GREVEN

In our current age of guitar abundance, where we enjoy a plethora of options from myriad small companies and individual builders, the name John Greven may not register with many of the current generation of guitar enthusiasts—but it should!  Like many of his contemporaries (e.g., Bill Collings, Richard Hoover, Michael Millard, Bob Taylor, etc., etc.), John Greven emerged from the stew of the 60s with a keen interest in guitar building.  And, as is true of many of the most reputable builders operating today, he truly cut his teeth as a repairman, particularly during his time working at Gruhn Guitars in Nashville, where he had ample opportunity to examine many a now legendary vintage guitar. 

Thus, it is not surprising that John Greven draws a great deal of inspiration from the great guitars of years past, while then infusing his builds with the modern refinements that only a builder with the benefit of historical precedent can offer.   John Greven is also known for his inlay work, as well as his beautiful engraved neck heels (he is also very well known for his beveled pickguards, but that is a slightly less sexy accolade).  While purely ornamental, these aesthetic flourishes certainly suggest a commitment to detail and otherwise point to a healthy measure of respect for old world craftsmanship. For example, decorative inlays and elaborate carved neck heels are often found on some of the most prized vintage banjos, where the inlay and/or carving was intended as a display of the builder’s skill.  Now, it is certainly true that the allure of such ornamentation quickly fades if the instrument it adorns is fundamentally uninspiring; but, in the case of John Greven’s guitars, the visual beauty of his craft is seemingly but an extension of his sonic sensibilities. 

This OM (SN. 1111) may be relatively Spartan in terms of aesthetic flourishes—it has a simple headstock logo and an un-carved neck heel—but it has a powerfully attractive voice.  One is immediately struck by a pleasing mixture of breadth and clarity that is firmly-supported and well-sustained. Furthermore, while this guitar does not necessarily possess an explosive response, notes are indeed easily liberated and there is plenty of dynamic range to explore.   Meanwhile, the beautiful figured walnut imparts a distinctive percussiveness and warmth to the guitar’s voice that is especially apparent in the bass—in some respects, walnut’s tonal warmth mirrors that of Indian rosewood, but walnut tends to have a drier and less harmonically saturated quality of tone.  Most importantly, in playing this guitar, one readily detects the hard-won expressiveness that only comes from decades of earnest use. 

In terms of neck feel, this Greven OM definitely leans towards the vintage end of the spectrum, sporting a slightly wider neck with a classic Modified V carve.  Yet, as Modified V necks go, number 1111 has quite a comfortable neck, particularly for fingerstyle players who might prefer a subtle increase in string displacement/spacing at the nut.  Ultimately, the playability of this OM dovetails perfectly with its aesthetics and acoustic performance, resulting in an instrument that could simply be characterized as a tasteful marriage of vintage inspiration and modern refinement—in short, as a musical tool, this guitar is the complete package and a beautiful example of a true craft.

"While shop foreman at Gruhn Guitars in the early to mid-1970's, I was fortunate enough to work on some of the finest vintage guitars ever made, in particular Red Smiley’s pre-war D-45 and Charlie Monroe’s pre-war D-45. Both guitars are iconic in their tone and power. Their sound haunts me to this day and is, in my mind, the “holy grail” of guitar tone. It is this sound which forms the basis of the Greven sound. 

I look for materials that will give me the voice I seek, but more than materials alone, I build very much like Martin and Gibson did in the early 1930's; light, strong heavily scalloped bracing, low body mass, and thin, flexible finishes. My guitars are “modern” where modern adds to the function without impacting tone, but the feel and sound is every bit “vintage”. Powerful over the entire range of the fingerboard, deep and rich texture to the voice, responsive to a fault are all descriptive of my guitar sound."  - John Greven

Condition

This OM is what we generally like to see in terms of condition: The guitar has obviously been well-maintained, such that there are no major structural or cosmetic issues to report. Meanwhile, its previous owner wasn’t afraid to actively play it (and exercise is important when it comes to a guitar’s tone!). Thus, it certainly exhibits all the signs of routine and respectful use, including various light scratches and the occasional dent or ding on both the body and neck.  As is typical of much gold hardware, the plating on the tuners has worn and faded to a dull gold. All in all, however, the guitar is in impressive condition for its age.  Upon its arrival, we noted that the guitar does have a PlateMate (a thin brass reinforcing plate) installed on the bridgeplate. There was also a hairline crack on the bridge running between the bridge pin holes, and we also noted some extremely minor binding separation at the waists of the back—both of these minor issues have subsequently been addressed. Otherwise, this guitar has received our typical setup and preparation work, which, in this case, did include a light fret leveling.  VERY GOOD+ to EXCELLENT condition.

• Solid Sitka Spruce Top
• Scalloped X-Bracing
• Figured Walnut (Claro?) Back and Sides
• Grained Ivoroid Body Binding, Heelcap, and Endpiece
• 9-ply Black and White Top Purfling with Abalone Center
• 4-Ply Black and White Back Purfling
• ZigZag Backstrip
• 3-Ring Rosette with Abalone Center Ring
• High-Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer Body Finish
• Mahogany Neck
• Modified V Neck Contour
• Ebony Fingerboard
• Grained Ivoroid Fingerboard Binding
• Old Style 45 Abalone Fingerboard Inlays
• Walnut Headstock Veneer
• Mother of Pearl Headstock Logo
• Full Gloss Neck Finish
• Faux Tortoise Beveled OM Small Teardrop Pickguard
• Gold Tuners (Likely Gotoh) with Gold Buttons
• Ebony Belly Bridge with Drop-in Saddle
• Grained Ivoroid Bridge Pins with Abalone Dots
• Bone Saddle
• Bone Nut
• 1 25/32” Nut Width
• 25.4” Scale Length
• Original TKL 8000 Series Arched Top Hard Case