ABOUT my GUITARS
I aim to bring a modern flare to the rich history of Spanish guitar making, crafting my Flamenco and Classical guitars to play with a rich, precise, and percussive sound. My Plantilla design features subtle, flowing shoulders and a distinctly rounded lower bout. I approach body construction and bracing patterns in a way reminiscent of 1930s Santos Hernandez and 1940s Marcelo Barbero guitars.
My instruments are light and balanced in the hands, and comfortable and responsive to play. I tend to shy away from adornments, instead focusing on sonic satisfaction and playability. I primarily select soundboards from Spruce (Engelmann or Lutz) or Cedar (Alaskan yellow or western red).
For back and sides, I focus on locally sourced Port Orford cedar (or cypress) and Australian blackwood, sourced from the cool ancient forests of my naive Otways ranges in Australia’s coastal Victoria. Australian blackwood has a density, hardness, and sound character reminiscent of rosewoods, with a slightly lighter expressive grain.
I French polish all my instruments, and I typically use Schaller Grand Tune machine heads, or Wittner planetary Flamenco pegs.
Details of some of my guitars that are available for sale are listed below, and you can check out videos of all guitars for sale on the video page. I also have some more guitars available that are yet to be uploaded to this website.
Contact me directly for more details or to start a custom guitar order.
Alaskan Yellow Cedar/Cypress Flamenco Guitar #2024-5
Available: $2000
This first guitar constructed in my new Bend, Oregon, workshop, takes advantage of some regional woods, combined with more traditional materials. I use Alaskan yellow cedar for the soundboard, and locally sourced quilted maple for the bridge (dyed black), headplate, tailpiece, bindings, and rosette. The back and sides are cypress, and the neck is Spanish cedar. The fretboard is ebony, which I also used sparingly in the decorative elements to focus the eye on the simple beauty of the maple. Solid cedar linings and AYC braces with a maple and ebony back strip complete the inside. The sound is deep and bright. Total weight is 1196g (2lb, 10 oz).
Italian Spruce/Australian Blackwood Flamenco #2023-4
Available: $2000
This was the last guitar I constructed in my Australian workshop and is a result of discovering a wonderful set of tight-grained Italian mountain spruce that I paired with locally sourced high-figure Australian blackwood back and sides. I complemented these with a pau ferro bridge, red cedar (calantas) neck, and ebony for the fingerboard, head plate, and bindings. The rosette is a mosaic of maple and ebony checker pattern with a blue accented herringbone border. Total weight is 1250g (2lb, 12 oz).
Classical model - Western Red Cedar/Australian Blackwood #2025-6
Available: $2000
For this classical model, I was aiming for a ‘generous’ and resonant sound, combined with a balanced feel and ease of playability. Built around a low-density western red cedar (WRC) soundboard, the moderately figured Australian Blackwood back and sides produce a deep and soulful sound. I opted for a Pau Ferro fingerboard and head plate veneer to add a degree of richness to the wood tone color palette. The bridge is quilted Australian Blackwood. The rosette is a combination of blackwood/maple herringbone and a mosaic of colored maple. Total weight is 1240g (2lb, 12 oz).
Alaskan Cedar/ Port Orford Cedar Flamenco #2025-7
Available: $2000
Combining these two cedars makes for a beautifully responsive and expressive guitar. Quick response, percussive tone and just the right amount of sustain make for a crisp, clear and bright sounding flamenco guitar. I expect this guitar to open up and gain richness with playing. A joy to make, this one is full of the aromatic pleasures of Port Orford cedar and the light construction (with only five fan braces, with neither closing bars nor bridge patch) make for immediate response and a tactile feel through the whole body. Port Orford Cedar neck and an Australian Blackwood bridge add further to a crisp tonality. Wittner flamenco tuning pegs make tuning a pleasure.
Some Previous Builds
