Two New Solid Wood Acoustics Honour one of North America’s Great Performance Venues
Montreal, May 12, 2021- With the introduction of the Riverboat Series of solid wood acoustic guitars, MacKenzie & Marr is looking to rekindle memories of the famous folk-era coffee house, once located on Yorkville Avenue in downtown Toronto Ontario.
Crafted from solid AAA grade Adirondack Spruce tops and bookmatched Bolivian Rosewood back and sides, the two models, a Dreadnought, and OO guitar, represent the height of guitar craftsmanship.
“Because we build so few guitars we have access to batches of wood that would be too small for the major brands.” said John Marr of MacKenzie & Marr, “That was the case with the Adirondack Spruce we discovered. The wood, especially AAA grade, is difficult to find. We felt a responsibility to use it wisely.”
“We wanted a way to honour the legends of the folk era, not just the performers but the people and places that opened their music to the world. We knew these were going to be two of the best guitars we’d ever built. When Bernie Fiedler, the owner of the Riverboat, endorsed our idea of naming them after his club we were thrilled.” Said Marr
The Riverboat Dread and the Baby Boat, as well as other MacKenzie & Marr guitars, can be ordered online at www.macmarr.com.
About The Riverboat Coffee House
Owned and operated by Bernie Fiedler, the Riverboat opened in October 1964 and quickly became part of a prestigious North American circuit that included Detroit’s Chess Mate and New York’s Bitter End. The club seated 120 people. Every seat provided an intimate showcase of the top names in popular music, including Howlin’ Wolf, Simon & Garfunkel, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Tim Buckley, Ritchie Havens, Junior Wells, John Prine, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Arlo Guthrie, Buddy Guy, Kris Kristofferson, John Lee Hooker, Doc Watson, Tim Hardin, Jerry Jeff Walker, Janis Ian, Steve Goodman, Odetta, Seals & Crofts and James Taylor. The Riverboat is where the protest folk singing star Phil Ochs wrote his popular ballad “Changes.” When Eric Clapton was in Toronto with his band Cream, the Riverboat is where he went, with his hair tied in a bun as a disguise, to hear Tom Rush perform. Everyone played the Riverboat except Bob Dylan, although even Dylan was rumoured to have sat, incognito, in one of the back booths one night.
About MacKenzie & Marr Guitars
The privately-owned company sells a limited range of solid wood acoustic guitars through its website (www.macmarr.com) at “Direct to Musician” prices. MacKenzie & Marr sold out their initial production run in 36 hours after a 2010 appearance on CBC Dragon’s Den. Since then legends such as Ian Tyson and Tom Rush have endorsed the brand.
Contacts:
For MacKenzie & Marr Guitars:
John Marr
John Marr
(514) 833-8352
