A classical guitar is one of the most expres
sive instruments on earth. There are very few polyphonic instruments that provide the musician the ability to bring out the dynamic range while controlling the brightness and sonority of each note as well as a properly built classical guitar. The musician can manipulate the sound with many right hand techniques such as bringing out singing melodies while muting accompaniments.
To achieve the full potential of a piece of music, the player needs an instrument that is both responsive and easy to play. This instrument will fill the room with sound while providing shining trebles and deep slightly growly bass. That’s the wonderful Spanish guitar sound that we all love so much. And the ergonomics of this instrument will make your hands very happy.
I strive to bring out the best tone from the wood chosen for the instrument and to make the instrument stress free for both hands. My instruments are hand built by myself in my home workshop from quality raw materials. I have no employees and have no outsourcing of labor. I select wood for each instrument for acoustical and structural properties and simply will not use wood for an instrument that does not meet my standards.
Guitar Design and Pricing
Concert model:
These guitars are built using the best woods I can acquire and are hand made to bring out the best sound that I can out of these excellent materials. The rosette is custom made for this guitar. The sides are laminated to bring out the best projection on the instrument. The tuners I use are typically Gotoh Premium tuners, which are top quality.
You can select from many different species of woods that I have available for your guitar. Between commissions, I build the guitars that I think will be optimal for a cohesive sound and look. These instruments are presented on the Guitars-Available page on this site.
I use frequency analysis paired with the visceral feel of flexibility on the top braces to tune each brace for optimal sound. My goal is to consistently present a pleasing sound with enough complex overtones to make the instrument a joy to be heard.
Note that I do not build double-top instruments. I believe an instrument should be a legacy and last beyond the lifetime of the user. Over so many years, the instrument will undoubtedly require an occasional repair. Since I cannot repair a double top, I cannot see bringing a new one into the world to be disposed of at first accident.
The plantilla (body outline) is the extremely pleasing shape shown above. This is the same outline that my mentor Master Luthier Peter Oberg used on his beautiful instruments. I have two sizes of body available, and have lately been focusing mostly on the smaller body plantilla. See more about my work and affiliation with Peter on the About Us page.
The top is built using a traditional Spanish fan bracing pattern. This pattern is the best way to get that Spanish sound that most users are seeking. Braces are adhered to the top using traditional hot hide glue.
The scale length is either 645mm or 650mm. The standard nut is 52mm wide that allows a generous fingerboard width that helps prevent pulling the strings off the edge of the fingerboard. The fingerboard is slightly radiused to make barre chords easier to form, and slightly oversized frets are used to also help with forming chords. This results in a very comfortable instrument to play. Scale length and nut width are customizable on commissioned instruments without additional charge.
Price starts at $5000.00 for my concert models. For California sales, state sales taxes must be applied to the purchase.
Student model:
Occasionally, I try building something new. All of my first experiments in a new model of guitar are sold as student models. Also, when I have a decent inventory of available concert guitars, I will start a student model just to keep the pipeline busy. The ideal candidate for a student guitar would be a young music student starting out and wanting an instrument better than they would find in a standard retail environment.
I build the student models with the same care and methods as my concert models. The body shape is the same, the bracing styles are the same, and the care put into the instrument is always there. The main differences are:
- When I buy wood, I buy in quantities for many guitars at a time. Some of the wood is spectacular and goes into the concert models. Other woods are not as showy and these are used in the student guitars. These are still great quality woods, just not as perfect as the others.
- I don’t build a custom rosette for the student models. I use a purchased classical guitar rosette to save time and effort.
- I don’t add extra optional features such as sound ports, arm rests, or laminated sides. Just the simple basics of a classical guitar.
- The tuners are more affordable. I usually use Rubner tuners that have features just about as nice as the Gotoh Premium tuners with a simpler plate pattern.
- I use East Indian Rosewood for the fingerboard and bridge.
- I do not build student models to order.
Price starts at $2500.00 for my student models. For California sales, state sales taxes must be applied to the purchase.
Warranty information
Your instrument is covered by a 5 year warranty for the original purchaser only. Local San Diego owners can drop the guitar off at my shop for a free checkup at 6 months after purchase so I can make any action adjustments necessary as the guitar settles. Distant customers should seek their favorite local repairman for these minor adjustments at their own cost. I will be glad to service setup needs for my customers at nominal rates beyond the 6 month free service.
Contact me with the instrument number to start any service or warranty repair request.
This warranty does not cover neglect of the instrument. Water damage, physical abuse such as dropping, or issues due to extreme heat are not covered. This instrument should be treated as you would treat a child or a pet, so please do not abuse it by leaving it inside a closed up car on a hot summer day. All quality guitars are sensitive to humidity, and extreme dry conditions in your house can lead to structural cracks in the top or back which can be repaired but are not covered by the warranty.
If the instrument requires shipping for service, then the shipping costs to/from my shop will be split with the customer.