Genuine Materials for Genuine Guitars

Another week is upon us as we get on with the business of creating genuine and authentic American instruments. We like to use premium materials for their beauty and depth as well as their functionality. This morning Dave is trimming a neck with mother of pearl pieces—the biggest ones he can find. In this case, it borders a black ebony fingerboard and matching ebony headstock faceplate.

You can see the finished effect on the headstock curve at the bottom of the photo. Take a close look and you'll notice that the curved piece there is so long that you can't even see the end here. Think about how large the blank had to be in order to cut that curved piece from it. The easy way out is to use a bunch of small pieces and just angle them one-by-one around the curve. But that wouldn't be our way. Our clients are buying the effort not just the effect. Most people wouldn't know the difference, but we're not making these instruments for them.

Another place where we spend more time and money is the string nut. Reclaimed and fossilized Russian ivory has a depth and glow that is far beyond bone or synthetic materials. Not only is it cherished because it is rare and beautiful, it has a hardness and lubricity that helps the string slide through. Here, Todd has just finished setting up a Newport with a Brazilian rosewood fingerboard. We use a graduated spacing that increases as the string gauges increase. Your fingertips sense the space between the strings, not the center of the string. That's why or guitars feel so friendly to play. As always, it's the little things that add up.

Comments

[Gene]

It IS the little things that make a differance.

[kyle]

Fender should get you to design something new for them since they've failed to do anything new for fifty years.

[John Lodger]

Wow, that Iron Butterfly thing is pretty heavy for 42 years old with the pick scrapes and Ritchie Blackmore noises too. Definitely not blues based which might make them the first metal band.