|
All guitars come standard with a case and Sloane tuning
machines or ebony pegs. All guitars are entirely finished in a hand
applied French Polish of shellac.
All guitars
sold in Massachusetts are subject to 5% sales tax. Cost of shipping
is the responsibility of the customer.
Commissions
require a deposit of 1/3 of the total cost. A second payment of 1/3
of the total cost is due when the instrument is halfway complete and
the remaining payment is due when the instrument is complete.
I can ship instruments in stock for approval upon
receiving a cashier's or bank check for the total price of the instrument.
The customer will have 48 hours after receiving shipment to decide whether
they wish to keep the instrument. If the guitar is returned within this
48 hour period, I will refund payment. If the instrument is not returned
within 48 hours, it will be considered sold. All
costs for shipping and insurance are the responsibility of the customer.
Prices are subject to change. The price of a commissioned
guitar will be locked in once the initial deposit is received. The prices
listed below (with the exception of Presentation Series Guitars) are
base prices and various things such as the aesthetics can raise the
price. Guitars in stock are not always priced within the guidelines
listed below.
I have listed the most common tonewoods I offer. I also
have available African Blackwood, Koa and European Flame Maple for the
back and sides of the guitar. The choice of top wood for the guitar
is not a factor in the price. I use either spruce or western red cedar
for the tops of my guitars.
Spruce:
I use
three varieties of spruce for my guitars. I am very happy to use Canadian
Englemann spruce, European spruce and a variety of European spruce
known as Italian red spruce. I pick all my tonewoods based on their
acoustic and structural qualities, independent of their nationality.
This is to say that I use the top that I feel is most appropriate
for the sound and response that I am looking for when I am starting
a guitar.
Western Red Cedar:
I have
found an enormous range in physical characteristics in the cedar that
is available today. I have been fortunate in finding a tonewood supplier
that has high altitude cedar with enormous cross grain stiffness.
This is not always the case with cedar and in guitarmaking terms,
extra stiffness without extra mass is a good thing. I strive to build
a cedar guitar that retains the large full sound associated with cedar
without sacrificing clarity or separation.
Mediterranean Cypress Guitars: $5500.00
U.S.
Mediterranean Cypress is a tonewood that is usually
used for flamenco guitars, but I have had great success building classical
guitars in cypress as well. I find that while it tends to give a lighter
body to the sound, it also provides great sensitivity to tone. Volume
and projection are excellent.
Indian
Rosewood Guitars: $5500.00 U.S.
My personal feelings toward Indian Rosewood is that
it is a greatly undervalued tonewood. I offer Indian Rosewood as my
lowest priced rosewood guitar due to the fact that I feel strongly about
not discouraging potential clients. Many luthiers have preferred Indian
Rosewood over other rosewoods because of it's lighter weight and great
stability. Both of which can offer great tonal advantages. The quality
of Indian Rosewood available is excellent.
Madagascar Rosewood Guitars: $6500.00 U.S.
This is an exciting tonewood for me to be able to
offer. I consider this wood to be the best bang for the buck. It is
an excellent Brazilian rosewood alternative in that it is acoustically
very similar, visually almost impossible to tell apart and the quality
of the wood is stellar. I love this wood.
Brazilian Rosewood Guitars: $8500.00 U.S.
What can be said about Brazilian rosewood that hasn't
already been said? This is the king of tonewoods and I feel very strongly
about only building from the kind of wood that made Brazilian famous
in the first place. Most Brazilian on the market is not of instrument
quality and would never be made into guitars if it wasn't Brazilian.
I offer only very old Pre-CITES listed wood with which any luthier at
any point in history would have been proud to build. As a result, I
have to spend quite a bit of money to acquire wood of this caliber.
It is worth it for me because I feel that it makes for a more stable
guitar and a better sounding one too.
Presentation
Series Guitars:
starting at $10,500.00 U.S.
These guitars are by commission only. I use my finest
materials and a no holds barred approach to the visual impact.
These are my ultimate instruments. These guitars are meant to be heirlooms
and collection pieces but still have to be the best sounding and playing
instruments that I can produce. Presentation Series Guitars are fitted
with handmade tuners by Rodgers.
Other Options
I am always interested in hearing from my clients
and am very open to their input. There are many options available on
any guitar, and are too numerous to mention. While some affect the price,
many do not. All inquiries are welcome as I enjoy the collaboration
involved in creating an instrument that will be custom tailored to the
needs of the individual guitarist. |