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McPherson 4.5XP 12-String Quilted Maple / Bear Claw Sitka  From McPherson

This piano thinks it's a guitar!!!

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Our product photos are the actual, specific serial number for sale!

This specific item was photographed by us here in Durham, North Carolina. We are a very small team dedicated to providing you the most accurate photos possible, through our obsessive focus - individually photographing nearly everything that comes through the door. Questions about what you see? Want more information, photos, or just a friendly conversation with someone that cares and who has actually had their hands on this exact item? Contact us now!
McPherson Guitars

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See something you like? This item is gone, but not forever. It can be special ordered, and even customized!

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Because of our special relationship with McPherson we can get this as fast, or faster than anyone in the industry. In some cases, we even have preferred build slots we can offer you.

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What We Think

When I heard we were getting a 12-string McPherson, I knew it going to be special. After all, what happens when a guitar builder famous for their BIG, CLEAN sound decides they're going to slip 6 more strings in there? I'll tell you what happens...the rafters shiver, snow-flakes whirl, and angels bend an ear. The quilting on this maple is outrageous and I do adore a bear-claw...it's my favorite pastry...anyway, to go back to Maple for a second, it's a completely elegant and under-rated back & sides wood in it's own right. What you get with maple is crisp, bright, transparent tone that really groups notes nicely. This is a killer guitar, a piece of art, and some of the best cuts of wood mother-nature has to offer. Wow.

-robinson@soundpure.com

McPherson 4.5XP 12-String Acoustic Guitar Demo

This striking 12-string guitar by McPherson is a truly unique instrument. The Sitka Spruce top is finished with an elegant bear-claw design while the Maple back and sides are quilted in the most striking of ways. It's a guitar that will turn heads both in the way it looks and through its distinct, crisp tone. This 4.5XP by McPherson is truly a piece of art. Thanks to Robinson Earle for his beautiful playing. Please call or email with any questions or if you want to see the guitar in person. 919.682.5552. or 888.528.9703 Gear Used: McPherson 4.5XP 12-String Acoustic Guitar, Schoeps CMC 6 w/ MK4 capsules, Great River MP2NV Mic Pre, Lynx Aurora AD Converter

Manufacturer's Description from McPherson

A slightly stiffer version of Sitka with unique figure appearing in the grain. Bear Claw Sitka exhibits tonal characteristics of Sitka Spruce, but because of its added strength it can have a more robust and punchy voice.

Sometimes referred as "Big Leaf" Maple, Quilted Maple is generall softer than Flamed Maple. Quilted Maple is therefore silghtly darker and warmer.

McPherson Guitars

About Manufacturer

The acoustic guitar is an instrument with a lot of history. Some of the most incredible acoustic instruments were made in America during what is known as the “Golden Era” of guitar building, but not much has changed since. Many boutique builders pride themselves on making the most faithful recreations of these aging instruments, and most of the focus is placed on looking into the past.  McPherson Guitars is not one of these brands.

Believing that there is more to strive for out of flat-top acoustics, McPherson introduced their revolutionary Offset Soundhole Technology over three decades ago. This allows for greater vibration in the center of the guitar top, as well as more volume and clarity in the ears of the player. Their unique bracing system also creates a larger, more even space for the top to vibrate, increasing the clarity and projection of sound. Every McPherson guitar features a cantilevered neck, which means that the fretboard does not actually make contact with the guitar top. This design allows the space underneath the fretboard to vibrate, again contributing to a larger area of flexible surface on the top. McPherson guitars also offer an enormous selection of tonewoods, from the classic Spruce, Rosewood, and Mahogany varieties to the rare and exotic. Some of the less common tonewoods like Acacia, Cocobolo, Walnut, Pau Rosa, Macassar Ebony, and others can be combined in interested ways to make very unique sounding instruments. While many of the advancements McPherson has made in acoustic guitar building result in superior tone, sustain, and resonance, McPhersons are also far less susceptible to damage than their “Golden Era” counterparts. Every McPherson neck is fitted with a carbon graphite truss rod in a triangulated system that is so stable that it eliminates the need for neck adjustment. If you are looking for an acoustic guitar that is more than just a replica, look no further than McPherson Guitars. In 50 years, they might be the ones being replicated. 

 

Specifications

Scale Length- 25 1/2"

Upper Bout: 11 1/8"

Waist: 10 1/8"

Lower Bout: 16"

Body Length: 20 1/8"

Overall Length: 43"

Fretboard Radius: 14"

Standard Neck Width: 1 7/8" at nut, 2 5/16" at 12th

String Spacing at Bridge: 2 7/16th

 

  • Offset Soundhole
  • Cantilevered neck
  • Truss Rod: Non-adjustable, unidirectional high-modulus carbon fiber
  • Ebony bridge
  • Ebony bridge pins: Unslotted with mother of pearl dot
  • Fingerboard: Ebony with 14 inch radius
  • Nut: Natural Bone
  • Buzz Feiten intonation system – Three custom bone saddles set up for low, medium, and tall action
  • Binding: Flamed Koa
  • Electronics: L.R. Baggs RTS2 system Ribbon transducer pick-up, pre-amp and volume control
  • Tuners: Schaller M6G Gold Tuning machines
  • Gold strap button
  • Case: Custom fit Ameritage case with built in humidification system
  • Inlay: McPherson mother of pearl inlay on head cap and mirror image on bridge plate
  • Finish: IC&S UV finish – An extremely durable clear finish which retains tonal integrity of the wood while protecting the guitar from harmful elements
  • Strings: Elixir Nanoweb medium gauge strings