GSWJ - Epic Reveal #2! The Merle Watson Memorial Gallagher! 

Will soon be the proud owner of #6 of 15. Waiting patiently. I asked David to please take their time and get 'er right. No rush!

Love it! When are we going to see a Yammie FG9?? A must!!

THANK YOU J P YOU HELP ME SURVIVE DAY TO DAY😊

OK. I can't agree more about the complementary nature of Doc and Merle which to me is similar to Red Shea playing with Gordon Lightfoot. Many, many times the enormous impact of the accompanying musician is overlooked. An excellent observation. 👍

A beautiful guitar, with such amazing history, it must feel magical to hold and play it, ❤

Well, I'll be damned. Wow! Absolutely beautiful. Thank you, JP. For your knowledge and experience. Love it.

Wow, John, beautiful guitar! When you play it l, it sounds even better!! Only 15!!! The price is much lower than I expected for an heirloom piece like this!!! Great tribute

Incredible clear highs on the Merle presentation model but …. It sounds to me exactly like the JPC signature model… Gallager builds incredible guitars….that was a great moving presentation on Merle Watson … nicely done JP

8:58 Wow… I’ve never heard anyone play that before. Or I have, and it just didn’t sound so unique. Man that thing rings like a crystal bell. Really nice review J.P. ,,,,Kudos 😢❤

I love ur guitar reviews

Always learning when I tune into your presentations... A special guitar, no doubting, and in the hands of a 'Maestro'...

Can’t wait to see you play Saturday!

Yep,thats the sound and look. My dream,imagine having both Doc And Merle 😳🫶🏻

Due to a unique combination of circumstances I actually say Doc and Merle in concert in a little bar in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania in 1973. It was, of course, amazing and my abiding memory is the impact that Merle's playing made on me. I knew Doc would be superb but Merle was clearly a great musician in his own right. He died way too young.

In 1968 or 69 (I can't remember) I went to my first big time acoustic concert at the Metrolina Fairgrounds in Charlotte, NC. The show consisted of 3 acts. All were fantastic. I can' t remember if the opening act was Doc and Merle Watson, or Tom Rush, but the Headliner was Gordon Lightfoot. I remember commenting to a friend, at the time, that Merle was just as good as Doc. I was totally blown away by the music that night. This ticket price as 2 bucks.

I have 100s of CDs here, and Doc and Merle's Guitar Album is absolutely my favourite, for sure

Wonderful video, amazing sounding guitar. Was fortunate enough to hear Doc many times.

the balance is unbelievable

What a great story. What a great guitar. Love your channel JP

10:00 cool pickin

18:50 bluegrass

You are a lucky bugger getting to play a huge range and number of top quality guitars. This is as good as anything I have ever heard you play. Just a monster.

What a sweet axe!

That’s an AMAZING GUITAR!! I believe if you aren’t careful, you’ll use up your wishes! 😉 For real, congratulations, J.P.!

Beautifully made. No words can describe the sound coming from this. You got to listen to this with a pair of good headphones on. 😉

Hi John, from India! Why you didn't made a video on Yamaha fg9 yet. I'm sure many of your followers are waiting for it. Love your videos.

Wow congrats on the guitar I played the first 3 of them and they where amazing and I told Dave then that's a home run for sure one of my favorite I have played for sure next to the Bluegrass Bell

At lake lemerchant listening in!

Review a Eastman dreadnoyght !!

Would like to see you review the Gallagher Tennessee guitar as someone who grew up close by

I think this would be a good video idea that I would enjoy watching; If you could only keep three or four of your guitars, which would you choose?

Very nice sound...what strings and guage were on this ?

JP. you could sell ice to eskimo's !😄

😮

Which do you like better the Merle or the Boucher Goose?

Every time I watch your videos I’m always afraid you are going to crash the headstock into that keyboard! 🇺🇸

👁👁🎶🎶🎶😎👍

"THE MERLE" is a very, very gorgeous Spruce/Hog Dread. Other than the likely A++++ Select Chosen sets/pairs of Spruce for the Top and Mahogany for the Back and Sides, [using Martin Guitar's 190 year history (1833- 2023) as the classic Standard Feature example for an 18-Series stylized Mahogany body comparison), "The Merle" incorporates "mostly, but not all" of the style of the D-18 Standard Dreadnought. Obviously, this is a Custom Shop/Boutique Gallagher, using the traditions of Gallagher going back to its 1960's founding! J.P. couldn't say if the Top is Adirondack Red Spruce, or Sitka Spruce? And what's under the Hood would be only a guess. I'd venture a guess that it has Scalloped Braces, but I'm not aware if they're forward-shifted, like the newer D-18's, since their reimagining in 2012? It looks like The Merle has a single piece of Genuine Mahogany for the neck, with a Satin Finish, just like the 18-Series Martin. Where it differs from a D-18, is the "link chain" (28-style Centerstrip) and the Volute on the back of the Headstock. Both of those features are found on Martin's 28-Series. A standard D-18 does not have a Volute, and the Backstrip usually has a simple Centerstrip of a very thin 1/16 to 1/8th inch wide single piece of Ebony or Rosewood. The Merle really shows its variety in the wooden body molding around the Back and Tortoise Shell binding around the Top. That variation of wooden binding on the Back and Tortoise Shell on the Top is a very cool Binding combo indeed! The other main similarities that The Merle has with a Standard D-18 is the Rosewood Fingerboard and Rosewood Bridge, both long-standing traditions for 18-style models until 2012, when the reimagined 18's switched to Ebony for the Fingerboard and Bridge, the same as Pre-war models before 1937. I couldn't make out what species of wood is used for the Headstock Veneer? If it's Rosewood, that would be yet another 18-Series Standard feature, as is the Heel Cap. I know The Merle is a remake of the original, hence, the use of Rotomatic type Tuners. Not as light in weight as Open-Gear Tuners, but they surely get the job done. All in All, The Merle is a Very Fine Axe! I surely wish there were more than 15 built, so far, with 1 thru 4 already spoken for? It's truly a wonderful blessing that Gallagher Guitars are doing so well with their various models and Custom made Signature Series like The Merle. Keep up the great craftsmanship! Smell that Hardwood, Cedar and Spruce! As David Gilmour says, "Take a Deep Breath, Take A Deep Breath Now!"

I haven't watched this video, just clicked to be here, but let me guess what im in for ... hearing more great things about Robin Boucher?