luthier
Instruments for Sale
Pavilion Sweep
This Pavilion Sweep is made with black walnut back and sides salvaged from an American-made19th century church organ that was resident in a Nottinghamshire church until recently. It contains a wealth of musical history. The sound board is European spruce cut from some trees that master luthier José Romanillos selected and bought in the 1970s. The neck is reclaimed mahogany and the fingerboard and bridge are bog oak from a tree that grew in England around 5,300 years ago.
As a nod to the guitar's 'organic' origins I have created a keyboard-inspired motif in the rosette and head facing made with bog oak and holly.
Lower bout width: 400mm
Depth at tail: 115mm
Nut width: 45mm
Scale length 650mm
The guitar has a Manzer wedge body so it is a nice slim fit under the right forearm. It is lightweight and responsive with a tactile Osmo Oil finish which lets the wood breathe and is quite hard-wearing. The machine heads are Gotoh 510 minis - elegant and functional.
The guitar comes with a Hiscox Pro II case.
£3850
Pergola Crossover
This nylon string guitar is braced for the sound of a classical but has features that will appeal to players used to playing steel string guitars. The nut is 48mm and the fingerboard has a 16" radius. It incorporates my sweep cutaway giving excellent access to the upper frets without having to alter the left hand position. The bridge is in the centre of the circular lower bout where it can drive the soundboard most readily.
Lower bout width: 360mm
Depth at tail: 105mm
Nut width: 48mm
Scale length 650mm
The soundboard is European spruce, the back and sides osage orange, which has wonderful resonant qualities akin to Brazilian rosewood. The neck is reclaimed Honduras mahogany and the fingerboard is 5,300 year-old bog oak and the bridge Indian rosewood. The head veneer and rosette are yew assembled in a 'crazy paving' design. The machine heads are new old stock Landstorfer brand (as used by Hermann Hauser) from the 1970s. The finish is Osmo oil which gives a nice tactile sheen.
Complete with Hiscox case
£3575
Obelisk
This is the prototype of my Obelisk model. The body is sapele, the body cap and head veneer are pieces of yew, the fingerboard is laburnum, and the neck is Honduras mahogany from an old shelf. The scale length is 650mm (25.6").
The pickups are humbuckers wound by myself. The controls are simple - volume, tone and three way selector switch.
Machine heads are Schertler and the bridge is a Gotoh wrapover with very low profile.
The finish is Osmo oil.
Complete with Hiscox hard case.
The guitar has been played and has a few minute marks on the top so I'm offering it at a discounted price.
Price £1700
Arbour 13-Fret
This Arbour has a 13 fret body join so that while the bridge can be close to the widest part of the lower bout there is still good access to the upper frets. It also features a Manzer wedge across the body which allows a deeper body than normal but with the usual slim side depth on the bass side where it tucks under the player's right arm.
The soundboard is English yew - an unusual soundboard wood which gives a rich complexity to the sound, back and sides are French pear and the neck reclaimed Honduras mahogany. The fingerboard is 5,300-year-old bog oak, as is the bridge, the binding and the background to the rosette and head veneer. The white dots in the fingerboard, rosette and head veneer are English holly.
Lower bout width: 380mm
Depth at tail: 105mm
Nut width: 45mm
Scale length 650mm
The frets are EVO Gold and the machine heads Gotoh 510 Minis.
The guitar is finished in Osmo oil giving a beautiful matt sheen that is very tactile and allows the player to feel connected to the wood.
Complete with Hiscox ProII case.
£3575
You can see and hear this guitar being played by Rich Archer Dytch here.
Pergola
This Pergola model has a lower bout derived from a 180mm radius circle, with the bridge in its centre.
The soundboard, back and sides are made of beautiful Honduras mahogany salvaged from an 18th century square piano. This is its second time round as a musical instrument. The neck is made from mahogany salvaged from a pool table. The fingerboard, bridge and head veneer are all made from English holly with bog oak for the inlays.
Lower bout width: 360mm
Depth at tail: 105mm
Nut width: 45mm
Scale length 650mm
The frets are EVO Gold and the machine heads Gotoh 510 Minis.
The guitar is finished in Osmo oil giving a beautiful matt sheen that is very tactile and allows the player to feel connected to the wood.
Complete with Hiscox ProII case.
£3500