WELCOME TO THE WORKSHOP
Where the magic happens!
Welcome to my workshop.
Sometimes it clean and sometimes its messy, but there is always a guitar or two in there.
This is where the magic happens, it is my space where I can relax, think, create and forget about all the troubles of the world.
The majority of my craftmanship is done with traditional hand tools, using traditional methods. Although I do use a couple of small machines such as my router and small bandsaw to remove the bulk of timber. The rest is done with hand tools such as, handsaws, hand planes, chisels, rasps, files and a lot of abrasive papers!
I prefer to work this way as not only do I enjoy the feel of working with hand tools, but I believe it yields better results and gives each guitar that I make a unique individuality of its own.
I also have a small dust free spray room in my workshop where I apply my nitrocellulose finishes.
Timber
Wood, glorious wood forms the most part of nearly any guitar. It affects not only the way that the guitars look but also the ways in which they feel, and sound. whilst you can build and electric guitar out of... erm.. well anything really, wood is by far the most superior medium to use. It is strong, it can be well balanced and is tonally resonant.
Different species of timber provide different qualities in terms of aesthetics, weight and resonance.
Common timbers used in the building of an electric guitar are: Maple (neck, fingerboards and body caps) Walnut (bodies and necks) Mahogany species such as Sapele or Honduras Cedar (mostly bodies but necks as well) Ash (bodies) Swamp Ash (a lightweight alternative to regular Ash, used for bodies) Ebony (fingerboards) Rosewood species (typically for fingerboards, but is now restricted from import or export by CITES, unless it is part of a finished musical instrument) Pau Ferro (fast becoming the alternative to Rosewood)
Click below to see a selection of different timbers