A Guitar From Another World
There are rare guitars, and then there is this. Serial number 128. Built in 2013 by one of the most secretive and revered luthiers alive. Played and owned by a three-time GRAMMY-winning artist. And now, available for the first time through a historic partnership between Zac Brown and Chicago Music Exchange.
The Languedoc G2 Natural 2013 is not just an instrument — it is a document of American musical craftsmanship at its highest level. If you know the name Paul Languedoc, you already understand the gravity of what we're describing. If you don't, you're about to.
Who Is Paul Languedoc?
Paul Languedoc is an American luthier and audio engineer whose name is practically synonymous with the rock band Phish. He built his first guitar at age 18, trained under luthier Alan Stack at Time Guitars in Burlington, Vermont, and by the time he joined Phish's crew in 1986, he had already constructed hundreds of instruments.
For nearly two decades, Languedoc served as Phish's chief sound engineer while simultaneously crafting some of the most tonally remarkable instruments ever played on a rock stage. His guitars and basses — including the iconic Dragon Bass for Mike Gordon — gave Phish a sonic identity unlike any other band.
"Paul Languedoc has created some of the most iconic and sought-after instruments presently available."
— Circle Strings Guitar ShopHis preference for European tonewoods — the kinds used in cello construction — combined with masterful inlay work in mother-of-pearl and abalone defines the Languedoc sound. The G2 is his flagship model: a Santos rosewood body paired with a European curly maple top delivers warm, rich lows meeting brilliant, clarion highs. For years he built exclusively for Trey Anastasio and Mike Gordon. When he opened commissions briefly in 2006, the G2 launched at $10,000 new — and even then, instruments were extraordinarily limited.
Serial #128: The Specs
This particular G2 — Serial #128, built in 2013 — features a rosewood body, maple top and neck, ebony fingerboard, and Seymour Duncan SH1N/SH1B humbuckers with coil-split and series wiring options. It plays with the authority that only a truly handmade instrument can offer, and comes in a flight case built for the world's biggest stages.
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Year | 2013 |
| Serial Number | 128 |
| Finish | Original |
| Body Material | Rosewood |
| Top Material | Maple |
| Neck Material | Maple |
| Fingerboard Material | Ebony |
| Neck Profile | Medium "C" |
| Neck Thickness | 1st fret: .83" · 12th fret: .92" |
| Fingerboard Radius | 12.00" |
| Nut Width | 1-3/4" |
| Scale Length | 25 1/2" |
| Pickups | Seymour Duncan SH1N (neck) / SH1B (bridge) |
| Pickup Measurements | Neck: 7.3k ohms · Bridge: 7.9k ohms |
| Hardware | Original |
| Weight | 7 lbs 2 oz |
| Cosmetic Condition | Excellent — glossy finish, minimal play wear |
| Case | Flight case |
| Price | $99,000.00 |
Zac Brown: A Collector With Extraordinary Taste
The Zac Brown Band's three-time GRAMMY-winning frontman is not simply a chart-topping country star. He is a deeply serious instrumentalist whose catalog spans country, rock, bluegrass, folk, and jam-band traditions — 16 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, 13 reaching number one.
Brown's personal guitar collection reflects the same restless curiosity that drives his music. Alongside a 1954 Fender Stratocaster he describes as "the cleanest, most original one on the planet" and a 1960 Gibson Les Paul 'Burst he bought despite himself — "I knew if I didn't buy it, I would regret it for the rest of my life" — he chose to own a Languedoc G2. That choice says everything.
Why the Languedoc G2 Is One of the Most Collectible Guitars on Earth
Collector-grade guitars are typically defined by age, provenance, and scarcity. The Languedoc G2 inverts that logic entirely: a modern instrument whose collectibility derives from the near-impossibility of obtaining one. Paul Languedoc spent most of his career building for a single band, and when he opened commissions briefly, the G2 launched at $10,000 new — a figure now almost quaint given how rarely they appear on the secondary market.
At the 2024 NAMM Show, luthier Adam Buchwald announced a collaboration with Languedoc to steward limited production of the G2 and G4 models, underscoring that demand has always vastly outpaced supply. This 2013 specimen — with Zac Brown's direct provenance, a certificate of authenticity, and near-mint condition — is not a guitar you find twice.
Watch: Zac Brown Live
Zac Brown Collection at Chicago Music Exchange
Chicago Music Exchange has partnered directly with Zac Brown to make his personal collection of vintage, boutique, and stage-played instruments available to players and collectors worldwide. Every instrument includes a certificate of authenticity, mailed separately. Every spec has been documented by a skilled CME technician, and our Used & Vintage experts are available for hands-on appointments at our Lincoln Avenue showroom.
The collection spans decades and genres — from a jaw-dropping 1923 Gibson F5 mandolin used at Southern Ground Studio, to Gretsch Custom Shop masterbuilds by Stephen Stern, to a 1960 Gibson Les Paul 'Burst and a 1954 Fender Stratocaster that rank among the finest examples of their kind anywhere in the world. The Languedoc G2 is arguably the collection's most singular piece: one of the rarest guitar models in existence, near-mint, with provenance connecting it to two of American music's most storied names.