Recently, I traded in a Larrivee D-09-BZ and a couple of other pieces for an H&D TD-R with an Adirondack top, sleek white trim on the neck and headstock (blanking on the word for it!), and medium-jumbo frets as custom add-ons, and let me tell you--I have never looked back! I took a huge financial hit, but I was frankly not happy with the D-09-BZ, and the H&D got me to Dreadnaught heaven. The sound is incredibly full, rich, and dynamic; the feel of playing the guitar is dreamy yet solid, with perfect action. The woods are amazingly beautiful, and the case is super cool! Maybe the only complaint I have is that the finish on the neck gets a bit sticky after a while, but it is not a major issue at this point. I was A/Bing this guitar against an H&D Brazilian/Adir. dread and I honestly thought this one sounded and played better, although the other guitar was fantastic, too. I also was close to buying one of the 00-SP 12 fretters with an Engleman top--what a honey that was! Like another fellow, I was less knocked out by the 000 I played. I was also comparing to Santa Cruz that day, and the H&Ds kicked butt on all of them, and they had some nice ones. I thought the H13 stood its ground pretty well, but that is a very special guitar, too. I think the H&Ds absolutely smoke Collings for musicality, workmanship, and wood selection; and they have so much more richness and depth than the Goodalls. Not too take anything away from those others, as I have played some gems from them, but they could not compare to the H&Ds. Only the best Martins I have played came close--the GEs, the Marquis, D-41/D-42, and the D-18 Authentic. I think the sound is very Martin-like, in contrast to what another fellow said earlier in comparing them to Santa Cruz. Well, that is my 2 cents on H&D. I have a Larrivee 00-60 and an old J-15-12 that is my soulmate, so I am not knocking Larrivee at all. But of all the high-end non-Martin guitars I have played, nothing touches that H&D. Financially, at under 4 grand I was way ahead of the game compared to Collings and Goodall for these specs (new prices), and maybe equivalent to Santa Cruz and a Martin Marquis. I hope that is helpful to anyone out there listening and making a choice on which way to go!

*******CM:*******

I own several high end guitars including Santa Cruz, Taylor, and Martin. This Huss and Dalton CM is in a class above those models. Its unique build allows for the volume of a dread and the sensitivity of an OM. I play primarily fingerstyle and this guitar responds to the lightest touch but will handle strummiing with enough power and volume to cut through any mix.

Buying a guitar online without hearing or playing it can be a challenging experieince to say the least. Gayl and his staff were knowledgeable, and a pleasure to work with. All of my emails and phone calls were answered quickly and accurately providing me with the information needed to feel confident with my purchase. I highly recommend both the Huss & Dalton CM and Betterbilt Fretted products for your next purchase.

*******CM:*******

The best fingerstyle guitar!

Here is a short review from a finger style player who got a Huss and Dalton CM recently from us:

The Huss and Dalton CM arrived safe and sound on July 3, two days ahead of the scheduled delivery. Its a magnificent instrument in every respect. The workmanship is superb; the playability and tone are extraordinary. Three characteristices of the guitar were most impressive: the responsiveness and dynamic range, the bass, which was exceptionally full and breathy for a guitar of this size, and the maturity of the sound. This guitar does not sound brand new. It already has a seasoned tone and plays and feels broken in. I wonder what it will sound like in five years?

Incidentally, the guitar arrived well set-up. Ive had to make no adjustments, just tuned her up and played. I used the CM for a few numbers at my regular weekend gigs (played the old-fashioned way, through a mic), and she filled the room. Id say shes a keeper for sure. This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

I want to thank you for working with me to make this purchase happen. You and your staff took all the anxiety out of buying a guitar on-line. I will >certainly buy from you again, and can give you my highest recommendation as a friendly, knowledge, and honest dealer whose very easy and pleasant to work with. Ill let the guys and H & D know, too, since Im planning to visit the shop in the reasonably near future.

I am pleased to remain,

Cordially,

Mark Malvasi

Yesterday I purchased a Larrivee 000-50 from you. Ive only had it a day and a half, but I wanted to tell you how happy I am with the entire experience of buying from you.

I gave you a fairly specific idea of what I wanted: a 12-fret 000 model with a slotted headstock, within my limited budget. You gave me a surprisingly wide and exciting range of choices, allowed me to play them all with no pressure, and answered all my questions knowledgeably. You were fun to talk with. And you quoted prices so attractive that you made sure I walked out the building with a fine new guitar.

I chose the Larrivee (although I did lie awake last night wondering if I should have picked the ravishing Santa Cruz). I love the big, woody mahogany sound and the wide fingerboard. Also--and Im a sucker for this--its one of the most visually beautiful guitars Ive ever seen.

The guitar has a very large, distinctive sound. Its a little tight out of the box, but I think it will bloom beautifully and Im looking forward to helping it. Im not wild about the Cleartone strings, but that's an easy fix, isnt it?

I may have had my doubts in the night, but today Im positive that I made the right choice. Thanks for everything.

You can use any or all of this email as a testimonial if youd like. Id recommend you anytime.

Mark Johnson San Clemente CA