Soundboard
My soundboards are made from either Western Red Cedar or Engelmann Spruce, both sourced from a very consistent supply in British Columbia.
Both are of the highest quality and the choice is determined by the underlying tonal characteristic you seek - cedar for extra warmth, spruce for ultimate clarity.
Back and sides
I offer a number of standard choices for back and side timber, each of which adds something of its own character to the instrument's tone.
Indian Rosewood is the traditional choice for its acoustic and visual warmth.
A number of Australian hardwoods are increasingly recognised by luthiers around the world as superior tonewoods. Australian Blackwood is probably the best known of these. It is related to, and considered to be every bit as good as, Hawaiian Koa. I am pleased to be able to offer currently a range of beautifully figured Australian Blackwood which is both acoustically and visually stunning.
Australian Cedar has long been prized as a cabinet timber because of its rich, russet brown colour and silky lustre. What is less well known is that it is an exceptional tonewood which adds its own sweet, warm tone.
Neck
I use a number of timbers for necks including Australian Cedar, Queensland Maple, Makore and Amboyna. All are stable, straight-grained timbers and the choice is largely determined by the choice of timber for back and sides.
Hardware
I fit Gotoh and Schaller tuning machines as standard fitments. Both are excellent machines offering very good quality at a reasonable price. Other fitments are available at additional cost.
Fretboard and Bridge
There is a choice of ebony or Indian Rosewood for the fretboard. Bridges are either Indian Rosewood or Padauk.
Bindings/headstock
The choice of timbers for bindings and headstock includes ebony, macasser ebony, gutta percha, tiger myrtle, and blackwood. The choice of materials for back and sides will determine the binding and headstock veneer materials.