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Custom Guitars


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Custom Guitars


The Details

Every instrument I make is a custom instrument in some way or another.
The most important aspect of building a guitar is understanding what the needs of the player are. To achieve the desired look, sound, and feel means that no one detail should be overlooked. Please feel free to contact me to discuss options and pricing.

DESIGN

There is an understanding of the past and look to the future in the work I do. Guitar designs that range from the traditional to the modern are taken into consideration if the end result creates the look and sound desired.  My work is usually a little bit of both. I have built copies of historical instruments as well as my own designs that incorporate modern materials and techniques.

FINISHING

I prefer to french polish instruments but back and sides can be lacquered for greater durability.  I will also lacquer the tops of instruments per request. French polish is a labor intensive finish which adds cost to the instrument but it is sonically wonderful and environmentally friendlier than a water based or nitrocellulose lacquer finish. 

WOOD

Wood is the medium I work in to create a guitar.  It can also look gorgeous which is another plus. I have traditional tonewoods like Spruces, Cedar, and Rosewood in stock but non-traditional alternatives can be fun.  Nothing is off the table. It’s my job to evaluate each piece and not only make it look good but maximize its sonic potential.

SOUND

All of our design and materials choices go into shaping sound. The design and material density and stiffness are chosen to try to create the sound and response desired.  Good communication is the key to understanding what we wanting to achieve.

Classical Guitars

I’m currently working in four different bracing designs for classical guitars:

Wood Lattice: This design incorporates a wood lattice bracing that emphasizes a bit more midrange saturation and a consistent response from the 1st position up to the highest notes. These guitars tend to have a deeper and lower resonance and are really quite fun to play while projecting a rich and colorful sound.

Floating Tie: This design is a modified fan braced design that is paired with stiffened sides to produce a guitar with strong sustain and clarity with great projection for stage performance. Notes contain more high frequency content and sustain than the Lattice design. It maintains some of the traditional tonality of a 7 fan design while increasing response in the higher positions.

Open Harmonic Bar: This is a design inspired by the work of Jose Romanillos and Jeffrey Elliott. This design maintains a lyrical and singing character to the notes with lots of color and a refinement to the overall sound. I mainly pair this design with spruce tops.

Asymmetric: This design is an asymmetrical bracing similar to Miguel Rodriguez Jr, imparting a rich and lyrical tone, especially in the first position, with character and greater overall darker tonality. I mainly pair this design with cedar tops.

  Standard with any instrument are Gotoh 510 Machine heads or equivalent and a hard shell case.  French polish on the top is standard on all instruments.   There is no charge for custom scale lengths and custom nut width or spacing.    There are an almost infinite number of options but a few common ones with prices are listed below. Also, the Concert Signature model listed below is the high end with a lot of the upgrades already included and the Spartan is the most basic model.

  • Choice of European Spruce, Engelmann Spruce, Western Red Cedar, Redwood $0

  • Sound port is +$150

  • 20th fret +$50

  • Sound port with magnetic cover +$350

  • Arm bevel or rest +$500

  • Subtle doubled binding thickness at lower bout for larger rounding where arm rests +$150

  • Cutaway +$550

  • Elevated fingerboard +$350

  • Upgrade from a Standard plywood case to a Visesnut Active Series case is +$500

  • East Indian Rosewood Back & Sides $0. Other woods are individually priced based on grade and figure, etc

  • Other Machines (Rodgers, Gilbert, Scheller, etc) are available to order

  • Upgrading Spartan model from matte lacquered back & sides to gloss +$200, and upgrading to complete french polish is +$600

STANDARD MODELS

Concert

  • Choice of bracing pattern (lattice, floating tie, open harmonic bar, asymmetric)

  • Choice of any size nickel silver or EVO Gold fretwire

  • Complete French polish of instrument

  • multi lined purflings all around with mitered joints

  • Standard headstock with more ornate carvings and bevels

  • Handmade mosaic “wave” rosette

  • Mitered 18 or 12 hole tieblock for bridge

  • Visesnut Active series Case

  • Reserved stock of visually higher graded materials

Spartan

  • Indian Rosewood, Wenge or Claro Walnut back and sides

  • French polish on the top only

  • Matte sheen lacquer or oil finish on the back and sides

  • Binding with no purflings on the back and sides

  • Simple line rosette or wood ring

  • Simplified headstock without ornamentation

  • Bone inlay on front and back of tieblock only

  • Standard Case

The Spartan model guitars are intended to be concert instruments with minimal adornment and simplifications in appearance only.  They are like my Standard Concert models with a minimalist aesthetic. Spartan models can be upgraded with the options at prices listed above.

Please inquire about student and professional discounts

Please note: A non-refundable deposit of 10% is required.  Payment in full (plus the cost of shipping) shall be required in advance of receiving your guitar.  After you receive your guitar you have 7 days to determine if it is right for you.  If you are not completely satisfied you may return it for a full refund (less deposit).  However, return shipping is your responsibility and I may also deduct from your refund an amount commensurate with any damage incurred while it is in your possession.  Your guitar is guaranteed to be free from defects in materials and workmanship up to 5 years after your purchase.  If in those 5 years your guitar develops a problem that is not due to neglect, trauma,  or considered reasonable wear I will repair it at no cost. I cannot warranty against damage caused by extremes in temperature or humidity or natural disaster.

Highly customized guitar builds will require a 50% non refundable deposit and will not be eligible for the 7 day trial period.