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The tops of my guitars are carefully selected
Sitka spruce, hand planed to the optimum
thickness for the particular piece of wood.
They are then thinned around the outer edges
for a bit looser response to bass vibrations.
A very slight arch (.125" or less) is put
into the top plate with a bit of heat so as
to avoid any stress or tension being built
into the sound board. The "X" brace and other
braces are carefully fit to the slight
curvature of the top and carved to a cross
section similar to that of a hollow ground
knife blade. Braces may or may not be
scalloped depending on the tonal needs and
the stiffness of the plate.
The choice of wood for the back and sides
becomes a consideration of the player's tonal
needs along with their preference in regard
to appearance. I have been using a good deal
of Sycamore recently. It has great cross
grain strength and seldom, if ever, cracks or
splits. It has a honey color and an exciting
grain, much like Lacewood. Although this wood
has not been used to a great extent in
traditional guitar making, it has long been
used in the making of cellos. It imparts a
very clear articulate sound to the
instrument with a sustain that is well
suited to finger picking and similar styles.
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I hand build the lining from three or more thin strips of tone wood and then carve away all but what is needed to land the top or back onto the sides of the instrument. This is far more time consuming, but provides a far stronger and stiffer body along with reducing weight and minimizing the clutter inside the body. I believe that this adds to the total quality of the sound that all of my guitars put out. This also allows me to add some decorative stripes inside the instrument that is rarely noticed, but adds a subtle touch that the owner knows is there.
The necks of my guitars are made largely from Mahogany, Sycamore, Maple, or Walnut, but nearly any wood could be used. Necks are laminated from three to five or more pieces to add strength and stiffness. Double acting truss rods are installed with the access nut at the head. Fret boards are of Coca bola, Rosewood or Ebony, with a standard width of 1.75" at the nut.
The body, head and fingerboard are bound with solid wood, selected for its color and
contrast as well as its durability for protecting the edges of the guitar. The
bridge is carefully hand carved to provide a unique touch to each instrument without
adding any more weight than a standard bridge. I usually use Schaller open geared
gold tuners. |
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