I hope to create a guitar that is a pleasure to hear, see and play. Simple elegance.
Tapping the top wood, it looks odd but every top has something different to say.
I am always seeking the finest woods I can find and love creating acoustic art.Thoughts on Guitars
My Philosophy
I build only a few guitars a year. I pay attention to every detail. Like most artisans who work with wood I am picky about my tools and my materials. I am always looking for that perfect set of woods. I have tops and backs and sides that I have hoarded for over thirty years. They are waiting for the perfect guitar. I pride myself on my inlay work and I welcome challenges and the opportunity to create something truly unique for you. My goal is to build an elegant and wonderful sounding instrument
Bracing
I have been classically trained in the making of guitars. Even my steel string guitars are made with a "French heel" to be sure the neck is absolutely solid and stays put. I have created my own modified fan bracing for my tops, even on my dreadnoughts. The fan bracing creates a very balanced guitar. These braces are sized and scalloped to each specific guitar so the base, mid-range and trebles are very well balanced. I use Honduran mahogany for my back bracing and these braces along with the inside of the heel block are finished with lacquer. I believe the interior craftsmanship should be as clean as the exterior of my guitars. Sound and playability are critical but the overall aesthetics of the guitar is also a huge priority for me.
Below is a photo of my x-bracing and modified fan bracing for the top.
Wood
I suppose every luthier is a wood junkie. I am no exception. As I mentioned I have sets of Sitka tops almost forty years old. I have no real preference for a top wood and have very nice supplies of Sitka, European and Engleman spruce as well as redwood and cedar. Top woods as well as the tone woods for back and sides are a matter of preference for a sound style or personal aesthetics. Obviously Rosewood, coco bolo, Honduran Mahogany, African Blackwood, maple and many other woods all have their unique tonal and aesthetic qualities and I have made and played them all. Every wood combination seems to have its own personality just like every player. I would be happy to discuss these unique qualities when I design your instrument. I build all my guitar necks with Honduran mahogany for durability, looks and sustain. My fingerboards are of the finest black ebony unless otherwise requested.
Inlay
I very much enjoy a tasteful amount of inlay. Inlay, rosettes, perfling and bindings are often what makes your guitar the unique handmade heirloom that it is. I have created beautiful inlays with exotic woods, pearl and abalone. I create rosettes of mosaic, wood burl, perfling, abalone and pearl. Bindings can really distinguish your guitar and I can bend just about anything to suit your theme or dream. We can work together to design the inlays, rosette, and bindings that will make your guitar striking visual art.
Innovations
Here is my pinless bridge system. I have incorporated this system into some of my guitar designs. It creates a very strong bridge and protects the top from pulling up, bulging behind the bridge or concaving in front of the bridge. As you can see from the photo, it is created with piano wire pins. The ball end of the strings fits over these pins. They go all the way through the top and bridge patch and are anchored at an angle. All of the string tension is on these pins and not on the bridge itself. If for some reason the bridge needed to be removed in the future, the pins are easily removed with heat. The bridge can be positioned exctly where it was by using these pins. This bridge system, I think, enhances the sound, looks great and, especially on a 12 string, is the perfect way to prevent your top from cracking or the bridge from pulling away. Of course, I also offer traditional bridge designs with your choice of a variety of bridge pins.