At the time, I was just starting out as a full-time luthier, and I had no website, no reputation, and the  Edwinson brand wasn’t  even a blip on the custom guitar radar screen.

   I came to find out a couple of  months later that J.R. had awarded the EF 75 Falcon the first ever Acoustic Guitar Forum Founder’s Choice, Guitar of the Year Award.

   The photo at left is J.R.’s, which he posted on the AGF with a special thread announcing the award. Here’s a link to the full thread.

www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169695

   ...And some excerpts of J.R.’s commentary on it:

  “This amazing little guitar arrived earlier this month and has quickly become one my favorites. I've spent many late night hours playing and recording with this guitar. It's very hard to put down because it's so comfortable for me to play. Crafted by Luthier Stephen Sheriff, the Edwinson Falcon FC .75 bears a scale length of only 22.875". This makes for a guitar that is much more comfortable to play for those with smaller hands. The body size and choice of cutaway also add to the balance of this instrument...

   “The body is made of West African Shedua, a close cousin to Bubinga. Tonally, it's very similar to Koa or good mahogany. The top is Alaskan Yellow Cedar, which is actually a Cypress, very closely related to the rare and expensive Port Orford variety. The fingerboard, bridge, and bindings are Nigerian Ebony and the neck is White Limba. The guitar is finished with McFadden's Nitrocellulose lacquer.

   “Under the hood, the guitar is fitted with a K&K Pure Western Mini passive rig, which is a great sounding pickup! I mix this pickup along with a large diaphragm condensor mic set just a few inches from the front of the guitar, pointed toward the neck/body joint and I've been able to record a very rich/full sound using this configuration.

   “The guitar seems to reside naturally at concert pitch in standard tuning. The shorter scale (22.875") doesn't call for it to be tuned up to F or G, and tuning at standard makes it really easy to play. I've tuned this with drop-D tuning and it plays fine. The guitar also sounds great tuned up to F. The guitar came standard with D'Addario 12's, which feel more like 11's or even 10's due to the shorter scale.

   “Construction and attention to detail are exceptional on this guitar... they are difficult to capture in pictures. Steve builds his guitar tops with a 25' radius so it is gently domed in side profile. This adds much strength and stability over years of constant string pull. The back is also radiused to 15'. The top braces on this guitar are arranged in a hybrid X/ fan pattern. The back is actually braced in an X-pattern similar to the bracing you normally see on a guitar top.

   “Another interesting feature in the construction of this guitar is the guitar's bridge plate. Here, Steve uses a very thin rosewood / carbon fiber laminated plate, radiused perfectly to the top. This provides extra rigidity and strength, and prevents the ball-ends of the strings from ever pulling through the bridge plate - saving a costly repair down the road.

   “Tonally, the guitar has incredible sustain and a beautiful tone that is difficult to describe. Open, airy, 'pianistic'. One thing is certain, a lot of time was spent on the details of this guitar to create an instrument with a very memorable voice.”

    I have become a frequent visitor and participant in the Acoustic Guitar Forum, and J.R. Rogers  has become a good friend. I credit J.R.’s influence, and the exposure provided on his web community, with making it possible for me to make a living as a guitar maker.

   The guitar he’s holding is the 2011 Macassar Ebony “Blackthorne” ECC Consort Venetian with some radical ebony inlay on the back. More photos of this guitar can be found HERE.

     Here’s a YouTube video of Aaron Stang running the first prototype (2006) Edwinson Consort Cutaway through its paces. Thanks for the clip, Aaron!

  

   Here are a couple of videos of the phenomenally talented Don Alder from Vancouver B.C. Canada, playing a Brazilian rosewood/ Carpathian EPC Performance Florentine that I built for him in 2004.

Don went on to win the Fingerstyle Championship at the Winfield 2007 Guitar Festival. The guitar he’s playing here is my Number 7  guitar.

  

Here are a couple videos of Gen  Young playing a new model, the Consort Crossover Nylon  String, built in early 2013 for Dr. Paul R., who lives in La Jolla CA.

What they’re saying about the Edwinson...

I wanted to drop you a note to let you know how much I still love the Red Siren.

I've been laying low at AGF because my quest for the perfect guitar is over.  I found her.  No more cruising guitar forums, no more obsessing on guitars, Red Siren stays out on the stand & I play her every single day.  This part of my life is truly at peace. 

It's still beautiful of course, but it's my soul-mate because it so comfortable to play, the neck is *perfect*, and most importantly it sounds wonderful.  The response is so immediate & I find myself really listening to my playing from a musical standpoint.  I haven't learned many new songs but everything sounds more musical.  It's hard to put into words but I guess since I am no longer obsessing over which guitar to play I am just concentrating on my playing & getting to know this guitar.

Let me know how you are doing!  Hopefully it lifts your spirits to know just how much the Red Siren is loved.  And we are way past the honeymoon ;-)

-Paul G.

Hi Steve,

The Red Siren is amazing.  I don't know how you did it, but you have

just hit this one completely out of the park.  I hate describing tone

but it's just so lush & full.  And it really does bloom, bloomin' like

a Red Rose indeed, a Sunshine Daydream!

compromise that I thought the universe had forced upon us.  But not with this Red Siren.  No more.

Of course it looks fantastic & the fit/finish is superb.  I can't get over how tight the grain lines are on that top, never seen anything like it.  Between that & the incredibly precise rosette, it looks like this guitar is "high-def".  The rosette is stunning, pictures simply

don't do it justice.

The fretboard markers with "jewel & gold ring", again photos do not do it justice.  The figure in the white limba neck.  I'm looking forward

to examining her in the sunlight today.

I don't want to use the word perfect but I can't imagine liking it anymore than I do.  I have one of those ToneRite contraptions but I am not going to use it on the Red Siren.  It sounds too perfect already.

Maybe just a hint of tightness that will go away soon but I'm amazed how open it sounds right now.  I am not messing with it.

I need to go out and walk the dogs before it gets to hot, but I am truly inspired, not just by the guitar, but by your personal story. If this is the kind of guitar that you can build, you have found your

place in the universe. 

People talk about instantly bonding with a guitar and last night that happened to me.  I thought I knew but I

didn't know.

Talk to you soon,

Paul

Hi Steve,

I was down preparing my guitars for winter, and generally just playing around, which presented the rare opportunity to play them one after the other (2 Edwinsons, 2 Taylors, 1 Martin, 1 Collings).  Yours are not only the most beautiful looking, they are the most beautiful sounding.  Thanks again.

Dave  Tripple (Boston MA)

                                                                                      Stephen,

                                                                                      Mark Kunkel stopped by my shop to check out some mandolins I’m

it... I'm not really a guitar guy, but that thing is something else. It was so responsive and the playability was so dialed in, it was like I

couldn't make a mistake. The distribution of the fanned frets was just right and the tone was very, very tasty. Tight fundamental-focused trebles and that little bit of extra harmonic content on the bass really adds some meat to the low end.

From a design perspective, I've seen a lot of attempts to use red accents on guitars, and yours is the first to pull it off. Whatever that red dyed veneer was really works... it wasn't bloodwood except on the

neck, right? I don't think bloodwood accent stripes would have been that shimmery. Regardless, nice job all around. Seems like you should be able

to sell those for $7,500.

Keep building -- one of these days I'll have to swing by your new digs and check them out. I hope your endeavors work out well for you.

Best,

Marty Jacobson

http://www.martinjacobson.com

Silas R.

Hey, Steve,

I don't know how you did it, but this guitar makes me feel like I won the lottery. Every time I pick it up I just smile. It's so beautiful to look at, but that's not even half the story. I've had some nice guitars, including my dad's 1958 Martin D 28, but none of them sound as good as this baby! When you told me about the bracing and other design mods you came up with, I got a hint of how committed you are to making great guitars. Well, this Consort is a lifer for me! Thanks for adding a whole new level to my guitar life. Mass kudos for a job well done!

Warm regards,

Silas

Bob Etcheverry

Hi Steve,

   First, my apologies for not yet posting on the AGF. I want to take the time to write a fairly thorough review and just haven't had a chance to do so in the last few days. I have put a quite a few hours on the new guitar since I've got back home thought, almost every free moment I get. I think my other instruments are feeling neglected....aside from about five minutes on my mandolin, the rest haven't seen my fingers except once to top up the instrument humidifiers! I am really enjoying the sound of the new guitar. The range is just crazy! The guitar's sound spectrum just brings out so many songs from somewhere that it's just kind of mind blowing!

   Having just that one extra string just seems to double up the range! I've been playing mostly in standard tuning with an A on the bottom, but also have been dropping the low E to D quite a bit depending on the key of the song. I can't believe I haven't gone back to the baritone tuning since the first couple of days, but I'm just going with what's speaking to me. I haven't even dared venture into any open tunings yet! I'm going to a 3 day guitar camp in two weeks so it will get some good exposure there! I'm taking a jazz and swing class there, so I've been playing around with a few tunes in that genre and having the extra bass string to add into the chords is killer! The notes are now there for the bass line in Django Reinhardt's "Minor Swing", without needing an upright bass. I was playing around with Dave Brubeck's "Take Five" a bit the day before yesterday and the same story again with the low A string...and both of these songs can be played in the original key and have still have access to the low notes.....I'm really having fun!! 

...and a later email from Bob...

   Yes, the 7 string is sounding marvellous! I actually tried doing a quick recording on a Zoom H2N, but it just wasn't a good enough sound reproduction to do it justice. I was wanting to get a good sound-clip to post on the AG Forum as I thought it would say a lot more than I can express in words as the sound just speaks volumes! 

   I've changed the 6th string to a .056 and currently am using a John Pearse .072 double wound on the 7th. I find that these gauges allow me to alternate  the 6th between E and D and the 7th between B and A without loosing any of the tone and maintaining a reasonable tension. I backed off the truss rod tension just a hair as well. With the longer scale length, the 6th and 7th string really can vibrate when you play them with authority. I was getting a bit more occasional buzzing than I liked, but with the slight truss rod adjustment and the .056 on the 6th, I'm very happy with how it's playing!  I've mostly been keeping the guitar primarily tune as a standard 6 string with the 7th in either B or A depending on the key of the song, and often dropping the 6th to D as well. I've been retuning the 3rd string down a semitone quite a bit lately which gives a baritone tuning with the extra e top string. Dropping the 7th and sometimes the 6th a full note in the baritone tuning as well gives the guitar a great voice. It just opens up endless doors for musical creativity with these new tonal signatures. In fact, I have barely picked up another six sting since I got this guitar home! Hardly a day goes by without it filling the house with music!  

-Bob E., Calgary, Alberta

Hello, my Friend.

Thinking about you this morning as you are getting ready to head out for Healdsburg. I've been watching your posts on the AGF and continue to be blown away by the passion you exhibit for your craft. 

My own little share of the Edwinson brilliance continues to mature in increasingly positive fashion. It is my everyday player as I hoped it would become. Now, after two years, I can confidently say there is still nothing that I would change in its design or aesthetic... it is truly everything that I had imagined. I continue to be thankful and ever mindful of how blessed I am. 

So, anyhoo, my purpose in reaching out was to wish you joyful and safe travel. I pray blessings of rest and recreation for you, my Friend. May you be joyful in conversation and may you make new and lasting friendships as you share your passion and artistry with others of kindred heart. May you continue to prosper as you pour yourself wholeheartedly into the craft that you were destined to be joined to. Grace, Peace, and the Love of our Creator be upon you always.

****

Thank you for building me a heirloom guitar. The more I play it and the more I hear it growing up and maturing (especially compared to other guitars) to more I realize it is a treasure, both aesthetically and as a precision instrument of music making. So, thank you. Thank you, Steve, for making my dream guitar come true.

Your friend,

Jeff Borden

Hi Steve,

 

Just wanted you to know that I got my guitar back from the action adjustment and it is fantastic!!! I don't know what happened,...but her voice is even better now. THe harmonics on the 5th,7th and 12th fret are much brighter. It plays so nicely. It is such an instrument,...not just a guitar, but it has a precision and uniformity that is stunning.

   Everytime I pick it u, I get a delicious ripple of anticipation. What a treat!!!! By the way everyone who has seen it has loved it.

   Best,...john

Hi Steve,

 Just a short note to let you know: This guitar is a jewel!!! Every night I notice another fine detail, another thoughtful design element,...it is just completely imbued with loving care. But, more than that,...it pulls me forward and pulls music out of me. It plays so accurately, and it plays very fast and easily. The sustain is outstanding,...the balance is a dream come true, ... dynamic range is spectacular,...and then the harmonics start layering up and I am gone.  Last night it was 2 am,...and I'm up at 6:00 taking care of business,...but thinking about when I'll be able to get another hour in with my WindHorse.

 with admiration and affection,...

john

Hello Steve,

   Last night I impulsively kissed my guitar,...filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude to be able to spend so many hours with this remarkable instrument/portal. Each day I play I notice something else. Each day it invites me to improve and makes doing so a much easier task. No distractions from tonal issues, tuning difficulties, ... it just plays in such a lovely fashion.  I feel bound to you through this guitar and I will be forever grateful and full of admiration for your craftsmanship. 

 I'm thinking of you as you head to Healdsburg. 

 Also I'm going to put a check in the mail as a deposit on a nylon crossover,...I guess I'll do that today.

Wonderful.

 Best always,

 John

Paul Rickards

On a personal note, I will end by saying this build process has been much more than I had hoped for or imagined. I have had another “custom” guitar build about a year and a half ago from another renowned steel string luthier who is very experienced and talented and does fantastic work. However, the experience and outcome was not equal by any stretch of the imagination. I will not mention names because my intention is not to bash anyone else but rather to praise Steve. My first experience with a “custom” build did not feel that way with the other builder. I was told what options I had, with little input into the final product.

   But frankly, I could have had that experience with mass-producing guitar companies as well. Certainly the final outcome was a very nice guitar technically speaking; well built, sounds good. But to me, when you pay for a “custom” guitar, it should feel that way at the end of the day. Steve allowed me to be involved all the way through. We changed, refined, fine-tuned and tweaked the guitar until I got EXACTLY what I was hoping and asking for. I cannot believe how much effort and time Steve poured into this guitar.

   All I can say is that it is very clear when someone builds guitars for the love of the art and not just for money. Steve has mentioned before that he is grateful to be able to make living building guitars now. Well, I feel very lucky to have caught him at this point in his career when he has the experience to build great instruments but is still is at a price point that is affordable to many of us.

You are awesome, Steve.  I feel very blessed to own your very first Crossover.  I am selling my other steel string (Jeffrey Yong) also.  I already sold the Cervantes.  Yours is my only custom guitar to survive and they will have to pry it from my cold, dead fingers.  That is my real dream guitar.  Thank you so much

Paul

BRUCE KAHN

Hi Steve,

I just spent the whole afternoon playing our Siren and I just had to write you a quick note to tell you how much I’m enjoying your guitar.

It’s so comfortable to play and it just sings!  Notes come out of nowhere and things that were next to impossible on other guitars are very doable.  It’s so much fun to play.

I basically loaded my iPad with John Renbourn and Pierre Bensusan tabs (TabToolKit is an amazing app for the iPad) and have somehow whiled (is that the correct word?) away the entire day in Siren Heaven.

You’re the MAN!

;-)

BK

Hi Steve,

I hope this note finds you happy and healthy.

I just had to send you a quick note.  I’d be embarrassed to tell you how many guitars I have, but I find myself always picking up our Siren to play.  It sounds great and is so easy to hold/play (hence the Subject).  And – I’m still astonished by it’s supreme beauty and elegance.

This is one very satisfied customer.

Thanks,

BK

   Hi, Steve.

The Malay Siren is one sweet guitar!

Its tone is sweet. It also smells sweet, a little jasmine-like, although I can't tell what the exact source of the smell is. Is it the Malaysian blackwood. Or the neck?

When the Siren is on my guitar stand, it calls out to me, begging to be played. I have to remind myself that this is a true small-bodied guitar. It is not a typical boxy parlor sound.

It sounds like a larger guitar. It is not a loud guitar, but it projects well. 

It also has surprising headroom. Even though it's meant to be a little fingerstyle machine, it's quite versatile, as you can strum it pretty hard without distorting the tone. The bass is ample, especially for its size. The overtones and level of sustain fit too. Tried a little DADGAD with no problems at all. (I stick to standard tuning mainly).

After putting the Siren though its paces, I've discovered that a light to medium attack with fingerstyle is its sweet spot. It is so comfortable to play, easily the most comfortable guitar I've ever played. The neck fits me quite well. The small size and 24 in scale length make it oh so playable. It is non-fatiguing to me, which cannot be overstated, as I have intermittent arthritic issues and a deformed pinky on my left (fretting) hand from an old basketball injury (joint dislocation). Quite simply, it is the perfect couch guitar.

Outstanding work, Stephen!

Thank you so much for creating this lovely little guitar.

Warmest regards,

Eric Ragaza

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