Ren Ferguson: Montana Rivers Masterpieces #3

The [#3] model that has just arrived at Advance Guitars features the Montana Jumbo (MT) shape, equivalent to Gibson’s J-200.

Every detail of this instrument embodies Ren Ferguson’s philosophy of “functional art” and his uncompromising craftsmanship.

The “Watchman” Wood Used for Both the Neck and Body

One of this guitar’s most distinctive features is that the neck, as well as the sides and back, are crafted from a single, identical piece of Western maple. This wood has a special history.It came from a tree over 100 years old that grew on the grounds of a dam in Kalama Falls on the Columbia River. The Japanese dam caretaker (Mr. Watanabe), who had the tree felled, saved the highest-quality portion of the wood—which he had stored for many years using natural air-drying rather than kiln-drying—as part of his own special collection.Entrusted to Mr. Ren with the words, “You’ll make the world’s finest piece with this,” the Ferguson family respectfully refers to this wood as “The Watchman.” This material—which Mr. Ren himself declares to be “the finest Western maple I’ve ever handled”—is used generously throughout the watch.

A Philosophy of Internal Structure and “Sound” Inspired by the Good Old Days

For the top and bracing, Mr. Ren used Adirondack (red) spruce with a uniform grain pattern that he acquired in the early 1990s. It is worth noting that the guitar’s bracing is intentionally “not polished too smooth.”
The origin of this approach lies in Mr. Ren’s experience repairing guitars in the 1960s. “The old guitars from the 1930s and ’40s that we cherish and collect often have rough planing marks on the inside or glue drips all over the place. Yet they still sound wonderful. I learned this by repairing old guitars in the ’60s, when new guitars weren’t available,” he explains.
Based on this experience, he leaves a slight texture on the guitar’s interior. Since a surface that is too smooth allows sound to travel too quickly, he intentionally slows the sound’s speed slightly to give it time to mature inside the instrument. This internal structure—which Mr. Ren likens to “the interior of a warm and cozy cabin”—adds a thick, warm, and rich roundness to the fast response characteristic of maple.

Intricate Inlays Depicting a Fly-Fishing Scene

The fly-fishing inlay is not merely a design; it accurately depicts fishing on the “Gallatin River,” located just 5 km from the Ferguson family home.

Pickguard:
It features exquisite recreations—using gold, silver, brass, and abalone—of the fish basket used by Ren’s grandfather in the 1930s and 1940s, a Hardy reel from the 1920s and 1930s, a Tonkin cane bamboo rod, and a cork handle.

Neck Heel Carving:
Rather than being applied to the wood, it is carved directly from a solid block.
By applying extremely thin layers of watercolor paint over the carving, adding a touch of glitter to the speckles, and finishing with lacquer, a visual effect is created where a “rainbow trout wet underwater” appears to be visible through the deep curly grain.

Fingerboard:
The fingerboard features a mosaic design made of abalone and mother-of-pearl depicting nine types of flies actually used for fishing on the Gallatin River.This design was not chosen at random; Mr. Ren—an avid angler—asked his son-in-law, “Which fly actually catches the most fish in this river?” and carefully selected these patterns from among many, truly capturing the essence of “real fly fishing on the Gallatin River.”

Bridge:
The bridge (and fingerboard) are crafted from the finest African Gabon ebony.Gabon ebony is a premium wood with a deep, jet-black hue—so dark it’s often called “tuna” (meaning “jet black”). It is extremely hard and dense, possessing acoustic properties that provide clear tonal definition and further enhance the responsive qualities of the maple body. This bridge also features hand-carved engravings and inlays symbolizing fly fishing.

The “Body Rebuild” in Pursuit of Perfection and the Blue River Binding

In fact, this [#3] body is actually the “second” one. The first body produced was already ready to enter the finishing stage, but Mr. Ren rejected it at the last minute on his own initiative because the finish on the binding at the body joint was “not perfect” (it was slightly raised). Even for such a subtle nuance—one that a typical mass-production factory might have simply covered up with a thicker coat of paint—he would not tolerate it.
The current body, rebuilt from scratch, features “blue wood” added to the binding as a new design element, masterfully evolving into a design where a beautiful “river” flows along the guitar’s sides.
Furthermore, following the flow of this river along the sides, the inlay depicts a rainbow trout swimming upstream—a behavior characteristic of the species—and eventually being caught by the angler depicted on the headstock, weaving a single, magnificent story across the entire guitar.Making full use of materials, ornamentation, and design to embody the world of “fly fishing,” this instrument is an extremely rare guitar and is truly worthy of being called a supreme work of art.

The pinnacle of “functional beauty” unleashed: Introducing the 2026 custom-order model by Ren Ferguson Guitars and Advance Guitars

Discover a Miraculous Encounter and Len’s Historic Career

I traveled to Montana, where these acoustic guitars—arguably the finest in the world—are actually crafted. I believed it was essential, as a distributor in Japan delivering these instruments to our customers, to meet the master luthier Ren Ferguson and his family in person and witness firsthand the environment in which the guitars are built.

The skill and teamwork—which surpassed my wildest imagination—along with their dedication and love for these instruments, truly touched my soul.

As the manager of Advance Guitars, I can say with pride that I am convinced these are the finest guitars available. They are truly masterpieces that will move you—please experience for yourself the pure sound that is the culmination of the Montana air and the love of the Ren Ferguson family.

Ren Ferguson explaining Masterpiece #3 at NAMM

Inoue chatting with Len