Year: 2004
Style: Wingert E Style, Cutaway
Top: Carpathian Spruce
Back: Cocobolo
Binding: Cocobolo
Neck: Laminated Mahogany, 1 3/4" at the nut
Board: Ebony
Electronics: none
Condition: Mint
Case: Deluxe Calton

Kathy Wingert Model E Grand Concert, Carpathian Spruce & Cocobolo

This is a fantastic 2004 Model E Grand Concert, from luthier Kathy Wingert. This instrument has a top of Carpathian spruce (basically the European Red Spruce), and a stunning back/side set of Cocobolo. The neck is of three-piece Mahogany laminate construction, with graphite reinforcements and a double-acting truss rod. The neck joins the body in a traditional dovetail joint. The body binding is also Cocobolo, while the neck is bound in Ebony. A graceful and elegant soft cutaway provides access to the entire fretboard. The rosette is of Abalone, flanked by a clear pickguard. The Abalone "Wingert" headstock logo adorns the Ebony headstock overlay, and the headstock is fitted with Gold Gotoh 510 Super Tuners (these are awesome tuners!) The body is bound in CocoBolo, the neck is bound in Ebony. Ebony bridge with Ebony pins/abalone dots.

Here are Kathy's comments about the model E (from wingertguitars.com):

"The Model E Grand Concert is an evenly balanced guitar with a wonderful combination of fundamental and overtones, singing trebles, and a focused bass. I designed my Model E with comfort and bass response in mind. The body length is the same as a dreadnought, but with a smaller 15-inch lower bout. The waist is long which allows the player’s arm to go over a narrower part of the body. Equally at home in the hands of both fingerstyle players and flatpickers, tall players as well as small, this is my most popular model. The Model E Grand Concert is my personal favorite."

Later on the same page, she adds... "my all-time favorite steel-string guitar is a Model E with cocobolo back and sides and a German spruce top." A ringing endorsement for Cocobolo, to be sure, and Carpathian spruce makes for a wonderful pairing on this guitar. But while Ms. Wingert loves the sound of Cocobolo, it's actually now rather hard to get a new Wingert guitar with this back/side wood. She has discovered that she is allergic to the dust from this wood, and must basically wear a spacesuit while working with it. If she should agree to build one for you, it will be done only with the remainder of her private stash, and of course, at a considerable upcharge due to the extra precautions she must now take when working with this tonewood.

This guitar plays wonderfully (natch...), and sounds magnificient. The tone is full and rich - there's a strong bass, powerful but with focus. Trebles sing, and there is ample resonance in the high end that leaves the guitar ringing sympathetically long after the note is struck. Midrange is detailed but not overbearing. This guitar is a wonderful instrument for fingerstyle, but also makes for a great flatpicker, too, due in no small part to the dreadnought-influenced aspects of its design.

A Deluxe White Granite Calton flight case is included with this guitar. It has the white granite (speckled) finish, and all latches are lockable. A case shoulder strap is included.