Imagine holding history in your hands; making it sing. The ancient Sitka in this new Bedell Fireside Parlor dates back 3,000 years, to a time, literally, before memory. Buried for centuries, its unique figure oxidized on first breath, leaving a haunting, pewtered patina and ages of vibrant, ringing tone. Matched on a short scale, deep body, 12-fret frame with equally hypnotizing, equally rarefied Puerta De Iglesia Brazilian rosewood—the back’s intriguing sapwood center reprised on the slotted headstock—this exquisite, singular instrument has a pure, otherworldly voice unlike any other. In gloss, save for the performance-ready barrel of its Honduran mahogany neck, this jewel shines, with simple brass and nickel appointments; Brazilian binding; Spanish cedar kerfing; and hand voiced Adirondack bracing.