2018 Pete Dolan Nick Lucas-Style Deep-Body 00/000-Size Guitar

Overview: This beaut was made by Peter Dolan, a retired cabinetmaker and now a small-shop builder, whose instruments have graced Gruhn's shop other upmarket retailers. It's a copycat of a '37 Gibson Nick Lucas guitar -- a deep-bodied, L-00-a-like model that is very popular in Gibson collector circles. Various versions are out there -- 12 fret, 13 fret, and 14 fret variants -- but this one is a take on the latter-era, 14-fret version. 

Tone: As you might expect, it sounds a lot like a really good L-00 model but with a lot more authority in the bass and lower-mids. It's punchy, full, and up-front sounding with a clean, woody, sort-of palette and that "reflective of the top" quality you get from maple.

Feel: It's very traditional and hidebound to the original Gibson neck feel. It has a wide 1 13/16" nut width, medium V-shaped neck profile, and a slightly-shallower 12" board radius. Fingerpickers and folks liking wider string spacing will adore this guitar.

Interesting features: It's built to an insanely high spec. It's cut and put together precisely and every bit of inlay and every decorative touch is both as good and far better executed than original Gibson examples of this model style. The finish is absolutely gorgeous, for instance! All of its materials are high-grade and the flamed maple for the back and sides is intense in its figuring and it has a red (Adirondack) spruce top as well. While the Nick Lucas models are generally called "deep body 00-size" guitars, the 15" lower bout of this beastie marks it as larger than an L-00 or Martin 00-size instrument and brings it into 000-size range.

Repairs included: It just needed a quick setup.

• Weight: 4 lbs 0 oz
• Scale length: 24 3/4"
• Nut width: 1 13/16"
• Neck shape: medium V
• Board radius: 12"
• Body width: 15"
• Body depth: 4 5/8"
• Top wood: solid Adirondack (red) spruce
• Back & sides wood: solid flamed maple
• 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 modern

Condition notes: It's almost as new save the tiniest evidence of usewear here and there via the lightest of scratches and whatnot. The frets show only very minor wear and as such we didn't need to level and dress them at all.

It comes with: It's got a good hard case.

Consignor tag: DWLK