122 Green Acres Drive
Burlington, VT 05408
ph: 802-865-0028
craig
News and projects
Here are some shots of a new archtop I just finished. It has a flat back so it has the sound of the archtop treble and the sound of the flatop bass.
My current guitar. An A-1.
Above are a few shots of a guitar I built for the 2011 Montreal Guitar Show. The soundboard is made from a spruce beam that came from a building that was constructed in the 1860's (right around the civil war). Talk about character!! This guitar is LIGHT! --and it has a great sound when tapped.
This guitar is so light and responsive it is amazing. I really tried hard to voice this one for brilliant harmonics and a crystalline sound, and it worked! The bass is very large, strong and articulate while being both clear and nicely warm at the same time.
The rosette is local spalted maple and the fingerboard inlay is of a maple leaf to bring that fact into focus.--
Above is the top and back for the A-2 (my small body guitar) that I built for the 2011 Montreal Guitar Show. The top is made from a 160 year old beam. The back is cocobolo.
News flash-- I decided to make a special rosette for my "beam top" guitars. They are very special and this rosette will show it.
See photo below:
Below is the top for the A-2 I built for the Montreal Guitar Show- with the special rosette.
The shot above shows a beam from a covered bridge built around 1860. It'll make excellent tonewood!!
Check out this amplifier I just got from Terry at D-Labs Amplifiers. This guy makes and retores the coolest amps going. He is the nicest guy and really has great customer care. The amp he put together for me is an old Newcomb 5 watt. He rebuilt the whole thing, did multiple upgrades and shipped it ready for me to put into the 40's radio case I bought to house it in. The speaker cabinet is a speaker extension cabinet from an old Ampro film projector. I built a special stand for the whole set up out of barn board. The whole thing sounds unbelievably good. Give Terry a shout and find out how cool it is to have an amp built just for you!!!
Here's a link to Terry's site.
I am about to begin building a new line of three styles of multi-necked instruments. Starting with the A-1 framework they will combine either a 12 string and a mandolin neck, a 6 string and a tenor 12 string neck or a 6 string with an added bouzouki neck. (I am open to other ideas about what combination to use- if someone wants something special to meet their needs.)
Here is the first drawing of a six string/short 12 string. The 12 string neck is the same scale as the 6 string but the headstock joins the neck at what would normally be the 2nd fret. This has the same effect as tuning down to D and capoing on the 2nd fret- but no capo needed. It also gives more room for the fingers at the first position. I'm thinking I like the idea of tuning this neck to DADGAD for an even more "slack-key" sound.
I will post photos of my work on these special instruments as they progress. Hope you will stop in and check it out and follow along as I build.
More Information
122 Green Acres Drive
Burlington, VT 05408
ph: 802-865-0028
craig
