The Ian Tyson Inspiration Acoustic Guitar

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The Ian Tyson Inspiration Acoustic Guitar

A solid wood Florentine cut-a-way acoustic


The Ian Tyson Inspiration solid wood acoustic
Availability: 
Preorder

The Ian Tyson Inspiration is a solid wood Florentine cut-a-way acoustic guitar crafted with AAA grade Sitka Spruce and book matched Bolivian Rosewood.

We are now taking pre-paid pre-orders for late November delivery.

Suggested Retail Price: 
CAD $3,299.99
Your Price: 
Price:CAD $1,435.99

When we found a special stash of rare bookmatched Bolivian Rosewood with both heartwood and sapwood, we knew it was destined for an exceptional guitar. We challenged our workshop artisans to craft a one-of-a-kind model defining the art of building a MacKenzie and Marr acoustic.

They asked for inspiration, so we turned to our old friend in Alberta. Ian Tyson had definite ideas about what he wanted. The result of his input, together with the skill of our craftsmen, has delivered an exceptional solid wood Florentine cutaway - the Ian Tyson Inspiration, the newest MacKenzie & Marr Guitar.

A Florentine cutaway, one that comes to a sharp point, differs from a gently curved Venetian cutaway in more than just visual appeal. With a Florentine cutaway, the guitar is constructed as a symmetrical full-body model, and then the cutaway section is removed. The sidewall of the now-detached section is inverted and re-attached, creating the unique Florentine profile.

Because of the skill, time and difficulty required to craft a genuine Florentine cutaway, they are not as common as the Venetian version.

Please note:
The blend between dark heartwood and lighter sapwood varies from guitar to guitar. No matter the blend between the two, we guarantee that your guitar will be a work of art. (NB. Jerry, our luthier, and John waste a lot of time simply marvelling at each guitar as they prep it.)
The black pickguard on the sample is just plain ugly. All production guitars will have the clear pickguard pictured in the image gallery below.

Owner Reviews

Art from Green Vqlley

Wed, 12/09/2020 - 10:08

Just a few comments on the Ian Tyson Inspiration Florentine cut-a-way acoustic guitar recently purchased - wow! Great visual appeal and detailed workmanship. The sound is full bodied - very clear and balanced. Wonderful playability. This instrument is a work of art for sure - the hardwood finish is exquisite and stunning. Overall a truly great value. Art from AZ & CT

Daniel from Sudbury

Tue, 12/01/2020 - 16:09

Wow!!! They nailed it with this guitar!. Beautiful workmanship, and the sound rings like a bell. Every note played, comes out clean and clear!! Truly a work of art! Can’t find anything wrong with this beauty! Well worth the price, totally satisfied!!

James from Conway

Tue, 12/01/2020 - 15:57

My Ian Tyson Inspiration arrived a few days ago, and I think I'm in love.  The first thing I saw was just the sheer physical beauty of the guitar.  The wood, the fit and finish, the attention to detail are fabulous.  Even if I just hung it on the wall it would (almost) be worth the price and the wait.  It would be a real shame to do that though.  From the first chord, I could tell this guitar was something special.  The balance really stands out, with solid lows that penetrate without sounding "boomy", and crisp clean highs that ring forever.  Incredible sustain.  Like many people, I was at first hesitant to buy sight (and sound) unseen, but those fears were allayed in minutes. Friends who are much better players than me have confirmed my thoughts.  I've already had one person try to buy it!  My other guitars, including two Taylors, are fine instruments, especially my 414, but the Ian Tyson is something special.   There was one small problem when the guitar arrived.  The pickup had become detached in shipping, which John attributed to a bad bottle of Krazy glue, but it was about a five-minute fix. The LR Baggs pickup, which came at no extra charge, amplifies beautifully, with a clean true acoustic sound.  Buy your next guitar from these guys.  you won't regret it.

David from Caledonia

Tue, 11/17/2020 - 17:55

The guitar is such a welcome addition to my collection, the combination of the lite and dark rosewood is just plain stunning coupled with the spruce top the tone is fantastic... With the playability,the fit and finish and the included features I think it's just a really good bang for the dollar, I will probably swap out the bridge pins for something a little more exotic because I like bling

Brian from Cambridge

Tue, 11/17/2020 - 10:29

Guitar arrived a few weeks late - M&M did inform me of the delay and with Covid going on it was no surprise to me. Guitar arrived by Fedex and the packaging was solid. The Hard Shell Case is pretty substantial. The guitar is everything it was stated to be. Quality of build is incredibly high, the installation of the LR Baggs system is spot on. It's just a beautiful guitar. The sound is very well balanced and the notes ring out. Overall volume and sound is very, very good. I checked intonation up and down the neck and it's very good. I would highly recommend M&M guitars. You get a lot of guitar for the price point...easily could sell for double what I paid. M&M deliver what they promise. One tiny critique is the bridge pins...they looked like they are from a toy guitar and were not well fitted...this surprised me given the high attention to all other details. I have pins at home that I switched out so no big deal. I am glad I made the decision to go with M&M - all in all a great experience and I look forward to adding the Ian Tyson Inspiration to my collection of much played guitars.

Bruce from West Boylston

Thu, 01/16/2020 - 11:44

I already own a few acoustic guitars (Guild, Martin, Alvarez, Fender, Cordoba), but I was thinking about maybe getting a Taylor, after playing a couple at a songwriting workshop last year. So I started looking around. Then I somehow heard about Mackenzie and Marr and decided to try one of their Ian Tyson models based on good reviews, watching a few videos, and very attractive pricing. I received the guitar four days ago, and I really love it. First of all, the woods, the finish, the design, and the construction are all beautiful (even the case is quite nice). The sound is full and rich, with a good balance of highs and lows, not “boomy,” and great for both fingerpicking and full strumming. It was ready to play out of the box with no adjustments needed. The neck has a great feel and I like that the back of it has a smooth semi-matte finish, not shiny lacquer. I got the pickup option thanks to a special promo but I haven’t tried it yet (I will soon). I don’t play out much these days but I like to have a pickup available and it might be useful for recording (I like that it didn’t require cutting any holes in the body). All in all, one of the best Christmas presents I ever gave myself. A really wonderful instrument.

Bruce from West Boylston

Thu, 01/16/2020 - 10:16

I already own a few acoustic guitars (Guild, Martin, Alvarez, Fender, Cordoba), but I was thinking about maybe getting a Taylor, after playing a couple at a songwriting workshop last year. So I started looking around. Then I somehow heard about Mackenzie and Marr and decided to try one of their Ian Tyson models based on good reviews, watching a few videos, and very attractive pricing. I received the guitar four days ago, and I really love it. First of all, the woods, the finish, the design, and the construction are all beautiful (even the case is quite nice). The sound is full and rich, with a good balance of highs and lows, not “boomy,” and great for both fingerpicking and full strumming. It was ready to play out of the box with no adjustments needed. The neck has a great feel and I like that the back of it has a smooth semi-matte finish, not shiny lacquer. I got the pickup option thanks to a special promo but I haven’t tried it yet (I will soon). I don’t play out much these days but I like to have a pickup available and it might be useful for recording (I like that it didn’t require cutting any holes in the body). All in all, one of the best Christmas presents I ever gave myself. A really wonderful instrument.

R W from Center Strafford

Tue, 11/19/2019 - 10:20

This is possibly the most beautiful guitar I now own - the Bolivian rosewood is gorgeous (I own several Martins with East Indian rosewood that do not compare). The sound is well balanced and the action is easy on the fingers. If I have one minor issue it is with the white plastic bridge pins; this guitar deserves better, so I replaced them with ebony bridge pins with abalone dots to match the abalone in the rosette. I now have a very difficult choice between playing this guitar and my Tom Rush Naked Lady guitar. Thank you MacKenzie & Marr, you have outdone yourselves again. Bill

Reg from Red Deer

Tue, 11/19/2019 - 07:57

So, I have had my Ian Tyson Inspiration guitar for just over a week. When I received it, I first checked the set-up (neck straightness, fret height, intonation, etc). I did have to adjust the neck slightly, did some minor fret dressing and adjusted the saddle height a bit, but once that was done to my liking - I tuned her up and the intonation was perfect!! This guitar is amazing. The woods are exquisite, as were the fit and finish. Looking at the insides with a mirror and light is clean and precise. The range of sound is rich, vibrant and deep across all ranges with absolutely amazing sustain!! I am very impressed with this guitar, and love playing it. Can't wait to sit down with some friends to play and show off this new baby. Thanks guys!!

Randy from Toronto

Fri, 10/18/2019 - 11:26

It took me about 30 seconds to fall in love with this guitar. As soon as I lifted it out of the case and plucked a few strings, I knew it was a special piece of work. The sound is amazingly dynamic with a rich bottom end and beautiful highs. It plays extremely well and the Florentine cut-away gives access to a repertoire that is seldom explored in acoustic guitars. The location of the strap button bothered me until I tried it and it does give a better balance that I would have expected. I also got the Anthem pickup, which also works extremely well. It almost captures the dynamic range of the un-amplified guitar - almost :) Finally, there is a clear pickguard included that one can put on. I tried it but it's hard to mount without getting bubbles underneath and honestly it detracts from the look of the guitar. Besides, guitar is a tool not an ornament so a few scratches means it's getting used well. Great product!!!

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Specifications

Dimensions
Neck Profile: 
shallow "C"
Frets To The Body: 
14
Scale Length: 
646 mm (25.4 inches)
Fretboard Radius: 
355mm (14 inches)
Neck width at nut: 
43 mm (1.7 inches)
E to E string spacing at nut: 
3.5 cm (1.4 inches)
Body Style: 
Jumbo Florentine Cut-a-way
Width at Upper Bout: 
29 cm (11.4 inches)
E to E string spacing at saddle: 
55 mm (2.15 inches)
Width at Waist: 
22.5 cm (9 inches)
Width at Lower Bout: 
41cm (16 inches)
Body Depth: 
10 cm (4 inches) at the neck - 12.5 cm (5 inches) at the end-pin
Body Length: 
51.5 cm (20.5 inches)
Materials
Body finish: 
Gloss laquer
Neck finish: 
Hand buffed sastin laquer
Fretboard and Bridge: 
Macassar Ebony
Neck: 
Solid Indonesian Mahogany
Tuning Machines: 
Grover vintage open gearing high ratio (18:1) tuning machines
Body Back and Sides: 
Solid Bookmatched Rare Bolivian Rosewood
Body Top Wood: 
AAA Solid Sitka Spruce
Nut & Saddle: 
Genuine bone
Bracing: 
Hand scalloped Spruce X bracing
Strings: 
D'Addario EXP16 light gauge (12-53) coated Phosphor Bronze
Extras
Case: 
Professional arch top hardshell case (included at no additional cost)
Electronics: 
Optional L.R.Baggs Anthem

Photo Gallery

Videos

Guitar Mama

,

Rob Lutes Plays the New Spruce and Bolivian Rosewood Ian Tyson Inspiration

,

The MacKenzie & Marr Ian Tyson Acoustic Played By Rob Lutes

Fall In Love In Less Than a Week

Try any of our guitars in the comfort of your own home. If you don't fall head over heels in love within a week we'll arrange to take it back and issue a full refund (including shipping).
*certain conditions apply.

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