We unfold before you a tale of Ziricote and hand-selected Sitka Spruce, crafted with ultimate precision by Matt McPherson and his staff of crack guitarmakers, sounding acoustically like no other 12-string in the world, but also with the (unbelievably) fine sounding L. R. Baggs Ribbon Transducer System – named RTS-II pickup (pronounced “Ritzy”) which has a hidden volume control, and housed in a Deluxe Ameritage plush lined hard shell case. Up until a few years ago we had not seen a guitar made of this extraordinary material but have come to love it unconditionally. We now know that although some people spell it "Zircote" it is more often spelled, like a Cyclops, with an “I” in the middle (“Ziricote”) but when it was in high school its name was Cordia Dodecandra. This exotic and beautiful wood is living under its alias in Central and tropical South America, and, although it is not a Dalbergia, it has been frequently compared to Brazilian rosewood - in beauty, in grain and in sound. While Brazilian can be seen contrasting mocha against dark chocolate it can at other times have some reds in it, while Ziricote is said to be closer to a combination of olive and gray intermixed with black spidery lines, an appearance applauded by scores of guitar players and at least 58 spiders that we’ve seen in or around the garage.
Ziricote is considered a heavier wood, but then so are the rosewoods and ebonies. If you want to impress your friends, when the conversation gets low you can announce that Ziricote has a specific gravity of 0.95. That should do it. The “woodfinder” website says: “Ziricote is the most dramatic member of the Cordia genus. The heartwood is brown with irregular dark brown and black streaking; a pleasing ray or fleck figure is visible in quartersawn stock. Ziricote's grain is generally straight, and its texture is medium to coarse. Good for steam bending and easily worked with machine and hand tools, ziricote has only a slight blunting effect on cutting edges [what a relief]. It takes a smooth finish, polishes well, and has long been used by natives for decorative craft objects, also for boat decking, turnings, interior joinery, furniture, cabinets and other light construction.” We would like add that it also makes one heck of a fine guitar.
This amazing twelve-string performs beyond the generally accepted definition of what constitutes the professional level when played lightly, and when played with vigor it can slap out a rendition of “Mr. Tom Hughs’ Town” with the panache and preeminent power as did Leadbelly. This happens to be the first McPherson 12-string guitar we have ever received, and we must tell you that the world held its breath waiting for it to arrive (we have been friends with the world since grammar school and we know these things). As a result of this cosmic apnea it is nothing short of breathtaking – a thing of beauty from its gold-plated, sealed-back Schaller tuners with ebony buttons, to its striped ebony headplate inlaid with the flowing “McPherson” script logo; from its black ebony neo-classical (no inlays) fingerboard bordered on each side with what looks like flame koa binding, from its flame koa bound body (with the 5 plies of black-white purfling on the face and three ply on the sides and back), to its flawless spruce top with the perfectly parallel vertical grain and a festival of cross silking in the horizontal – and from its golden strap pin in the treble side of the neck heel to its golden tailpin/jack at bottom side, this is a 12-string for the connoisseur of fine fretted instruments who seeks to own one of the finest examples in the genre.
NOTE: Per the requirements of the manufacturer, McPherson guitars can be shipped to their destinations only by UPS Next Day Air or by Messenger Service.
This work of this exceptional luthiery is available from Mandolin Brothers, Ltd.