Top: Cedar Double/Composite top
Back and Sides: Ziricote with lovely sap wood feature
Tuners: Klaus Scheller
Scale: 650mm
Case: Leona
Origin: Australia
Price: Sold, but contact me about ordering one for you!

Jim and I are honored to work with the amazingly talented Ana Vidovic, who upon hearing one of Jim’s guitars years ago, immediately contacted me, and ended up acquiring not one, but two, Redgate guitars, which she has played and recorded with all over the world ever since. Ana’s immense popularity as one of the most talented players in the world, has helped showcase Jim’s guitars to an ever wider audience for which Jim and I are very grateful.

And so with this as a back drop to our story, I was excited when Jim told me he was going to be visiting me in Santa Barbara and that he was bringing something very special with him…his 500th guitar! Jim knew this guitar was coming up a year or so ago, and he began planning for it then. He wanted it to be something very special. He combed through all his best Cedar selecting the perfect soundboard from his ‘best of the best’ selection of his finest woods. He then selected from his back and side woods, again from his ‘best of the best’ woods, a stunning Ziricote back and sides with lovely sap wood features, a nod Jim says, to the Church Door style back and sides seen on Miguel Rodgriguez guitars. He then carefully crafted the finest double top possible, using all his best materials and his extraordinary knowledge and skills, perfecting every detail until it was worthy of this special guitar. Finally he installed a fine set of Klaus Scheller tuners, and to protect this masterpiece, he placed it in a lovely Leona case.

Luckily Jim’s visit to Santa Barbara to visit me coincided with the Ventura Music Festival where Ana Vidovic was performing. And so, Jim and I met with Ana prior to the concert where she was the first person to play Guitar #500. The guitar ( And Ana!) sounded incredible, I was so blown away that I recorded the video posted on this page of Ana trying the guitar for the first time, you can hear the sound and this is just recorded on an iPhone, so you can imagine what it sounds like in real life. Now comes a surprise for Jim and myself. We attend the concert and of course the first part Ana plays her much loved lattice Redgate which sounded fantastic as always, rich and dark and warm yet powerful. I saw Jim smiling as we sat listening. Can you imagine any luthier asking for a more exquisite experience than hearing Ana play their guitar? After intermission came the real surprise though. Out walks Ana and she is holding Guitar #500!!! Our jaws dropped. Who has the confidence to set aside a guitar that they know every nuance of and with an action adjusted especially for them, and to then pick up a brand new unplayed guitar that has a totally new feel and touch, and is built in a totally different style, and to then sit down and perform a concert on it? This shows not only Ana’s confidence as a player, but her trust in Jim’s guitars. The guitar sounded incredible and it was a treat to hear the lattice and double top back to back, both concert level instruments of the highest level, and yet each with it’s own personality.

And so, here she is, looking for the perfect home, Jim Redgate Guitar #500, and best of all she is available without the usual multi year wait!