My approach to building instruments is to try to blend traditional skill and knowledge with contemporary science and material. I believe handwork infuses necessary sensitivity and intuition into the process of building high end instruments. I also believe that understanding my instruments and materials on an empirical level infuses better control into the same process.

The Church

Base Price $8000

A contemporary archtop designed with an offset x-brace and high but gently swept asymmetrical arch to achieve a beautifully balanced acoustic instrument with a dynamic range and richness of low and mid-range that is rarely heard in the archtop guitar…

The Steel City

Base Price $8000

An ambitious instrument this was designed as a “contemporary classic”. I studied “traditional” archtops from Germany, France and the US from the 1930’s and 50’s and used the elements I saw to create an instrument that is fresh and new but…

SDG-1

Base Price $8000

“The SDG1 is a flat-top steel string instrument which represents many years of various incarnations of this design. Of all my instruments, this one has gone through the most iterations to reach the point it is at now. An instrument that is truly unique in voice with…

Custom

Through the course of my career I’ve built a bit of a reputation for embracing exciting and different one-off projects. There is nothing I’m afraid to dive into and I love the challenge, the risk and the triumph of using my skills and knowledge to create something truly special in the world of…

“A GUITAR IS AN EASY THING TO MAKE.
A WORLD CLASS INSTRUMENT
ON THE OTHER HAND IS NOT. “

In order for an instrument to rise above the rest it must have the perfect balance of tasteful and thoughtful design, aesthetic beauty and harmony, a tonal balance between power and sensititvity, character of tone, dynamic range, and an effortless playability. These things each in their own right represent years of patience and dedication. An almost monk like approach and willingness to serve the instrument and craft in order to make each instrument better than the last.

MATERIALS

Materials are everything. Choosing the right material for the right job is crucial for not just building the best instruments I can but building them in a wise and ethical manner. I enjoy discovering new materials that help me solve problems.