Stephan Connor, 2022

This 2022 Stephan Connor Floresta is a spectacular and highly unique concert guitar from one of the most respected American luthiers working today. Connor’s guitars are played by an extraordinary roster of artists: the Assad brothers, Marco Tamayo, An Tran, Rosie Bennett, Eliot Fisk, Anabel Montesinos, and many more, and they are highly sought after. Steve is not only an inventive, genius builder but a wonderful person to work with.

The Floresta (“Un Sueño en la Floresta,” a dream in the forest) model sits among Connor’s most ornate and artistic instruments, combining his modern doubletop construction with a forest-inspired decorative language. Every element of the guitar carries the Floresta theme, from the rosette to the inlay running along the sides and back.

This is a very special Connor with a big, open, immediate voice, modern response, and the kind of visual presence that makes the Floresta model so memorable.

Specifications

Luthier: Stephan Connor
Year: 2022
Model: Floresta
Top: Cedar doubletop (Bull Run cedar, Robert Ruck collection)
Center Strip: Ancient cedar
Back & Sides: Indian Rosewood
Construction: All-wood cedar doubletop (“Tree of Life” style), no Nomex or balsa
Bracing: Five-fan pattern with four cross-grain bars (lattice-like)
Scale Length: 650 mm
Nut Width: 53 mm
Neck: Thin C-shape
Fingerboard: Raised, 20th fret
Sound Port: Yes, with included magnetic cover
Headstock: Walnut veneer
Rosette: Green shell inlay, forest theme
Inlays: Mother of pearl vine/floral motif along sides and back
Tuners: Scheller, engraved to match the side inlay
Strings: D’Addario XTC45FF, with the first string replaced by a normal tension Pro Arté nylon first string
https://ddar.io/guitar-collection
Condition: No cracks or repairs; cosmetic wear to the top and slight polish wear elsewhere

Sound

This guitar has the quickness and power one expects from Connor’s doubletop work, but with a distinctly organic, woody character. From the very first chord you are struck by the volume: a huge sound with a strong, clear fundamental and rich overtone content that genuinely envelops the listener. It is even all over the fingerboard, with sympathetic vibrations triggering freely across the strings. The trebles have clarity and presence and never sound congested, while the basses are thick, meaty, and authoritative, with excellent sustain. It is the kind of instrument that always feels supportive: whatever you reach for in sustain, character, or tone color, the guitar gives it back to you. In short, a music-making machine.

Sound port: The guitar features a sound port fitted with an included magnetic sound port cover. The port can be left fully open, fully closed, or anywhere in between (the magnet holds at a quarter or half open), letting you tailor the response to the room. The difference is meaningful, especially on Connor’s guitars, which tend to have larger ports.

Construction & Design

The top is a cedar doubletop, using cedar from Robert Ruck’s Bull Run collection, with a center strip of very old, ancient cedar that Steve selected for this guitar. Rather than a typical Nomex or balsa sandwich, this is an all-wood doubletop, what Connor has described as a “Tree of Life” type doubletop, using two layers of cedar with the inner layer oriented to cross the grain in order to spread energy and help even out the response across the instrument.

The bracing is especially interesting: a five-fan pattern crossed by four bars running against the grain, creating a lattice-like structure. The result is a guitar that is both lattice-braced and doubletop, yet, as with all of Connor’s work regardless of bracing style, it unmistakably sounds like a Steve Connor guitar.

The back and sides are Indian rosewood, and the headstock is faced with a beautiful walnut veneer. The decorative work is a highlight: a forest-themed rosette with green shell inlay, the same motif carried along the purfling, and an exquisite vine-like inlay running down the center of each side and along the back, terminating in small mother-of-pearl floral pieces. The guitar also has a notably raised fingerboard with a 20th fret for the high C.

Playability

Connor’s necks are always comfortable, and this one is no exception: a thin, C-shaped profile that is very easy to play. The 650 mm scale length and 53 mm nut width make it accessible and rewarding, and the doubletop construction gives the player a great deal back for very little effort.

This guitar is structurally healthy, with no cracks and no repairs. Cosmetically, it shows the wear of a guitar that has been seriously played over the past four years: small marks across the soundboard behind the bridge and near the upper frets, and slight wear to the polish here and there. These are cosmetic only, and the guitar presents very well; the wear is not something you notice unless you catch it in the light.