The Legend Guitar Company was formed in the latter days of 1998 by master luthiers Jeff Sigurdson, Michael Soper and Jesse Brace with the able assistance of business partner and renowned guitar broker, Robert Brown. Jeff, Michael, and Jesse bring nearly 40 years of combined experience in larger guitar shops to the design and building of their own handmade, high-end acoustic guitars. Their specific goal was to create vintage sounding instruments with the performance characteristics of more modern designs at a price that was within the reach of a much wider audience. The combination of silky fast action, deliciously balanced, highly resonant response, as well as classic yet functionally rich beauty, makes these limited production instruments simply irresistible.

Legend has now expanded its model line with the introduction of the new Pre-War ERA Series. The first line offering is the handmade D-102PW (photos: http://www.ereleases.com/pr/2003-02-03b.jpg and http://www.ereleases.com/pr/2003-02-03c.jpg). This dreadnaught differs from Legend's impressive standard D-102 in that it employs certain design elements characteristic of the fine instruments manufactured by legendary builders prior to 1941. The guitar is puritan in appearance with a traditional black/white circular rosette, adding small dot markers on the top and side of the fretboard to enhance its traditional appearance. Most notable however, is the special bracing pattern that gave those vintage instruments their incredible depth and power. Appointments such as a squared headstock and smaller pewter "Butterbean" open gear tuners finish off this functionally impressive, utilitarian design.

The D-102PW is not simply a knock-off of an historical design. It incorporates the best of today's hand building techniques resulting in a instrument that resonates with the thunder-rich overtones of the past but plays with the speed and agility that sets Legend instruments apart from most all other makers. The Indian rosewood back and sides, and spruce tops are carefully selected and coated with rare nitrous finish. This beautiful guitar is a "sonic-monster" and an OM version is coming.

Legend's latest addition, its EXP Series, is aimed at an even wider market. The debut model, the D-112 SFTGT (photo: http://www.ereleases.com/pr/2003-02-03a.jpg), in the ever popular dreadnaught configuration, is an instrument whose price puts it within the reach of almost every dedicated guitar player. These instruments reflect the design innovations of Robbie Brown, who foresaw the need for a top quality acoustic instrument with the playability that all Legend Guitars enjoy but at a reduced cost and with the increased availability that is made possible by certain machine manufacturing processes. The guitar plays like a dream with a very deep, rich sound and translucent highs. Using solid dark Indian Rosewood back and sides, with high grade Spruce top, Robbie incorporated innovative 12 string grade bracings to create a guitar that is exceptionally road worthy in all environments and ideally suited to trouble free under saddle pickup installations. This is a solid, tough, yet highly sensuous guitar with high quality enclosed machine tuners, ivoroid bindings, and beautiful, satin finished back and sides.

web site: http://www.legendguitar.com