Vintage-inspired steel-strings individually voiced for tone and feel
John Slobod began his career in 1993 at the Timeless Instruments guitar-building intensive in Canada before joining Dana Bourgeois at Pantheon Guitars in Maine. There, he carved necks, voiced hundreds of soundboards, and completed the binding and final voicing of nearly 4,000 guitars. In 1998, he went on to work with renowned builders Julius Borges and Eric Schoenberg while establishing his own instruments under the Circa Guitars name.
Circa Guitars are rooted in the great American steel-string tradition, using traditional materials and construction methods to capture the character of exceptional vintage instruments. Inspired particularly by classic pre-war flat-tops, Slobod combines a deep understanding of historic construction with the control and refinement developed through decades of hands-on experience.
Each Circa guitar is individually voiced and built in close collaboration with its future owner. From intimate 12-fret instruments to OMs and powerful dreadnoughts, Slobod carefully adjusts the voice, feel, and specifications to suit the player—creating guitars that preserve the spirit of the vintage tradition while standing confidently as modern, handcrafted instruments.
