Charis Guitars

We are delighted to be the only European outlet for Charis guitars (pronounced Karis). Bill Wise only builds around thirty five of his fine guitars a year. He was named as one of the one hundred most important people at General Motors for his engineering and design skills. When he wanted a good guitar to replace his old campfire special he made one. The rest, as they say, is history.

Within five years he had started a career as a full-time luthier. Bill put his design and engineering skills to good use developing his own variation of X bracing with finger and tone bar braces adjusted to get his desired tone. He uses a mortise and tennon neck joint with two stainless steel bolts. In the interests of perfecting his skills Bill keeps to just two body designs, the Small Jumbo with a fifteen and a quarter inch lower bout and the Grand Concert at fourteen and seven eighths inches.

Featured in Acoustic Guitar Magazine in July 2007 Bill is renowned not only for the tone of his guitars but also the immaculate finishing, an engineer's eye for detail is apparent in every aspect of these amazing guitars.

  1. Charis SJ cutaway African blackwood USED

    Charis SJ cutaway African blackwood USED

    Fantastic small jumbo from Bill Wise at Charis. With 13 frets to the body and a short scale it plays like a dream. Classic African blackwood tone, deep, clear, full and well-defined.

    • Englemann spruce top
    • African blackwood back and sides
    • 13 frets to the body
    • 24.9” scale
    • 1 ¾” nut width
    • 2 ¼” string spacing at saddle
    • 15 3/8” lower bout
    • Koa bound soundport
    • Mahogany/Rosewood/Maple/Rosewood/Mahogany neck
    • Florentine cutaway
    • Walnut top border
    • Koa bindings
    • Ebony headstock veneer
    • Beautiful wood rear headstock veneer
    • Maple position markers (with side dots)
    • Koa and abalone rosette
    • Koa back strip
    • Koa logo
    • Koa headstock border
    • Ebony fretboard
    • Ebony bridge
    • Wood dove fretboard inlay
    • Gotoh Delta series 1:21 tuners
    • Rosewood Charis tuner buttons
    • Bone nut and saddle
    • Clear pickguard
    • Custom Calton case
    £ 5,995.00
     

    Charis SJ cutaway African blackwood USEDCharis SJ cutaway African blackwood USEDCharis SJ cutaway African blackwood USED
    Charis SJ cutaway African blackwood USEDCharis SJ cutaway African blackwood USEDCharis SJ cutaway African blackwood USED
    Charis SJ cutaway African blackwood USEDCharis SJ cutaway African blackwood USEDCharis SJ cutaway African blackwood USED
    Charis SJ cutaway African blackwood USEDCharis SJ cutaway African blackwood USEDCharis SJ cutaway African blackwood USED
  2. Charis SJ Sitka/Fiddleback Mahogany

    Charis SJ Sitka/Fiddleback Mahogany

    The power of Bill's SJ with the definition of mahogany, this is a beautiful and very versatile guitar.

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    • Sitka spruce top
    • Fiddle Back mahogany back and sides
    • 14 frets to the body
    • 25.6” scale
    • 1 ¾” nut width
    • 2 ¼” string spacing at saddle
    • 15 3/8”lower bout
    • Mahogany/rosewood/mahogany neck
    • No cutaway
    • B/W lines purfling
    • Indian rosewood bindings
    • Ebony headstock veneer
    • MoP dots position markers (with side dots)
    • Three ring green select abalone rosette
    • MoP logo
    • Ebony fretboard
    • Ebony bridge
    • Gold Gotoh 510 tuners
    • T’ Zalam (Mayan Walnut) tuner buttons
    • Bone nut and saddle
    • Ebony with abalone dot bridge pins
    • Clear pickguard
    • Custom fit Cedar Creek case
    £ 4,195.00
     

    Charis SJ Sitka/Fiddleback Mahogany Charis SJ Sitka/Fiddleback Mahogany Charis SJ Sitka/Fiddleback Mahogany
    Charis SJ Sitka/Fiddleback Mahogany Charis SJ Sitka/Fiddleback Mahogany Charis SJ Sitka/Fiddleback Mahogany
    Charis SJ Sitka/Fiddleback Mahogany Charis SJ Sitka/Fiddleback Mahogany Charis SJ Sitka/Fiddleback Mahogany
    Charis SJ Sitka/Fiddleback Mahogany Charis SJ Sitka/Fiddleback Mahogany Charis SJ Sitka/Fiddleback Mahogany
  3. Charis Grand Concert Cedar/Rosewood SOLD

    Charis Grand Concert Cedar/Rosewood SOLD

    Another beautifully crafted guitar from Bill Wise at Charis. With the
    Western Red Cedar top and Rosewood back and sides it has a warmth and depth
    of tone and complexity that has to be heard to be believed. It takes a great
    luthier to obtain this and combine it with outstanding definition and
    projection. The playability is unrivaled, an awesome finger-stylists guitar
    that also responds well to strumming and more energetic approaches. It has a
    five part maple/rosewood/bubinga/rosewood/maple neck with ebony headstock
    overlay, abalone logo, chrome Gotoh 510 tuners (smoooooth…) abalone rosette,
    flamed maple top and back binding with b/w/b edging both sides, a flamed
    maple centre-strip and a Cedar Creek Custom Shop case.

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    • Cedar top
    • Indian rosewood back and sides
    • Maple/rosewood/bubinga/rosewood/maple neck
    • 25 1/2" scale
    • 1 3/4" nut width
    • 2 1/4" string spacing at saddle
    • 15" lower bout
    • Ebony headstock veneer
    • Flamed maple bindings
    • Flamed maple back strip
    • Abalone rosette
    • Bone nut and saddle
    • Ebony fretboard
    • Ebony bridge
    • Abalone inlaid logo
    • Pearl dot position markers
    • Gotoh super 510 Delta series tuners
    • Ebony tuner buttons
    • Ebony bridge pins
    • Clear pickguard
    • Cedar Creek custom case


    Out of stock


    Charis Grand Concert Cedar/Rosewood SOLDCharis Grand Concert Cedar/Rosewood SOLDCharis Grand Concert Cedar/Rosewood SOLD
    Charis Grand Concert Cedar/Rosewood SOLDCharis Grand Concert Cedar/Rosewood SOLDCharis Grand Concert Cedar/Rosewood SOLD
    Charis Grand Concert Cedar/Rosewood SOLDCharis Grand Concert Cedar/Rosewood SOLDCharis Grand Concert Cedar/Rosewood SOLD
  4. Charis SJ Englemann spruce/African Blackwood SOLD

    Charis SJ Englemann spruce/African Blackwood SOLD

    The gorgeous, legendary and rare African Blackwood on this small jumbo from Bill delivers a crisp and lively performance with huge bass and clear trebles. According to Luthiers Mercantile International African Blackwood has a strong responsive tap tone, that surpasses even Brazilian Rosewood.

    This is another case of a great luthier combining qualities that might be a one or the other trade off in a lesser instrument. The enormous bass does not dominate or detract from balance and projection. This guitar is capable of anything from to a gentle and delicate recital to a thunderous performance.

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    • Englemann spruce top
    • African Blackwood back and sides
    • Mahogany/rosewood/maple/rosewood/mahogany neck
    • 25.6" scale
    • 1 3/4" nut width
    • 2 1/4" string spacing at saddle
    • 15 1/4" lower bout
    • African Blackwood headstock veneer
    • Curly maple bindings
    • B/W/B purflings
    • Curly maple back strip
    • Ebony fingerboard trim with white lines
    • Abalone rosette
    • Bone nut and saddle
    • Ebony fretboard
    • Ebony bridge
    • Abalone inlaid logo
    • Mother of pearl dot position markers
    • Gotoh super 510 tuners
    • Cocobolo Charis tuner buttons
    • bridge pins
    • Clear pickguard
    • Cedar Creek custom case



    Out of stock


    Charis SJ Englemann spruce/African Blackwood SOLDCharis SJ Englemann spruce/African Blackwood SOLDCharis SJ Englemann spruce/African Blackwood SOLD
    Charis SJ Englemann spruce/African Blackwood SOLDCharis SJ Englemann spruce/African Blackwood SOLDCharis SJ Englemann spruce/African Blackwood SOLD
    Charis SJ Englemann spruce/African Blackwood SOLDCharis SJ Englemann spruce/African Blackwood SOLDCharis SJ Englemann spruce/African Blackwood SOLD
    Charis SJ Englemann spruce/African Blackwood SOLDCharis SJ Englemann spruce/African Blackwood SOLDCharis SJ Englemann spruce/African Blackwood SOLD
  5. Charis Small Jumbo Cedar/Rosewood with arm bevel - SOLD

    Charis Small Jumbo Cedar/Rosewood with arm bevel - SOLD

    A stunning guitar from Bill Wise. Cedar and rosewood back and sides with
    maple/rosewood/ bubinga,/rosewood/maple neck, chrome Gotoh 510 tuners with
    black buttons, 1 3/4" nut, abalone rosette, curly maple body bindings and
    backstrip, fretboard lines, bone nut and saddle and a Cedar Creek Custom
    Shop case. It has the strong, deep and warm basses of the best rosewood
    dreadnoughts but with better clarity and definition. The mids are rich and
    punchy with great complexity and incredible projection. The bevelled arm
    rest adds comfort to its great playability. The trebles are clear and
    precise but with great sweetness.

  6. Cedar top
  7. Indian rosewood back and sides
  8. 25 1/2" scale
  9. 1 3/4" nut width
  10. 1/4" string spacing at saddle
  11. 15 1/2" lower bout
  12. Flamed maple arm rest
  13. Maple/rosewood/bubinga/rosewood/maple neck.
  14. Ebony headstock veneer
  15. Maple bindings
  16. Flamed maple back strip
  17. Abalone rosette
  18. Bone nut and saddle
  19. Ebony fretboard
  20. Ebony bridge
  21. Abalone inlaid logo
  22. Pear dot position markers
  23. Gotoh super 510 Delta Series tuners
  24. Ebony tuner buttons
  25. Ebony bridge pins
  26. Clear pickguard
  27. Cedar Creek custom case

Out of stock


Charis Small Jumbo Cedar/Rosewood with arm bevel - SOLDCharis Small Jumbo Cedar/Rosewood with arm bevel - SOLDCharis Small Jumbo Cedar/Rosewood with arm bevel - SOLD
Charis Small Jumbo Cedar/Rosewood with arm bevel - SOLDCharis Small Jumbo Cedar/Rosewood with arm bevel - SOLDCharis Small Jumbo Cedar/Rosewood with arm bevel - SOLD
Charis Small Jumbo Cedar/Rosewood with arm bevel - SOLDCharis Small Jumbo Cedar/Rosewood with arm bevel - SOLDCharis Small Jumbo Cedar/Rosewood with arm bevel - SOLD
Charis Small Jumbo Cedar/Rosewood with arm bevel - SOLDCharis Small Jumbo Cedar/Rosewood with arm bevel - SOLDCharis Small Jumbo Cedar/Rosewood with arm bevel - SOLD

5 Item(s)

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