| Handbuilt guitars |
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Although most of the guitars I work on are repairs and restorations, I've built around 60 guitars and a small number of basses and banjos.
In the 1970s and 1980s, I was often asked to build Fender- or Gibson-style electrics to 'vintage standards', because manufacturing standards at the 'Big Two' had fallen so sharply. These days, manufacturing standards are generally much better, and it's only worth custom-building if you want something different and distinctive. I often use exotic timbers such as flame or quilted bigleaf maple. As with my rebuilds and restoration, I only use nitro-cellulose, the traditional product for finishing high quality fretted instruments. Though slower to apply than urethane and other modern finishes, it provides a very attractive 'soft gloss', and ages gracefully. Please remember that hand-building is labour-intensive and takes time - 3-4 months is usually the minimum. The photo galleries pages showcase some of my creations. Please contact me if you have a project you want to discuss. |
 Flame maple Tele  Burgundy mist Strat  Imbuya Strat |
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 Metallic blue P-J bass |
 Fiesta red double bound Tele |
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 Flametop LP |
 Ice blue Strat |
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