Details of Construction

My guitars are made using the highest quality standards that are currently employed by luthiers across the world. I go several steps beyond good practice, however. I size the thickness of the front and back of the guitar using frequency standards and analysis of the plates in order to attain a thickness that will result in an excellent sounding guitar. In addition, here are details on the components that I use:

Sound board: I use Sitka spruce, Engelman spruce, Adirondack (red) spruce, and European spruce for my tops. They all vary in mass, stiffness, and vibrational response. So far, I think that Engelman has the best overall sound. Other woods are available, but I have not used them.

Body Wood: My first guitars were all figured walnut. It is very pretty with some pretty wild grain. I am branching into mahogany and East Indian Rosewood, very pretty woods that have a great tone. I also will be making guitars in cocobolo, Santos Rosewood, padauk, leopard wood, Brazilian Rosewood, and others. I currently have over 50 guitar sets in my inventory.

Neck: I use solid planks of African mahogany to make my necks. They are hand-shaped and carved to meet the specifications of the model that I am building.

Bracing: The bracing system that I use is a modified x-brace that produces a bright, clear tone. I use red and sitka spruce for the bracing milled for a vertical grain. The bracing width varies by guitar model, but most top bracing is ¼ inch wide and 5/16 inch wide for the back bracing. I use a live bracing system for the back.

Rosette, binding, and purfling: I select the various trim items so they will complement and/or contrast with the body wood and the fingerboard and head plate veneer. The goal is to get a very good-sounding guitar that is beautiful and fun to play!

Please see the datasheet for each guitar. All of the particular details for each guitar are shown.