2026 Gillander 14-Fret Model 1 with Manzer Wedge Lutz Spruce, Madagascar Rosewood

Gillander Guitars builds highly responsive hand-built guitars in Oneida, NY. Chad delivers incredibly responsive and comfortable guitars that are well-balanced, warm, and articulate. From a banjo-inspired headstock shape, carbon-reinforced necks, and tastefully refined rosettes down to the end graft, Gillander Guitars mix traditional construction and aesthetics with refined modern nuances.

The Model 1 has the powerful voice of a dreadnought, with a more balanced voice and improved playing comfort. Chad started with the same body length, lower bout width, and depth of a dread, but the more rounded lower bout and tighter waist and upper bout move this model more into the territory of a small jumbo. The body also incorporates a Manzer wedge, where the treble side of the body is deeper than the bass side. This naturally tilts the guitar back toward the player and reduces the strain on the right arm and shoulder typically felt with larger-bodied guitars. The result is a guitar with a large sound and a small, comfortable feel.

Chad is a young builder, but it does not show in his builds, which are crafted at the highest level. This is a rare chance to buy a great guitar by a great builder who is sure to be priced in the low five figures soon. Don’t sleep on this!

Build & Materials

• Top: Lutz spruce
• Bracing: Forward-shifted, scalloped Sitka spruce; 3 spruce transverse braces with 4 diagonal radiant braces in the lower bout (Gore-Gillett pattern)
• Back & Sides: Madagascar rosewood, in 3-layer structured sides with full-width poplar kerfed lining
• Neck: Bolt-on mahogany, with bound ebony headplate front and back
• Neck Reinforcement: Dual-action truss rod with parallel carbon rods on both sides of the truss rod
• Fingerboard: Ebony, with ebony binding and walnut and maple purfling
• Inlays: No fret markers; green abalone side markers
• Frets: Gold
• Bridge: Gillander ebony bridge with ebony bridge pins with abalone dots and a bone compensated saddle
• Tuners: Titanium high-ratio Waverly
• Rosette: Walnut and rosewood checker pattern in a radiant wave pattern, with ebony and maple
• Binding: Ebony
• Purfling: Walnut and maple
• Backstrip: None — inlaid oval and rectangle shapes with checker and ebony to match the rosette
• Volute: Round scoop
• Finish: Polyester burst fading from rosewood color to natural, with oil neck

Size & Feel

• Scale Length: 25.4"
• Nut Width: 1.75"
• Manzer wedge: the treble side of the body is deeper than the bass side, tilting the guitar toward the player and easing strain on the right arm and shoulder
• Small-jumbo body shape: a rounded lower bout with a tighter waist and upper bout

Sound Profile
The powerful voice of a dreadnought with a more balanced character — a large sound in a small, comfortable feel. Responsive, warm, and articulate.

The Details

• Hand-built by Chad Gillander, Gillander Guitars, Oneida, NY
• Built in 2026
• Serial #021
• Includes Gator TSA case

Available at Wood & Wire.