On the bench:
October 30, 2025:
Happy Halloween! I’m dressing up as a Luthier today!
In addition to the two 00 guitars I have mentioned in previous posts (and updates described below), I have another guitar started. This one in a 16” small jumbo, with red spruce top and black cherry B&S. I couldn’t start this guitar because I was waiting for a few pieces of custom MOP. Now that has arrived and this guitar gets moved to the top of the queue because it had a deadline (late December).
I have the plates braced and mostly voiced. The soundboard is super lively and excitable. I do the final voicing of the soundboard after it is glued to the rim. Then I tune the back to be a semi-tone or tone higher in pitch.
I have closed the box on the mahogany 00. This guitar is incredibly resonant. The whole box just quivers and pulsates when I tap the bridge area.
And I am getting ready to do the final setup on the Walnut 00. It turns out that black finishes are much harder than natural wood. The grain of the wood hides many of the finish imperfections…black pigment highlights them all. This turned out great, and I think its a real head turner. I will string it soon.
October 22, 2025:
I am finishing up the walnut guitar described below, and hav started a new one. This one is 00 size, 25.5” scale, 13 fret neck, local Lyme NH spruce and Cuban mahogany. This guitar will follow a traditional build withe single ply sides and cloth reinforcement strips. W are aiming for a more vintage, open sound.
The mahogany was salvaged from hurricane damaged trees in Florida — Cuban mahogany refers to the species (swietania mahagoni) — and it also grows in Florida. This set of wood has amazing ribbon figure with a fair bit of ripple or curl sprinkled around. The sides actually have better figure, so stay tuned!
September 15, 2025:
00 size, 25.5” scale, 13 fret neck, local Lyme NH spruce and black walnut. This guitar has laminated structural sides for increased clarity, volume and projection.
This guitar is a good example of using bookmatched wood grain for visual effect. The back features the light colored walnut sapwood in a striking point pattern:
I like to repeat certain elements of the design to create a theme and unify the piece. The headplate is also bookmatched walnut, with a touch of sapwood at the bottom.
Finally, the two piece laminated neck is also bookmatched, and the grain orientation follows the contour of the Martin style volute on the back of the headstock:
The soundboard is colored black, with the purflings and rosette revealed:
Additional images:
Recently completed:
Custom 3/4 size Dread:
15” lower bout, 22” scale, sitka spruce top with black locust back and sides. This guitar is for a serious player with shoulder mobility issues. We have therefore decided on a 22” scale with a 12 fret neck joint. It is very comfortable to play. Gold Gotoh tuners with spalted maple headplate and rosette inlay set this guitar apart visually!
Sound samples of the 3/4 Dread, by Derek Burkins of Thetford, VT:
OM:
Red spruce and Mahogany:
Lightweight Dread:
Dreadnought guitar built for light strings and fingerpicking. Red spruce and Mahogany, with figured maple bindings. Headplate “fan” inlay inspired by Federal style furniture and architecture. Makers mark (my initials) inlaid in morse code on the back of the headstock.
Sound samples of this guitar: