The classical guitar has been a life long passion for me. In
the words of Julian Bream "And when you think about it, it
really is extraordinary that out of some old bits of wood glued
together, plus some bits of animal gut for strings, you can actually
touch people's hearts…Unbelievably simple, yet immensely
powerful within it's simplicity."
My
central goal is to create an instrument through which the player
can fully express the delicate nuances, the fullest range of tonal
expression, a guitar that will not falter from whisper quiet passages
through the most demanding powerful ones.
The
modern classical guitar repertoire requires a broad and complex
tonal and dynamic palette, coupled with a nearly indefinable quality
of soulfulness, of magic. A guitar lacking these qualities is
unthinkable to me; such a guitar would never leave my shop.
Though I will not hesitate to use innovative techniques and materials
if they were to truly improve the guitar, there are certain traditional
elements that allow for the best possible tone. One of these is
the Spanish foot, a design that integrates the neck and internal
block as one single element, highly refined in size and shape.
The
other is a French polish finish on the soundboard. This finish
seems to be superior acoustically. It is also somewhat fragile.
Therefore, I prefer to use a thin lacquer finish on the rest of
the guitar.
A
string length of 650MM is standard. String lengths of 640MM down
to 615MM are optional and can create an exquisite sounding guitar.
Standard string spacing is 43MM; other spacings are optional.
PRICES
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Each
guitar is custom built for the individual owner. The following
prices are guidelines.
WOODS
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BACK AND SIDE WOODS: I
primarily use East Indian rosewood and Brazilian rosewood for
backs and sides.
I
view the back as a resonant element as well as a reflective surface
and determine wood selection, thickness and bracing accordingly.
As such, the East Indian and Brazilian rosewoods have fundamental
differences in tone, each having different strong points. The
Brazilian (a note on Brazilian follows) produces a strident, powerful
guitar with a clear “edge” to the tone. While it responds
well in the quiet passages, it responds extraordinarily well to
a powerful attack, producing a superb concert hall instrument.
I am especially speaking of the old growth rosewood- I am working
with 50 year old sets. The newly available Brazilian, while some
approaches the quality of the old, much of it is inferior, as
visually attractive as it may be.
The
Indian rosewood imparts a rounder, warmer sound, capable of an
equal range of expression but with a less strident quality. The
guitars of both species are best played side by side to appreciate
the differences. Cost issues aside, many of my clients prefer
the Indian rosewood, others the Brazilian. Both produce superb
guitars.
African
blackwood produces a wonderful, rich bright tone. It is like the
best of the best Brazilian and paired with appropriate bindings
and purfling, makes an exquisite, quite dramatic looking instrument.
I often use highly figured birdseye maple for baroque and other
early style guitars. It is both visually and acoustically well
suited for these instruments.
SOUNDBOARD:
I primarily use European spruce from the mountains of Switzerland.
I have a large supply of the highest grade, truly wonderful material.
Occasionally I'll use Italian spruce or Western red cedar, depending
on your tonal requirements.
NECKS:
Aged Honduras mahogany or Spanish cedar.
FRETBOARD:
Black Gabon ebony.
TUNERS:
Sloane tuners are standard. Others are available as an
option.
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ORDERING:
After establishing your requirements and preferences through discussion
and my hearing you play, in person or through a recording, we
will finalize the design and delivery date of your guitar. A deposit
of $500.00 will be required before I commence building; the balance
at completion, before delivery.
I
have always given clients the option of returning the guitar if
they are truly not pleased with it. I am glad to say that no one
has ever availed themselves of this option. In the event of return,
the client will be responsible for shipping and any damage that
occurred while the guitar was in their possession.
My
guitars are warranted against all defects for one year. The environment
in which they are built is stringently humidity and temperature
controlled. They have toured the world in extreme climates without
problems. This is an area where many years of experience have
shown how to build a guitar which is lightly built, responsive,
yet durable.
