"As you know, I have quite a few guitars and have owned and played scores more, but I have to say that for quality of construction, materials, attention to detail and meticulous work ethic pettiness, this has to be the most perfect, flawless guitar Ive ever seen. Ive studied it, prodded at the seams, stared at it with magnifying glasses and cannot find anything that bothers me, which as you know is a first for this stubborn, hard to please client. Oh sure theres probably some stuff that you know about from building it but from the customer point of view, the nagging bindings dont line up perfectly, nut too deep, not deep enough, glue marks around kerfing, mitered joints and other pieces not lining up, etc, they just arent there. This is machine CNC router Taylor perfection here, and I cant imagine what one needs to do to ensure such rigid detail, but I applaud you on this its simply stunning and the best Ive *ever* seen, bar none. I dont know how you do it, and if you had to retrace your steps a few times to fix things as the build process unfolded but its incredible.
"Even my wife, whos not much of a guitar fan and who has become quite blasé about guitars, said to me a few days after you brought it, 'You know, Dennis guitar is really nice, I think its my favorite, it looks really classy and elegant from the dark top to the subdued headstock logo and fancy pearl outline. I was just looking at it the other day ' How much more of an endorsement can you get than that, considering shes never commented on a new guitar before???
"I am also ecstatic about the sound of the guitar too. I cant really compare it with anything as it sounds nothing like any of the flattops I currently have and Im still learning how to play it properly, but its got that beautiful mellow fatness that I wanted from the treble strings for the chord melody Jazz I want to use it for combined with the piano-like bass I was looking for in the bass strings. Its balanced, easy to play and, most important of all, inspires me to pick it up whenever I see it. Im going to reserve any additional comments on the sound until I really can bond more with it as it seems to play me some of the time and I still need to conquer it but it is everything I hoped for and more, and will only improve as I learn what it can and cannot do. I can say in retrospect that it was the best decision I could have made Im convinced no one could have improved on this. I only hope that I can do the guitar justice and that one day you will be proud that I was the recipient of this extraordinary work."
---MR
"Well, I've now had some quality time to spend with the guitar this week, and I'm thrilled to say it is simply spectacular. What I have never really discussed with you is that I currently own nine guitars from some of the best builders in the world. I don't think I set out to be a collector, I was simply looking for THE guitar that really spoke to me. The problem is, the more you know and the more great guitars you play the harder it is to find that one guitar. Well, yours is the closest thing to fulfilling that quest. My problem now becomes justifying my collection. This guitar is the most precise instrument I have ever played. So easy to play and balanced. But it is its sweetness of voice that holds you captive. You've really done something special. Know that you have one unbelievably thrilled customer here."
---TK
"Boy, this is beautiful! Thats cool! Its beautifully in tune. Boy, thats a great sound. It feels really nice! It seems really easy---Im having a really easy time getting the notes in the right hand. It works nicely in Orkney tuning, too. Are you coming to the show tonight? Cause Id love to play it tonight from the stage. Yeah, sure, Id love to demo your guitar at the Healdsburg Festival for you."
---SB
"It has the quality that you just dont want to put it down."
---TR
"The bright spot for me at the ASIA (Association of String Instrument Artisans) 2000 Exhibition was 'discovering' new luthiers (new to me, anyway). I played many, but was really impressed with Dennis Scannells 'True North Guitars'. He had a long string scale rosewood model that just knocked me out. I must have played it for an hour. Dennis said his goal was to build a guitar for altered tunings, however I found it sounded simply beautiful in standard as well. To top it off, he was one hell of a nice guy (he had to be, to let me abuse him for an hour playing his guitar)! Boy, you could really hear that thing ring!!!"
---JC
"Very nice! Yeah! The bottom end is just lovely! Its rich, and the sustain on it is just tremendous---some of the best sustain Ive ever heard. It kind of reminds me a bit of a Martin sound---its kind of got a bit of the dreadnought bottom end, but its got a better sustain, I would say, more of a vintage Martin maybe---thats pretty cool. The frets are great---the frets are perfect: very easy to play, very smooth. I like the style of the bridge, too, quite a bit---its very artistic. And I like your little logo in there. Very unique. Great! Your glue is really clean... Pretty dang clean! But the workmanship alone is spectacular, really, it really is. And Im just so impressed with this side-taper: its very comfortable, obviously, because of the narrow side here. People are going to pick this up and say well this is a FINE instrument, you know. Gosh! Gorgeous! The grain on this is unbelievable, isnt it? Its so straight; so defined! Boy, its LOVELY!"
---LL
"Oh-h-h-h my goodness---redwood, wow!!! This is so even---its amazing!!! Its beautiful!!! Its got an accuracy--and its got the kind of brilliant punch on the low end like a really well-aged D-18--but it doesnt have that sort of 800 (Hz) 'woof' that the Dreadnought would have. I love the really narrow braces, theyre so-o-o-o beautiful inside! Its so amazing to be able to make something like this, I mean its just so ridiculous! I mean its like bumping into someone and you say: Woah, cool car! Whered you buy that? and they say, Oh I made it!!! Woooh!!! Congratulations!!!"
---DW
"Beautiful! Unbelievable! AWESOME instrument!"
---BF
"Whoa, look at that! Thats a beautiful guitar! It really does work well in DADGAD: it speaks loud, and each note is clear. The side taper is a great idea, cause thats the way it fits anyways, you know? Wow!"
---MA
"This guitar is more amenable to this technique (two-hand tapping) than most acoustics Ive played. It just seems to SPEAK OUT really clearly, and yet its got warmth to it, its really tremendous. And all the inlays are really beautiful, too. Its wonderful---it sounds great, and its EASY to play, its smooth."
---SJ
"Amazing!!! Its incredible to look at---the top is so tight grained. Im very, very impressed. This is a really, really, really good guitar---incredibly impressive. I think youve got something really special, and something really different, which I really like. I like that its different, you know, I like that youre not, you know---this is your thing. A Traugott looks and feels like a Traugott, a Sobell looks and feels like a Sobell, and this is you, you know? The fact is, my fingers are just so beat right now, and I just dont want to stop playing this guitar... it just keeps inviting me to... Its KILLER! The frets are beautiful. Take it away! Stop me, stop me! Beautiful! Absolutely wonderful! Well, youve really done something, I mean... I play a lot of guitars... and Im underwhelmed by a lot of guitars... but youve really got something happening."
---MS
"This is a lovely guitar. I think its smoother across the range than my Lowdens... Its just really damn near perfect isnt it? You know that it is---you know when you play it that its just damn near...Nothing hurts---it acts as if it knows what you want to do with it. Enough! or Ill have to take it away---Ill have to steal it from you! Its a beautiful guitar... beautiful... absolutely beautiful. What a guitar! Ive got to have one of these... Its immaculate, man, its just immaculate. Its perfect."
---AG
"Its beautiful, isnt it? It just plays beautifully. Its just---it has a great balance of tone... You can really dig into it---its really beautiful. Good job---good job! I think its fantastic---its just a marvel! Its just a GREAT looking guitar. I just love its purity. Yeah!!!"
---PK
"It's a beautiful guitar with a nice blend of power, fullness and clarity. Very nice sounding! I like the side bracingalong here? You dont see it in everybodys... Its really got a great range of sound... You know how some of em are really good and focused until you start wandering up off, you know, you get further up and they sort of get thinner, and... This seems to have a much bigger sweet spot than what Im used to playing... Its got great---good sound! Its really got good response---when I say response I mean a good tonal palette, you know? Wo-o-o-o-w!"
---SW
"Gorgeous!!! Gorgeous guitar!!! Ohhh! Oh, man!!! Lovely! What a sweet guitar! Amazing work! I love the headstock, and I love the name of the company, and I love the look of it. Like that little pick guard, I like that subtlety. You know, it really fits the bout--the bout is just beautiful--nice tight little waist. And I like the bridge style, I like that a lot. Those are the things that really caught me. First of all, the headstock, and that it wasnt a spruce top caught me, and then I started noticing the detail, and it had a look that I said oooh, fingerstyle guitar, like it really looked like you could work it. It had definition in the neck, you know, I thought this is cool. And all the little details, I thought hmmm, good. It plays sweet, man, and I found it so-o-o-o comfortable playing with it on my lap---no trouble whatsoever, just sitting right there was like--oooh--very nice!. Whooo!"
---BW
"Without a doubt, this is the most beautiful guitar I have ever seen, played or heard, bar none."
---RM
"You are only the second builder that has ever taken the kind of time that you took with me to explain your building process. The only other one was Jim Olson and consequently I am the proud owner of three of his guitars. I agree with the feedback you received regarding your instrument. It clearly was the best at the show. Yours is the ONLY guitar that I have ever played that compares favorably with my Olson and I have played them ALL. I am a very average player, but I hope to soar past that stage in the next couple of years by writing and playing on my collection of hand-made guitars, so I am thrilled about the opportunity to place myself on your waiting list and get the chance to work with you on designing my dream guitar. Your guitar has the ability to inspire a musician to reach out and grab those songs that are floating out there. While I know that you can write a song with the help of any old instrument, your guitar seems to cajole the muse and make her extend the conversation....She enjoys the sound of the guitar as much as I do. I was thrilled to hear about the Redwood that you had and I hope that you might be able to set aside a slice for my guitar if that would be possible? If not then I am sure you have some equally exciting pieces that would be just as inspiring. In any case, I am on-board and am looking forward to our design conversations."
---TG