Bedell Fireside Parlor Limited European Spruce/Brazilian Rosewood

Presenting the Bedell Fireside Parlor, this one pairing a European Spruce Top with Esperanza Brazilian Rosewood back and sides, with a custom sunburst top finish.
This limited edition is 1 of 1

From Bedell about this model:
"There is something magical about this Bedell Fireside Parlor with a European Spruce top and stunning Brazilian back and sides. It might be the sonic combination of these two complimentary tonewoods, which gives this guitar a classic look and an elegant sonic beauty. Or maybe it’s the combination of comfort and response afforded by Bedell’s deep parlor body style which assists these tonewoods in projecting their sweet tone with a strong volume and ringing sustain. Wherever you decide the magic lies, there’s plenty of it."

About the tonewoods used on this guitar:
European spruce is often thought of as the ultimate wood for classical guitars because of its light weight and stiffness, coupled with its very pale, even coloration. From Europe; northwest Norway and Poland eastward, and also in the mountains of Central Europe, to the western edge of the Alps, and southeast in the Carpathians and Balkans, to the extreme north of Greece. Provides a sound rich in overtones, focused, full of nuance and tone color — a sound often preferred by fingerpickers. It offers a quicker response and greater headroom than Engelmann. Usually takes a slightly longer period of playing time to open up than Engelmann or Sitka. Very light in color. Pale, even coloration.

An endangered and carefully protected species, Brazilian rosewood (Dalbergia nigra) is the most precious of tonewoods. Simply called “rio” by Brazilians, it is highly regarded among luthiers and collectors for its magical tonal character and deep, rich beauty – and it is vigorously regulated; it is protected with the same level of regulation as ivory. Brazil – recognizing the value of its rosewood trees – outlawed the exportation of Brazilian rosewood logs in the late ‘60s. The ban was a blow to luthiers and guitar manufacturers worldwide, since it was widely believed that there was no better combination for acoustic guitars than Brazilian rosewood paired with spruce. From that point onward, fewer and fewer players would have the chance to own a Brazilian rosewood guitar, and most would have to settle for other rosewood substitutes… and if you’ve ever played an acoustic guitar crafted from Brazilian rosewood, you know there is no substitute.

Mahogany is a medium-lightweight wood, ranging in color from light brown to dark. It has a balanced, resonant tone with notable sustain. Mahogany delivers a thick bottom end, rich midrange, and controlled, warm top end. Honduran mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) trees prefer basking in the sunshine; they can tolerate a bit of shade, but they’re happiest and healthiest when their leaves have unfettered access to sunlight. The tree that supplied your tonewood probably grew in a low-elevation rainforest, in a bright, sunny location, in dry, well-drained soil, surrounded by other mahogany trees, possibly near a river or stream. Honduran mahogany trees are large, fast-growing, long-lived trees – in the wild they can live for a couple of centuries – so they make a great long-term habitat for height-loving animals and insects that live high in forest canopy.