Northwood Guitars

Shoreline's history with John McQuarrie, builder of Northwood Guitars, goes way back. Many years ago, the fellow who was importing Larrivee and several other Canadian builders sent me a Northwood just to try out. It was love at first sight (sound?), and I ended up playing a rosewood Northwood mini-jumbo as my main guitar for many years after that. My old business partner Tom snagged a Northwood mahogany MJ shortly after I got mine, and the rest is history. Needless to say, we're huge fans.

John worked with Jean Larrivee early on, and Northwood clearly builds on the Larrivee tradition of superb balance. But these are without a doubt their own guitars:  Lightly built, with impeccable craftsmanship, and a tone that is open, rich, and dynamic. The standard Engelmann Spruce tops are remarkably responsive to a light touch, and John always seems to find really great tonewoods. If you're in the market for a versatile, dynamic guitar, look no further than Northwood.