The Ghost Deco
$30,000
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 A long while ago I received a request to build a special instrument for exhibiting at a prestigious museum. I was given a green light to build anything I wanted. I decided to build a Nightingale and to appoint it with the options and features that I believe define the Nightingale in its highest form. It was to be, in art lingo, a “statement”. This guitar is now available for purchase and immediate delivery.

 For the tonewood I chose a rare set of Brazilian Rosewood that exhibits a quality I have come to call “ghosting” or subtle, luminous flames across the sides and somewhat on the back. The first time I used this wonderful wood, I took to calling that guitar “The Ghost” [link here to the original Ghost page] because of this phenomenon in the wood. The name stuck and that first guitar came to be known as “The Ghost”. For the soundboard on that first Ghost I used a very rare redwood top that we called Moonglow redwood. For the story behind this exquisite Redwood, please click here.

 The combination of these lovely and rare woods was so compelling in sound and beauty that several folks were very keen on having an instrument just like “The Ghost”. I had just a handful of the ultra-rare Moonglow Redwood soundboards that I used on the original Ghost and these tops went into those few guitars. And I had just a couple of these Moonglows set aside for any special projects that would surface.

 This guitar is such a project. It is very like the Ghost in most of its appointments except the fretboard and rosette inlays. These I changed in deference to the original Ghost, to keep that other instrument unique. The inlays I chose for this instrument are from a theme we call the Art Deco vine. We took parts of this original Deco Vine and arranged them down the fretboard at the traditional fret positions. And we also took the same elements and arranged them around the extra-wide rosette. And then, in a last flourish, we arranged them in a new pattern on the headstock and bridge wings. These inlays are made from solid Blue Paua abalone, Red abalone and mother-of-pearl.

The appointments of this “Ghost Deco” include:

The Ergonomic Bevel and the Bevel Acoustic Flutes.
Ebony binding and Bevel
Standard nut width (1.75”)
The Ryan fingerstyle scale (25.7”)
Titanium bridge pins; proprietary low-mass, low-profile design
Ox bone nut and saddle
EO bracing
A4 kerfing liner
Blue Paua/Mother-of-Pearl MicroPearl on the headstock and fretboard
Ebony headstock plate and ducktail
Blue paua logo
Signature Series truss rod cover with Blue Paua purfling and Deco Corona with MicroPearl
Black chrome 510 machine heads with ebonoid buttons
Integrated ebony fretboard binding
String spacing at nut; graduated incremental increase toward the bass
Diamond Gloss finish (UV cure)
Signature Series fretboard termination
Ebony bridge, standard pinned
Deluxe Calton Case; custom Ryan shell with embossed “R” logo