I am pleased to announce that in spring of 2007 I built my 100th acoustic guitar!

To celebrate this milestone, I decided to use an exceptional piece of very old and very rare bearclaw, Western Red Cedar which I had been saving for many years. Now clear your mind and imagine the rich, dulcet chime of the Dalai Lamas wooden bell, suspended from a golden thread...and that's just the tap-tone! The figure of this stunning piece of wood evokes the mythological phoenix and inspired the name of the guitar. Pair this exquisite cedar top with a particularly special and highly figured Quilted Mahogany back and sides and you have "The Phoenix"; a non-cutaway model G2 with Laskin style arm and rib rests. A very old, perfectly straight-grained and quarter-sawn true Honduran Mahogany neck completes the instrument.

What would a beautiful, one-of-a-kind, commemorative guitar be without a beautiful, one-of-a-kind inlay? Well, it wouldn't be "The Phoenix"! I collaborated with renowned uber-inlay-artist Larry Robinson to embellish this collectable with an original work of art; which is inspired by my daughter Naomi's beautiful tattoo of a phoenix!!! The moment I saw the ghost of the fiery phoenix in the soundboard and made the connection with Naomi's Tattoo, the theme of the guitar was established and it had to be built.