Each top is treated individually, and the braces are fully or partially scalloped, depending on soundboard stiffness and the customer's tonal preference. We usually leave the treble side of the top brace thicker, which produces a balanced mid-range and treble that still pulls out powerful bass undertones. A medium-sized maple bridge plate combines tonal response with stability. Our back braces are also red spruce, shaped in a tall thin triangular pattern that adds to the crispness of the sound.
Our guitars are built with a 25” scale length, which in our opinion is optimal for both comfort and tone. The neck/body joint consists of a fitted dovetail joint that is bolted, not glued. This system combines traditional construction methods with the ability to easily adjust the neck angle afforded by the modern "bolt on" method. The fingerboards feature a compound radius that is approximately 12” at the nut, and 16” at the end of the fingerboard. Our two standard nut widths are 1 3/4” and 1 11/16”.
Bridges are made of ebony and, depending on the neck width, have either a 2 1/8" or 2 1/4" string spacing. Bridge pins are slotted and made of ebony, while the saddles are made of bone. Rosewood bridges are available upon request.
We are proud to use an eco-friendly, water-based finish on our guitars. The added work involved with water-based finish is far outweighed by its acoustical and aesthetic advantages. We meticulously apply and level the finish to a final thickness of only a few thousandths of an inch, allowing the wood to vibrate freely. Our finish has a beautiful natural look, much like an old varnish finish, which tends to subtly conform to the wood in a pleasing way that, in our opinion makes the guitar far more elegant than the perfect flat plastic looking sheets that many modern finishes produce. We buff the finish to a mirror gloss everywhere on the guitar except for the back of the neck, which is hand rubbed to a satin finish for optimum playability.