Working at the Montana Guitar Shop can be a pretty exciting thing.  This week my friends Tim Ryan and Rob Quist stopped by to see what I was up to; naturally.....building guitars.  If you haven't seen or heard them before they are the best that Montana has to offer in country music.  They are both prolific songwriters, guitarists, performers, and band leaders.  To have them both corralled in my shop and house for a couple hours was a real treat.  To hear them picking Montana guitars around the kitchen table was too cool.  They will be playing together for awhile in the Mission Mountain Wood Band and then Tim will be headed back to Nashville and Rob to his many musical endeavors.  Though both Tim and Rob have been in the national scene with touring and hit songs......they are really just down home Montana boys.

Rick

We just finished a pair of 00 Parlor guitars and are they ever sweet.  They are a 12 fret model and made of mostly Montana grown wood; Swan River Valley Engelmann Spruce top and Paradise Black Walnut back, sides and neck. The only non-Montana wood is an Ebony fretboard, bridge, and peghead veneer.

Patterned after turn of the century Martin parlor guitars these instruments have a 24.5" scale length and are a dream to play.  The tone is exquisite, wonderful balance, rich sounding.

These guitars are made with simple appointments but very elegant in every aspect.  They are Montana Guitar Shop's most affordable flat top acoustic.  YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!!!  These are heirloom quality.

Please e-mail us for a price quote.  Equiped with Gotoh mini-tuners and comes with fine Gator hardshell case.  So good I hate to let them go.

Rick

Because of the influence of Walkin' Jim Stoltz we are coming out with a lighter weight SNAIL travel guitar, without compromising tone or playability.  Rather than using Walnut for the necks and headblock we are switching to Phillipine mahogany which is lighter, yet very stiff.  Also the headblock will have a hollow cavity and the truss rod will be a lighter one.  We have begun production of a batch of the new SNAILS and are anxious to see them done.  We want to take every extra ounce of weight off the backs of guitar playing, back packing troubadours and really make the SNAIL cutting edge for tone, playability and ease of packing.  Because we know your music and perhaps song writing is important to you, just like it is to Jim Stoltz.

By the way Walkin' Jim recently finished a 500 mile trek through eastern Nevada and we want to share a few of his pictures with you.


The north end of Schell Creek Range


Playing music in the Schell Creek Range


Music at the campsite


Singing at Verdi Lake

With a little help from his SNAIL Jim was able to write three new songs and get started on two others on this trek.
 Rick

Deciding on all the details of your custom made Montana Guitar Shop instrument is a very personal thing and I will be happy to work with you via e-mail as long as it takes to arrive at what is exactly right for you.    HOWEVER!  If you could possibly be in our area (Paradise is 70 miles NW of Missoula) we would love to have you over for dinner.  We would like to get to know you and talk about your very special guitar in person. 

It just so happens that my lovely wife, Annette, is a very accomplished cook and we would like to treat you to a  special evening and take time to choose the style, the woods, inlay work, and every aspect of your musical investment.  After dinner we can spend some time in the shop that you might have a better understanding of the time and craftsmanship that goes into our guitars.

Please e-mail us so that we can put you on the calendar........looking forward to meeting you.

Kindest Regards,

Rick & Annette McCollum    This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Did you realize that purchasing a Montana Guitar Shop instrument is a good investment?  Our handmade, Montana made guitars will only increase in value as time goes on.........not only in dollars but in value to you and those that it may be passed on to.  Because there are no stops concerning the beauty, the tone, the playability,and the craftsmanship, you can expect your guitar made by Rick McCollum to keep sounding  sweeter as the wood ages and as they are played through the years.  And we wouldn't expect your guitar to leave your family but should you ever part with it, you can expect that it will be a better investment than GOLD.

Here it is!  An Appalachian Mountain Dulcimer from Montana Guitar Shop.  And you thought we just made guitars and an occasional mandolin.  These Dulcimers are REALLY user friendly and have a mystical Celtic like sound to them.  This particular one is Paradise Black Walnut back and sides, Englemann spruce top and Padauk fretboard.  Very easy to play and a wonderful keepsake.  We also make a very indestructable case to go with it.

We are glad to have Walkin' Jim Stoltz endorsing Montana Guitar Shop.  "Keep on making those beautiful guitars."  Thats just what we plan on doing Jim.

Folksinger and songwriter (8 cd's), adventurer, long distance back packer, photographer, artist and author, Walkin' Jim Stoltz has taken to the backcountry of North America, walking the last wild places for months at a time, nearly every summer since 1974.  His long treks have included journeys from Georgia to Maine along the Appalachian Trail, from Mexico to Canada via three different routes, from coast to coast, Yellowstone to Yukon- well over 25,000 miles in total.

For over thirty years Stoltz has celebrated the natural world through his songs and concerts.  It is quite a treat to visually see where he has been (a breathtaking slide show) as he plays guitar and sings about his wonderful adventures.

This year as Walkin' Jim heads out on the long trail he will be bringing along a Snail travel guitar (the Cadillac of travel guitars) so that he might bring good tone and musical inspiration with him.  Be sure and check out Walkin' Jim's website at www.walkinjim.com.

To view the March 2009 slide show featured by the Missoulian, Click Here.