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You are here: Home / Builds / The Monarch

The Monarch

The Monarch is a wonderful 14 fret guitar for anyone who appreciates great tone and a classic appearance. The Monarch body features a slimmer waist and curvier shoulders than a Dreadnought. It has a well-balanced tone and is a versatile instrument that would make an excellent choice for singer-songwriters, finger style players, or anyone who wants a great-sounding guitar that is a joy to play.

Quilted Maple with spalted Maple rosette and Cocobolo fretboard.

 

 

 

 

The Monarch features all solid wood construction with a select Sitka top, hand carved Sitka bracing, wood bindings, decorative purflings, a shell rosette, Ebony fretboard and bridge, and bone nut and saddle. A double action truss rod insures that your ideal setup can be dialed in. Every Monarch receives a flawless gloss lacquer finish.

Premium Rosewood with mitered Holly purflings

 

 

The monarch is fully voiced and tuned using a combination of ear tuning and software analysis, and the top and back are tuned to specific fundamental resonances that work together to get the most from the guitar’s top and back woods. Sitka Spruce braces are hand carved to specific profiles for each individual Monarch, ensuring superior tonal response.The tone is clear and balanced, and the body shape and size are very comfortable to play.

Spalted Maple panels on the back of this Rosewood Monarch make a unique and striking visual display.

The Monarch can be customized for you with a variety of upgrades. These include Abalone shell body purfling, highly figured back and side woods, custom inlay work, unique rosettes, gold tuners, and cutaways. Please contact me to discuss your design ideas and for pricing.

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Mahogany and Maple laminated neck on a Myrtle Monarch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Standard Monarch Features:

  • all solid wood construction
  • figured Maple back and sides (other species available at the same cost)
  • Abalone shell rosette with B&W outer rings
  • five-piece Mahogany neck with dual action truss rod
  • bound Ebony fretboard with wood binding, B&W purfling
  • Ebony Dogwood-style bridge and pins with shell dots
  • solid wood binding with B&W purflings
  • Gotoh sealed chrome tuners
  • distinctive Dogwood peghead with hand-cut pearl logo
  • bone nut and compensated saddle
  • Ebony end pin and strap button
  • high gloss lacquer finish
  • hard shell case
  • Lifetime warranty to the original owner

The Monarch base price is $7000.00

Technical information

The Monarch is a 14 fret guitar with a 25.5 scale length. The bout is 15 3/4″ and the shoulder width is 11 1/2″. Body length is 2o 1/8″ and the overall length is 41 13/16″. 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 at no cost.

Upgrades include highly figured back and side woods of various species, Venetian cutaway, custom fretboard inlays, custom rosettes, shell body purflings, and unique binding and purfling combinations. Contact me to discuss your ideas for a custom build.

The Monarch guitar in the photo gallery below includes all the standard appointments plus the following upgrades: Premium Indian Rosewood back and sides, venetian cutaway, spalted Maple and Abalone radial rosette, spalted Maple back and end panels, and gold tuning machines. Other Monarchs can be seen on the Guitar Gallery page.

Scroll down to watch a video of the Monarch being played. Hearing is believing!


October Morning Front October Morning Back October Morning Front Detail October Morning Back Detail October Morning Cutaway October Morning End Detail October Morning Peghead
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Customer Testimonials: A. B. Manson Acoustic

"I recently had major work done by Greg Maxwell on my very expensive and treasured old guitar.  Boy, am I glad that I found Greg, because I do not think any other luthier would have given the time and effort  this project required.  My guitar needed … [Read More...]

Customer Testimonial: Taylor Custom setup and upgrades

Greg, when I met you and talked with you, it helped ease my apprehensions. You were very professional and explained in detail what, why, and how you would make my guitar play and sound better. You said that guitars sound what they sound like, but you … [Read More...]

Customer Testimonial: Dogwood Monarch

"I loved my handcrafted Yamaha LX5 until I played my brother's Larrivee. So I bought a Larrivee. The Dogwood acoustic makes my Larrivee sound like my old Yamaha. The Dogwood is superior to my Larrivee D-03R in every way - tone, action - even looks. I … [Read More...]

Luthier Services & Labor Estimates for 2026

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Exceptional Tonewoods

Fine wood is the heart of every Dogwood guitar. Greg has been collecting rare and highly figured wood for over three decades, and he is always on the lookout for the best sets of both top and back/side wood for his custom guitars. Exotic wood of the … [Read More...]

Customer Testimonials: Monarch 12 String

"Greg Maxwell's 12-string Monarch guitar is the product of an artist. I played the guitar among a small of group of rock-climbing paramedics during my interim stay in Richmond, Kentucky, before returning to Kailua, Hawaii, and the comments about the … [Read More...]

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