Gruen Acoustic Guitars: Home
Welcome to my website! Here, you can learn about my unusual guitars' construction, what models are available, how to alter their tone with the supplied soundhole "stoppers," what the guitars look like, how they sound (listen to MP3 recordings), what options are available, what they cost, and what magazine reviewers and customers have said about them. I hope you enjoy this website, and please email me with any questions you have!
My guitars are different from traditional flattops, archtops, or Selmer/Mac guitars. Here's a summary of a guitar magazine article (to see the full text, click on the reviews/testimonials button at left):
"First and foremost, this is a guitar that works . . . . rests comfortably under the arm when playing . . . . quite loud and projected tremendously .. . . Universally, the players who had the chance to sample the E.Q.18 liked the sounds they were getting. . . . outstanding for projecting crisp swing chords from closed positions . .. . For the swing stuff, this guitar makes a tremendous compromise between an archtop and a flattop. For more modern jazz styles, the guitar had enormous sustain, like keeping the sustain pedal down on a piano . . . . even this vintage Martin lover took to the Gruen immediately . . . . for playing in a big bluegrass jam session, the Gruen design could just be a secret weapon for us flatpickers trying to be heard . . . ." Flatpicking Guitar Magazine (Jan./Feb. 2000): "Is the Gruen E.Q.18 the 21st Century Flatpicking Guitar?"
You can listen to MP3s of both flatpicking and fingerstyle playing. For flatpicking, listen to Europa Jazz Quartet or Hiro Mitoma; for fingerstyle, listen to Hank Bones' beautiful renditions of Hoagy Carmichael songs (click on "Hear My Guitars" at left).