I make guitars the old fashioned way. By hand. With highly figured Brazilian rosewood, koa and mahogany. All with a superior fit, tone and playability. Factory made instruments are fine. If you don?'t mind sounding like everybody else. And options like exotic burl, fossil peg head inlays, unique binding and distinctive purfling aren't your style. The instruments I make are for people who are looking for something true. Unique. Lasting. Something that just can't be built on a conveyor belt.
What I do is a much more organic process. Always fine-tuning. Making adjustments as necessary. Constantly asking myself, how can I make this thing sound better? Most importantly, rather than building to a blueprint spec, I'm listening to the wood. Paying attention to its thickness, height and scalloping. The graduations of the top, back and sides. And keeping an eye on its moisture content throughout all stages of construction - from the moment it comes into the shop until the day it's full-grown guitar ready to go out the door. Fads will come and go (some not nearly quickly enough), but I make the sort of instrument that'll be in your family for generations.
I use only the finest tonewoods. The very best among them is Brazilian rosewood. Why? First, there's the obvious natural beauty. Note the luscious ooh-aah - inducing, dark, variegated grain. Then, since it's now illegal to harvest Brazilian rosewood, there's the rareness of it. Most of my stock is reclaimed wood salvaged from the stumps of old growth trees. Which is perfect because the most highly figured wood comes from the crotch area where the trunk meets the root. Finally, it's about tone. After a guitar's shape and bracing pattern, it's the wood that has the greatest effect on tone. Brazilian rosewood has a warm, bell-like tonal quality. It's subtle, but to someone who truly loves guitar that little improvement, that little step closer to perfection - well, that's what it's all about.
So, that's what I do. What I'm looking for are: People who love to play and play and play. Are happiest when there's a pick between their fingers and a guitar in their lap. And have an ear for the nuances only a handcrafted instrument can deliver. Obviously, my guitars aren't for everybody. The question is, are they for you?
