2005 Schoenberg 000 Cutaway

Peghead Nation instructor Doug Young demonstrates his Bruce Sexauer-built 12-fret 000.

February 7, 2024

Peghead Nation instructor Doug Young, who teaches the Alternate Tunings Fingerstyle Guitar course, has built an impressive collection of luthier-made steel-string guitars, but for the most part, they are variations on contemporary guitars that are optimized for fingerstyle playing. They typically feature grand auditorium or mini-jumbo bodies, 14-fret necks, and the tonal clarity often associated with modern flattops. But a couple of years ago, Doug acquired a wonderful 1926 Martin 000-18 from the late Al Petteway, and the guitar whet his appetite for this kind of instrument and a more vintage tonality. However, as a modern fingerstyle player, he found himself wishing for more access to the upper fingerboard than is possible with a standard 12-fret guitar. Guitarist, designer, and guitar shop owner Eric Schoenberg (and his company Schoenberg Guitars) have specialized in guitars that combine the best of vintage and contemporary designs for more than 30 years. Remembering other 12-fret cutaway Schoenbergs that he had played in the past, Doug set out to find a Schoenberg 000 cutaway and ended up with one built in 2005.

Schoenberg Guitars began as a collaboration between Eric, Dana Bourgeois, and Martin Guitars, and over the years the instruments have been built by a number of luthiers. Doug’s guitar was built by Northern California luthier Bruce Sexauer, who has built more than 70 Schoenbergs, starting in the late 1990s. Doug’s guitar has gorgeous cocobolo back and sides and an Italian spruce top and is simply appointed, with koa binding and a rosette and purfling that uses marquetry made of koa and black-dyed wood. The guitar also has diamonds-and-squares position markers in the fingerboard, a pyramid bridge, and an OM-style tortoise-colored pickguard. The guitar is based on a vintage 12-fret Martin 000, but it doesn’t follow any particular Martin style in terms of woods or appointments, and the cutaway, solid peghead, and relatively shallow, rounded neck shape give the guitar a playability that is much more contemporary than vintage. Schoenberg calls the guitar style a Standard 000, but the label on this instrument is written according to the description Bruce uses on his own instruments: ES-15-000C, with the “ES” for Eric Schoenberg and “15” referring to the width at the lower bout.

In this video, Doug talks about the guitar and points out how the cutaway gives the 12-fret guitar the same access to the upper frets as a 14-fret guitar. He demonstrates it by playing his original “Nowhere to Hide” in standard tuning, as well as a DADGAD arrangement of the Irish traditional “The Southwind,” which he teaches in his Alternate Tunings Fingerstyle Guitar course. Doug also demonstrates his Sagework guitar support, which attaches to the guitar using magnets and provides a slightly elevated playing position.

To study with Doug, enroll in his Alternate Tunings Fingerstyle Guitar course now!

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