Luthier Website: dominelliguitars.com
Marcus Dominelli Guitars are based in Victoria, BC, Canada.
I’m very happy to share with you my new Marcus Dominelli classical guitar. This is a small scale double top classical guitar with bearclaw spruce top and ziricote back and sides that I commissioned. The guitar is absolutely stunning and the sound has a glowing elegance along with good balanced across the strings. The combination of the smaller scale length and body along with the spruce and ziricote has resulted in a clear elegant sound with a focused clarity along with the responsive playing benefits that many double tops offer. I’m not always a big fan of double tops as I feel some luthiers are leaning too heavily toward creating a loud instrument at the expense of other qualities. Dominelli’s double tops strike an excellent balance between having a responsive guitar while retaining more of the natural sound that one can get from a nice tonewood. I’m super happy with the result and how you enjoy it in my future performances and videos. Here’s the YouTube link if you want to watch it there.
If you have any questions or want to ask me about my experience with Dominelli guitars feel free to contact me or leave a comment below.
2025 Marcus Dominelli Classical Guitar
- 630mm scale length with slightly smaller body
- Bearclaw Spruce soundboard
- Ziricote back and sides
- Double Top
- Elevated fingerboard
- French Polish
- Honduran mahogany neck
- Indian Ebony Fingerboard
- Ziricote Armrest
- Gotoh tuners
- 51mm nut width
- String spacing nut 42mm
- 12 hole bridge
Photos
Beautiful guitar! I have a Dominelli as well. Beautiful guitars. My teacher likes to play it at my lessons and has a hard time putting it down! I am currently using Savarez Cantigas, but want to yry something new. Do you use the Augustine Regals normal tension or hard tension?
I use the hard tension but I also like the normal tension imperials as well.
Congrats on your new guitar, Brad. Acquiring a new guitar that sounds great off the hop is uncommon. I understand what you are saying about the sound of some double tops, but I have a 2015 double top from Marcus (quilted maple) that is one of his favourites for its tone and projection. Part wood, part luck, mostly luthier so props to Marcus. I’d like to hear you play yours, any local performances scheduled?
Oh good, we are Dominelli siblings. I’m playing some duos with people I might perform. At the moment I’m mainly trying to keep up with the site and fix up the house the bought! But, I am planning out a full solo programme for at some point.
Brad: Re your performing: I see you are on the poster of the Northwest Guitar festival, yet I see no mention of you performing on their current website???
Lari
I am teaching a technique warmup class, giving a lecture/workshop on PD online stuff, and judging the competition. Plus, I’ll be hanging out all weekend to chat.
First, beautiful sound-look of this wonderful new guitar! Question-request: I wonder if the next time you change strings, for this 12-hole bridge–if you might consider a precise video of each step? I’m still in beginner-early intermediate stage (in my retirement years) and perhaps a bit past due on changing the strings for first time on my 12-hole bridge (entry-level “Divina” model from workshop of German Vasquez Rubio, L.A.). I’ve looked at other videos on YouTube and never quite sure what might be a preferred method (and with good camera angles and voiceover explanation). Or if you know of a good video, perhaps suggest that? Thank you for your videos and instructional materials, which I have appreciated (purchased) over my journey!
Scroll down this page to the 12 hole sections: https://www.thisisclassicalguitar.com/how-to-string-a-classical-guitar/
Thank you very much for the prompt direction to the advice-guidance on changing strings that you’ve already provided on your site (!). Much appreciated.
Beautiful guitar, congrats! Just curious about the 12 hole bridge. Do you believe there is a clear practical advantage to 12 holes over 6 holes, or is it more of an aesthetic choice? Thanks for the post.
I think it is both. It’s much easier to tie the strings and does look cleaner. Also, it creates a more consistent and steep break angle for the strings, which theoretically increases pressure on the saddle for better sound transmission…so they say!
Congratulations Bradford! Looks and sounds beautiful! I had a 615 scale double top built by Larry Breslin a few years ago and it is a joy to play for my small hands and body and also sounds great. Elevated fretboard, Cedar with Spruce on top, Indian Rosewood back and sides. Nothing like a guitar that fits me and sounds good. Enjoy yours!
Thanks for sharing!
Congratulations on your new Dominelli guitar. It’s strikingly beautiful! Looking forward to hearing it played on your online performances and lessons. Will you use ClingVinyl to protect the new French polish from suction cups or clamp?
I just use the vinyl on the top to protect from my nails and behind the saddle for string accidents. I don’t protect from the suction cups, they don’t do much to the finish let alone the guitar itself.
Felicitations, elle est tout simplement magnifique.
Déjà 2026!
Sylvain
Ahead of her time!
Ah, no sound port. I wish I had done that. What about the spruce vs. cedar sound?
Sound ports are useful but I just personally just don’t like how the guitar sounds with them open. In general, I find that cedars are more open and have lots of body and fullness of sound. Spruce is a bit more clear, focused, and defined with a glowing tone. Both are great depending on the day!
Absolutely stunning! Looking forward to hearing you play your new instrument!
A lovely guitar for sure with an equally engaging review. But with a price tag in excess of $6,000 this would be beyond the price range of a hobbyist like me who is passionate about advancing his skills and expanding their repertoire solely for personal enjoyment.
Have you posted reviews of guitars in the $500 -$1500 (USD) range that folks like me view or read to inform our buying Dec?
Yes! This page lists some of my reviews of guitars in various price ranges:
https://www.thisisclassicalguitar.com/classical-guitars-for-sale/
Congratulations. Beautiful looking and sounding guitar. Any reason why you didn’t opt for the sound hole? Also, what strings are you using? Thanks.
I generally don’t use the portal, I find it to be a sound that it too far from what the audience is hearing. I’ll use it in chamber music sometimes but essentially, on last few guitars I’ve had over the past decade I’ve always kept it closed. I’m using Augustine Regals at the moment but I think I’ll add a normal tension Savarez carbon to the 3rd string to clean it up a bit.