Dream to Design
What makes my guitars different?
You do!
Every guitar I create is a direct reflection of you—your passion, your style, and the way you connect with music. From the wood selection to the bracing patterns and top thickness, every detail is meticulously tailored to fit your unique playing preferences. The result? A guitar that enhances your experience, helps you express your sound, and elevates your music to new heights. It’s not just about the guitar—it’s about making you sound even better than you already do.
Fine tuning the sound
Every piece of timber I use is carefully selected from the finest tonewoods, ensuring only the highest quality in every guitar. But the true magic happens in the process: nearly every component of the guitar is brought to its final specifications using hand tools. This meticulous approach allows me to achieve unparalleled precision and consistency in every build.
More importantly, it lets me connect with the wood as I work, hearing and feeling its resonance. This unique process allows me to extract the best possible tone from each piece, ensuring that your instrument produces a sound that is rich, balanced, and perfect for you.
Connecting it all together
After carefully selecting and expertly shaping each piece, the next step is bringing them together with precision. I rely on a variety of traditional wood-to-wood joints, each meticulously crafted to ensure a perfect fit, minimizing energy loss and maximizing resonance.
Key elements like a finely fitted dovetail neck joint, braces securely mortised into solid bent and laminated linings, and a precise scarf joint for the headstock come together to create a guitar that is not only stronger and lighter but also vibrates as a unified system. The result, a guitar that doesn’t just sound exceptional—you’ll feel the difference in every note you play.
Traditional methods
I take pride in using time-honored joinery techniques and materials, carefully selecting the methods that produce the finest sound. While these techniques demand greater skill and patience, the results speak for themselves in the finished guitar.
For instance, my guitars are primarily assembled using traditional hot hide glue, a centuries-old method that has stood the test of time. This glue is unparalleled in its ability to transfer vibrations between each piece of wood, ensuring the instrument functions as a unified tone-producing system. The result is a richer, more resonant sound that reflects the craftsmanship and care invested in every detail.
Hardware
The hardware on my instruments is thoughtfully chosen, prioritizing both superior quality and exceptional craftsmanship. Even the smallest elements, like tuners, contribute to the overall aesthetic and functionality of your guitar. I select natural materials such as bone for the nuts and saddles, and ebony for the bridge and end pins—each chosen not only for their visual elegance but also for their ability to enhance the tone. Every material is selected with care to complement the instrument’s voice, ensuring that your guitar delivers the finest sound possible, down to the smallest detail.
Hand Carved
Not all elements of a guitar are one-size-fits-all, which is why I personally hand-carve each neck to create a custom shape that’s perfectly suited to you. Every neck is crafted with precision and care, ensuring a comfortable fit that enhances your playing experience and complements your unique style.
The Finish
While the type of finish and application method are important, the true key to optimizing sound lies in the final thickness. I’ve carefully chosen a finish that offers durable protection while maintaining an incredibly thin layer, less than 0.002” thick on the soundboard, which is thinner than a single sheet of paper. This ultra-thin finish allows the wood to resonate freely, resulting in exceptional sustain, a balanced tone, and crystal-clear trebles that extend seamlessly up the neck.
In addition to its sonic benefits, the finish I use is also environmentally friendly, with low VOCs, ensuring that every instrument is crafted with both the player and the planet in mind.