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, not the Greg Smallman lattice variety which are obviously very heavily built and very responsive, but which produce a different kind of sound world and have a very different feel to play), 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, with a well-domed top. The strutting pattern for supporting the top which I currently employ for model 12 is asymmetric and uses 6 fan struts ( no centre strut) and a bridge pad. I have found that this improves evenness and balance. The dimensions and positioning of the struts and the precise doming of the top have been arrived at by experiment. The thicknessing of front, 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. 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 back bars and linings cedrela is used. The guitar is constructed face down in a low-sided mould ( see picture on left). 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. 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. This finish is favoured not only for its beauty (its refractive index is close to that of the wood itself, so that you have an impression of depth looking into it) but because it can be applied in a thin, flexible layer which does not inhibit the movement of the timbers. It is also easy to repair and does not chip or crack or craze like harder lacquers.

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 - the tuning gear and fret-wire.

The small-bodied guitar pictured left shows a very traditional symmetrical fan arrangement typical of Antonio de Torres, appropriate for a guitar of this style. Model 10 ( another Torres-based plantilla) also uses a symmetrical system, but with 7 fan struts (click on the photo)

Please click here for a list of dimensions.