Brave, very brave. 🙂

I think Collings should be much higher than number 10. But great list!

I had hoped to see Goodall on the list. I've tried many boutique acoustics and my Goodall Koa is still right at the top.

Boucher will always be #1 in my book. But this is a fantastic video! Thank you all.

Owned a Froggy Bottom H14 Brazilian rosewood for many years & every year it's sound just seems to get better. I have read they try to replicate the sound of prewar Martins.Whatever,it's simply wonderful❤.Like my Martin.

Nice video, couple of those luthiers I'd never heard of. I "discovered" Santa Cruz two years ago and have since had them make me two guitars, an OM and Tony Rice dread. Incredible instruments.

Should read...Top ten boutique BLUEGRASS style guitars. My #1 has got to be Lowden for overall handbuilts. If you have an opportunity to play one do it! They are pricey however as most handbuilts are. Love to see a top ten affordable boutique guitar brands video. Not sure if ten affordable brands even exist.

I like that you are honest about your "pre war Martin bias" and you did the video in a way that I can sort through when you were saying "these guitars are great because the pre war thing" and "these guitars are great because other reasons"

Perfection in guitars is in the ear of the beholder. My ‘34 Kalamazoo possessed by Robert Johnson’s ghost was once a flattop and became morphed into a custom arch top with time 😂

I just got an D37 Atkin at TAS. I had just played 13 fantastic Collings at another store. One of them was a Jake Workman trade in. I played most the other brands they mention here that day as well. The Atkin is the best guitar I’ve ever played. My wife said the same thing when she played it. For 30 years I’ve been looking for a guitar better than what I had. I finally found it with the Atkin and it’s WAY better. It is the ultimate bluegrass guitar. It is my forever guitar.

I’ve played and love all of these brands. I have owned several bourgeois and my band mate has a monster Thompson, but my new Pre War Guitar Co is several steps above and the only thing I have found that even comes close to the real thing. Maybe I got lucky, but everyone seems to report strongly on them.

As an Englishman, I'm happy Alistair Atkin made the list. Thanks.

I had a great conversation last month with Gareth Jenkins who voices those Preston Thompsons. Fascinating and his love of the craft is clear.

Excellent video. I agree that Collings should be higher on the ranking. But I especially wanted to strongly endorse what you said about Caleb Smith. I have met with him and agree he is a terrific person who makes amazing guitars. And finally, take a look at Wayne Henderson. Phenomenal is the word for his guitars and him. Thanks again.

Wayne Henderson Guitars

I think Boucher was one of the first with torrification. To me that’s a key to the vintage sound. It’s great we have an excellent, affordable boutique builder here in Canada. Besides Pre War brand guitars its one of my favourites along with Santa Cruz. Never been disappointed buy these builders. Great list

I can’t wait to get on this list!

It takes big ol brass balls to put forth a list like this! Good job overall. I would have mentioned "Pre War" guitars out of NC. Keep up the good work!!

My favorite is my Burchette Sloped D. Made by luthier extraordinaire Gray Burchette in Elkin North Carolina. Incredible tone and unparalleled playability. I've played Collings. Like them a lot. Martin are great of course. The standard by which all others are measured. Nothing I've ever heard beats my Burchette.

I think that is a solid list and everyone has their own preferences on what guitars builders fit their style the best. I would like to have seen Huss and Dalton on the list, I have played a few of them and they all have blown me away. Maybe they will make the next video! You guys are awesome keep up the great content!

The best guitar I have ever played was a Thompson owned by a man who attends the Winfield Walnut Valley Festival. And I've had many, many pre-war Martins in my hands. Thompson builds fantastic instruments.

Great video. Previous post indicated a maybe better name for it is "Top ten boutique BLUEGRASS style guitars" and I would add at boutique guitar prices. I like that you didn't say one was better than the others, just all great for their own reasons. We are in golden age of acoustic guitar builders. For this list you could have included Gallagher. On another list Furch, Yamaha custom shop, and my current favorite Alvarez-Yairi hand made. There are several others too, maybe Larrivee.

Henderson Guitars are really top of the line. Like a ten year wait to get one made. I have never played one but have heard them played live and they have a great sound and are really cool looking. But I think you guys really had a great list. Thanks Acoustic Shoppe you guys are the best.

Y’all are amazing!

Now this is shocking! I too like the ones that have their own sound... Really, there are a lot of good boutique type guitars out there. Just wish I could play one after 50 years. 😥 I ain't giving up till they pry my Telecaster from my cold, dead hands. 🤘 I really like how the bridges aren't backwards like Gibsons ...

The list, and the plentiful omissions, are a testament to the strength of the small shop industry. In the 60s and into the 70s you only had Gallagher, Mossman, and some one man shoppes on the west coast (Whitebook, David Russell Young, and a few others). Then it bloomed, and several hung in through hard times. Now…wow! My only complaint though is that the cost of the guitars is so necessarily high that the market for them is going to be older players who have established themselves financially. Many of these brands are simply out of reach for a lot of players.

My buddy and I both have a McPherson. We describe them as the Steinway of guitars too.

That is a very solid list! I have to say that one of the finest guitars I have ever played/owned was a Bourgeois OMS. If it had been a short scale, it would still be with me! Another boutique maker I am invested in is Huss & Dalton. I own three of their guitars currently.

Really appreciate the list and your insights on the instruments and builders. What about Gallagher? Keep doing what you're doing.

No Lowden? Pfft. 😁 Ive played a few Collings acoustics and didnt see what all the hype was about. Maybe it's just me though. I do love their electrics though. One brand that did surprise me was the high end Yamaha line. Tried the LL56 and it was unbelievable.

Evidently never encountered a McAlister. Only about 400-500 built. Superb.

Would be hard not to include Lowden guitars from Northern Ireland in any top end guitars list. George builds some incredible instruments.

The comment that this could be re-titled as the "best bluegrass style" guitars is spot on. All are great choices in that category. Taylor guitars will not appeal as much to traditional acoustic players, but their popularity among younger musicians in other genres is unparalleled. The craftsmanship in the Builders Editions is amazing, and some would argue that Taylor makes the most "beautiful" acoustic guitars. The tone and style isn't suited for traditional genres like bluegrass, but they know what appeals to their audience. I own traditional acoustics like Martin, but I also own a couple of Taylors and appreciate them for what they are.

Enjoyed your video very much. There were a couple of the makers that I was not familiar with, but have no argument with your picks. There is a maker that you left out that I feel should make the list. Petros is a much smaller operation, father and son that recently announced their 500th guitar. So they make only so many a year, but the quality of the workmanship and the woods they select are top notch. My Petros is the best guitar I've played so far. I recently bought a Befell Bahia and it is also very nice. Thanks again for the video

Kudos for the Caleb Smith nod!

I believe you should own one of each :-) , at the end ,the list can be really problematic as its all about what is the guitar you'll most play and come back to from this list assuming you have it all. Thx for the video!

I think those first act guitars that Walmart used to sell with no truss rod LoL 😂 seriously great list thank you!

I guessed #1 correctly. Your #2 threw me. For me, Bourgeois would be #1 because I don't have a Thompson #2 would be Iris Guitars followed by #3 Martin Custom Shop, not necessarily just the Authentic line. #4 would be Collings followed by #5 Huss & Dalton and then #6 McPherson. However, if the question was "my Favorite manufacturers" I would have to add Kopp Guitars (Bozeman), Taylor LTD, Eastman but that's a different list

I'm sure it's not easy to make a list like this without a lot of omissions. I have a 2018 Yairi DYM60 that matches my 2020 Boucher BG-52GM easily in terms of sound and build quality. It's amazing how little respect those masters in Japan get here in the USA.

I have a guitar built by Stephen Strahm that was pulled out of a different plane of existence. My Galloup is amazing as well.

Thanks John and Jeremy. Get me a Thompson and Bedell do I can figure out where they fit, or even a Santa Cruz.

There are no wrong answers, a really small builder with AWESOME tone out of his guitars is Gene Hansen at Traverse City Guitar Company he calls them Ainesis , hand built one at a time here in Michigan.

"What's a good click-baitey headline for this list?" ---- thanks for the rundown. I have 5 Taylors but My Country Boy OM opened my eyes to what a boutique, bench-made guitar means both in sound and craft.

I have a Boucher and it's the best guitar that I have ever played. The sound is big and clean!

Interesting list, nicely done! Tastes differ and 10 is a limited number :-) Seek out James Martin guitars from Kilkenny, Ireland and Christian Jablonski of Bad Goisern, Austria, who build amazing, creative and super clean guitars which sounds fantastic and RoZawood guitar fro Master luthier Roman Zajicek of Kolin, Czech Republic! The Czechs have some Master quality builders of Bluegrass Instruments, not only guitars, but for instance Janish banjos and Eda Kristufeks mandolins. Most of these great luthiers also play and live Bluegrass... Always enjoy your videos!

You nailed it I think, their will be alot of Collings fans upset but, I have to agree 100%. I recently heard a Smith guitar and yaa wow.. you guys need to look up JIMI PARK.. he will blow your minds! Very much a modern, fingerstyle super crazy high end builds. He does two different tonewoods like cocobolo back with maple sides with a red burst to tie in, just wow... I would buy nothing but Park guitars if I could! But as I said 100% modern style builder.

I own two Bedell Guitars but I favor Martin, Guild, and Masterwork Alvarez as my go to instruments.

I decided to repost because I like you guys so much. I said previously that the ranking seemed a bit "skewed," but then realized I'd gotten a little sensitive when comparing your list to MY guitars. :) Then I realized that - of course - (in a good way) you were comparing these instruments mainly for their attributes as bluegrass tools, and that made great sense. Also, the list reminded me of how guitar players/lovers like me tend to be really territorial about our gear because we want to feel like we made good choices. Finally, it is really courageous to put your honest 2¢ in about the relative ranking of today's offerings. Thanks for doing this!

Gentlemen I love what you are doing …and love this post. I’m not sure if your aware of this amazing builder… Dowina ( Dob e na )from Bratislava …. I happen to own one, and the price to quality is outstanding. Richard’s Guitars from the UK bleeds Dowina. Check them out.

Gee, there are so many really excellent small shop builders of guitars. You can emerse yourself in videos related to each and spend a couple days watching non-stop. If you step outside of restricted to Uncle Sam's States in America. Great Britian has some fabulous builders and Michael Watts based in Surrey UK who is both a reknowed player and filmaker has an entire long running series on luthier's he has encountered embeded in his KZfaq productions. Some he highlights are American & some from the UK. Frankly, of all the luthier based videos I have seen to date the luthier that really sticks out was highlighted in a video related to Mark Knopflier's six most memorable guitars. The guitar builder has a shop at his home outside of NYC, built an Arch-Top for Mark, places a Radio City inlay/engraving on the headstock and has a good Italian name thats spelled something like Monteleone. Then of course we still have Rick Turner, Steve Klein who also impressed me a bit above the rest, Fred Carson and on &.....

That was fun. I don’t have the patience to wait on a modern boutique build. I own a D28 style boutique built by Richard Young, upstate SC and a Martin D18. Love both and I don’t do either of those instruments justice. I’d like to see a top 10 mass market builder lineup.

Overall, I like your list. Smith is a builder who I can’t seem to find any guitars available currently.. Boutique builder in Florida by the name of Chris Alvarado builds guitars under the name Driftwood Guitars. You should check them out! I like your channel very much. Thanks!

Jerry Rosa makes some really nice increments

Man, y’all just asking for trouble.😆 I agree with most of your list only I’ve never played a Bedell that would have gotten that high. Maybe they’re making some killer custom shop stuff though

I've been following Gabriella Quevedo and her phenominal playing,mostly Taylor for her.

Henderson, Jimmy Edmonds, are hard to beat

So I guessed right about Preston Thompson as "their" number 1 pick. These fellows obviously know way more than I since they actually get to touch and play these beauties. But they may be a little biased since they come from sales, hold traditional blue grass values, and are talking "new" guitars. Personally, I'm exploring bango finger style guitar picking, blue grass jazz, and some modern tones that a Santa Cruz might not fit. Their bias does tell me something important, however, that some guitars, like maybe an Olson, are not best for blue grass, which may be an important detail.

Best guitar I’ve ever heard was a Sobell guitar in the hands of finger style maestro Martin Simpson.

Wonderful Video I am a fan of the television show

Good, solid list as far as dreds go. I like that you included several brands that don't require being on a 2 year waiting list to get one. They don't fit in the bluegrass / dred category, but as far as guitars go, Lowden is high on my list. Individually voiced, and a good mix of tonewoods that you may not expect. Mostly best for fingerstyle.

Lowden and Mcilroy from Ireland. Maestro Guitars from Singapore. Headway Guitars from Japan. GT Guitars from Vietnam. An amazing builder from North Carolina... Richie Crowder of Crowder Guitars.

What guitar are you holding, John? Great video by the way! 🤠

Surprised Froggy Bottom didn't make the list.

Michael Greenfield, John Monteleone, Nick Kukich (Franklin Guitar Co.), Stephen Strahm - different planet from the others.

What do John and Jeremy's take on Pre-War guitar company guitars and how do they compare to Preston Thompson guitars?

Siren Guitars and Wright's lutherie is well worth a look as well

Martin has been underwhelming every time I’ve played one. I think Huss and Dalton are top notch and would have liked to see them on here as well as prewar guitar co

British maker ...... Fylde Guitars !!

LOL at Bedell being on the list.

Grit Laskin, and Larrivee. For sure am glad to see you got Boucher in there. Canadian eh

John - looks like this video focuses on dreadnaught guitars. Are you considering doing a video on other models as well? Thompson has a lot of the luthiers who used to work at Breedlove. Bedell is one of the Breedlove brands (or Two Old Hippies brands).

Jimmy Edmond guitars

If money were no object and my playing could ever justify it... Ben Wilborn. Oh, to have a Brazilian Rosewood Nautilus!!!

What guitar brand are you holding in this video?

So you would rank Huss & Dalton, Gallagher out of top ten? Great video. I have a Boucher JP Cormier. Love it. Trying to decide next boutique. Want dreadnought. Have always loved the looks of the Bourgeois Banjo Killer. Also considering Pre-War Guitar Co, Huss and Dalton, Gallagher, Yamaha LL36 or 56

LARRAVEES TOP MODELS

Here in Australia it's Girard Gillet (if you can afford one), Greg Smallman (yes, I know he is famous for his classical guitars BUT he has made steel string guitars!), Brian deGrucci. There are other great luthiers such as Jim Redgate over here but I don't who they are. Tommy Emmanuel would know of them I'm sure. I heard Billy Strings on KZfaq playing a Preston Thompson guitar; very impressive.

Here to show some love to Huss and Dalton.

I would add Mossmsn guitars, my favorite

How about McIlroy, Lowden and now closed Melbourne Guitars? All three exquisite builders.

One company i would have mentioned even though they arent so much boutique but i own 3 of them is FURCH. They put out the best guitars in mass ive ever heard and seen, and im a luthier at Bourgeois!

Fellow in West Virginia is Wayne Henderson.

Very nice job gentlemen, all fine instruments. Out of curiosity, where would Froggy Bottom and Petros rank in your opinion?

Circa is the best new guitar I’ve ever played. Worth every penny.

If you ever run across one, check out Leo Posch. Fantastic guitars.

Boucher is my favourite custom builder..... from parlor to super jumbos.....

Pre War Guitar Company has to be on that list and probably #1 or at least close too.

Great list! missing pre-war, I'm on the list atm for a oo-28. 24 months left. :-(

Very good guys! Probably the best boutique builder is out there yet and waiting to be discovered and known... Ever heard of Dowina?

What about Huss&Dalton and Froggy bottom. What do you both think?

...where the heck is LOWDEN...? I have played 4 different models every time, I feel like it is the best guitar I've ever played. So glad to see that Gibson and Taylor did not make your list.

I think Gallagher is older than Collings

Roy Noble Americas first handmade guitar. In the early 1960s you choice for acoustic steel string guitars were CF Martin, Gibson/Epiphone, Guild, & Favila. Roy was a classically trained violin luthier, made classical flamenco guitar and in 1961 made his first steel string guitar. Luthiers influenced by Roy: Ren Ferguson, David Russell Young, Mark Whitebook, Stuart Mossman, NBN, Ken Addams, Don Musser, David Mattingly, Bob Taylor, Jose Oribe. Roy developed techniques, tools and fixtures that every luthier uses to build their instruments. Roy passed away a little over 2 ½ years ago. No CNC, Roy made everything* by hand, even herringbone purfling and binding. 553 guitar built during his lifetime. I had rather orivkedge o& studying with Developed the original butt joint neck method, modified it to use machine bolts evolving into on complete removable neck attachment system which Bob Taylor borrowed ( aka stole ). Roy developed and sold the Radius dish to properly put a radius on the kerfing on the top and back of the body, developed and sold the first micro plunge router system , that has been copied by StewMac, and Veritas. When I was working with Roy I built most of the Noble #069 three piece Brazilian/Sitka dreadnought tear became Clarence Whites main Acoustic guitars. Roy also rebuilt Clarence’s D-28 ( bought from McCabes Music Santa Monica,Ca) reset the neck as the neck was off the body’s when they bought the guitars and installed the Gretsch inlay free ebony fretboard with a 25.25” scale ( Martin long scales is 25.4 “. Over the next few year Clarence bought two more Noble guitars.

Interesting list. I can't really argue as I haven't played any of those other than a Martin, although I have heard quite a few which is good to get an idea of tone, just lacking the feel which can matter In terms of guitars I have I have a Lowden O35 that is a great sounding guitar and they have built a great reputation One of the best sounding guitars I heard was a Gerald Sheppard, also Greven make some great sounding guitars and there is Bagnasco & Casati in Italy that make some wonderful guitars based on Gibson and Martin classics

Wondering if you consider Waterloo by Collings to be included in his offerings?

Ahhh Martin. If only they could figure out how to build a 4500 dollar guitar and have the binding NOT fall off. Lynn Dudenbostel builds one of the finest acoustic instruments available. You can't get one, but they are the finest made today.

H&D , Larrivee, and not sure if Froggy B is still building

You should Check out John Arnold and Joshua Young

McPherson started out making compound bows

Did you have a look at any guitars from the Antipodes? Like Maton or Cole Clark. I am sure that these luthiers instruments would fall into the boutique guitar category.