Northern California luthier Bruce Sexauer began building stringed instruments more than 50 years ago (check out more of his story in our shop visit video), and for the last two decades or so, he’s established himself as a premier maker of steel-string flattop guitars. A veteran of many guitar shows and festivals, Bruce will be returning to the second Santa Barbara Acoustic Instrument Celebration (SBAIC) this coming August 25–27. He built a special guitar to be raffled off at the festival, and in this video he talks about and demonstrates the instrument.

The SBAIC giveaway guitar is based on Bruce’s 13-fret FT-00 model, and uses his WRX styling, which has simple appointments and cosmetically plainer woods than on some of his more elaborate models. The guitar has walnut back and sides and an Engelmann spruce top, and it features a traditional “bird’s-beak” headstock joint and commemorative “SBAIC” inlays. The guitar will be raffled off to SBAIC attendees who drop their ticket stubs at Bruce’s exhibit table during the festival. sexauerluthier.com

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