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 good this specific guitar sounds as well as how Bill Wise is a legendary madman and the obsessive perfectionism that went into the design of the Charis SJ, read on!

Sonic Evaluation

Bill Wise specifically says that he feels no need for his guitars to be everything to every player, but this Dream Series SJ is, in fact, everything to me! Basically, when a master like Mr. Wise builds a guitar, words like "better" or "best" lose their meaning. In such rarified air, it boils down to "What does this guitar do well?" and "Does it suit my personal taste?" Paradoxically, the answer to the first question is "everything" and the answer to the second is "Yes, so much so that I will think about it once a week for the rest of my life." This guitar has made an indelible impression on me, so I'll do my best to describe why it gave me so much joy.

First things first, it's about as touch-sensitive as can be. I was shocked and awed at how much it filled the room with me expending barely any left-hand effort, and it sounds unbelievably vibrant and colorful. It's so expressive that it makes you feel like you have every color in the world on your palette, in fact. Its responsiveness is elite, as are its clarity and string separation, and its bouquet of overtones is among the most beautiful I've ever heard. Its sweet, rich resonance is utterly addictive.

As you might guess, all of that means it has few equals and no superiors in the fingerstyle arena, which makes sense, because Bill Wise designed it will that technique in mind. However, as shocking as its fingerstyle powers are, it is equally stunning as a strummer. It sounds nothing like a typical strummer like a D-28 or J-45 when you do pick up a flatpick, but that's what makes it so inspiring! It's a totally fresh, exciting tone with a magical capacity for inspiring creativity no matter what way you play it.

Please remember that not all ears hear the same way, so your mileage may vary, Wildwoodians, but this serial is one of my favorite instruments I've ever played.

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."

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!