Michael Fontenot, 2026

Michael Fontenot continues to make steady, deliberate leaps forward with every guitar he builds, and this 2026 instrument, his 27th, is one of the easiest guitars to recommend currently in our collection. Evan has worked closely with Michael over the past several years, offering feedback on neck shape and playability on nearly every guitar he has built, and that ongoing collaboration shows clearly here in a neck that feels effortlessly comfortable from the first chord.

Built in Fredericksburg, Texas, this Cedar/Cedar doubletop with a Nomex core represents the latest refinement of Fontenot's analytical, data driven approach to construction. The result is a guitar that performs well above its price point, and remains one of the more accessible ways to bring a serious handmade doubletop into a player's hands.

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Specifications

Luthier: Michael Fontenot
Year: 2026
Top: Cedar/Cedar doubletop with Nomex core
Back & Sides: Indian Rosewood
Construction: Doubletop, fan bracing
Finish: French Polish
Scale Length: 640mm
Nut Width: 52mm
Tuners: Sloane with snakewood buttons
Strings: D'Addario XTC45
https://ddar.io/guitar-collection
Condition: New

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Construction & Design

The headstock carries a striking decorative motif running down its center, paired with Sloane tuners fitted with snakewood buttons, a detail that adds warmth and contrast against the dark wood of the head.

The top is a Cedar/Cedar doubletop with a Nomex core, built over fan bracing underneath for a light, resonant structure. The back and sides are a beautiful set of Indian Rosewood. The armrest is seamlessly integrated and elegantly minimal, continuing Fontenot's move toward cleaner visual lines, and the fingerboard is raised for improved access and a more comfortable playing angle.

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Sound & Playability

As with Fontenot's recent doubletops, this guitar is quick to respond, with a light, resonant top that activates easily under the hand while still offering real reserve when pushed. The Nomex core lends the voice a dark, grounded low end, while the trebles stay lyrical and even across the registers.

The 640mm scale and the sculpted, slim neck profile make this one of the more comfortable guitars in the collection to play, sitting naturally under the left hand. It is the kind of guitar that rewards a light touch just as readily as it rewards commitment.

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About the Luthier

Michael Fontenot is a retired pediatrician turned luthier, based in Fredericksburg, Texas. He has spent years collecting and charting sonic data from some of the finest classical guitars in the world, analyzing air resonance, response curves, and stiffness to weight ratios, and translating those findings directly into his own instruments. The result is a young workshop producing guitars that perform well beyond what their builder's experience level would suggest.

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Brand new, built as part of Michael Fontenot's 2026 series.

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