All body styles have the same base price, depending on the type of guitar: solid top, doubletop or tailpiece. Tailpiece guitars are always doubletops. The possible variations in wood selection and trim details are many more than can be listed and exactly priced here. If you have a specific request or vision for your guitar, we will take plenty of time to talk about possibilities. Many dimensions such as scales, neck width, string spacing, number of frets at body junction, and neck profile can be customized to your requirements for no extra charge.
Solid Top (x-braced with pin bridge): $4200
Doubletop (light x-braced with pin bridge): $4800
Tailpiece (ultra-light bracing with interlocking bridge): $5200
STANDARD FEATURES:
Body wood: I include many types of reasonably priced tonewoods in the standard pricing. In addition to East Indian Rosewood and mahogany, you also have a choice of some nice grades of cocobolo, walnut, koa, ovangkol, bubinga, padauk, higuerilla and others, depending on what I have in stock. Some people spend a tremendous amount of time trying to decide which tonewoods to order. In my opinion it is easiest to separate the body woods into 4 groups:
• heavy to very heavy, and very resonant - includes most rosewoods, bloodwood
• medium weight, and very resonant - hormigo, padauk, higuerilla
• medium weight, and resonant - ovangkol, some koa
• medium weight and neutral - walnut, maple, mahogany, some koa
Soundboard: My standard tonewood is lutz/kermodie spruce, a natural hybrid from British Columbia, that I believe to be one of the best top woods in the world. Western Red cedar or redwood are also available as standard. Doubletops usually have the top and/or bottom skin made from spruce or cedar, with cedar and nomex honeycomb in the core. I select for acoustic quality first and appearance second, meaning that I often use "interesting" wood with streaks of color or wavering grain.
Soundboard bracing: Either lutz/kermodie or Adirondack/red spruce.
Neck: mahogany, walnut or cherry, laminated or solid, Solid necks use a scarfed headstock and heel block, as this allows for a stronger construction and less waste. Choice of headstock backing laminate or hand carved volute. All necks use a 2-way adjustable truss rod with 2 carbon fiber reinforcing rods. All necks are user adjustable for setting the action, either from inside the box or outside.
Trim: hardwood bindings with striped purling on top, back, sides and neck. Headstock includes matching binding. Fretboards are always bound. Ebony, curly maple, curly eucalyptus, cocobolo, bloodwood, curly walnut, mahogany, and other woods are generally standard, The only extra cost binding woods would be curly koa, or various exotics like brazilian rosewood or ziricote.
Headstock, rosette, tail end graft, pick guard: matching burled veneer, saturated and hardened with epoxy resin. Rosette includes hardwood inner ring around the soundhole, such as cherry, walnut or maple. A single abalone ring is a free option in the rosette also.
Nut and saddle: bone
Frets: Extra-hard "Evo" fretwire for longer life
Bridge: ebony, padauk, hormigo, or rosewood family
Fretboard: ebony, bloodwood, rosewood family
Tuners: Gotoh 510s in basic models, or Waverlys in basic models.
Interior: solid linings on most models, and laminated flying buttress neck block support
Case: Ameritage heavy-duty
Extra Cost Options:
Fancy grades of body woods, such as various rosewoods, curly koa, ziricote, or exceptional grades of walnut will add anywhere from $100 to $500. Brazilian rosewood can add $600 to $2500. Master grade soundboards will add from $100 to $500. European and Adirondack spruce tops are available options.
Note about "Master" grade tonewoods: There are no standards for what qualifies as master grade, but almost always, it is visual appearance rather than acoustic qualities that elevate quality tonewoods from "AAA" grade to "master" status.
There are endless options possible - here are some of the main choices:
Cutaway (either style) $320
Side Soundport $150
"Manzer Wedge" Body $220
Radial purfling: $180
Segmented rosette: $120
Pickups: K & K Pure Western Mini $130; inquire about others.
Solid Top (x-braced with pin bridge): $4200
Doubletop (light x-braced with pin bridge): $4800
Tailpiece (ultra-light bracing with interlocking bridge): $5200
STANDARD FEATURES:
Body wood: I include many types of reasonably priced tonewoods in the standard pricing. In addition to East Indian Rosewood and mahogany, you also have a choice of some nice grades of cocobolo, walnut, koa, ovangkol, bubinga, padauk, higuerilla and others, depending on what I have in stock. Some people spend a tremendous amount of time trying to decide which tonewoods to order. In my opinion it is easiest to separate the body woods into 4 groups:
• heavy to very heavy, and very resonant - includes most rosewoods, bloodwood
• medium weight, and very resonant - hormigo, padauk, higuerilla
• medium weight, and resonant - ovangkol, some koa
• medium weight and neutral - walnut, maple, mahogany, some koa
Soundboard: My standard tonewood is lutz/kermodie spruce, a natural hybrid from British Columbia, that I believe to be one of the best top woods in the world. Western Red cedar or redwood are also available as standard. Doubletops usually have the top and/or bottom skin made from spruce or cedar, with cedar and nomex honeycomb in the core. I select for acoustic quality first and appearance second, meaning that I often use "interesting" wood with streaks of color or wavering grain.
Soundboard bracing: Either lutz/kermodie or Adirondack/red spruce.
Neck: mahogany, walnut or cherry, laminated or solid, Solid necks use a scarfed headstock and heel block, as this allows for a stronger construction and less waste. Choice of headstock backing laminate or hand carved volute. All necks use a 2-way adjustable truss rod with 2 carbon fiber reinforcing rods. All necks are user adjustable for setting the action, either from inside the box or outside.
Trim: hardwood bindings with striped purling on top, back, sides and neck. Headstock includes matching binding. Fretboards are always bound. Ebony, curly maple, curly eucalyptus, cocobolo, bloodwood, curly walnut, mahogany, and other woods are generally standard, The only extra cost binding woods would be curly koa, or various exotics like brazilian rosewood or ziricote.
Headstock, rosette, tail end graft, pick guard: matching burled veneer, saturated and hardened with epoxy resin. Rosette includes hardwood inner ring around the soundhole, such as cherry, walnut or maple. A single abalone ring is a free option in the rosette also.
Nut and saddle: bone
Frets: Extra-hard "Evo" fretwire for longer life
Bridge: ebony, padauk, hormigo, or rosewood family
Fretboard: ebony, bloodwood, rosewood family
Tuners: Gotoh 510s in basic models, or Waverlys in basic models.
Interior: solid linings on most models, and laminated flying buttress neck block support
Case: Ameritage heavy-duty
Extra Cost Options:
Fancy grades of body woods, such as various rosewoods, curly koa, ziricote, or exceptional grades of walnut will add anywhere from $100 to $500. Brazilian rosewood can add $600 to $2500. Master grade soundboards will add from $100 to $500. European and Adirondack spruce tops are available options.
Note about "Master" grade tonewoods: There are no standards for what qualifies as master grade, but almost always, it is visual appearance rather than acoustic qualities that elevate quality tonewoods from "AAA" grade to "master" status.
There are endless options possible - here are some of the main choices:
Cutaway (either style) $320
Side Soundport $150
"Manzer Wedge" Body $220
Radial purfling: $180
Segmented rosette: $120
Pickups: K & K Pure Western Mini $130; inquire about others.