Four Fifteen
Construction | Full Hollow, Parallel Braced Top. Set-In Top and Back |
Body Rim | Maple or Walnut
Multiply Wood Purfling |
Top/Back | Flamed Maple |
Neck | Multiply Laminated Flamed Maple |
Neck Joint | Full Width Tenon |
Bridge | Hand Carved Wood |
Saddle | Brass Pre Compensated |
Tailpiece | Hand Carved Wood w/ Aluminum Underframe |
Fingerboard | Rosewood or Ebony |
Pickups | DGN Tru-PAF, Optional JGS Middle |
Pots/Caps | Bourns 500k Mini Pots, NOS PIO Capacitor |
Knobs | Hand Carved Wood |
Pickup Rings | Hand Carved Wood |
Nut | Bone 1 11/16" |
Tuning Machines | Gotoh 510 |
Scale Length | 25.5" |
# of Frets | 24 |
Fingerboard Radius | 12" |
Strings | D'Addario EXL110 10-46 |
Case | Deluxe Flight Case |
It’s taken more than a decade for this guitar to come to life—not for lack of trying, but out of the highest respect for the builder whose work helped shape my own.
Taku Sakashta has inspired countless builders, myself included. His life was tragically cut short in 2010, but his influence on modern lutherie remains profound. Among boutique builders, his instruments are admired not only for their beauty, but for the innovative thinking behind every detail.
The inspiration behind the DGN Four Fifteen is deeply personal. My goal was never to recreate Taku’s work, but to honor the ideas that inspired me while building something unmistakably DGN. Those ideas first found their voice in the Kalos in 2016. Today, they continue with the Four Fifteen—a guitar built not to look back, but to carry that spirit forward. The Four Fifteen features fully hollow parallel braced arch top and back construction. The top is supported with my 3 point bracing system. In addition to supporting the downward force of the strings, it also allows the top to move and breathe more than full contact bracing. This results in a very open tone from clean to heavy overdrive. Chords are big and full sounding and single notes have a snap and bounce. It’s incredibly expressive, notes practically leap out of the guitar.
The Four Fifteen takes design cues from across the DGN lineup. The Body Construction with its Set-In top and back was taken directly from the Kalos. The overall shape and sculpted heel neck joint are a throwback to the now discontinued Paragon, the guitar that started DGN. This sculpted heel allows the player effortless reach right up to the last fret. Furthermore, the top and back of the Four Fifteen are made with the original Paragon templates, inserting some of that original DNA from the early days into a brand new model.
The electronics can be as simple or as complex as you like. From a 2 pickup layout with 3-way toggle all the way up to a 3 pickup version with 6-way toggle, coil taps and DGN Blaster, there is an electronics layout for you. There are also a variety of tonewood choices for the top/back and rim. Highly Flamed Eastern PA Maple is standard. This instrument was designed to capture the tone of many styles of music all within one guitar. Blues, Rock, Jamband, Folk and Jazz. If you play multiple genres of music the Four Fifteen can cover them all. Truly. In the Fall/Winter of 2026, there will be a Single Pickup, 22 Fret Short Scale Jazz version available with Hand Carved and Tap Tuned Spruce top and a slightly thicker rim for a larger soundbox. I look forward to sharing this version when it’s ready.
Taku Sakashta has inspired countless builders, myself included. His life was tragically cut short in 2010, but his influence on modern lutherie remains profound. Among boutique builders, his instruments are admired not only for their beauty, but for the innovative thinking behind every detail.
The inspiration behind the DGN Four Fifteen is deeply personal. My goal was never to recreate Taku’s work, but to honor the ideas that inspired me while building something unmistakably DGN. Those ideas first found their voice in the Kalos in 2016. Today, they continue with the Four Fifteen—a guitar built not to look back, but to carry that spirit forward. The Four Fifteen features fully hollow parallel braced arch top and back construction. The top is supported with my 3 point bracing system. In addition to supporting the downward force of the strings, it also allows the top to move and breathe more than full contact bracing. This results in a very open tone from clean to heavy overdrive. Chords are big and full sounding and single notes have a snap and bounce. It’s incredibly expressive, notes practically leap out of the guitar.
The Four Fifteen takes design cues from across the DGN lineup. The Body Construction with its Set-In top and back was taken directly from the Kalos. The overall shape and sculpted heel neck joint are a throwback to the now discontinued Paragon, the guitar that started DGN. This sculpted heel allows the player effortless reach right up to the last fret. Furthermore, the top and back of the Four Fifteen are made with the original Paragon templates, inserting some of that original DNA from the early days into a brand new model.
The electronics can be as simple or as complex as you like. From a 2 pickup layout with 3-way toggle all the way up to a 3 pickup version with 6-way toggle, coil taps and DGN Blaster, there is an electronics layout for you. There are also a variety of tonewood choices for the top/back and rim. Highly Flamed Eastern PA Maple is standard. This instrument was designed to capture the tone of many styles of music all within one guitar. Blues, Rock, Jamband, Folk and Jazz. If you play multiple genres of music the Four Fifteen can cover them all. Truly. In the Fall/Winter of 2026, there will be a Single Pickup, 22 Fret Short Scale Jazz version available with Hand Carved and Tap Tuned Spruce top and a slightly thicker rim for a larger soundbox. I look forward to sharing this version when it’s ready.
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