Ralph Hammer: Dragony Guitars

“In 1998 I started searching for a D’Angelico arch top guitar, Gibson Super 400 or L5 to add to my vintage guitar collection. After years of searching and being unable to find a good performance guitar, I heard one of Joe Dragony’s arch top instruments at a live performance. Soon after, I met with Joe and abandoned my search!

Joe listened to what my needs and desires were for a guitar; an instrument with a rich, warm sound that also had “bite”, good sustain when needed and a guitar that could “sing”. The primary use of this guitar would be for jazz and rhythm & blues. He brought several blocks of wood for me to look at and he educated me on the qualities of each type of wood regarding sound.We settled on the materials and he reviewed the type of neck and action that I sought. He went through my existing guitars, took measurements and asked me how I would like to improve the action and feel. Joe wanted to create the “ideal” neck for me.

The guitar was completed in 2000 and it has replaced all of my other guitars for both live performance and studio work. It is exactly what I had been looking for and far exceeded my expectations. The quality of sound is impeccable and the reliability of the instrument is flawless in every aspect; the intonation is absolutely perfect and consistent in every position. The guitar has a rich, warm sound with the “bite” that I had heard in my mind for many years. This guitar absolutely “sings”.

I highly recommend Dragony Guitars to any artist looking for the best quality instrument available for live performance as well as studio work. The workmanship is second to none and the Dragony Guitar is an absolute work of art. For any musician that has a “stable” of guitars, be advised that once you invest in and acquire a Dragony Guitar you probably will retire all of your other instruments. It’s simply that good!

Joe Dragony is very much an artist and incorporates the highest standards of quality, reliability and beauty in his instruments. He does not let a guitar leave his shop unless it is a model of perfection. I recommend his guitars without reservation.”

Visit Dragony Guitars here.