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optional armrest

The hardwood armrest is beveled underneath, so it does not make contact with the vibrating portion of the soundboard. The advantages of this option include increased forearm comfort, reduced friction during right arm movement, elimination of soundboard damping caused by forearm contact, and protection of the varnish and soundboard surface.

METHOD AND DESIGN:

I work as an independent artisan, personally building each instrument by hand in my private workshop. From the selection of raw materials, to the varnish and final set-up, nothing is outsourced.

My goal is to produce an instrument that not only sounds good and plays well, but also holds up over time. To that end, I use techniques to increase the stiffness of the back, sides and neck assembly while maintaining a lightweight and resonant structure.

I install robust, solid linings made from formed laminations of hardwood. Additionally, I install buttresses to further stiffen to the lower bout. These structural enhancements help to stabilize the instrument through years of string tension.

The neck is internally reinforced with a solid beam of carbon fiber. This limits neck bow as well as fluctuations in playing action that result from changes in humidity.

These efforts produce a dual benefit. The increased frame stiffness enhances projection, and the overall structure is more resistant to distortion.

I construct guitars with traditional solid soundboards as well as composite double-top soundboards. The soundboard bracing designs are slightly different between the two, and are my own variations of a traditional 7-fan pattern.

Regarding tonality, my goal is to render warm, yet firm bass notes with maximum sustain, a rich and complex midrange that responds to subtle variations in playing attack, and a high register that presents a strong fundamental while maintaining good definition and clarity.

FINISH:

I use a traditional French polish of shellac varnish.

A French polish is the result of a centuries-old method of applying varnish by hand to slowly build a gloss finish over several varnishing sessions.

As a standard option, the neck can be alternatively finished with oil varnish. The oil varnish is rubbed into the grain of the wood where it cures to create a protective barrier. An oil varnish finish is not glossy, but rather has a matte luster. One will notice a significant reduction in friction when moving through positions on the fingerboard.

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