretboard is delightfully comfortable, and the sound is such, that you won’t want to put this guitar down.  We’ve set it up with a fresh set of D’Addario Phosphor Bronze Extra Lights (.010-.047), just to capitalize on the low action.  The guitar also comes in its original, hard shell case.  

I’ve had the great pleasure of being able to communicate with Jay Duncan about the guitar and about the ongoing development of the DuncanAfrica Society and school, and he recently let me know that in the immediate future, their focus will be on manufacturing guitars for the African market.  So, you are not likely to see many of these, any time soon.

Don’t blink; it’ll be gone!

Please be sure to check out the photos and zoom in for better detail, as we’ve tried to capture this guitar from all angles.

Serial Number: 00742

This DuncanAfrica guitar is sold AS IS, and is not returnable unless it arrives in a condition other than as described or photographed, here.

Price: $2500.00 plus $145 shipping (Lower 48 USA, only)