Doc Watson, who owned the prototype of the Vintage Artist, said, “This is the Dreadnought I’ve been looking for all my life.” In 1991, Richard Hoover collaborated with vintage experts to identify the most desirable qualities of the iconic Pre-War D-18. Maestro Watson’s contributions to the concept were born of an appreciation of the clarity of Mahogany’s tone and his requirements for playability. At the time, Doc had put as many hours into Rockabilly on a Les Paul as he had on the Dreadnought. His lack of preoccupation with a particular vintage model played perfectly with SCGC’s philosophy to ‘combine, not copy.’ After Doc’s test pilot duties on the prototype, he offered this thoughtful testimonial: “Son, what do I have to do to keep this guitar?”