The First Quality Music Blog

We’re expanding our Sullivan Banjos line and need more room in the warehouse for some exciting new equipment! To clear up floorspace, we’re offering some amazing clearance pricing on nearly every Instrument in the showroom! We won’t be featuring these instruments directly on firstqualitymusic.com, but feel free to drop by our Louisville, KY showroom or give us a call at (800) 635-2021!

We’re proud to announce that the 2010 Taylor Road Show will be stopping by First Quality Music on May 25th! Drop by and hang out with Taylor factory experts for a day of guitar talk and test-driving! Last year’s Road Show was a great success and a lot of fun – expect even more this year! We’ll have some killer custom and one-off Taylor models for you to play, demonstrations of new Taylor technologies, and some great instruction on tone woods and guitar shapes.

Make sure to drop by First Quality Music on May 25th and check out the Taylor Road Show! You can find more dates and information at the Taylor Road Show website.

We’re proud to welcome another owner to the Sullivan Banjo family! Chris Hogue of Bargersville, IN picked up his Sullivan Vintage-35 banjo today in our retail showroom. This particular V-35 is a Mahogany model and is one of the first in the series we’ve produced.

To learn more about the Sullivan Vintage-35 Banjo, give us a call at (800) 635-2021 and be sure to check out the Sullivan Vintage-35 Story here.

Welcome back to another Vault Friday! Each Friday I’ll venture into the Vault with one of our instrument specialists to showcase some of the cool stuff we’ve got hidden away in there.

Inspired by Dave Matthews’ 914ce, the Dave Matthews Signature Model is an Indian rosewood/Sitka spruce Grand Auditorium. A custom fretboard inlay blends elements of the popular “Cindy” inlay, which graces Matthews’ 914ce, with a design that pays tribute to the band’s longtime sax player, LeRoi Moore, who passed away in 2008. Based on a sketch that Matthews provided, a crown inlay between the 11th and 12th frets honors Moore, incorporating ball-tipped points with one ball partially missing in his memory. A nickname of Moore’s within the band, “Grux,” is inlaid between the 13th and 18th frets. The headstock inlay also was developed from a sketch by Matthews. The guitar top was shaded with an aged toner to approximate the patina Matthews has on his older 914ce.

Each Dave Matthews Signature Model acoustic guitar comes with a custom guitar label and a certificate of authenticity, both personally signed by Matthews.

You can learn more about the Taylor 914ce Dave Matthews Signature Model by clicking here or by giving Corey a call at (800) 635-2021.

Steve Gill with Eric & Jeff Sullivan in the Sullivan Historic Banjo Room

Steve Gill came by the shop today. After a short tour and a little business, Steve played a few tunes on one of our new Vintage 35 banjos. Steve is a big part of our new banjo as he supplies the resonators for these models. Steve owns and operates Gill Mfg. which currently produces the most accurate reproduction Pre-War Gibson Mastertone banjo resonators on the market. Steve makes all of the resonators by hand and they are so accurate that they could be passed off as original. Finding such a high quality product that is produced by one of the nicest guys I know has really put the finishing touch on our new Vintage 35 banjos.

Welcome back to another Vault Friday! Each Friday I’ll venture into the Vault with one of our instrument specialists to showcase some of the cool stuff we’ve got hidden away in there.

The Gibson John Hiatt J45 features the sweet tone of the best pre-War Gibson flat-tops but is a top-flight performance machine for today’s professional singer-songwriter. Featuring Hiatt’s own specifications of solid Sitka spruce top with the lines of the J45 round-shouldered, the John Hiatt J45 has excellent projection and is comfortable to play. Additional features are solid mahogany back and sides, one-piece mahogany neck with modified V profile and 24 3/4 inch scale Madagascar rosewood fingerboard.

Upgraded details such as advanced, scalloped X bracing, the unparalleled Fishman Ellipse matrix blend and preamp system, a bone nut and Tusq saddle all work to ensure rich, resonant tones, either unplugged or fully amplified, while a hand-sprayed nitrocellulose Triple-Burst finish, multi-ply top binding, double-ring rosette, fire-stripe pickguard, mother-of-pearl dot inlays, and John Hiatt signature engraved truss-rod cover all declare that this is a rare and exclusive instrument.

Only 100 John Hiatt Model guitars will be produced by Gibson, and each one comes with a formfitting hardshell case with plush blue lining, an owner’s manual, and Gibson’s Gold Warranty.

You can learn more about the Gibson John Hiatt Signature J45 Acoustic Guitar by giving JC a call at (800) 635-2021 Ext. 7124

I spent some time today taking a few photos of our Used & Consignment Inventory – we have a set of beautiful instruments that we don’t feature on firstqualitymusic.com which you might never see without stopping by our Retail showroom! If you’re interested in any of these pieces, please feel free to give us a call at 1(800) 635-2021 – We’d be glad to give you more information.

Paul Reed Smith Electric Guitar – McCarty Tobacco Sunburst – $1,899

Paul Reed Smith Electric Guitar – Custom 22 Whale Blue - SOLD

Gibson Robot Electric Guitar – Limited Edition 1st Production Run- $1,699

Larrivee L-05 Acoustic Guitar – $1,249

1999 Alvarez Yairi DY-100 Acoustic Guitar  - $1,799

1988 Santa Cruz Custom Brazilian Rosewood Acoustic Guitar – $5,999
This Instrument was featured as a Vault Friday piece – click here to check it out!

I.L. Guernsey Resonator Guitar – $2,149

Harlow Resonator Guitar – $2,149

Gibson F-5G Mandolin – $3,399

Gibson F-5 Master Model Mandolin – Signed by Danny Roberts – $12,999
This Instrument was featured as a Vault Friday piece - click here to check it out!