Thompson 00-12 MR Custom

A West Coast-themed 12-fret cutaway built with myrtle and redwood.

June 18, 2025

While custom guitars are often motivated by the desire for a particular combination of technical specifications, craving a one-of-a-kind appearance can also be a driver. Some of the coolest custom creations involve an overarching theme, and Thompson Guitars recently completed such an instrument. Ordered by a customer in Northern California, the customized Thompson 00-12 was designed with three goals: to be a fabulous guitar for fingerstyle explorations, to use West Coast woods, and to honor the owner’s late mother with a special inlay. I had a chance to take a look at the lovely results in the Peghead Nation video studio.

Thompson’s 00-12 models are based on the 1920s Martin 12-fret 00 template, and the standard version adheres closely to the vintage design (check out our demo of a traditionally-styled Thompson 00-12 SMA). But for Thomspon, “standard” is just the starting point for virtually endless modifications. On this guitar, the most obvious deviations from the classic 00 design are found in the cutaway and solid peghead (traditional 12-fret 00s would usually have a slotted peghead). Even more dramatic is the choice of tonewoods: The customer wanted to use woods that grow in Northern California, and decided to go with myrtle (also known as bay laurel or pepperwood) for the back and sides, and redwood for the top. The appearance and quality of both sets is a testament to the high-grade materials that Thompson uses: The myrtle has some of the richest color and dramatic figure that I’ve seen with this wood, and the redwood is evenly colored and tight-grained. The binding and rosette use koa with contrasting black purfling and thin black rings on each side of the rosette. The ebony fingerboard has Style 18 dots with an outer circle of pearl and a wooden center. The most extravagant touch is a custom inlay depicting an Allen’s hummingbird, a Northern California native that was the customer’s mother’s favorite bird. Beautifully executed in pearl, abalone, and colorful woods, the inlay was created in-house by Simon Haycraft.

The resulting Thompson 00-12MR Custom is stunning, and it looks and feels thoroughly modern despite its vintage-style DNA. With an ultra-quick response, a crisp tonality, and complex overtones, the guitar excels as a fingerstyle instrument. It also has impressive sustain when letting both chords and single notes ring. It’s a wonderful example of what a great collaboration between maker and player can deliver: a superb musical tool wrapped in personal expression. This one is already at its forever home, but anyone ready to fulfill their own dream guitar should put Thompson on their short list.