SOLD - Schwartz 'Oracle' - Sitka/East Indian Rosewood - Rare Handmade Masterpiece - £4,999

Castro · February 2020

Save at least £7,000 on new

No trades thank you.

This is a unique, big, bold, powerhouse of a guitar that offers remarkable individual note clarity, volume and balance. It's an instrument that responds equally well to plectrums, nails and fingers.

An incredible set of features includes: a cutaway extension bevel; bent wood style arm rest; pinless bridge, 3 elliptical sound holes, 5 piece laminated neck; a rear access panel for installation of a pickup/onboard electronics; carbon fibre reinforced lattice-braced soundboard; double-walled side construction; a carbon fibre reinforced "X" braced back; a £1,000 Main Stage bomb-proof case.

The innovative power plant of this guitar is the very light but extremely strong carbon fibre-reinforced, lattice-braced soundboard. The light weight allows the top to respond easily, even with the reduced tension of open tunings. The strength means the guitar can be played hard without 'overdriving' the top.

A common problem that fingerstyle players face is the variation in action that occur when going from one tuning to the next. This has been eliminated by the unique double-walled side design. The double wall makes the sides of the guitar very stiff, without adding much weight. The added strength of the sides greatly reduces the flexibility of the box, which translates into no movement between tunings of differing tensions.

You will love this guitar if you like a jumbo, dreadnought, fingerstyle guitar and play EADGBE, drop D, DADGAD, other alternate tunings, fingerstyle, flatpicking, singer-songwriter stuff.

The Oracle is in great condition with the light scratches that you expect to find on a pickguard that has seen many hours trying to avoid my fingers! It goes for a set-up this week and will be available from Sunday 8th December.

I would prefer a UK sale because shipping such an expensive and large package fully insured will be difficult and expensive. Reviews can be found on the Sheldon Schwartz website and his Facebook page.

Here's the full spec':

Top - Bear Claw Sitka Spruce
Back & sides - East Indian Rosewood
Neck - Five piece mahogany, Peruvian walnut and curly maple
Fretboard - Ebony
Frets to the body - 14
Scale length - 25.4"
Neck profile - C
Nut width - 45.3mm
Nut spacing - 7.4mm
Bridge spacing - 11.7mm
Lower bout width - 16"
Upper bout width - 12.01"
Body depth at base - 4.53"

Plus - lacewood logo - cherry and black pear purfling - black walnut bindings - ebony headstock veneer - black walnut rear headstock veneer - glow in the dark side dots - bony pinless bridge - Gotoh 510 tuners - black tuner buttons - black Tusq nut and saddle - clear pickguard

https://i.imgur.com/zqHx4z8.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/6SIAmy3.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Cfw07mw.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/hprvrxM.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/yUjByeL.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Yzj0kQi.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ykhBrNc.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/8TiCDEA.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/T2cbAQY.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/wO8WunJ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/VR1l8sh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/m7qamCq.jpg