Fortunately for us, Barry's lifelong love of guitars, woodworking, and product design led him to guitar making and the creation of the Mendocino model - and in this case, a baritone version. The basic idea was to create a guitar that fits in the ES-335 world, but is lighter and has more depth of tone - somewhat between a great ES-335 and an archtop.
To help achieve this goal, a 1-piece Honduran mahogany body is hollowed out (with the exception of a narrow center block) and topped with a 500-700 year old piece reclaimed Redwood, also 1-piece.
The results are spectacular - like the 6-string Mendocino, the baritone model is incredibly lightweight, balanced, and very alive and resonant (no surprise here given Barry's background). It's beautifully made - and finished in a stunning Candy Apple Red - has a slightly chunky, late-50's Gibson-esq carve with a slinky overall feel, and sounds amazing.
Speaking of tones, the Lollar Goldfoils are a perfect match for this guitar. Open, airy, killer chime...clean tones are a no-brainer. Plugged into a Victoria Silver Sonic, there's both an articulation and fatness to the tone that reminds us of a Jerry Jones or vintage Danelectro baritone, but with a slightly more open/chimey tone. With some gain? Classic low-fi, deep bass swampiness that's incredibly fun and inspiring.
If you're looking for something new that's both beautiful, alive, a blast to play - and - made by a luthier with an eye towards sustainability? You need to check out the award-winning Mendocino.
- 13.25" semi-hollow body, 1.75" depth
- 1-piece old-growth Redwood top
- 1-piece Honduran mahogany body & neck
- Macassar ebony fretboard, MOP dots
- 28.5" scale length
- EVO Gold jumbo frets
- Lollar Goldfoil pickups
- TonePros AVR2 bridge
- Grez tail piece, 2 gauge stainless steel, polished
- Nitro finish
- Hardshell Case
- 5lbs 5oz