Dogwood Guitars

  • Home
  • About
  • Guitars
    • Dogwood Models
    • Guitar Galleries
    • Ordering your Dogwood Guitar
    • FAQ’s
  • Services
  • Lutherie Classes
  • Pictorials
    • Repairs
    • How to Correctly String a Guitar
    • Building A Monarch
    • Making a Spalted Maple Rosette
    • Pearl and Abalone Inlay
  • Articles
    • Technical
    • Viewpoint
  • Testimonials
  • YouTube
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Builds / The Kingston Jumbo

The Kingston Jumbo

I’ve always been particularly drawn to jumbo-size acoustics. I learned to play guitar in the early 1970’s when John Denver was at the height of his career, and the sound he got from his jumbo Guild 6 and 12 string guitars made an impression on me that lasts to this day. I own one of the rare and coveted Guild JF-100 jumbos… arguably the most beautiful of any of the Guild models, and to my eye a rival with the Gibson SJ-200 for the top spot, esthetically speaking. These two famous jumbo acoustics formed the inspiration for the Dogwood Kingston Jumbo.

The Kingston has a large sound with impressive volume and is specifically tuned for a great bass response, without sacrificing the trebles. The tops for Kingston jumbos are selected specifically for low mass. Due the larger size of a jumbo guitar, it is especially important to use a top with an excellent stiffness-to-weight ratio to avoid weak trebles and muddy midrange. The top and the back are tuned to specific, complimentary fundamental resonances.  This makes for a wonderful grand piano type tone without sounding boomy. You will immediately hear the clarity when you play a Kingston, with a slightly emphasized bass response compared to other Dogwood models.

Claro Walnut back and sides with burl end wedge and arm bevel

Standard features for the Kingston include Indian Rosewood back and sides with solid Rosewood binding, hand voiced and tuned top and back, Abalone shell rosette, bound Ebony fretboard and custom Dogwood-style bridge, Abalone shell rosette and fretboard dot inlays, bone nut and saddle, high gloss lacquer finish, hand cut shell logo, and Gotoh tuners. Options include Abalone and gold Mother of Pearl crown fretboard inlays, Abalone body purflings, custom rosettes, exotic back and side woods, custom Tor-tis pickguard, mosaic back strip and matching end wedge purflings, and Venetian cutaway.

Kingston Jumbo with figured Myrtle back and sides,

Kingston Jumbo Features and Available *Upgrades*

  • High scoring Sitka Spruce top from reserve stock
  • Top and back hand tuned and voiced
  • Indian Rosewood sides and back (other woods available)
  • Solid Rosewood  body binding
  • Bound Ebony fretboard with black and white purfling
  • Hand cut shell peghead logo
  • Abalone rosette
  • Custom Dogwood Ebony bridge with curved bridge pin layout
  • Ebony bridge pins and end pin with Abalone dots
  • Gotoh tuners and strap button
  • Bone nut and  B-compensated saddle
  • Hand carved Mahogany neck with Maple stringers
  • Quality hard shell case
  • Lifetime warranty to original owner
  • “Tor-tis” poured resin pickguard (greatly superior to plastic) available*
  • Gold Mother of Pearl and Abalone “crown” fretboard inlays available*
  • Abalone body purflings available*
  • Mosaic back strip with matching end wedge purfling available*
  • Custom rosettes available*
Kingston Jumbo with triple Abalone shell and Ebony rosette, and Abalone “spirit” fretboard inlays.

The Kingston Jumbo base price is  $7000.00

I would love to work with you to design a custom, one-of-a-kind jumbo, please contact me for details. I guarantee a great-sounding instrument with exceptional clarity, balance, projection, and separation.

Technical Information

The Kingston Jumbo is a 14 fret, true jumbo guitar with a 25.5 scale length. The bout is 17″ and the shoulder width is 12 1/2″. Body length is 2o 5/8″ and the overall length is 42 1/2″. Width at the nut is 1 3/4″ and the string spacing is 2 1/4″. Fretboard radius is 16″ and the neck is a comfortable oval shape. Alterations to some of these dimensions are available.

 

Scroll down for videos of the Kingston.

jumbo_side_2 jumbo_side_1 jumbo_top jumbo_side_3 jumbo_back_3 jumbo_side_close jumbo_heel jumbo_bridge jumbo_side_close_2 jumbo_wedge chris-tofilon jumbo_front_close jumbo_front_close_2 jumbo_front jumbo_left jumbo_back jumbo_back_2 jumbo_front_2
[Show picture list]
WKJ-2 WKJ-03 WKJ-01 WKJ-06 WKJ-07 WKJ-04 WKJ-05
[Show picture list]

 

Samuel Hood playing an original composition on his Kingston, recorded at Bare Recording Studios. This guitar has a custom made Tor-tis resin pickguard and Abalone and gold MOP fretboard inlays.

Chris Tofilon playing an original instrumental on a Dogwood Kingston

Check out a Dogwood Kingston being played by Samuel Hood as he accompanies recording artist and worship leader Justin Rizzo performing “Lord of All.” The Kingston was used for all the guitar tracks in the studio; the Taylor being played in the video by Justin is a prop.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • YouTube

Customer Testimonials: Strat and Tele Setups

"I have 2 guitars and have been playing for over 20 years.  In that time I have had my instruments set-up by several different companies, some that have been in the business for longer than I have been playing.  I can honestly say that no one has … [Read More...]

Blog: Jumbo Neck Set

It is always exciting to arrive at neck setting day when working on a new build. Several weeks of careful work precede setting the neck: Rosette making; bending and boxing; bindings and purflings; inlay work; voicing and tuning; all separate skills … [Read More...]

Fine Handmade Guitars

  Hi, and welcome to Dogwood Guitars of Kansas City, MO. My goal is to provide you with the best sounding and playing guitar possible. Whether this means setting up your current guitars to play their best, or working with you to build your … [Read More...]

Lutherie Classes: Setup and Repair

Acoustic and Electric Guitar Repair and Setup Classes Have you thought about learning guitar repair and setup? Have you considered attending a lutherie school but found the distance and cost to be prohibitive? Or maybe you simply want to learn how … [Read More...]

Exploring Common Guitar Myths

I am going to divide this article into two sections: Myths and misunderstandings about playability and care; and myths about tone. We will take these two topics in order. Playability and Care So, your guitar is a little hard to play, the … [Read More...]

About Our Name

Many people ask about our name. One of my wife's friends even asked her if I made guitars from any other wood besides Dogwood! For those familiar with the Dogwood tree, this brings a chuckle since this flowering beauty attains only a small size… … [Read More...]

Visit us on YouTube…

Follow Dogwood Guitars

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Technical Articles

Why do old guitars sound better?

Why do some old guitars sound so good? Even inexpensive guitars can age into really good sounding instruments, and some old guitars attain legendary tone. Why is this? The answer can be found in one of three factors and the best … [Read More...]

More Technical Articles

Viewpoint Articles

Exploring Common Guitar Myths

I am going to divide this article into two sections: Myths and misunderstandings about playability and care; and myths about tone. We will take these two topics in order. Playability and Care So, your guitar is a little hard to play, the … [Read More...]

More Viewpoint Articles

Copyright © 2025 Dogwood Guitars