click to enlarge

I build instruments which are both light and strong, finding an optimum for the sound quality without compromising the longevity of the guitar. A heavily built guitar will not respond quickly enough ( I am talking about traditional spanish guitars here), and one which is too light may not have sufficient focus or weight of note, and will be prone to damage and distortion over time.

Construction methods

In the past I have successfully used a traditional, symmetrical, Torres style fan-bracing system ( see photo), with a well-domed top. The strutting pattern for supporting the top which I currently employ for model 13 is asymmetric and uses 6 fan struts ( no centre strut) and two end-bars. I found that this asymmetry further improves evenness and balance. I have experimented with systems employing an under bridge strut or pad which have also produced excellent results. The process of learning by such experimentation is crucial. The dimensions and positioning of the struts and the precise doming of the top and its thicknessing are also arrived at by a process of experiment and evolution, and are altered and refined from batch to batch in an effort to always improve on what I've done before. The thicknessing of back and sides is something which varies according to the strength and density of the materials being used, so every component of every guitar is thicknessed according to "feel" rather than to a set of pre-determined measurements, in order to get the best out of the materials. Spruce is used for the struts on the top, and also for the tentallones ( the small triangular section blocks which glue the top to the sides). For the neck, back bars and linings cedrela or mahogany is used. The guitar is constructed face down in a low-sided mould. The neck goes right through into the body in one piece, using the traditional spanish method, the ribs (sides) slotting in to saw cuts made in the sides of the neck/heel block ( see photo on left). Once the back has been fitted the guitar can be removed from the mould. Then the bindings and purflings ( decorative inlays around the edge of the front, sides and back) are added. The last components to be added are the fingerboard ( ebony) and bridge ( brazilian rosewood). Once these are in place and the fretwork completed, the neck can be carved and all the finishing work commences, preparing the wood with graded papers until it is ready for polishing.

All instruments are french-polished by hand with a rubber ( no spraying or brushing), which means a beautiful finish can be achieved with a thin flexible layer - this is especially important for the top, so that it's movement is not impeded. French polish is a totally organic material derived from the secretions of the larvae of the lac beetle "Coccus lacca" in India and other parts of south-east Asia. The material is gathered and processed in various ways, ending up with thin sheets that are crushed into small pieces. This is the state that most french polishers acquire it in. Before it can be used it must first be dissolved in alcohol. The polish is applied using a rubber ( a wad of absorbent cotton covered with a cloth) lubricated with a little vegetable or mineral oil. As it dries the alcohol evaporates and the shellac returns to it's hard state. As each layer hardens, another one can be applied until the desired result is achieved. This finish is much more beautiful than synthetic ones because its refractive index is close to that of the wood, so you have an impression of depth looking into it. It doesn't chip, crack or craze like synthetic finishes and can also be easily repaired by a skillful polisher.

All bindings, purflings and rosettes are designed and made by me. Everything, in fact, is manufactured in the workshop with the exception of the metal-work - i.e. the tuning gear and fret-wire.