Special Designs

Just about every order starts with size. The body styles I make stem from tradition, and are referred to as such, ie: “OM” or “D”.  From there, the discussion can cover hand size and physical stature, right hand technique (flat pick, finger style, heavy or light strumming, or any combination in between), tonal character, aesthetics, other instruments they may already own, and of course budget.  Designing a particular instrument for a particular person is quite possibly my favorite aspect of guitar making.  As I have mentioned before, I don’t particularly like making spec guitars.  I much prefer making a guitar to suit a specific player and all of their individual needs.  Figuring out how to do that, whether it’s their first custom guitar or their tenth, is a process and journey we must embark on together.  

I have three categories that each one of my guitars fits within: Classic, Limited, and Style 45.  The primary two categories are Classic and Limited, each one providing unique options and tone wood packages to suit most players.  But again, every guitar I make is a custom guitar. There really are no formal boundaries, and each client and their particular tastes and needs can easily be accommodated within either, often blurring the line between the two. However, the size, OM for instance, is the same in either of the three categories.  In other words, I offer my OM size in the OM-Classic, the OM-LTD., and the OM-45 options.  Within each of these, one can select from one of three standard neck options offered.  I have handled enough guitars in my lifetime to confidently say that nearly every player can be satisfied playing one of these three neck shapes. There are of course times where a custom neck shape is wanted. This is fine, but will carry with it an appropriate adjustment in billing.  So, let’s get into the specifics…