The Baby Boat Small Body Solid Wood Acoustic with Adirondack Top | MACKENZIE AND MARR GUITARS

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The Baby Boat Small Body Solid Wood Acoustic with Adirondack Top

A 14 fret OO Solid Wood Acoustic


Our small body 14 fret solid wood acoustic
Availability: 
In stock

We have a very limited number of Baby Boats available. The guitar has been much more popular than we anticipated.

The Baby Boat is our small body addition to the Riverboat Series. A 00 guitar with a 14 fret to the body neck. AAA-grade Adirondack Spruce produces unparalleled sustain and overtones.

Suggested Retail Price: 
CAD $4,500.00
Your Price: 
Price:CAD $1,699.99

We crafted the Baby Boat with the same love and care we put into her big brother - The Riverboat Dread. Solid AAA grade Adirondack Spruce, bookmatched solid wood Bolivian Rosewood, Grover tuning machines, and our special secret sauce.

Despite the additional cost we've never used any tone wood of less than AAA grade. The Adirondack Spruce used for our Riverboat series has a pronounced "winter grain" These are the darker grain lines that define each annular ring on soundboards, and it is normally desirable if the winter grain is less apparent. In Adirondack Spruce, winter grain is less avoidable and most people expect to see it. 

Halmark Features:

  1. Solid AAA grade Adirondack Spruce top
  2. Solid Bookmatched Bolivian Rosewood B/S
  3. Ebony fretboard
  4. African Mahogany Neck
  5. Genuine hand-set dovetail neck-to-body joint
  6. 18:1 genuine Grover tuning machines

 

Owner Reviews

David from Antioch

Thu, 05/18/2023 - 11:58

This Baby Boat is one of the finest guitars I have seen at any price. I own about 10 instruments, this Baby shine above most of them, some worth $4000 or more. My favorite feature is the sound. While it doesn't have a booming dreadnought-type bass, it nevertheless has bass that sounds louder than its size. The mid and upper register is already sweet and loud. The second feature I love is the fretboard. Just the right length, width and has a slight curvature, perfect for me. It is very easy to play, almost like an electric guitar. The third feature I really like is the attention to detail all over the guitar. I would guess this guitar(if it were a name brand) would probably sell for around $4500. The Bolivian rosewood back and sides sound wonderful, and it looks like very high grade rosewood. I am very pleased with this purchase, even if it was a sight-unseen purchase. I don't know how they make such a good guitar for such a modest price. The case it also first-class. I would recommend Mackenzie and Marr guitars as a 50-year player anytime.

David from Kamloops

Fri, 03/17/2023 - 18:55

I love this guitar. I have had it for several months and play it everyday. This guitar is beautiful to play and to look at. It has great fit and finish. The craftsmanship is impeccable. I have made guitars and taken luthier training as a hobby. The joints are perfect as well as the inlay. The wood in this guitar is perfect and the small details such as vertical reinforcing strips of wood in the sides, the back graft and the bracing is spectacular. The rosewood sounds much like another guitar that I have that is Brazilian rosewood. The binding , the inlay, the to top, sides and back are all made of the best quality of wood. The sound of this guitar just gets better and better. It is easy to play and light but has the sound of a much larger guitar. It has great sustain, balance and the base on the guitar does not sound like a small body guitar. It especially sounds good when playing in Drop D. I have at least 12 guitars and many that cost thousands of dollars and made by famous makers but this is my favorite. I'm quite certain that this guitar would sell for between 6-8,000 dollars if made by one of the famous makers. I did not get the built in pickup but I think I will be ordering it as I would love to hear it amplified. My experience dealing With Mackenzie and Marr has been similar to other reviewers. I called and talked to the owner of the company who gave me a no nonsense honest review of the guitar. He said they had just got this model and initially he wasn't that sure about it but it grew on him and he started to love it. He said he did have a preference for Dreds. He told me when the guitar would be shipped and how long it would take to come and all went exactly as predicted. He also said I could buy the pickup from them later at the same price if I decided that I wanted to add it later. I think that if you like small bodied guitars you will love this guitar. I think that if you like dreds you may not want this guitar. I would like to have this guitar with a multiscale or fanfret design with the same bridge design, not the fat wide bridges some builders have gone with. In short I would highly recommend this guitar and Mackenzie and Marr to deal with.

Tod from BAINBRIDGE ISLAND

Thu, 11/24/2022 - 22:17

I don't remember how I became acquainted with Mackenzie and Marr guitars. I didn't know anyone who had one, and I'd never seen one in person, but there was something about this company that drew me in from the get go. The looks of the guitars was one thing, and the fine materials used were another, but there was something else that came though. I don't know what else to call it but poetry. Clearly passion was behind the instruments - evidenced by the owners' statements, and also by the fact that the guitars have names. I loved that. To me the names evoked soul. Most guitar companies give their instruments a number. How boring. Now, I had a great guitar before I purchased my M&M. A medium level Taylor, which cost me a lot more than my M&M. True I was looking for something different, but I didn't want to step down in quality or playability or sound. I checked in at M&M's website often over the course of a year. I'm retired and live on a fixed income, so I had to be careful. A voice kept telling me another guitar was not an essential purchase, or was it? I like a small guitar, and I live on a boat. So the Baby Boat was a no brainer. And I liked the idea of an Adirondack Spruce top. I've spent lots of time camping in the Adirondacks. I liked that connection. I also liked the Tofino with its red cedar top. I live in Washington state, and the red cedar tree is iconic here. These kinds of connection to landscape are important to me - and both these guitars resonated with me in a big way. One day I checked in at the site and there was a Baby Boat that had sustained shipping damage and was for sale at a discount. I went for it. The guitar is awesome, and is everything I hoped for. It's beautiful and the craftsmanship is perfection, truly. I play fingerstyle, and the sounds that come out of the guitar are clear with a lot of depth. It sings, and I love playing it. The Baby Boat is a work of art, and even in my amateur hands, it sounds like poetry. I am totally satisfied with the guitar. I don't know if owning two M&M guitars would make me any happier, but I feel a strong temptation to find out. Sometime.

Larry from Empire

Wed, 09/21/2022 - 19:49

Placed my order for a Baby Boat and it was delivered in a week. I was excited with anticipation and expectation, having purchased an Opeongo about a year and a half ago. Summarily, I can say I am completely fulfilled. It is gorgeous looking, amazing sounding and easy playing. It has a beautiful gloss finished Adirondack Spruce top with Bolivian Rosewood back and sides. Mine displayed some really nice lighter sapwood and wood grain pattern. The maple binding, abalone purfling and rosette adds to the looks. The fit exhibits excellent craftsmanship. The sound projects and sustains with balance and clarity across the tonal range. The action is perfect and so it’s easy to play. You could pay two or three times more and not get a better guitar, but why? I was fortunate when I purchased it. I received a discounted price and really feel like I got a great deal on their already reasonable prices.

Pierre from Montreal

Tue, 08/23/2022 - 15:12

A great well built Guitar at a super price! this guitar is just right on! You get a great guitar at a fraction of the cost. It will only get better by playing it. The quality of the guitar can match many high-end guitars out there. Mr. Marr sure knows how good Guitars are made of.

Linda from Harrison

Tue, 05/24/2022 - 20:10

Impeccably made- Rich sound

Joe from Poplar

Mon, 03/14/2022 - 18:05

The Baby Boat sailed in smoothly, well packaged. At first I thought the guitar sounded a bit thin and sharp. I prefer silk and steel or phosphor strings, so I changed them and she warmed up. I swear, the guitar warms up a bit each time I play it. The string sustain invites versatility, with a small body that I dig. It's a nice compliment to the Opeongo I bought a while back. The evolution of the Baby Boat character and soul will be interesting to experience. Thanks Mackenzie Marr for good sounding, good looking instruments. And just to mention, the saddle seemed a bit low, so you sent another saddle to me free, and I appreciate it. Hey everyone, get one of these guitars to cradle in your lap.

Eric from Victoria

Fri, 03/11/2022 - 19:41

When I first called Mac Kenzie and Marr to enquire about The Baby Boat Mr. Marr answered the phone. Was I ever surprised. We talked for 20 to 30 minutes and what a fine good natured man he is. I told him I needed to discuss the purchase with my wife before finalizing the purchase. A few minutes later I called back and purchased the guitar and what a beauty it is. There is nothing about it I would change. The sound, the workmanship the over all visual appeal is first class. An employee at a near guitar shop who plays bluegrass was really taken back by the sound and volume from a smaller guitar. When asked, who carries this guitar, the answer was you buy direct. And I’m glad I did. Because there was going to be a number of months to wait before receiving the guitar I purchased another guitar that they had in stock. This purchase was not at the same time but a couple of months into the wait for the Baby Boat. I like a double o size guitar with 12 frets. The Opeongo is a wonderful instrument. It’s beauty is in its simplicity and wonderful craftsmanship. And the sound is just lovely. I’m thrilled with both guitars and should there be a Baby Boat with 12 frets offered one day I’ll probably buy it as well. I’m not rich, but the value for the price is just hard to turn down. Not to forget, their luthier set both guitars up just right for me. Thank you all for making such lovely instruments. Eric

Specifications

Dimensions
Neck Profile: 
C
Frets To The Body: 
14
Scale Length: 
650 mm (25.5 in)
Fretboard Radius: 
35.56 cm (14 inches)
Neck width at nut: 
44.5mm (1 3/4 in)
E to E string spacing at nut: 
38.5 mm (1.55 inches)
Body Style: 
OO Parlor
Width at Upper Bout: 
245mm (9.5 in)
E to E string spacing at saddle: 
55 mm (2.15 inches)
Width at Waist: 
203.2 mm (8 in)
Width at Lower Bout: 
360mm (14 1/4 in)
Body Depth: 
970mm (4 in)
Body Length: 
475mm (18 7/8 in)
Overall Length: 
101 cm (39.75 inches)
Materials
Body finish: 
Gloss
Neck finish: 
Polished satin
Fretboard and Bridge: 
Macassar Ebony
Neck: 
African Mahogany
Tuning Machines: 
Open gearing high ratio (18:1) Grover vintage syle tuning machines
Body Back and Sides: 
Solid Bookmatched Bolivian Rosewood
Body Top Wood: 
AAA grade Solid bookmatched Adirondack 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 pickup/preamp

Photo Gallery

Videos

The Baby Boat 00 Acoustic From MacKenzie & Marr Guitars

AAA grade Adirondak top

AAA Adirondack Spruce Top

We couldn't be more excited about re-introducing classic Adirondack Spruce as a top wood for the Riverboat series. Not only are we using genuine Adirondack Spruce but we've selected only AAA grade (or better) bookmatched pieces for the guitars. Our craftspeople have stepped up their game to a whole new level - tone tapping each pair and hand shaping braces to match the characteristics of the individual top.

Bolivian Rosewood back and sides

Our Bolivian supplier continues to amaze us with the variety of bookmatched solid Bolivian Rosewood backs and sides they send our way.
The Bolivian Rosewood back and sides

Genuine Grover 18:1 Rotomatics

We love our Grovers. Who wouldn't? With precise 18:1 tuning ratio and butter-smooth action, Grovers have earned a reputation as some of the best tuning machines a guitarist can buy.

Neck and body joined by proper dovetail joint

The best way to ensure the tones that produce vibrations of the body aren't killed dead when they pass to the neck is to use a hand-carved dovetail joint.
neck to body dovetail joint
The Baby Boat and hardshell case

Professional hardshell case

Every guitar we ship is placed in a custom fit professional archtop hardshell case before it goes into the carton. There is no additional charge for the case.

Fourteen frets to the neck

The photos of the Baby Boat show a 12 fret to the body neck. We made a decision to produce the guitar with 14 frets to the body. The extra two frets give lead player a little more room to do their thing.
14 frets to the body

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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