Used 2006 Charis Dream Series SJ – #2 of 10

Dream a Little Dream for Me

Wildwoodians, all Charis guitars are dreamy, but this guitar is from an especially wonderful run of guitars Charis's owner/master builder Bill Wise built for Dream Guitars in 2006. Basically, the folks at Dream Guitars told him to spare no expense and build ten guitars with the finest pieces in his wood stash, and this guitar is number two from that run. With its Brazilian rosewood back and sides and stunning cedar top, this serial certainly seems like a the result of a wish upon a star! For more about how Bill Wise is a legendary madman and the obsessive perfectionism that went into the design of the Charis SJ, read on!

The Product of a Genius's Obsession

Wildwoodians, the guitar you see before you is the product of a brilliant man's obsession with perfection. Before building guitars full-time, Bill Wise spent seventeen years working as a high-level engineer, and he accomplished enough to be inducted into the Delphi Automotive Innovation Hall of Fame. Throughout that time, Bill's main hobbies were woodworking and, eventually, lutherie. In 2002, he decided to jump in with both feet and build guitars full time, and the musical world is better for it. Though Bill builds a variety of guitars, he focuses most of his efforts on his pride and joy, the Small Jumbo model. Why? Well, as he puts it, Bill would rather be good at one thing than okay at a bunch of things! So, he has applied all of his engineering brilliance into making the SJ a world-beating guitar, and his hard work has paid spectacular dividends.

So, what makes the SJ so special? Well, let's get the answer from Bill himself! Bill says: "The primary influence for my instruments is fingerstyle guitar. The master of this style (IMHO) is Phil Keaggy. I have designed and continue to refine my Small Jumbo (SJ) guitar to excel for this style (of) music. The size of the body, scale length, bracing, etc. are all chosen with this style (of) music in mind. The guitar is expressive, balanced, and easy to play, with a broad dynamic range. It has good clarity in addition to lively harmonics responding well to tapping/slapping techniques. The scale length is chosen to facilitate alternate tunings allowing tuning of the low E to D and C with good sustain and volume, while not being muddy. The top bracing is a standard X brace. However, I have modified the bracing below the bridge plate from the typical tone bars to a modified fan pattern which helps achieve the character I am after. Interestingly, the design also results in an instrument that is often used for leading worship, which is very gratifying to me.

Love for fingerstyle guitar and my tendency to obsess on overdoing has resulted in continuous refinement of my Fingerstyle SJ model. I see no need to try to be everything to every player."

There you have it! Though the SJ will function beautifully as a strummer, it is tailor-made for fingerstylists. Some lucky acoustic aficionado will find themselves a lifelong partner in crime in the Charis SJ. We have no doubt it will inspire you to embark on endless acoustic adventures across its fretboard.

Condition Report

This Charis Dream Series SJ has clearly been played, but also loved and taken care of. It shows moderate wear from normal use, including some noticeable nicks on the top, likely from finger tapping or enthusiastic picking. There is also some light-to-moderate fretwear (a sign of how hard it is to put this guitar down!), and there is some very light checking around the purfling, rosette inlay, and headstock inlay. A previous owner was kind enough to install a McIntyre Feather pickup, which works but is intended to be used with a preamp. It comes with its original hardshell case, too!