Standard Classic Model
My instruments are based on the Torres/Hauser tradition in design, and are tailored to the individual. Aesthetics are important to me and are also addressed individually. My basic model has either a spruce (European or Engelmann) or cedar top; East Indian rosewood, cocobolo, European maple, Spanish cypress, or mahogany back and sides; Spanish cedar or Honduras mahogany neck; ebony fingerboard; CSA rosewood bridge; and either a mosaic or a natural-state wood rosette. String scales are usually 65 cm, 65.5 cm, or 66 cm; string spacings are 43 mm at the nut and 57 mm at the saddle, although other scales and spacings can be accommodated. Necks are Spanish heel construction and are shaped according to the customer’s preference, with either a slotted head to accommodate tuning machines, or a solid head to accommodate Pegheds™ tuners. All instruments are French polished, applied by the traditional method by my partner, Cyndy Burton. Refer to the Policy page for other options and prices.
The guitars that have influenced my building most significantly remain Andrés Segovia’s 1937 Hermann Hauser Sr.; Julian Breams’s 1973 José Romanillos; and Pepe Romero’s 1856 Antonio de Torres. Taken together, the sound of these guitars are at the core of a larger, more expanded sound in my head. My search for this sound has been ongoing, and in January 1990 I produced the design that had been evolving in my imagination for years: a re-design of the open harmonic bar concept. To date, this has come the closest to satisfying that sound in my mind’s ear.
Classical Interior Top
The traditional closed-harmonic-bar top and fan bracing design has been the standard used since Spanish luthier Antonio de Torres (1817-1892) evolved what became his universally accepted version over 150 years ago. In the mid-1920s, German luthier Hermann Hauser Sr. (1884-1952) began to refine Torres’ design, bringing it into the 20th century. Torres and Hauser each used their own versions of both the closed-and open-harmonic-bar designs although the latter was used far less often, not because it did not produce a desirable sound, but because it could undermine the top’s structural stability. Since January of 1990 I have been using my interpretation of the open-harmonic-bar design and believe it avoids the structural risk without sacrificing its benefits: A more immediate response to touch; an overall increase in volume and projection; a larger envelope for the player; a broader tonal and dynamic range; more upper-partial and harmonic response with greater sustain; and a more mature sound as a new instrument. However, I’ve noticed that after ten to twenty years of use, several of my older closed-harmonic-bar instruments compare quite favorably to instruments of the newer design, and I remain pleased to build the closed-bar design for those who still prefer it, and continue to use it for my flamenco guitars.
The guitars that have influenced my building most significantly remain Andrés Segovia’s 1937 Hermann Hauser Sr.; Julian Breams’s 1973 José Romanillos; and Pepe Romero’s 1856 Antonio de Torres. Taken together, the sound of these guitars are at the core of a larger, more expanded sound in my head. My search for this sound has been ongoing, and in January 1990 I produced the design that had been evolving in my imagination for years: a re-design of the open harmonic bar concept. To date, this has come the closest to satisfying that sound in my mind’s ear.
Classical Interior Top
The traditional closed-harmonic-bar top and fan bracing design has been the standard used since Spanish luthier Antonio de Torres (1817-1892) evolved what became his universally accepted version over 150 years ago. In the mid-1920s, German luthier Hermann Hauser Sr. (1884-1952) began to refine Torres’ design, bringing it into the 20th century. Torres and Hauser each used their own versions of both the closed-and open-harmonic-bar designs although the latter was used far less often, not because it did not produce a desirable sound, but because it could undermine the top’s structural stability. Since January of 1990 I have been using my interpretation of the open-harmonic-bar design and believe it avoids the structural risk without sacrificing its benefits: A more immediate response to touch; an overall increase in volume and projection; a larger envelope for the player; a broader tonal and dynamic range; more upper-partial and harmonic response with greater sustain; and a more mature sound as a new instrument. However, I’ve noticed that after ten to twenty years of use, several of my older closed-harmonic-bar instruments compare quite favorably to instruments of the newer design, and I remain pleased to build the closed-bar design for those who still prefer it, and continue to use it for my flamenco guitars.