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Here’s a 2022 Iris DF with Brazilian rosewood back and sides, made specifically for the 2022 Fretboard Summit in Chicago. The top is old stock Guild spruce, and the whole guitar is finished in open-pore natural satin nitrocellulose. Iris builds its guitars in South Burlington, Vermont.

Built For The 2022 Fretboard Summit

The Fretboard Summit is the Fretboard Journal’s yearly gathering of builders, players, and collectors in Chicago, and Iris built this DF for the 2022 show. A standard DF comes with mahogany back and sides and a regular Sitka top. This one got Brazilian rosewood and an old stock Guild top, and both of those are upgrades on Iris’s own price sheet.

The DF is Iris’s slope-shoulder dreadnought. Iris modeled it on the Kalamazoo flat-tops of the mid and late 1930s, and like every Iris it’s braced with scalloped Adirondack spruce.

A Really Nice Set Of Brazilian

Brazilian rosewood is a $2,000 upgrade from Iris, and this is a really nice set of Brazilian. Take a good look at the back and sides in the photos.

Brazilian rosewood has been listed on CITES Appendix I since 1992, which keeps new Brazilian extremely restricted to trade. A builder can’t just order more of it, so a modern guitar with a set this nice doesn’t come along often.

Old Stock Guild Spruce

The top is new old stock Sitka spruce from Guild, an option Iris offers only on the DF. Old stock tops have had years to dry and settle before they ever get built into a guitar, and they tend to sound played in from the first strum.

Open-Pore Satin Nitro

The finish is open-pore natural satin nitrocellulose. Open pore means the grain isn’t filled level before the finish goes on, so the coat stays thin and you can feel the texture of the wood under your hand. A thin nitro finish lets the top and back move freely, and you hear that in how this guitar responds.

How It Sounds

This DF has the voice people chase Brazilian rosewood for. The bass is deep and round, and it stays tight, so a big G chord keeps its shape instead of turning to boom. The trebles are sweet and clear with a glassy, bell-like ring on top. Every note blooms after you hit it and hangs in the air, with layers of overtones building around it. Let a chord ring out and it keeps going a long time, almost like there’s reverb in the room.

The slope-shoulder body keeps a strong, woody midrange in the mix, the same punch you hear in the old Kalamazoo flat-tops. That gives it more focus than a square-shoulder dreadnought. It sits right behind a singing voice, and single-note runs cut through without getting harsh.

The scalloped Adirondack bracing and the old Guild top make it quick to respond. It speaks at a light touch, and when you dig in with a pick there’s plenty of headroom, so it gets louder without flattening out. Fingerpicked, it’s warm and detailed and you hear each string of a chord on its own. Flatpicked, it has the drive and volume for bluegrass rhythm and lead.

At A Glance

2022 Iris DF slope-shoulder dreadnought
Made specifically for the 2022 Fretboard Summit in Chicago
Brazilian rosewood back and sides, a $2,000 upgrade from Iris
Old stock Guild Sitka spruce top
Scalloped Adirondack spruce bracing
Open-pore natural satin nitrocellulose finish
Built in South Burlington, Vermont

At Joe’s Vintage Guitars, your satisfaction is our top priority. We stand behind every instrument we sell, and we want you to feel completely confident in your purchase. That’s why we offer a 7-day return policy with no restocking fee. Take a full week to inspect, play, and fall in love with your new guitar. If for any reason it isn’t the right fit, simply return it in the same condition for a full refund—no hidden fees, no hassle. We know that buying a vintage instrument is a big decision, and we’re committed to making the process as comfortable and transparent as possible. Shop with peace of mind knowing that every guitar from Joe’s Vintage Guitars is backed by honest service and years of expertise.