Huss & Dalton CM-12

A fabulous modern mid-size 12-fret that excels at fingerstyle.

March 6, 2025

Virginia’s Huss & Dalton Guitar Company built its reputation on a line of flattops with traditional looks and great vintage sounds. But besides offering guitars that are clearly inspired by classic American instruments, the company has also created models with more original design ideas, and the mid-size Huss & Dalton CM is an example of these efforts. I demoed a CM Cutaway Standard in 2021, and when I recently visited Organic Sound Select Guitars in Santa Ana, California, I found myself smitten with a 12-fret version of the CM that I found hanging on their wall. Thanks to Organic Sound’s Larry Sogolow, I was able to shoot a spontaneous demo of the guitar (as well as a demo of Huss & Dalton’s spectacular 30th Anniversary OM).

Similar in size to a typical 000, but with a deeper body and an original outline, Huss & Dalton’s CM (“Concert Model”) is available in three general variations: 14-fret versions with and without cutaways, and as a 12-fret with a cutaway. The guitar I previously demoed was a 14-fret instrument with a long scale, which gave it a different character from the guitar featured here. CM-12s come standard with Engelmann spruce tops and either mahogany or Indian rosewood backs and sides. This particular CM-12 was upgraded with a Carpathian spruce top and highly figured Indian rosewood, but otherwise had an understated appearance that further set CMs apart from more traditional Huss & Daltons. As such, the guitar has a plain fingerboard, with the only inlay being a “scroll” design at the 12th fret (it does have position markers on the side of the fingerboard), a single-ring abalone rosette, maple binding on both the body and the neck, simple black and white purfling, and a clear pickguard.

During the short time I had with the CM-12, I was immediately taken by its quick response, dynamic tone, and great playing comfort. The guitar produced a rich sound when playing with a soft touch, and delivered a nice growl when I dug in a little harder. The guitar’s short scale, roomy string-spacing, and low-action setup made it easy to execute tricky passages. I played the guitar in both standard and DADGAD tunings, and even though I had just picked up the instrument, it felt like an old friend that I wouldn’t hesitate to take on stage immediately.

Although Huss & Dalton is most often associated with instruments that hew closely to their vintage flattop inspirations, the CM-12 shows that the company also builds fabulous instruments with original design ideas. Anyone looking for a highly responsive, rich-sounding, and comfortable flattop would do well to check out this instrument!

Huss & Dalton CM-12 Custom