Jim Redgate lattice braced solid top/Cedar
Top: Cedar
Sides & Back: Rosewood
Scale: 650 mm
Origin: Australia
Jim’s guitars have been my most popular guitars for more than a decade now. As Jim’s world wide exclusive dealer I have seen virtually every guitar he has built for years and he never ceases to amaze me. There are Redgate owners in virtually every country now, and artists such as Ana Vidovic, Slava and Leonard Grigoryan, Ralph Towner and Odair Assad have all acquired Redgate instruments. Please contact me to discuss the various styles, options and features of Jim’s guitars and for details about how you can place an order for a custom Redgate of your own.
Ana Vidovic interview, Guitar Player magazine, August 2007
You play a Jim Redgate guitar, what drew you to that instrument?
“One of my friends played a Redgate and he gave me the guitar to play a little bit. I liked it immediately-it’s one of the best instruments I’ve ever played. I was looking for a loud, powerful guitar, but I was also looking for a guitar that had a clean, warm, and beautiful sound that could be used to create many different tonal colors. I’ve found that it’s tricky to find a loud guitar that also has a very nice sound, but the Redgate has both.”
For more than a decade now, Jim Redgate guitars have been the most sought after and acquired guitars in my shop. Once Ana Vidovic began to play and record exclusively with her Redgate, the popularity of Jim’s guitars increased even further. Like all great contemporary builders Jim is highly innovative and is constantly improving an already legendary guitar. Over the years his guitars have evolved, and continue to evolve and Jim has really created his own unique and truly wonderful sound, which is accompanied by excellent volume and projection and a playability that is seldom matched.
This is perhaps why Jim’s guitars have resonated so well with players and artists around the world. His lattice bracing concepts have evolved into a completely unique bracing system which, combined with Jim’s natural ability to harmonize every aspect of the construction of his guitars, creates a result where the whole is truly greater than the sum of its parts. Jim’s guitars have complex tonal character and beautiful round full trebles with sonorous basses, they are very balanced and present with superb articulation and separation of the voices all backed up with a highly responsive touch, and powerful projection and volume.
Jim also recommends his new ‘ported bridge’ on his lattice style guitars, this concept allows the air to move more efficiently and also saves about 5 grams of weight in this critical area leading to a more open sounding guitar (standard non-ported bridge is available as well). All Redgate guitars now come standard with an elevated fingerboard.
Jim has a supply of top quality Rosewood, and absolutely stunning master grade Cedar for the soundboard, and if desired, some marvelous German Spruce. All woods are Master grade though there is an option to have the pick of his wood stock that is in limited supply for the very best sets. This “special” option is available for those who want the very best combination of rosewood and soundboard that Jim has i his shop at the time their guitar is built. Jim’s guitars come standard with Schaller HG-1 tuners. Handcrafted Graf tuning machines are also available as an option which are the best tuners I have found anywhere and the design of which matches Jim’s rosette perfectly, or supply him direct with the tuner of your choice. A Hiscox case is standard, however many clients choose the optional Karura carbon fiber Artist Touring case and case cover that was a joint design effort between Karura, myself, Jim and Ana Vidovic, the best case you can buy in my opinion.
A list of additional options is located on this page, any questions please contact me.
