Since founding Vermont’s Froggy Bottom guitars in 1974, luthier Michael Millard has built most types of steel-string flattop guitars, and Froggy Bottom currently offers more than a dozen standard models. For many years, the most popular of these has been the company’s Model K, an instrument with a small-jumbo body that measures 16-inches across the lower bout. We recently had a chance to check out a beautiful 2002 cutaway Model K, courtesy of Peghead Nation instructor Stevie Coyle’s shop, Mighty Fine Guitars.
This Model K has a wide-ranging sound. It offered a great dynamic range with complex tones whether it was played softly or with a bit of force. Played fingerstyle, it had excellent note separation and definition of both chords and single-note lines, as well as impressive volume. In this video, Peghead Nation’s Teja Gerken plays the guitar in DADGAD tuning, while Stevie Coyle gives it a workout in standard tuning.
SPECS: Small-jumbo body. Solid Adirondack spruce top with X-bracing. Solid Indian rosewood back and sides. Mahogany neck. Ebony fingerboard and bridge. 25.25-inch scale. 1¾-inch nut width. Waverly tuning machines. Made in the USA. Starts at $6,795. froggybottomguitars.com
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