Charis SJ 13-Fret 2015, Cedar & Sapele

"Love for fingerstyle guitar and my tendency to obsess on overdoing, has resulted in continuous refinement of my Fingerstyle SJ model."

Charis guitars were crafted single-handedly by Bill Wise from his workshop in Michigan before he retired. Bill's philosophy, honed during his days as an engineer, is that it's better to do a select few things very well, and to that end, he has specialized in crafting acoustics that are especially well-suited to fingerstyle playing. Though he calls this model an SJ, it's still plenty comfortable for anyone who prefers a mid-sized guitar but craves the volume and bass of a larger guitar.

This SJ has that warm, swift cedar attack, and sapele plays a beautiful supporting role by providing clear, clean sustain. It's an ideal combo for this larger body size, which ensures a big voice but doesn't get awash in too many overtones. Bill's neck carve really stands out on this one. Combining a nice rounded shape with a slim, shallow depth, smaller hands are at ease, especially combined with the current fingerstyle-friendly set-up. The seller has brought this 2015 model to us in excellent, pristinely kept condition.