Fairbanks F-20 Acoustic Guitar – Sunburst – 2021 – Excellent
Dale Fairbanks built his first guitar around the turn of the century — a black-topped mahogany L-00 — and has spent the decades since in what he describes as an absolute obsession with what gives pre-war guitars that elusive, irresistible thing they have. The F-20 is the culmination of that obsession: a faithful, hand-built reproduction of the small-body depression-era Gibson L-00, the guitar that Woody Guthrie played, that countless blues and old-time players lived on, and that serious acoustic players have been chasing in vintage form for sixty years. What Fairbanks delivers is all of that character with none of the compromises — the fragility, the dead spots, the uncertainty about originality. Every F-20 is built by hand with traditional tonewoods and construction techniques, and this one is a particularly fine example of the form.
The tonewoods here are exceptional. The Adirondack spruce top — the same red spruce that built the golden age of American acoustics — brings a stiffness and responsiveness that Sitka simply can't match, with a clarity and projection that opens up beautifully as the guitar is played in. The mahogany back and sides deliver warmth and fundamental depth, and the Madagascar rosewood fingerboard and bridge are stunning — dense, rich, and beautifully figured. The finish is a heavily aged shellac sealer under nitrocellulose lacquer, which gives this guitar the look and feel of an instrument that has lived a full life, while the bracing and construction underneath are as tight and precise as a new build. It is light as a feather in your hands and absolutely enormous in sound — the kind of small-body guitar that makes you forget it's a small-body guitar. The V neck, 1-3/4" nut, and 2-5/16" bridge spacing are traditional appointments that fingerpickers and players with larger hands will particularly appreciate.
This one was built in early 2021 in Windsor, CT a bit before the move to Burlington, has barely been played, and is in excellent shape throughout. Set up and ready to go.
- Make: Fairbanks Guitars
- Builder: Dale Fairbanks, Windsor, CT Burlington, VT
- Model: F-20
- Year: 2021 (early)
- Body style: 00, small body
- Top: Solid Adirondack spruce
- Back and sides: Solid mahogany
- Bracing: Adirondack spruce, unscalloped tone bars
- Finish: Heavily aged shellac sealer under nitrocellulose lacquer
- Neck profile: V
- Fingerboard: Madagascar rosewood
- Bridge: Madagascar rosewood
- Nut width: 1-3/4"
- Bridge spacing: 2-5/16"
- Tuners: Waverly with ivoroid buttons
- Binding: Ivoroid
- Modifications: None
- Includes: TKL hardshell case
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.
