Williams Learn More +
- Sort by Default
- Display 15 Products per page
-
Add to Compare
2012 Laurie Williams Signature Model, Premium Whitebait Kauri/Kauri
New Zealand’s Laurie Williams utilizes gorgeous and unique tonewoods from his native land to build exquisite modern instruments—and here we’ve got the cream of that exclusive crop. The back and sides on this 2012 Signature Model are Laurie’s coveted “Whitebait” Premium Kauri, some of the most dynamically figured tonewood on the planet (to rival even The Tree Mahogany). This wood is so called “Whitebait” for its similarity to the lightshow to behold when a school of whitebait fish shimmer beneath the surface: the Kauri shines and glows with incredible depth and chatoyance. You can lose yourself in those depths. The top is also Kauri, and boasts a hand-carved rosette of intricate vines. Twin arm and rib bevels, venetian cutaway, and Gotoh 510 tuners complete the package of a true collector guitar. The voice is equally clear and colorful, with fat trebles that put out sweet overtones to really fill it out.
Other keywords: fingerstyle, exotic wood, tone wood, 12170, white bait, figured wood
Add to Compare2011 Laurie Williams Classical, Ancient Kauri/Paraoanui
New Zealand’s Laurie Williams utilizes gorgeous and unique tonewoods from his native land to build exquisite modern instruments like this Classical from 2011. The top is Sinker Paraoanui, specifically from a log uncovered by a flood near Laurie’s shop which he believes is nearly 100 years old; the body is a set of Ancient Kauri harvested from peat swamps in New Zealand’s North Island estimated to be between 3,000 and 45,000 years old! The neck is salvaged Totara, another NZ domestic.
This Classical comes with a bevy of modern innovations for playability: Ryan-style arm bevel plus venetian cutaway, EVO frets, and a gently radiused fretboard to boot.Other keywords: andy jurik, fingerstyle, nylon string, exotic wood, tone wood, 11154
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.4 in Nut Width 2.06 in String Spacing 2.375 in Woods Paraoanui, Kauri Add to Compare2005 Williams Kiwi, Taraire/Kauri
Laurie Williams made his claim to fame several years ago when he discovered his legendary “Whitebait” Kauri log, which he then converted into billets for instrument making, but that’s not the only local wood (exotic for us) that Williams employs in his powerful stringed instruments. In addition to Kauri, with its warmth and great projection (like the difference between Cedar and Redwood, but amplified), he chose to construct the back and sides on this 2005 Kiwi with Taraire, a New Zealand species similar to the Rosewood family with its rich, balanced tone and workability. Under Williams’ painstaking care, these woods have been transformed into an instrument with amazing action and response, which is deeply resonant in lowered tunings like DADGAD, and has trebles with a clear, focused tone. Fingerstylists will love the easy playability of the OM-size body and the 12-fret neck and 24.9 inch scale, allowing arrangements to ring flawlesssly smooth. Safe in its Ameritage hardshell case, the Kiwi is ready to go anywhere with its rich, resonant voice.
Other keywords: lutherie, luthier, guitarbuilding, fingerpicking, alternative tonewood, gotoh
Add to Compare2002 Williams Tui Kauri/Kauri
Laurie Williams has been at the forefront of experiments with new and exciting species of tonewoods since the beginning of his career back in 1992. Known world over for his use of Kauri, a hardwood native to his New Zealand home, Williams has been creating powerful, and beautiful, instruments for decades now. Allow us to introduce you to the 2002 Tui, complete with Ancient Kauri back, sides, and neck, and “Living” Kauri top. The all-Kauri construction gives the guitar a big, crisp voice which sings with a fingerstyle approach. The bass is dry and punchy, and the middle register is clean and articulate–the balance is exceedingly fine-tuned, resulting in a very responsive instrument. This guitar has opened up nicely in the last decade, and is in excellent shape, ready for action. This guitar comes with a Modern Case Company softshell case.
Add to CompareWilliams Tui Whitebait Kauri/Kauri HIGHEST GRADE KAURI!
Ancient Kauri wood is one of the most rare tonewoods we have and a single log of it was found in 1998 with an intense figuring that resembles a school of Whitebait fish swimming beneath the water. Laurie Williams reserves the handful of sets he has of this Ancient ‘Williams Whitebait’ wood for his finest guitars. There are only a few guitars of this quality in the entire world and this is one of them. The back and sides are simply mesmerizing and the headstock and backplate also feature Whitebait. The top is modern milled Kauri and the entire guitar is bound in Cocobolo Rosewood with very fine lines of Abalone giving it a sophisticated shimmer. Laurie’s current price for a true ‘Williams Whitebait’ is $35,000 and he increases the price $5,000 with each one he makes so these are wonderfully collectible guitars as well as superb playing instruments
Add to CompareWilliams Tui Whitebait Kauri/Swiss Spruce RARE TONEWOOD
Here we have a like-new Laurie Williams Tui model crafted from his rare Ancient Kauri wood in the Whitebait Premium figure (see below text about this wood). The term ‘Whitebait’ refers to the wonderous figure of the Ancient Kauri which appears like a school of Whitebait fish swimming beneath the water. It’s sumptuous golden color is unique in the world of tonewoods. The top is Swiss Spruce with abundant medullary rays that adds brilliant shimmer to the powerful voice of the Tui body shape. The Rosette is exquisitely crafted from Abalone in a pattern of the indigenous Maori people native to New Zealand and it blends with the thin abalone that borders the top, fingerboard and headstock for an elegant yet subdued gilding.
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.4 in Nut Width 1.7813 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Spruce - Swiss, Kauri Add to Compare2005 Williams Tui Flamed Ancient Kauri/Kauri
Working with the Ancient and modern Kauri woods that grow only in his native New Zealand, luthier Laurie Williams craft that please the eye as much as the heart. The figure in the flamed variety of the ancient Kauri wood is simply astonishing. It appears to move in the light and has a natural golden color. The Kauri top is something Laurie is very proud of as it offers a sweet and clear tone that works equally well for fingerstyle and strumming. The lightweight milled X brace makes it very responsive. This guitar is offered at Laurie’s previous pricing and is therefore a wonderful value.
Add to Compare2004 Williams Tui Brazilian/Kauri
Here we have the first ever Brazilian Rosewood guitar from Laurie Williams. Laurie expressed an interest in building a guitar with Brazilian so we told him to go for it. The result is a guitar with his usual character and an higher level of warmth from the Rosewood. This one also features his latest bracing updates including hollowing out the X bracing for superb responsiveness. A stunning and unique Williams guitar.
SOLD Read moreScale Length 25.4 in Nut Width 1.75 in String Spacing 2.25 in Woods Kauri, Rosewood - Brazilian Add to Compare2001 Williams Tui Ancient Kauri/Kauri
Laurie Williams is famous for building gorgeous instruments from the extremely rare ancient Kauri wood found only in the northern most parts of New Zealand. This wood is pulled from peet swamps where it has been preserved for thousands of years. It’s golden color and silky grain make it among the most striking of tonewoods. This particular Tui guitar is fully open and has a big, big voice and love to be pushed hard.
I live and work in the far north of the North Island of New Zealand with my wife and four children. We live in beautiful guitar making country in a valley with a small river flowing past my workshop. It is a one man shop with all instruments built entirely by myself.I build with many traditional timbers like Brazilian rosewood and the Spruces but have long been involved in the use of timbers native to my country. I am perhaps most well known for the Ancient Kauri back and sides that I have pioneered the use of. Ancient kauri varies widely from piece to piece and not all is suitable for instrument making.All my stock has been hand selected personally and I have what arguably could be the highest quality selection of ancient kauri inventory in the world.For soundboards my personal favourite is kauri (This is not the same wood as Ancient Kauri). Unfortunately this is hard to obtain and my supply is getting smaller as the years pass. Consequently I now offer Sitka spruce as my standard option with upgrades to European, Adirondack etc. as well as kauri as special options. The kauri soundboard has a unique flavour of tone that is rich and complex and has exceptional sustain.Laurie Williams