Greg Byers is among the most respect luthiers in America. His road to becoming a luthier is a strange one. In 1979, while doing research for his Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology he met a guitar maker in Puerto Rico, and decided he would like to build one some day. Returning to Tucson, he finished his dissertation (University of Arizona 1981), and built a guitar which he showed to Tom Patterson, (the head of the guitar program at the UA). Encouraged by Tom to continue building, he enrolled in a workshop taught by Jose Romanillos, and "never looked back." John Gilbert also has had a strong influence on his work. David Russell and David Tanenbaum are among the many concert guitarists who play his instruments. This guitar is his standard model with a raised fingerboard. The rosewood sides are lined with Port Oxford Cedar (a technique which increases the response and volume by transfering more energy to the soundboard). Another nice feature of this guitar is its 12-hole brige tie block which makes restringing easier. Other than few normal surface fingernail marks, this guitar is in excellent condition. This guitar comes with a new Hiscox hardshell case.