Blais Piano Top Guitar – Chesterfield, MA – Includes Gig Bag – Used Excellent
This is a genuinely one-of-a-kind instrument, handbuilt locally in Chesterfield, Massachusetts by a maker who got his start restoring antique pianos and brought that engineering mentality directly into guitar building. Every piece of wood in this instrument is at least 100 years old, reclaimed from antique pianos rather than sourced new, and the result is a guitar built from tonewood that has literally been making music for a century before it ever became a guitar. The top is 100-year-old Adirondack spruce salvaged from piano soundboards — wood with the kind of density, age-related stiffness, and tonal maturity that luthiers spend small fortunes chasing in new-growth lumber. The fretboard is recycled ebony piano keys, the nut is a removable ebony piano key nut, and the bridge, hitch plate, and headstock capo bar are all built using genuine antique piano hardware repurposed for guitar use — stainless steel hitch plate, an aluminum-and-mahogany bridge with individually adjustable aloquots (compensated saddle elements borrowed directly from piano terminology and function) that allow for precise intonation adjustment at the 12th fret. The neck is a through-neck design with a fully adjustable truss rod and a uniquely engineered three-point yaw bolt mounting system that allows the entire neck to be removed and the action finely adjusted via a wedge system — genuinely innovative engineering that reflects the builder's piano background, where similar adjustable, serviceable mechanisms are standard practice. The body, with its distinctive carved scrollwork on the upper bouts, deep 4-3/8 inch body depth, and compact 21-inch overall length, sits somewhere between a parlor guitar and a small jazz box in both appearance and voice. Construction uses traditional hot hide glue throughout, and the entire instrument is finished exclusively in blonde dewaxed flake shellac, hand French polished, with no other finish materials used anywhere on the guitar.
This guitar sounds genuinely unique — leaning toward a hot jazz character with real percussive punch and woody complexity that reflects both the aged piano spruce top and the unconventional construction. At over 8 pounds it has real heft and substance in the hands, and the neck has a meaty, confidence-inspiring profile. The frets are in great shape and the guitar plays well throughout. There are a few finish scratches, which the builder has offered to address for the owner — shown in the photos for full transparency. Comes with a gig bag.
A note for buyers: this is a handmade, one-of-a-kind instrument with several unconventional and adjustable mechanical elements (neck mounting, bridge aloquots, hitch plate height) that differ meaningfully from a standard production acoustic guitar. We recommend reviewing the maker's included setup and maintenance documentation, and any adjustments should be performed by someone familiar with the design or in consultation with the builder.
- Make: Blais
- Model: Piano Top Guitar
- Builder location: Chesterfield, Massachusetts (USA)
- Top: 100+ year old reclaimed Adirondack spruce (from antique piano soundboard)
- Body length: 21"
- Lower bout: 15"
- Upper bout: 13"
- Body depth: 4-3/8"
- Scale length: 25"
- Nut width: 1-3/4"
- String spacing at bridge: 2-1/4"
- Neck: Through-neck construction, adjustable truss rod, 3-point yaw bolt mounting system
- Fingerboard: Recycled ebony piano keys
- Nut: Removable ebony piano key nut
- Bridge: Custom aluminum base with mahogany feet, individually adjustable aloquots for 12th fret intonation
- Hitch plate: Stainless steel, height-adjustable
- Headstock capo bar: Adjustable, with 1880s Steinway pinch bushings
- String muting: Felt muting between bridge and hitch plate, and at headstock
- Construction: Hot hide glue throughout
- Finish: Blonde dewaxed flake shellac, hand French polish (only finish material used)
- Weight: Over 8 lbs
- Modifications: None — original maker build
- Condition: Used Excellent – a few finish scratches noted (builder has offered to address), frets and neck in great shape, plays well
- Includes: Gig bag
Ships carefully packed and insured for full value. International buyers are welcome — please contact us for a shipping quote before purchasing.
About Mill River Music
Mill River Music is an independent, human-powered music shop located in downtown Northampton, MA, run by a team of players, enthusiasts, and certified repair technicians. Every piece of used gear we sell is personally inspected, tested, and set up before it ships — we don't list it until we'd be happy to play it ourselves.
As Martin and Taylor certified techs, we hold our guitar work to a high standard, and we're committed to full transparency about the condition of everything we sell. No surprises.
When you buy from Mill River, you're supporting an independent local business that genuinely cares — about gear, about players, and about doing things right. We're here every step of the way. Reach out anytime.
