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1979 Linda Manzer
A rare sunburst-finished Manzer, the guitar is absolutely stunning to behold. Tastefully adorned with a meticulously engraved pearl dragon inlay in the headstock, and a petite floral 7th fret marker in the middle of the fingerboard. The body is built of Indian rosewood and spruce and accented with mitred three-layer purflings and rosewood bindings. Pearl and rosewood soundhole rosette with matching purflings. The headstock continues the mitred purfling theme, and the fretboard is bound with ivoroid in a nod to Manzer’s training under Larrivée. In size, the guitar is analogous to today’s Manzer steel string shape, with a body that measures about 15.5” across the lower bout. The scale is 25.6” (650mm), the nut measures 1-3/4” (44mm) and the string spread at the bridge is a bit wider than 2-1/8” (55mm). The neck has a C shape and a depth of .830” at the 1st fret.
A one-owner guitar that has been well cared for throughout its life, this Manzer is crack-free and shows less-than-average playwear. It’s had a truss-rod installed and its fingerboard replaced (inlays reused), and the repairs are of very high calibre and would be impossible to detect without prior knowledge. The bridge and tuners are original, an LR Baggs undersaddle pickup has been added, and the saddle was just replaced in our shop as part of set up. The action is currently set at 5-6 64ths with 12-53 strings; there is a small amount of saddle-height showing above the untouched full-height original bridge. The guitar’s finish is original, and there is overspray on the neck that was related to the fingerboard replacement.
A balanced, even, articulate, and expressive guitar, this Linda Manzer steel string is a wonderful fingerstyle instrument. Similar to the guitars that Bruce Cockburn used throughout his career, this instrument offers incredible the headroom and precision that Linda’s instruments are famous for to this day.
With original hardshell case
