That's a FINE looking guitar on the blog page!
Don Gallagher is a great guy all around.
I own three Gallaghers, and will buy more.

Count me in as a groupie! I own a Doc Sig., and I love it! I've owned many others in the past; (5)Guild's, Martin D35, Ovation's (6 & 12 string), Alverez/Yari, and a Taylor 710ce. While they were all good instruments with their own unique personalities, my Gallagher blows them all away in quality, playability, sound, appearance, etc., you name it. These are some of the finest folks you'll ever meet, and deal with, just down right good people building the best product, and offering the best service out there! I plan on ordering a G-70 very soon, can't wait to hear and play their rosewood guitar, if it's anywhere near as nice as my "Doc", I know I'll love it too! Thanks Don!
--MJD

yes, I own #2613 DW model its just great. I love this guitar more than all 4 of the martins i have owned through 35 years. My name is Gary Kelly and I play guitar in a band in louisville ky called FRESHCUTGRASS.
--Gary Kelly
<mailto:GKkelly4@aol.com>

i DO HAVE A ? MY DOC WATSON MODEL HAS A VERY TALL SADDLE, AND i GET ASKED ABOUT IT OFTEN. ARE THEY BUILT THAT WAY TO MAKE THEM LOUDER? oR FOR MORE TENSION?
--gARY KELLY
<mailto:GKelly4@aol.com>

Good question, Gary. I'm not a guitar tech, but yes, higher saddle and a little higher action overall is a common setup for flatpickers. It's not really making more tension on the string, but increasing the angle of the string over the saddle puts more force (and sound) onto the soundboard. At least that's the theory.
--David

I discovered Don's shop quite by accident when detouring through War Trace recently. I have a friend who is out in Colorado in the high country who is an amazing guitarist and is looking for a great guitar. I am trying to turn him on to Don's magic, but he is (understandably) reluctant to buy a guitar he's not seen, tried, etc. Any Gallagher Groupies in the Denver/Leadville area who could help out? I have tried to describe to him my experience that day I passed by and stopped in and forever changed my idea of what a great guitar is.

I live in Paris , France , and I went to Wartrace, on October 93, just to pick-up the DW model, #2140 I ordered one year earlier ...I spent a couple of hours, for the shop tour, with Don so kindly showing me ( and my wife and my brother, too )everything about the making of his GREAT guitars !!
For me, it's was a great moment !!I'll never forget it !!
I'm one of the only five or six people having a Gallagher here, in France !!!And I am very proud of that !!
Fri"ndly from Paris .
Alain ;
--Alain BERTRAND
<mailto:bertrand.ajb@infonie.fr>

I love the page! Check out the Gallagher myspace @ myspace.com/gallagherguitar and my personal page myspace.com/stephengallagher. If you would like some html codes for some of the pics i have let me know! Stephen Gallagher
--Stephen Gallagher

Hi guys,
I would like some advice. I am looking to buy a mahogony dread and i am tossing up between a D18GE and a Doc. As I live in a rural area in Australia, there is no chance of me trying them out. I am concerned about the thick neck on the Doc. My 50 year old hands are not very big. Will the neck be an issue? I would appreciate comment from someone who has played both.
Many thanks
Peter
--pickinpete
<mailto:whitings@tsn.cc>

Hey Peter,

I must say, you are a man of taste if you’ve narrowed your guitar search to those two instruments—a D18GE and a Doc Watson Gallagher. I’ve had the pleasure of playing about a dozen D18GE’s and dozens of Doc Watsons. I can’t imagine you having a problem with the neck on a Doc Watson. You may know that Doc played a Les Paul, and wanted an acoustic guitar neck that was equally easy to play. The D18GE and DW are both 1 3/4" string width at the nut, which may be wider than your current guitar. Plus, be aware that some older and custom Gallaghers have 1 7/8” width and some (especially the 12-fret necks) are thick. But a standard Doc Watson neck is a very comfortable size.

The two instruments feel different. The D18 is very light; the DW is noticeably heavier. They’re both very easy, forgiving guitars to play. Both guitars mic and record well. The volume level will be similar, but the DW will have more “bite” and more treble overall. The DW will definitely cut through the clutter of a jam session better than the D18. I’m not criticizing the D18—it’s just a different tone. The biggest difference to me is that the D18 can only be played so hard. The Doc Watson likes to be played hard, and the harder it’s hit the more great sound it makes.

I think the D18GE is the best guitar Martin is making, given the price. It’s very balanced and responsive, with a smooth, pretty tone--a very simple, very classy instrument. It’s great for recording, great for rhythm guitar, and great for a guitarist playing solo.

The Doc Watson model Gallagher is also a great all-around instrument. But it is also an ultimate flatpicking guitar. Up the neck, you can make it sing, and you can make it scream. There is no delicate feel to it. It’s a “hoss” of a guitar, and it likes to play fast and/or loud.

Hope this helps,
David

Hi David,

Thanks very much for your insightful comments, it was exactly what I was after.

Regards
Peter

Hey Stephen!!
Thanks so much for the message. I was tickled to find the gallagher myspace and enjoyed all the pics. If you have any ideas for the gallaghergroupies website, please let me know. I'd like to start an on-line collection of pics and descriptions of Gallagher guitars, starting with mine. There are some incredible Gallagher guitars out there, and I think it would be great fun to collect some testimonials. Hope to see you in June.

David

Hi,
I own a 1977 `71 Special serial#994. Bought new & it`s been a great guitar over the years. I played professionally for a lot of years & this guitar sounds terrific on stage & in the studio. It can be sweet but also "barks" when you need it to. I love it!!
I also own a 1961 Martin D-18 which is a great guitar too but a completely different instrument.
Love my Gallagher!!
Rich
--richiemac
<mailto:elaines@athabascau.ca>

I just visited the Gallagher shop in Wartrace last week and had a nice visit with Don gallagher. I was in the market for a Doc Signature and he answered all of my questions. I currently play a Martin D35. I was surprised to find out that the Doc Watson line can be ordered with a "standard"(1 11/16")neck, for those of you that just have to have a "standard" neck. My new Doc Signature arrives today!
--Charles Race
<mailto:queenofjacks@verizon.net>

I bought a 2003 Doc last summer and have loved it! I have banged on an old Epiphone ElDorado for 15 years, so when I finally decided I needed a new guitar, I played a lot of Martins at local stores. I guess I decided a used Gallagher was worth the price of a new martin, so I bought a used one online. They're not easy to find used, so you're pretty well safe to resell it if you dont like it and get your money back. I was a little concerned about the neck thickness, but it's barely noticable, and I am used to epiphone and fender necks. I believe my Doc is unique in that it has a 1" blonde "streak" all the way around the sides that is definately a "golden" wood color, lighter than the dark mahogany of the sides and back.

Hello all.
Don Gallagher puts together a music festival in Wartrace each year. I attended last year and enjoyed it very much. It is relatively small, but that's what I like most about it. This year, Jim Hurst will be doing a guitar clinic (like last year) and Claire Lynch and her band will be performing. Others will perform as well. Plus, you can eat beans and cornbread. You can get all the info at

http://www.wartracemusicfest.org/

Hope you can join the fun.
--Gary

My Doc Sig just came with a low saddle and low action (E and A strings buzz when I capo up past three. I bought it on line and the dealer said he "checked" the set up before sending. Don't get me wrong it's a great guitar but I'm taking it to be set up prfessionally.
--Jeffinoregon

I have 2 Doc Watsons, One a cut away. Both dream guitars. I do both fingerstyle and flatpicked style and love most of what Doc does (which was my connection to the make and model. I still want a GCShort scale or maybe a Ragtime Special. Cutaway and slothead...so I reckon I'll have to let my regular Doc Watson go and just keep the cutaway! ANyone interested, it's a fine instrument (as anyone here already knows). I want $1600 for it with case and sound hole pickup.
--Dale
<mailto:howdybud@insightbb.com>

I came across my 1976 Gallagher G50, #916, at a garage sale eleven years ago in Denver and I love it. The owner didn't know what he had. I initially hesitated to purchase it ($50 w/c) because the owner had neglected it leaving in the garage for who knows how long, winter and summer, expansion, contraction, such that that lacquer cracks appeared. I bought the G50 regardless. Don has been very helpful over the years between calls, letters and email with his perspective, instructing me not to refinish the guitar. It's a kick when you can actually speak to the craftsman. I believe J.W. may have crafted mine back then.
Chuck
Stillwater Montana
http://bandmix.com/profile45651.html

--Chuck
<mailto:bigsky-stillwaters@hughes.net>

hi,

i'm considering acquiring a 1970 g-45. can you give me an idea of the value of this guitar or a fair price range they go for? i tried the vintage pricing guide, but that doesn't mention the g-45 guitars made before 1980.

thanks so much!
brad
--brad
<mailto:beinhorn@ardorny.com>

I own a 1974 G-70 that I bought from Bill Gallagher that year in Wartrace. I used it for about ten years on a nightly basis (playing mostly bluegrass and roots music). It shows some legitimate wear but is still as solid as the day it was made and sounds beautiful. I did have a problem with intonation up the neck and called Doc to ask him about his. He recommended a compensating saddle, which I had his cousin in Charlotte build for me. It helped quite a bit, but it still is a tad flat at the high E octave. I stopped using it professionally as the stage can be brutal on guitars. However, it is now the only acoustic I own.

I could mention that I ordered my guitar the old-fashioned way, by mail, directly from Bill. I once asked him what would happen if I didn't want it after I saw it and he replied "don't worry. We won't have any problem selling it." Indeed! We drove down from Canada to pick it up in or around February, 1975, in our school bus camper. I had my wife and her parents with us as we were on our way to Florida where we would drop them later. We parked across the street from the guitar shop and when I walked in young Don approached me and called me by name. I was quite surprised. He said,"we don't get a lot of blue school bus campers with British Columbia plates in Wartrace!"

Don and a couple of his workers stopped work and sat down in the "lobby" (it was just a room with stacks of hardwood) to pick a little to see what I thought of my new axe. When I pulled it from the rack, I noticed that to its right was another G-70 or equivalent, with the name Waylon Jennings, in mother of pearl inlay; to the left, Roger Miller. Needless to say I was a bit nervous but we picked a few tunes and I just loved the sound. Old Bill then took us all next door to the cafe where he treated us to chicken and dumplings. My in-laws, known for their thriftyness, shall we say, were some impressed.

I have snapshots from that visit and look at them from time to time. I was deeply saddened when Bill died, apparently in that very cafe, but I'm not 100% sure that's a true story. I'm delighted to hear Don is still running the shop and that there are so many Gallagher fans out there.

--Jim Lang
<mailto:jim@jlang.com>

I have a Doc Watson model #3143, a cutaway. I have owned many guitars, including a dozen Martins, half dozen Gibson's, as well as a fabulous Augustino that I lucked into while trying to replace my Martin.
I passed on a Gallagher back in the early eighties at an amazing luthier's shop, Diapason, in Atlanta, and regreted it ever since. Got smart enought to finally purchase this sweet piece at Discount Music in the ATL from my friend George Coates. It provides a versatility of tone that is unmatched to my ears. I love to noodle as well as to drive Gallagher is the standard. I hope to put several more in my stable before long.
Thanks to the fine craftmen and artists that make this all possible.
David Galloway
Atlanta
--David Galloway
<mailto:drdavidgalloway@msn.com>

A Gallagher Doc page, very cool. I bought my Doc in 1980. A killer guitar for sure, I think I paid $700 at the time. Bought it at Woodsy' Music in Kent, OH. My best buddy Steve Lawrence (a fine flatpicker and human being) convinced me to buy it). I had a Gurian in my hand that day and almost bought a D-28...Thank you Steve from saving me from a late '70's D-28.

I had the pleasure of meeting Don aroun '86, great guy.

This guitar is a killer for sure, I have brought it to many festivals over the years and it always cuts through the mix. You didnt run across many gallaghers back in the '70's and '80's...it's nice to see some of the flatpickers playing them these days....kaufman, hurst to name a couple. My gallagher twilight zone moment in 1986 was at a Doc festival in Dahlonaga, GA...there must've been 40 or 50 gallaghers at that festival never saw anything like it before or since. This was my main guitar for close to 30 years. In the past few years I have added a couple of J-45's from the '40's and a '57 D-21 '62 D-18 and a '49 000-18...all wonderful guitars. The Doc holds it's own amongst these fine guitars, no better or worse...all these guitars have their distinct personalities.

I completely agree with the post comparing the D-18 GE to the Doc...I can defintely play the Doc whole hog and it never breaks up....also agree that it plays great all the way up the neck. I own a GE as well...the Doc kills the GE I own...and Dan Lashbrook hotrodded my GE....no comparison between the two. The neck is far more comfortable on the Doc and the tone is far superior to my ears.

Hey if there are any Doc owners on the list near cleveland, Oh shoot me an email. Also I'll be taking it up to the Grey Fox festival in 2008, anyone going look me up in the crowd.

Break a pick, Stuart Abrams
--stuart abrams
<mailto:flatpickr@aol.com>

Hi All,
Glad to find this group. I recently purchased a 1980 Ragtime Special Cutaway and it is a great piece. What a personality! I e-mailed Don for additional info about the serial number and truss rod and he got right back to me. Very nice guy. Going to install some Martin Bluegrass strings on her and see how they sound. I mostly play fingerstyle blues and ragtime.

Josh G from NYC

Hi to Fellow Gallagher lovers,

This is a nice forum to talk about loving a guitar without sounding crazy. I too own a DW (#1364) which I bought in 1980. I'm proud to say I am the only owner it has ever had and plan to keep it that way.I also play a Morgan made by David Ionan in Vancouver BC.A great guitar which I love but still not like my Gallagher. I am hoping to come up with the money to ask Don to make me a GA 70 with maple binding and a slotted peghead in the near future for use as a primary fingerstyle guitar.

Steve Shaw from Ashland Oregon.
--Steve Shaw
<mailto:shawshark@opendoor.com>

Greetings!

I just acquired my first Gallagher, a Doc Watson, ser 3390! I really love it - what a great guitar right out of the box. Plenty loud and has a tone all it's own. Don is using some type of new bridge pin, looks like some kind of amber horn material (although it could be plastic too, not sure). Anyway, just wanted to say hi now that I'm a bona-fide Gallagher owner!
Dan (in CT)
--Dan Forney
<mailto:fsusubdad@yahoo.com>

Hi,I'm Tom & I live in Australia.I've owned a Guild acoustic(D25M)since 1977 and it is a beatiful sounding guitar.

I've been a big Doc Watson fan since the first record I bought in 1972 & have learnt some of his material to the best of my ability.

I've just recently started playing seriously in the bluegrass style, after going to a bluegrass festival in Harriotville in Victoria, & trying very hard to learn as many fiddle tunes as I can, as fast as I can, from Steve Kaufman's flat picking book & CDs.

I'm wanting to buy myslf a new guitar for my new journey into bluegrass to give myself a bit of a kick along. I always thought I might buy a Martin D28 or D35 for this purpose, but I've seen DVD's of Doc Watson playing a Gallagher and they look & sound great.

Has anyone got any ideas or info on which Gallagher model I should look at as there are no dealers in our state of NSW.
--Tom

Hi Tom,
I'm sure since you're on a Gallagher website you know you will get a bias here but having said that I have no hesitation to reccomend a Gallagher. The question of which one is a bit more complicated because it becomes such a matter of personal taste. I recently placed an order with Don that I am very excited about. The most important part of the process for me was how incredibly helpful Don Gallagher was in just making a decision. He is generally very quick to respond to an E-Mail and his answers are well thought out.
I have owned a Doc Watson model for many years and absolutely love it.It is the quintisential Bluegrass guitar and has great tone for playing melodies and rhythm. In fact I am not a big Martin fan unless I could afford a vintage model. Don't forget that if you get a Gallagher you are getting something very unique.In the end a new Martin is just another New Martin.

Enjoy your search.
--Steve Shaw

Hi Steve,
Thankyou very much for your thoughts on your experience of Gallagher guitars.
Yes I know it's probably a biased opinion but thats ok.
It would be great to hear your opinion of the new Gallagher you've ordered, when you get it.
Thanks again for your thoughts.

All the best.
Tom Christofides

Hi...

I may have the chance to get a Gallagher Doc Watson 12 string guitar. I have been searching the net but can't find any information on Gallagher 12 strings. I would be interested to see how they hold up. The one I am looking at is apparently from the early 1990's. Does anyone have any comments on Gallagher 12's?

RE 12 Strings above:
Four years ago I had Mr. Gallegher put 12 strings on a Doc Watson and it is simply wonderful. I highly recommend it.
I just received from the shop a new 71 Special which is the best guitar I have ever played. This includes my 1967 G-50 which has been my (and my 6 children's) side-kick and friend since 1972. Gallaghers are simply extrordinary musical instruments.
--William Wilson
<mailto:wmw2v@virginia.edu>

Hello, I have Gallagher Doc Watson made in 1997. However the neck is bound and the headstock has the bellflower head plate. Does this mean it was a specially made DW or were those features standard at the time?
thanks
--chance
<mailto:honeyrunproductions@yahoo.com>

I have an early 70's G-70 Gallagher and believe it or not I bought it used for $400.00 in 1978 and it was only this month I found out what it was. I play at a local bluegrass gathering in a restaraunt and a guy came up to me and said "that is a Gallagher isn't it?". I had no idea until I went on the web site. I always figured it was an Aria or some Japanese guitar.
It plays so great and I wouldn't part with it for what a new one costs.
--Wayne McCartney
<mailto:Strato1_2007@att.net>

I just bought a Doc Watson Signature and it is one hell of an acoustic! Tey must not build too many. Does anybody know what their output is per year?? It's got an enourmous amount of punch and I am impressed!!
--Jon
<mailto:jsutton542000@yahoo.com>