Body: Reynolds Concert Grande

Woods: Eastern Hard Birdseye Curly Maple, Alaskan Yellow Spruce, Eastern Hard Birdseye Curly Maple neck, Black and White Ebony fingerboard and bridge, Amboyna Burl headplate, backstrap and tie block, Bloodwood binding and internal structure.

Construction Details: 650mm. 18-hole bridge. Flamenco braced Swiss Moon Spruce, Bloodwood bracing and lining, Reynolds C Block architecture neck block in Honduran Mahogany, Carbon fiber reinforced neck, 3-piece heel stack, headstock veneer and backstrap in flitch cut Amboyna Burl. German Rubner tuners with Ivoroid buttons. Evo fret wire, Water Buffalo bone nut and saddle.

Notes: This flamenco, designed for a client with a powerful singing voice, demonstrates how a luthier can intersect tradition with a unique set of woods. A flamboyant look for this guitar combines highly figured local maple with rare exotic woods. The Black and White Ebony bridge has an Amboyna Burl tie block finished off with black Buffalo horn, and employs an 18 hole string set which locks the string ends in place and ensures no dreaded string slap. A bright sound in maple, tempered by the cedar top, the full-depth body projects loudly. Quick note decay maintains a clear sound against the volume produced by this instrument. Finished in nitrocellulose lacquer.

Hear this guitar.  

Body: 1937 Hermann Hauser

Woods: Master grade Lutz Spruce, Old growth Brazilian Rosewood back and sides, Honduran Mahogany neck, Madagascar Ebony fretboard, Macassar Ebony binding, Brazilian Rosewood bridge and headplate.

Construction Details: This guitar is a faithful copy of the 1937 Hauser which Andrés Segovia played for approximately 30 years. Standard Hauser bracing using Swiss Moon Spruce. A few minor departures include my 18 hole bridge which ensures locking in the string ends, and the lack of headstock purfling which I find distracting. Tuners are Rubners from Germany crafted in the Hauser style.

Notes: I had the good fortune of meeting Mr. Segovia a few times in my youth, as a budding classical guitar student, so this particular interpretation of the classical guitar always holds special interest for me. This guitar is well balanced with a fast neck which assures precise position changes. Clear note definition and sweet, nuanced trebles in the upper registers. The bass is profondo yet well balanced against the mid and treble voices.

Body: Hauser based

Woods: Curly Macassar Ebony, Bearclaw Sitka Spruce, Spanish Cedar neck with Snakewood and maple laminates, Snakewood Fretboard, Snakewood bridge, Snakewood appointments, Whirling wheel radial rosette in Macassar Ebony

Construction Details: 7 brace Swiss Moon Spruce, Cedar lining and back bracing, Reynolds C Block architecture neck in Spanish Cedar, rosewood/maple laminate bridge plate, progressive heel stack, headstock veneer and backstrap in matching Curly Macassar Ebony, double reverse maple back purfling. Gilbert tuners with Snakewood buttons. Evo fret wire, buffalo horn nut and buffalo bone nut.

Notes: This one of a kind classical guitar employs woods rarely seen in such an instrument. The Classica Negra has a rare set of Curly Macassar Ebony coupled with very stiff bearclaw spruce from Alaska. The appointments are all made from Snakewood including the hand carved bridge, which uses an 18 hole string set which locks the string ends in place and ensures no dreaded string slap. With a well balanced sound, this guitar demonstrates clear projection and note separation one would expect from a rosewood instrument. The asymmetrical neck carve provides very smooth transitions when playing complex Spanish pieces that require quick upper fret position movements. Finished in nitrocellulose lacquer with a French Polish top.