2008 Gallagher G-70M 12-Fret Dreadnought Guitar

Overview: I am fortunate enough to have been given this guitar as a gift. That's a big gift! I was bowled-over by this, in fact. As someone who runs a shop with so much fine gear passing through, the irony is that I never hold onto nice stuff very long if I have it in my own possession because I need to put the money back into the business and now my employees and the equipment to keep it going. I was initially not going to do that with this guitar, but I have come to a place where we need to expand workshop space and get new heating and cooling equipment for it and so I think the needs of the many are best served by my letting this fella go. It's ironic but I hardly ever play guitar at home these days, so it's been a little depressing to see it sit idle in my music room the past few months.

Anyhow, I used to play a 12-fret D-18 for a time about 10 years ago. I love the roundness of the sound on a 12-fret dreadnought (I mean, Norman Blake!) but never got used to the wide neck on the Martin. I liked flatpicking tunes on it but for chordal backup doing two-hour shows it killed my left hand. This Gallagher has a much quicker, more Gibson-like profile and curvier fretboard that keeps it comfortable.

Tone: It's grand, full, round, saucy, and delicious. Each note is well-balanced and I haven't found bad ones yet. If you like to play in open tunings it's an absolute beast of a guitar.

Feel: The neck is decidedly more modern than a typical 12-fret, Martin-style dreadnought and as a result, I find it a huge improvement for my comfort. It handles a bit more like a Gibson.

Interesting features: It's spruce over Madagascar rosewood (one of my favorites and my go-to for replacing old Martin bridges when possible) and has an ebony board and bridge. There's herringbone trim on the top edge and soundhole and it has a nice, mulitcolored backstrip. The tuners are high-quality and the materials used throughout are as well.

Repairs included: All I had to do was cleat a center seam top separation below the bridge (which had already been filled a bit), and then set it up. It's playing spot-on and ready to serve.

• Weight: 5 lbs 2 oz
• Scale length: 25 3/16"
• Nut width: 1 3/4"
• Neck shape: slim C
• Board radius: 12"
• Body width: 15 3/4"
• Body depth: 5"
• Top wood: solid spruce
• Back & sides wood: solid Madagascar rosewood
• Bracing type: x
• Bridge: ebony
• Fretboard: ebony
• Neck wood: mahogany
• Action height at 12th fret: 3/32” bass 1/16” treble (fast, spot-on)
• String gauges: 54w-12 lights
• Truss rod: adjustable
• Neck relief: straight
• Fret style: medium

Condition notes: Aside from the slightly-icky finish along the center seam separation (it's been cleated/filled and is stable), it's a pretty-much newish guitar as far as looks. It's gorgeous. There was just the slightest hair of a hairline crack (I had pressed paper into it and couldn't get anything down in there) along the top of the pinholes on the bridge, too, but that has disappeared with humidity. The guitar had been previously in a drier state.

It comes with: It has a nice, original hard case.

Consignor tag: JW