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Tag Archive for: classical guitar

Bookmark this page for frequent updates. (Please scroll down for additional guitars.)

 

2015 Osthoff Woodstock FS

Higuerilla and Port Orford Cedar

sneakpeek

sneakpeek2

 

2015 Oxwood Carmen

Cocobolo Rosewood and Engelmann Spruce

sneekpeak

 

1997 Collings OM3-BaA

Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce

sneakpeek

 

2012 R.E. Phillips Single Cone Resonator

sneakpeek

 

Bookmark this page for frequent updates. (Please scroll down for additional guitars.)

Schoenberg Soloist OMC

East Indian Rosewood and Sitka Spruce

IMG_0484

 

 

Bookmark this page for frequent updates. (Please scroll down for additional guitars.)

 

2010 Olson SJ

Pernambuco and Sitka Spruce

P1540762

 

1963 Danelectro U2

sneakpeek

 

2005 Brandt Concert

Brazilian Rosewood and European Spruce

sneakpeek

 

Bourgeois Banjo Killer Slope D

Figured Honduran Mahogany and Bearclaw Sitka Spruce

sneakpeek

 

2003 Carrillo Gabriela

Brazilian Rosewood and Cedar

sneakpeek

 

2010 Lipton “C” – 16″ Body Exhibition Grade Whyte Laydie

Collaboration between Walter Lipton and Bill Tippin. Engraved inlay by Doug Unger.

Brazilian Rosewood and German Spruce

sneakpeek

 

1979 Ramirez 1a Flamenco

Cypress and Cedar

sneakpeek

 

2001 Charles Fox C-Sierra Nylon

Brazilian Rosewood and Sitka Spruce

sneakpeek

 

2002 Bown Stella 12-string

Koa and Spruce

sneakpeek

 

1995 Franklin Stella 12-string

Mahogany and Spruce

sneakpeek

 

1972 Kohno 15

Brazilian Rosewood and Cedar

sneakpeek

 

2010 Petros Yellow Rose FS Cutaway

Ceylon Satinwood Back/Sides, Englemann Spruce Top, Alaskan Yellow Cedar Neck

sneakpeek

 

1997 Klein M.43

Indian Rosewood and Sitka Spruce

sneakpeek

 

Buscarino Grand Cabaret

Black Acacia and Cedar

sneakpeek

 

1932 Gibson L Century

Maple and Spruce

sneakpeek

 

1957 Gibson J-200

Maple and Spruce

sneakpeek

 

1995 D-28S

Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce

sneakpeek

 

2005 Tippin Staccato

Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce

sneakpeek
sneakpeek2

 

2003 Martin D-45GE

Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce

sneakpeek

 

1988 Gibson Chet Atkins CEC

P1540386

 

1933 Martin 00-40H

Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce

P1540297

 

2012 Froggy Bottom Special Order C

Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce

sneakpeek

 

2002 Doolin OM

Macassar Ebony and Bearclaw Sitka Spruce

sneakpeek

2014 National Dueco Tricone Gold

Steel Body with Gold Crystalline Finish. 1.5 Tricone Neck. sneakpeek

2006 John Walker “Wise River”

Mahogany and Adirondack Spruce sneakpeek

2007 Dupont Prelude

East Indian Rosewood and Spruce sneakpeek

2014 Ennis Unibody

Padauk and Spruce

sneakpeek

2011 Borges L-00

Figured Maple and Adirondack Spruce sneakpeek

Keystone Mod-D

Granadillo and Adirondack Spruce

sneakpeek

 

MacCubbin CS-012 Tulip Magnolia

Sinker Honduras Mahogany and Tulip Magnolia

sneakpeek

 

R. S. Muth S16J

Tasmanian Blackwood and Lutz Spruce sneakpeek

R. S. Muth S15

East Indian Rosewood and Carpathian Spruce sneakpeek

MacCubbin CBG-02 Heron Sunset

Brazilian Kingwood and Sitka Spruce sneakpeek

Wilborn Orchestra/C

Cocobolo Rosewood and Bearclaw Sitka Spruce sneakpeek

 

Bookmark this page for frequent updates. (Please scroll down for additional guitars.)

 

2011 Tippin Staccato

Brazilian Rosewood and Moonspruce

sneakpeek

 

Collings MT20 Mandolin

Flamed Maple and Spruce

sneakpeek

 

2014 Gaffney OM

East Indian Rosewood and Sitka Spruce

sneakpeek

 

2007 Rick Turner Model 1

Magnetic Pickup with “C” Electronics

sneakpeek

 

2010 Muiderman Steel String

Cocobolo Rosewood and Bearclaw Sitka Spruce

sneakpeek

 

John Kinnaird “East”

Honduran Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce

sneakpeek

 

2007 Ramirez 1a #2 of 125

Madagascar Rosewood and German Spruce

sneakpeek

 

2014 Lame Horse – Jenkins & Son Gitjo

Koa and Flamed Maple

sneakpeek

 

2010 Olson SJ

Pernambuco and Sitka Spruce

P1540762

 

1963 Danelectro U2

sneakpeek

 

2005 Brandt Concert

Brazilian Rosewood and European Spruce

sneakpeek

 

Bourgeois Banjo Killer Slope D

Figured Honduran Mahogany and Bearclaw Sitka Spruce

sneakpeek

 

2003 Carrillo Gabriela

Brazilian Rosewood and Cedar

sneakpeek

 

2010 Lipton “C” – 16″ Body Exhibition Grade Whyte Laydie

Collaboration between Walter Lipton and Bill Tippin. Engraved inlay by Doug Unger.

Brazilian Rosewood and German Spruce

sneakpeek

 

1979 Ramirez 1a Flamenco

Cypress and Cedar

sneakpeek

 

2001 Charles Fox C-Sierra Nylon

Brazilian Rosewood and Sitka Spruce

sneakpeek

 

2002 Bown Stella 12-string

Koa and Spruce

sneakpeek

 

1995 Franklin Stella 12-string

Mahogany and Spruce

sneakpeek

 

1972 Kohno 15

Brazilian Rosewood and Cedar

sneakpeek

 

2010 Petros Yellow Rose FS Cutaway

Ceylon Satinwood Back/Sides, Englemann Spruce Top, Alaskan Yellow Cedar Neck

sneakpeek

 

1997 Klein M.43

Indian Rosewood and Sitka Spruce

sneakpeek

 

Buscarino Grand Cabaret

Black Acacia and Cedar

sneakpeek

 

1932 Gibson L Century

Maple and Spruce

sneakpeek

 

1957 Gibson J-200

Maple and Spruce

sneakpeek

 

1995 D-28S

Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce

sneakpeek

 

2005 Tippin Staccato

Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce

sneakpeek
sneakpeek2

 

2003 Martin D-45GE

Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce

sneakpeek

 

1988 Gibson Chet Atkins CEC

P1540386

 

1933 Martin 00-40H

Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce

P1540297

 

2012 Froggy Bottom Special Order C

Brazilian Rosewood and Adirondack Spruce

sneakpeek

 

2002 Doolin OM

Macassar Ebony and Bearclaw Sitka Spruce

sneakpeek

2014 National Dueco Tricone Gold

Steel Body with Gold Crystalline Finish. 1.5 Tricone Neck. sneakpeek

2006 John Walker “Wise River”

Mahogany and Adirondack Spruce sneakpeek

2007 Dupont Prelude

East Indian Rosewood and Spruce sneakpeek

2014 Ennis Unibody

Padauk and Spruce

sneakpeek

2011 Borges L-00

Figured Maple and Adirondack Spruce sneakpeek

Keystone Mod-D

Granadillo and Adirondack Spruce

sneakpeek

 

MacCubbin CS-012 Tulip Magnolia

Sinker Honduras Mahogany and Tulip Magnolia

sneakpeek

 

R. S. Muth S16J

Tasmanian Blackwood and Lutz Spruce sneakpeek

R. S. Muth S15

East Indian Rosewood and Carpathian Spruce sneakpeek

MacCubbin CBG-02 Heron Sunset

Brazilian Kingwood and Sitka Spruce sneakpeek

Wilborn Orchestra/C

Cocobolo Rosewood and Bearclaw Sitka Spruce sneakpeek

 

Dream Guitars is proud to bring you some exciting news from Tippin Guitars including a brand new model and incoming DG inventory!!

Bill Tippin’s New Forte Model

First off, Bill Tippin introduced his newest creation, the Tippin Forte, at the recent Healdsburg Guitar Festival in California. This is a new model from him and is one of his most creative projects to date.

The Forte, based on his Crescendo model, was inspired by Tippin’s own personal guitar preferences. He found a way to boost the richness of the Crescendo — he increased the width of lower bout while maintaining the balance — and it’s slightly wider (3/16th”) at its widest.

Our own Paul Heumiller and Al Petteway had the privilege of playing the new Forte while out in Healdsburg. “The new Forte model from Bill Tippin has everything I love about the Crescendo, balance, clarity, power and Bill’s trademark full trebles, but it adds a bit more fullness to the bass for the player that enjoys a bit more thump in the chest. Outstanding!” – Paul H.

The Original Tippin Crescendo Model

The Crescendo, which is considered to be the cornerstone of Tippin’s entire line of guitars, is large yet versatile. Imagine a 14-fret OMT with the rich tone normally found in an 00012-fret size. The Crescendo manages to combine the feel of a 14-fret OMT while preserving the rich tone of a 12-fret body model, replete with incredible tone, balance and projection.

Dream Guitars has a pre-owned 2005 Crescendo in stock featuring Brazilian Rosewood and Carpathian Spruce – contact us if you’re interested in acquiring!

And, by the way, our own Paul Heumiller is anxiously awaiting to take delivery of his personal, custom Crescendo. Paul’s model is made from Brazilian/Moon spruce with a cutaway, MOP sparkle trim. What makes this custom job so unique is that it includes a short-scale, Fan Fret design, which will perform well in Drop-D, DADGAD and standard tunings.

The Tippin Al Petteway Signature Model

Also, Bill has embarked on a new build of the Tippin Al Petteway Signature, also based on the Crescendo model. Check out this video demonstration of the Petteway Signature on our YouTube channel. This instrument is representative of Bill at the top of his game, and when you listen to our studio recording you’ll understand what we mean. Interested in purchasing the incoming Tippin Al Petteway Signature model? Contact us today to learn more about your reservation options.

We do also have a pre-owned Al Petteway Signature in stock as well if you would rather not wait for the incoming guitar. This 2008 Crescendo Al Petteway Signature was actually originally purchased by Al Petteway himself and was the first Signature model ever made! This beauty features brick red Brazilian Rosewood, Moon Harvested European Spruce, an armrest bevel, beveled cutaway, and new heel design. Click here to learn more.

In many ways, Dream Guitars is not just about buying and selling amazing stringed instruments. Sometimes, we help make music. In fact, we feel that the Tony McManus album, “The Maker’s Mark: The Dream Guitars Sessions,” may have been our finest moment.

Here’s how it all went down…

A few years ago, Dream Guitars’ top dog Paul Heumiller was at the Swannanoa Gathering, which included a week of playing, meeting other musicians and generally having a blast with amazing music in the background. There, Paul met the Celtic steel-string legend and the two hit it off in a big way. As the week drew to a close, Paul made Tony an offer he couldn’t refuse.

“Next time you make an album,” Paul said, “let me know and I’ll bring a bunch of [Dream] guitars.”

Tony called a few months later, and Paul quickly found himself loading up the car with 19 guitars before driving out from Weaverville, NC, to Nashville, Tenn., and the famed Compass Records recording studio, where all of the Outlaws music was recorded, a studio that had welcomed Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Hank Williams.

“What a great vibe,” Paul explained.

For a week, Paul prepped guitars and Tony made music with several guitars, including a Greenfield, a Wingert, and a Matsuda, among others, which he selected not only because of the sound but that Tony believed that each luthier’s guitar was the right instrument for a specific song and its character.

The result of this magical week was Tony’s album, “The Maker’s Mark: The Dream Guitars Sessions.” You can find the album in our Dream Guitars shop by clicking here. “Maker’s Mark” is also available on Amazon. Paul feels strongly that this is “one of the finest solo guitar records ever” because of Tony’s expert selection process.

Each unique musical piece brings tonal variety. For the final track, “Valse de Belugas,” or “Waltz of the Belugas,” Tony used all 19 guitars and added a beautiful, 12-string Veillette Gryphon.

For the record, Acoustic Guitar Magazine has said this about Tony and his music: “Few guitarists can present Celtic music with the gusto and nuance they possess when played on fiddles or bagpipes. Tony McManus is one of those few.”

The album won the Canadian Folk Music Award in the solo instrumental category that year, and we at Dream Guitars remain as proud now as we were then.

Tony has also just released his latest recording entitled “Mysterious Boundaries.” You can check it out by visiting Tony’s website.

Our own Paul Heumiller recently sat down in front of the cameras to talk about one of Dream Guitars’ favorite builders, Jordan McConnell of McConnell Guitars (and the Grammy-award winning band, The Duhks) for a video interview.  You see, Paul is not only has a savvy eye when it comes to great luthiers and their instruments, but also sees things from the mindset of a player. In fact, he’s a proud owner of a McConnell and shares his feelings about that fine, custom made instrument with the viewer. Paul makes clear the guitar’s ability to bring out the music and sound he feels inside, a rare trait for any custom instrument.

McConnell builds rich-sounding and versatile instruments in both steel string and classical models at his shop in Winnipeg, Canada, on the fringes of the Canadian Prairies. McConnell became enamored with the construction of guitars at a young age and has studied with famed Spanish luthier, Jose Romanillos, gaining a valuable education in the work, the craftsmanship.

Among his customers: Tim Sparks, an award-winning fingerpicking player, jazz greats Larry Roy and Harley Card, Seth Avett of the Avett Brothers and Irish player John Doyle.

So, Paul sat down in our Weaverville, NC, studio, to talk about this fine luthier, who works with his father on the construction of the guitars. As a builder, Jordan McConnell has become a hot name and his work is in demand. While we do not have currently any in stock, Dream Guitars is accepting orders for his custom builds. Paul will personally work with you to ensure you get what your music deserves. Contact us to discuss the possibilities.

Considering a McConnell now? You may also want to check out this video of Jordan McConnell at the Dream Guitars headquarters a few years ago, offering an exclusive performance. We also have several other video samples of various McConnell guitars on our YouTube channel as well as the Listening Studio on our home page.

Special thanks to Dan Crapsi and Ginny Temple, who visited our shop and filmed this interview for their blog, thegoodguitar.com.

Singer-songwriter Danny Ellis has had an interesting life to say the least. After growing up in an orphanage in Ireland in the 1950s, Danny found music and it saved his life. He began his professional career as a trombone player with “The Boyne Valley Stompers,” a Dixieland band touring Ireland. From there, Danny expanded his horizons, his singing and playing and started a diverse musical career that has taken him all over the world as a trombonist, keyboardist and guitarist as well as a professional songwriter.

Flash forward to today and Danny is opening for for many musicians, including the great Bonnie Raitt for her recent show at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center. Bonnie is a great fan of Danny and his music and personally invited him to fill the opening slot.

Danny now maintains a studio in Asheville, NC, just down the road a spell from our Dream Guitars headquarters in Weaverville. We have built a solid professional relationship with Danny and he granted us some of his time to record a lengthy video interview with our own Paul Heumiller to talk about singing, songwriting, musicianship and his latest role as a teacher, which he conducts out of his studio in person as well as on Skype. In fact, Paul himself has spent plenty of time learning from Danny, studying the finer points of singing and songwriting. Paul considers Danny a mentor and a friend as well as a teacher. You can get more information about Danny’s teaching career and how to become a student by visiting his website and checking out his lessons page (www.dannyellismusic.com/musiclessons.cfm).

We have two videos on our YouTube Dream Guitars channel, one the full-length interview (22:28) and a short highlight reel of the same (5:31). Check them both out, then take a trip to Danny’s site, where you can read about his history, his discography, find links to his Facebook and YouTube pages as well as learn more about his teaching methods and how to contact him for lessons.

Just in 03/13/12: We just received  this stunning new Traphagen dreadnought!

Over the years, luthier Dake Traphagen has built some of the finest classical, nylon and steel string guitars ever to grace the Dream Guitars Showroom and website. So it was with great anticipation that we awaited his newest creation, a dreadnought designed specifically with the flat-picker in mind. Simply put, this is an amazing new guitar. The tone is full and articulate, with incredible volume and projection. It is a joy to play.

Mr. Traphagen describes it this way – “The attack is strong and powerful yet smooth and even. With a little playing time this guitar will become even more powerful and colorful in tone. The entire building process went without a hitch, as if the guitar wanted to be made. Some guitars are more demanding while they’re being formed, trying to play little tricks on the luthier – but not this one.”

Materials list:

  • Master Grade vertical grain Brazilian Rosewood back and sides
  • Master grade Adirondack spruce top.
  • 25.5″ scale
  • 1 11/16″ neck width at the nut
  • Mahogany neck
  • Ebony fret board
  • Gotoh 510 mini tuners black
  • Hand applied varnish finish
  • Honduran Rosewood bridge

Please call for more details and learn how you can try this fine guitar for yourself.

“This is the kind of guitar that makes your heart stop. It is so beautiful and so wonderfully crafted that it is mesmerizing. I simply cannot walk by it without holding it and playing it. Boaz spent countless hours tirelessly creating this museum quality piece, he even cut the Abalone from the shells. The details are too many to mention so be sure to carefully study the photos. The tone is majestic and warm, delightful in every way. This will be a prize in any serious collection.” – Paul Heumiller

Dream Guitars is thrilled to offer this stunning museum quality Baroque style guitar by Israeli luthier extraordinaire, Elkayam Boaz. The amount of detailed workmanship in this instrument is mind-boggling — from the multi-piece back to the eleborate rosette, soundboard inlays, wooden bridge extensions, friction pegs with ivory seats, ivory strings stops, and back of neck inlays. This is a true work of art.

This very guitar was the subject of a wonderful article in Acoustic Guitar Magazine by luthier Rick Turner in November 1997. The Boaz Baroque Guitar’s voice is detailed and articulate, intimate and sweet, and of course, perfect for period music.

 

    Measurements 

  • Body Size: Medium
  • Scale: 650 mm (25.6 in.)
  • Nut Width: 53.2 mm (2.1 in)
  • String Spacing: 55 mm (2.15 in)
  • Body Length: 17 3/4 in.
  • Upper Bout: 9 5/8 in.
  • Lower Bout: 12 3/8 in.
  • Body Depth @Neck Heel: 3 in.
  • Body Depth @Tail Block: 3 1/8 in.
  • Frets to body: 12
    Woods & Trim 

  • Back/Sides: Brazilian Rosewood, Maple
  • Top Wood: German Spruce
  • Fingerboard: Ebony
  • Neck Wood: Mahogany
  • Bridge: Ebony
  • Rosette: Abalone & Wood
  • Binding: Rosewood
  • Fingerboard Bindings: None
  • Headplate: Ebony
  • Headstock Bindings: None
  • Headstock Inlay: Custom
  • Top Trim: Abalone
  • Back Strip: Custom
  • Fret Markers: Custom
  • Tuners: Friction Pegs
  • Tuner Finish: Ebony

 

 

*Paul’s Pick is a new feature on the Dream Guitars website that highlights exceptional vintage and handbuilt guitars that deserve more attention — guitars with exceptional tone, playability, appearance and provenance. For more information on the featured guitar, or any instrument we offer, please call Paul or Steven at (828) 658 – 9795.

Frequent visitors to the Dream Guitars website have no doubt noticed our recent fine classical guitar demos, all compliments of one extremely talented guitarist, David Stevenson. David is both a skilled performer and an immensely gifted composer. On May, Arise Stevenson and percussionist River Guerguerian collaborate on a engaging set of music that showcases  instrumental mastery, as well as great emotional depth.

May, Arise by David Stevenson with River Guerguerian

The songs have a transcendent uplifting quality that sound contemporary and immediate, while simultaneously conjuring images or the ancient and arcane; no mean feat indeed! Guerguerian’s skillful performance, featuring a wealth of global percussion, supports and enhances the material wonderfully.

For guitarists, David Stevenson’s playing is an inspiration. Technically brilliant, the sound of his custom Abe Wechter guitar propels May, Arise with skillful execution from the very first track to the CD’s extremely satisfying conclusion. We highly recommend this very fine CD! For more information about David, and to purchase May, Arise please click here.

Check out the following clips:

1) Eastern Anthem

2) 11/8

3) Bulldozing for Zen

4) Resolution

Dream Guitars is extremely pleased to have a player of David’s high caliber to demonstrate our nylon string instruments. Look for more information about David, including video lessons and performance video in weeks to come!

Recently Doug Young dropped by Dream Guitars and taught this great 3 part guitar lesson on arranging Amazing Grace for fingerstyle guitar. To follow along with the tablature, please click here.

From Doug’s website:

Doug Young is a fingerstyle instrumental guitarist based in the San Francisco South Bay area. An active perfomer in the local acoustic guitar scene, Doug hosts a monthly guitar showcase that has featured performers like Dorian Michael, Thomas Leeb, Steve Baughman, Teja Gerken, and many more. So far, Doug has released one CD, Laurel Mill, featuring his solo guitar playing, compositions and arrangements. Mel Bay has published his best-selling instructional book: “Understanding DADGAD: For Fingerstyle Guitar.” He is a Contributing Editor for Acoustic Guitar Magazine, and has also been published in Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine. In his role at Acoustic Guitar, Doug has written numerous instructional articles, gear reviews, and interviewed many of today’s top guitarists including Tommy Emmanuel, Sergio Assad, Andy McKee, Laurence Juber and Pierre Bensusan.

To learn more about Doug, his gig schedule, and his array of reviews and quality products, click here.

 

 

 

One of our favorite builders is the brilliant Jordan McConnell from Winnipeg, Canada. His guitars are impeccably crafted, and they offer stunning design and rich, articulate tones. Recently, Jordan informed us that he has developed a new model with the following dimensions.

Length: 19.5″
Lower bout: 15″
Upper bout: 11.25″
Standard scale length 25.25″

In Jordan’s words, “I like this shape for it’s versatility. It can be voiced to put the focus more in the midrange and trebles to create a very intimate and clear sounding guitar, but it doesn’t lack power and can still pack a pretty serious punch in the low end if that is desired. It’s a very comfortable size to play and can be more manageable than a jumbo sized body in a stage setting if someone is gigging a lot.”

If you would like to receive more information on this stunning guitar, or on any of Jordan’s other guitars, please give us a call. We’ll be happy to talk to you about these very special creations!

 

To see more photos, please click here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dream Guitars was recently honored when classical guitarist extraordinaire, Charles Mokotoff, visited  our showroom and auditioned our wonderful collection of new and vintage classical guitars. We were immediately seized by Charle’s command of the instrument, as he treated us to  an impromptu overview of his current repertoire.

Because we are a premier acoustic guitar shop, we are fortunate to have an eclectic, deeply talented family of clients and friends. We are very proud to count Charles among them. I highly encourage you to check out his music soon.

From Charle’s website:

CHARLES MOKOTOFF holds both Bachelors and Masters degrees in guitar performance from Syracuse University and Ithaca College, respectively. He has served on the faculties of numerous colleges and universities in the New York and New England area as a lecturer in classical guitar and lute.

Prior to settling in the Washington, DC area in 1991, Mr. Mokotoff made his home in New England where he was widely recognized as an active guitarist and Renaissance lute player during the 1980s. During that period his career culminated with two Far East tours and a well-received New York City debut at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall in 1987, featuring the Premier of Autumn Elegy by William Coble, written and dedicated to him.

Mr. Mokotoff has been hearing impaired for a good deal of his life and was featured inHearing Loss Magazine in January 2010.


 

You may purchase his CD “Autumn Elegy” from iTunes by clicking HERE, or from CD Baby by clicking HERE. Or enjoy his music live at one of the the upcoming recitals.

 

 

Kathy

Kathy Wingert is an artist that has complete control of her medium. I met her for the first time at the most recent guitar festival in Ft. Lauderdale, at the Hard Rock. Her displays are hugely popular at guitar shows — the lines of her instruments are so elegant, the voices of her guitars are so original, the inlay work is beautiful and so…non derivative.

I have a tremendous amount of respect for Kathy’s skills. She is an exceptional luthier, and consistently builds instruments with supreme voices.

First a little biography please. How long have you been a builder? With whom, if anyone, did you study or do repairs? Please tell me about your “ah-ha” moment when you realized luthiery was to be your chosen path.

A tiny little seed got planted during a trip to a guitar shop, the World of Strings.  One of the employees showed me a billet of Indian rosewood and proudly proclaimed that he was going to learn to build a guitar.  I was very curious about where and how that got done, and he said he would be learning from his boss, Jon Peterson.

My ah-ha came during a moment of soul searching, which I happened to be doing in the library.  I was ready for a new chapter and a new direction, the kids had gotten old enough for me to start thinking that way, and I was wide open to new ideas.  As luck would have it there was a book on guitar making in my library.  (I wish I could say which book it was, I haven’t seen it since.)

Though I knew instantly and deeply that I could be good at guitar making, I also knew it would take a little time to find my path.  I was on the cusp of the internet, and back in those days, kids, you had to leave your house to get information.  I read my way through five libraries and had collected quite a few books, including books about sharpening chisels and the amazing number of ways a router could be used, but I hadn’t found in print the book that made it all make sense.  I really don’t know how long the discovery process went on, but one morning I woke up and I understood how to build a guitar, not from a plan, but from a design of my own.

The next hurdle was finding materials.  A kind employee of a woodworking store told me about a guitar making class at a community college, and after I had been in the class for two months, the instructor told me that Jon Peterson at the World of Strings was looking for someone.  I took in some necks I had carved and an electric drop top that I had completed and got hired in 1995.

Has being a woman, in a field largely dominated by men, been advantageous or disadvantageous in anyway?

It was annoying as heck in the busy repair shop.  If I went to the counter they’d just ask for the “repair guy.”  I think being a woman kept my client list a little leaner than some builders with whom I feel I am well matched, but time has sorted a lot of that out.  I do know that I have had more than my share of wonderful customers with whom I have enjoyed every part of the journey.

On your website, you mention that you are in love with your job, and how deeply you enjoy the creative aspects of being a builder. Can you tell me more about that emotional connection, and how it relates to building guitars for clients, who may have different preferences than your own?

The answer to that probably relates pretty closely to the issue of being a woman in a male dominated business.  I think many times the people I work with are just open to letting me do what I do.  I can tell you for sure guys have let me build some pretty frilly guitars for them while pretending it was my idea!

Look, I’m very invested in what I do, and I am emotionally connected, but I’m also 100 percent pro.  There is almost always a middle ground, and I can catch the vision even if a client’s tastes are different from mine.

Working with your daughter Jimmi must certainly add to the love and meaningfulness of designing and constructing your instruments. How does that collaboration work?  How much free reign do you allow her to incorporate her own ideas?

Jimmi just continues to get better and better busier and busier, so I’m loving what’s going out the door to other builders, and I stare meaningfully in her direction hoping she will have time for me again one day!

Jimmi works with me much the same way as she works with any builder.  A lot of the time she works directly with the client and then construction issues are sorted out with the builder.  When we’re working on one of mine we have the advantage of passing materials back and forth, but she works it out really well by mail too.

When someone calls you to commission a guitar, how does the communication process work? How do you discover what type of guitar to build for a client that has difficulty articulating how they’d like the

instrument to be voiced?

Sometimes it’s a matter of discovering how much a potential buyer might know about the subject of tone and wood differences.  If it’s an experienced collector I ask a few questions about what they like and/or don’t like about guitars that they’ve owned.  I always look for that little area of common experience and we work from there.  If it’s a less experienced guitarist or guitar buyer, I look for the same thing, but perhaps instead of talking about whether they like the punch of sitka or the twinkle of koa, I might ask a lot of questions about voices of singers or instruments in an orchestra.  The point, for me, is to find out whether they are looking for a guitar like mine.  Occasionally I have suggested other builders when I’ve felt there would be a better match up.

Speaking of voicing, please take me through the process of voicing a guitar with a contemporary sound, and how that differs from voicing a guitar that is more traditional.

I don’t know if I’m qualified to answer that one.  My work has been toward a sound that I wanted to hear, and I have learned through hard lessons what takes me away from that.  I have all the same anecdotal information about what makes a prewar Martin sound like they do, but I have never pursued that sound.

You have mentioned using a signal generator and Chladni patterns in voicing your guitars? Could you describe what Chladni patterns are and how you use them to help in the process?

When you play a harmonic on a string, you have divided it in segments, but the reason it physically works is because at the mathematical division of the octave or fifth or whatever, there is a nodal point on the string that allows it to vibrate freely around a still point when the conditions are right (meaning when the string is struck and your finger is on that node).  At those naturally occurring places, there is no displacement. When a guitar top is excited with vibrations, there are also nodal points and in those areas of little to no displacement, the glitter piles up.

The arrangement of the glitter patterns at a given frequency range indicates the efficiency of the top, or more instructively, the non-appearance of a pattern at a target frequency means I have work to do.

Chladni patterns are not a recipe for a great guitar, they are an indication of what you just did.  Hopefully, if you stumble on a great recipe, you can do it again.

I am not an expert on Chladni patterns or any other science approach to lutherie, so my use of glitter testing is merely a way to double check that I’m on the right track.  The range of frequency at which I get certain patterns are what I’m interested in, and the rest I do the old fashioned way.

The first Kathy Wingert guitar that I had the pleasure of playing had back and sides of blackwood. It immediately became my favorite tone wood, even passing Brazilian Rosewood as my tone wood of choice. Please tell me about working with blackwood, how you view its tonal characteristics, and when you would recommend it over Brazilian.

I love AB, but I’ve come to hear it very differently from Brazilian, and for a long time I wouldn’t have said that.  What I like and what I hear in the heavy woods, AB and cocobolo is a weightiness and sustain in the mids.  If you try to hold me to a blindfold A/B test, I’ll be happy to tell you that I learned a long time ago it’s darned hard to do!  I believe that 90% of tonewood choice has to do with the feedback the player gets and has very very little effect on the listener 15 feet away, at least not if there is any other noise in the room.

How important are trade shows and guitar festivals for bringing in new clients and expanding the growth of your business?

I think the trade shows and festivals are enormously important for custom lutherie as a whole.  I know I personally benefit from doing them, though many times it is long after the show.  I always see or hear something the kicks my fanny.  I also believe it’s really important for the community as a whole to show up, present well, and let people know that we are accountable to a larger community.  As a community, professional luthiers have built a lot of trust.  We have buyers who write checks for a deposit on something they aren’t going to see for years.  That’s huge.

You seem very environmentally aware. How can the traditions of luthiery evolve to embrace a new “greener” philosophy?

I might be wrong, but I think small builders working on a few instruments are remarkably green.  We waste as little as possible and most of us don’t do a lot clothes or shoe shopping for this career.  Many of us commute only a few steps from the house to the shop.

I am going to guess that the nastiest thing we do is over use abrasives.  I love working with planes and drawknives, but I have power tools and it just goes faster.  If I were to grab for that knife, the dust collector could stay quiet.

As for the protection of exotic hardwoods, it’s important to care, and it’s important to stop asking for woods that are in trouble from places that are over harvested.  The highest and best use of precious exotic woods is in fine instruments, and some of the controls that are in place should go a long way toward stopping the indiscriminate use of fine woods on not so fine factory instruments, or as flooring or lawn furniture.  It’s also important to understand that the trees won’t be protected if they have no commercial value, so it is important as a community that we fight for the woods that we need.  For those who are somewhat new to the subject, please re-read that last line!

Please tell me about your fascination with Harp Guitars?

That was a case of a customer wanting something I didn’t really want to do.  In fact, I refused for more than a year.  But the customer was a friend and he has patience, so he wore me down.  After I built one and had a minute or two to try to play one, I was interested in building more, if only for my own use.   I haven’t been able to hang on to one long enough to learn much, and what I do work out on one is easily forgotten, but harp guitars aren’t meant to make guitar playing harder, they are meant to make it easier once you get a toe hold.  The jumping off place is a lot more difficult on harp guitar, and I’m still there.

Some of your larger harp guitars have sycamore back and sides. Why sycamore? Tonally, what does this wood offer?

Some of my harp guitars are sycamore because I had it!  Harp guitar sets are hard to come by and I thought it would look cool.  It was very successful for harp guitar because it didn’t add a lot of clutter to the bass.  The bass was clear and strong, but not ringy.  The first thing you have to learn is to find the sub basses on a harp guitar, the second thing you have to do is shut them up.  I haven’t built a standard six out of sycamore, so my experience with it is limited to the outcome of those two harp guitars.

When I play your guitars, I am always impressed with the strength of the treble frequencies all the way up the neck, and how well balanced they are with the lows and mids. What is the secret to building an acoustic guitar that has such strong treble fundamentals?

Thank you!  Again, I can only tell you that my recipe has been added to over time.  I tease that it used to take me 120 hours to build a guitar and now I’m pretty sure it takes me twice that long.  There are all the added steps that I have acquired over the years.

I think one of the big secrets in guitar building, and one that gets talked about very little has to do with how well the neck tunes to the body.  I’m really lucky that my steel string headstock seems to be about the right size and weight.  I have nodal points that fall pretty much where I need them to be, and that little extra adds to consistency up the neck – or so my violin making mentor taught me.

In the next 5-10 years, what do you envision for Wingert Guitars? Will there be a continuing evolution in your designs? Will you branch off in new directions?

I have been working on something old rather than something new.  I love classical guitar and I have started taking time to pursue that.  I’ve built some passable classicals and have sold them at fair prices for their abilities, but I am ready to take commissions on classical guitars now for the right buyers.  By the time this goes to print, I will probably have had time to prototype the last couple of things I want to iron out.

I’ve learned over the last couple of years that I really enjoy teaching, but my personal evolution isn’t complete yet.  So much of what I do is intuitive or ingrained, it is hard for me to break it down for someone else, so in the next few years, I would like to get better at that kind of communication.  I think it might be so appealing because it is at a completely different pace from the daily madness of wearing all the hats.   To explain the steps to someone else simply requires taking a deep breath, and that’s kinda nice.

Finally Kathy, do you have any additional thoughts that you’d like to share with our readers, i.e., thoughts about guitars, information about you, thoughts about creativity, life lessons… anything?

Well, all of your readers need a Wingert guitar because they know lots of songs, will entice your creative muse to show up,  and will even improve your singing voice in just 14 days!

My great thanks to Kathy for her participation in this interview. Dream Guitars is proud to carry her uniquely voiced one of a kind creations.

 

Steven Dembroski

 

 

 

 

 

Even more waiting to be added to the DG website.

A few weeks ago, Paul received a call from a gentleman he’d never spoken to before. Like many conversations with Paul, this one ranged from guitars and motorcycles, fast cars, and the finer things in life.

John's Classical Guitar Shrine

John's Classical Guitar Shrine

The callers name was John, and within a few minutes he and Paul discovered that they had many things in common. What transpired from that first call lead up to a monumental event of Paul dropping everything, and driving North in the largest empty white van he could find. The next day, Paul returned to Dream Guitars in Western North Carolina, but this time the van wasn’t empty. If fact it was packed floor to ceiling with over a half a million dollars worth of the finest nylon string Classical Guitars we’ve ever laid eyes on.

Cases upon cases.

Cases upon cases.

Paul explains:

“One of the true joys of this business is the chance to touch, feel and play music on bits of history. Guitars are treasures and they tell a story. I was honored to get a call from John asking us to represent his prized collection of some of the very finest Classical and Flamenco guitars ever made. I dropped everything and drove 4 states away very excited to see the fruits of his years of collecting guitars. We spent a wonderful Sunday open case by case, each more impressive than the next, Monch, Pena’ Fernandez, vintage Contreras, Ramirez and Kohno, modern gems such as Blackshear, Redgate and Humphrey. There is even an unplayed 1994 Schneider Kasha guitar complete with a video of Richard Schneider discussing his design. Flamenco guitars by Ramirez, Conde Hermanos, even a rare Valda Sobrino Domingo Estesos, and a Ruck Flamenco cutaway. Just astonishing instruments!”

A small percentage of the collection.

A small percentage of the collection.

It may takes Dream Guitars a few months to get all these stunning instruments on to our website, but if you are a lover of Classical and Flamenco guitar, we invite you to make a trip to our shop now. Flights into Asheville put you just 30 minutes from us. We humbly offer you the chance to play the very finest collection of instruments perhaps in the whole of the U.S. Come enjoy them with us. You will be amazed.

The following builders are included in this collection, with multiple guitars from several of the builders:

Brand Model Product Year
Andres Caruncho Classical 2001
Bella J. Gemza Concert 1973
Bellucci Concert
Bernabe Concierto 2002
Blackshear Concert 1999
Blackshear Flamenco 2007
Bogdanovich Guitars Concert 2005
Conde Hermanos Concert 1986
Conde Hermanos Domingo Esteso Reedicion 2004
Conde Hermanos Flamenco 1962
Contreras Double Top 1985
Contreras 1969
DeVoe Flamenco 1988
Edgar Monch Concert 1972
Francisco Barba Flamenco 1968
Gioachino Giussani Concert 2008
Greg Smallman Reproduction Lattice Braced 2002
Hermanos Yague Concert 1987
Humphrey Millennium 1993
Ian Kneipp Concert 1998
Jeff Sigurdson Flamenco
Jeronimo Pena Fernandez Concert 1974
Jeronimo Pena Fernandez Flameco 1995
Jose Oribe Concert 1972
Jose Ruiz Pedregosa Concert 2004
Kohno 15 1977
Kohno 20 1976
Kohno 30 1980
Kohno 5 1970
Kohno Professional J 1993
Kohno Professional R 1989
Kohno Special 1993
Kohno Special 1996
Kono 3 1964
Manuel Rodriguez Concert 1982
Manuel Rodriguez e Hyos La Magnifica 2010
Manuel Rodriguez e Hyos La Maja 2010
Manuel Rodriguez e Hyos La Mereuilla
Miguel de Cordova Flamenco
Moreira Anniversary #1 2005
Moreira Hauser 2004
Moreira Santos 2003
R.L. Mattingly Concert 1968
Ramirez 1a La de Camara 1991
Ramirez Flamenco 1959
Redgate Lattice Braced 2006
Ricardo Sanchis Solista 1996
Richard Schneider Kasha 1994
Rubio Concert 1967
Ruck Flamenco Cutaway 1996
V. Da y Sobrinos De Domingo Estesto Flamenco 1950
Velazquez ‘Shop Guitar’ Concert 1961
James Olson, Larry Robinson, Kevin Ryan, and Michael Keller

Clearly, luthiery requires a diverse set of finely honed skills, but it also requires a deep aesthetic understanding. Do you consider yourself more of an artist or a craftsman?

I definitely consider myself a craftsman with a very strong artistic sense. I had always been fond of arts of all kinds — decorative, interpretive, pre-modern, impressionist, surrealistic. I am fond of many types of art. But I’m also very fond of many types of crafts, pottery, jewelry and knife making, and furniture. This is the world of my imagination.

MICHAEL KELLER

MICHAEL KELLER

When you’re starting to build a guitar and you’re trying to picture it in your visual mind, many artistic considerations come into play that go beyond crafting a fine sounding guitar. Different colors of wood, different colored shells, colored purflings, bindings and shapes, all become a pallet that is available to you to compose a beautiful looking instrument.

One must also realize ultimately you’re making a tool for a musician. No matter how beautiful or arty a guitar looks, if it doesn’t play well and sound great I don’t care how arty it is. I would much rather have a guitarist tell me, “I love the sound of the guitar”, rather than “the sound is OK but the inlays are great”. It’s really totally about the sound and playability.

Recently, flying back from a guitar festival I noticed one of the editors of a guitar magazine on the plane who had been at the show. We started talking, and he mentioned that he had played a lot of very expensive heavily inlaid guitars that didn’t play or sound very good. He said exactly what I was thinking from my own experiments at the festival. A lot of the guitars at the show were designed to be eye catching, but a lot of effort had not been put into making them play well. So the artistic side of guitar making is a field that one should embrace carefully, making sure the instrument sounds and plays well first. After that, as far as I’m concerned, anything goes.

Read more

The seat takes shape.

Brian Boggs is one of the most highly respected furniture makers in America. Known for his creative passion and attention to detail, Brian now brings his considerable talents to the world of music, giving us the ultimate Guitar Chair!

As soon as I sat in the Guitar Chair I noticed an immediate improvement in my playing posture. Long rehearsals and performances are definitely made easier when you are comfortable. I find that the Guitar Chair lessens back fatigue, and helps break the bad habit of slumping over the guitar. Paul and I both highly recommend the Guitar Chair by Brian Boggs. It is the ultimate guitar accessory!

What makes your guitar chair more appropriate for players than a standard kitchen chair?

The Bogg's Guitar Chair

The Bogg's Guitar Chair

What is different about the guitar chair is that the whole chair is designed around how guitar players move, hold their guitar, and position their hands. Beginning with the seat, I sculpted it to support the player comfortably, but it’s round shape and forward slant address the guitarist’s forward lean as well as leg movements. It provides comfort while rocking out on the blues or meditating on a classical number. The rolling downward of the front of the seat allows either knee to drop down or move to the side comfortably. No edges to catch you under the thigh so your legs don’t fall asleep.

The back is narrower and shorter than a typical kitchen chair. It also has a pitch designed for the position of a guitarist in performance. The lower portion of the back is carved back to so that when leaning forward there is still some support in the lumbar area.
A kitchen chair, on the other hand is designed for single position sitting, is tilted slightly backward, and usually has a trapezoidal seat shape. Having said all this about the differences, this design will make a great kitchen chair with a simple change to the pitch. I am working on that version now.

Hand crafted perfection!

Hand crafted perfection!

If someone wants to order a Guitar chair, and have it customized to match their décor, what is the process?

That will depend on just how much is needed to make the accommodation. They will need to call the shop and we will take it from there. If it is simply a wood choice matter, we can do that easily enough. Harder woods for the seat or back will cost more in labor, and the chair price will also have to reflect any additional wood cost if more expensive woods are chosen. Any changes to the design will add cost just because the chair can’t follow the usual well honed process we work with. It will need extra time and attention. That is always done on an individual basis.

Do we have plans to develop any other products especially aimed at musicians and guitarists in particular?

Brian Boggs -- sculpting the Guitar Chair.

Brian Boggs -- sculpting the Guitar Chair.

I don’t have new designs up and going right now, but a music stand and drawer unit for music storage are on my mind. We have the craftsmen to build them beautifully. It’s just a matter of getting the designs worked out.


What is the typical wait time for a custom order?

Right now we are looking at about 10 weeks. Production of the chairs is fairly constant. Orders arrive in a more erratic pattern, so our backlog will fluctuate from 4-12 weeks for a while. We will know when we get an order what the delivery time will be on that chair.

Can you tell us more about the mission of your company?

The Boggs Collective represents a new business vision that fosters the highest levels of design, craftsmanship and sustainability in studio furniture making. Our model integrates four key components: materials, workspace, training and visibility creating opportunities for landowners, loggers, sawyers and craftspeople to work collaboratively. With this full cycle collaboration fine craftsmanship, sustainable forest management and our clients’ needs are integrated into a mutually supportive and sustainable partnership.

The seat takes shape.

The seat takes shape.

For landowners, loggers and sawyers who practice sustainable forestry there is an assurance that their efforts are helping create value-added wood products that stimulate the regional economy. For craftspeople involved, it offers an infrastructure that allows woodworkers to focus on their passion. For our clients, it represents the chance to own timeless, handcrafted furniture produced in a reliable and sustainable manner. For all of us, it presents a new way of looking at the items we live with, an awareness of the labor and materials that go into each piece and a conscious choice to hold these values at the heart of our philosophy and practice.

THE BOGGS COLLECTIVE — MISSION

Our Mission – Design and produce exquisite furniture in a reliable and sustainable manner
Our Vision – To provide a model that supports furniture makers and forests sustainably
Our Core values – Excellence – creating conditions that promote our highest level of engagement in all facets of our work.
Innovation – creativity drive development of processes and products designed to support and inspire us.
Integrity – holding our values and beliefs present in both our individual and collective actions and products
Social and Environmental Responsibility – honoring our responsibility to the health and well being of our forests, communities and craftsmen.

I remember my first telephone conversation with Dake Traphagen. I admit, I was a little nervous to call him — maybe it had something to do with that imposing last name. Traphagen… It just sounded tough, and to the point.

Frankly, I don’t know exactly what I expected, but to me “Dake Traphagen” sounded more like the name of a European action star than the name of a builder of fine guitars.

Okay, jokes aside, my reticence to call him seems pretty silly to me now. A few minutes into our telephone conversation, I realized that Dake is one of the smartest, insightful men I have ever had the pleasure to speak with – a real fountain of knowledge, about life, politics, history, and of course guitars.

For almost 40 years, classical guitarists have known what steel string guitarists are only now discovering — Mr. Traphagen builds extraordinary musical instruments. These are the kind of guitars that become an extension of your musical being, the kind that you bond with – guitars you can’t bear to be without.

Recently, Dake began offering his very special steel string guitars to the general public. Once, these guitars were the exclusive treasures of his friends and very close associates — but now, to the good fortune of acoustic guitarists everywhere, you can get your very own.

It is a real honor to present the following interview with Dake Traphagen. Thank you Dake, for your generosity, knowledge and candor.

DAKE TRAPHAGEN

DAKE TRAPHAGEN

You are primarily known for your classical guitars. Why have you decided to bring steel strings into the market at this point in your career?

I have made steel strings all along, but mostly for friends or friends of friends. I decided to jump in full bore because I really enjoy the creativity of all the different models I make, as well as being inspired by many of the fine players now playing these instruments.

The attention to tonal colors and musical nuances now being used is fantastic — and an inspiration to build for. Also, the level of workmanship and design in the steel string world is phenomenal, a real inspiration. How could I not want to add my little part to this renaissance?

Who did you apprentice with? And what did you take away from that experience?

My first apprenticeship was with a violinmaker and restorer/repairman named Ed Hunntington, in California. He was a superb repairman and restorer to whom I owe a great debt of gratitude. I was a violinist at the time, but when he saw my hands he said, “you have workman’s hands” — and in the end he was correct.

Five years later I studied in Holland with Nico van deer Waals. He is a master guitar and lute maker. I worked with him for several months in Europe, and when he took his vacations in the USA, we would work together in my shop. This went on for a few years, and we always inspired each other to look deeper into the how these wonderful instruments actually worked, how they were made, and their sound.  Nico and I enjoyed a deep friendship.

You are known for having an incredible supply of Brazilian Rosewood, some of which is over 150 years old. How does the stability of this premium grade wood differ from the highly figured crotch/stump wood many builders are using these days? And is there a significant tonal difference?

I’m fortunate to have a good friend in Brazil whom I’ve visited several times. We would go to salvage yards and find gems in the rough. Sometimes we find Brazilian rosewood beams, which we’ve since carbon dated.

The oldest one so far was cut in 1786. I currently have wood from beams dated 1887 and 1904. Some of the stump wood is quite old as well, late 1800’s, and it is excellent tone wood.

I use a heat press to pre-stress all my backs to make sure they will remain as stable as possible throughout the life of the guitar which it is used in.

This very old wood just seems to have a magic to it. I know that sounds a bit corny, but each guitar I make with this wood turns out be really special. It’s a mystery to be sure.

Tell me about your new website.

The updated website has many more photos, and has been divided into a steel string section and a classical/nylon string section. I’m working to get many more sound clips, which I hope will be coming soon. At least the players say they are!? As with most web sites if you want to keep them current it’s going to be a continual work in progress.

Dake in the shop.

Dake in the shop.

I am particularly fond of your dreadnoughts – they have amazing    headroom for the flat-picker, yet sound great when softly fingerpicked. How do you build a large body guitar that has such great dynamic range, and is not just a cannon?

All of my guitars are considered to be loud — and I could make them even louder,

but I feel the musical quality of the instrument is lost when you just go for

volume. I have been using a different bracing pattern on many of these guitars,

which is a modified standard ‘X’ bracing and lattice bracing combination.

This bracing design produces a guitar that has a very nuanced sound, capable of a wide color pallet, and excellent dynamic range. It’s an exciting change from the ‘standard’ bracing pattern we all know and love. Also, I just get lucky sometimes. The harder I work the luckier I get.

I’ve heard your name pronounced a variety of ways: Trap-hag-in, Traf-hagen, etc. Which is correct?

Here in the good ole USA it’s pronounced Trap-hagen (long a as in day). In the old country it would sound like Trop-haugen.

Can you explain how you make double tops for your guitars, how they differ from other double tops, and what they bring to the sonic equation?

The double top, or ‘sandwich’ top, has been a design feature in classical guitars for the past 20 years or so. The salient point of a double top is the weight to strength ratio. A well-designed and constructed top is 15% -20% lighter in weight than a traditional top, yet has the strength of a solid top. This is true with both classical and acoustic guitars.

The actual mechanics of a double top, the way the top moves when a string is activated, is also different than solid wood. It moves/pumps more as a cohesive unit than a solid top, thus influencing the overall sound to be more even and full, and usually a bit louder than solid wood.

My construction method is quite complex — with the use of a router and outline gig to cut the cavity where the Nomex will be glued, and using a vacuum clamp system to glue the Nomex to the inside. There are strategic places in the main core of the top that are still solid wood  which helps the overall structural integrity of the top. I use different configurations in the wood core depending on the size and shape of the guitar.

So far I have used it for classical guitars, ‘OO’, ‘OOO’ and my concert model steel strings. I’m not sure yet if it’s appropriate to use it on large bodies such as a jumbo or Dred size guitar. I’m going to have to make one and see how it turns out. If it works well, then I think it would make a great finger style jumbo guitar.

I’ve recently seen one your guitars with stunning Myrtle wood back and sides. What tonal characteristic does this wood have?

Flamed Tasmanian Myrtle wood is visually a very striking wood. It’s overall weight and sound characteristics lie somewhere between Indian rosewood and Mahogany. It’s fairly easy to work with, and I look forward to using it on future guitars.

In addition to Myrtle wood, what are some of the alternatives you have to offer clients, beyond Brazilian, Indian, and Mahogany?

In the rosewood family, Honduran Rosewood is my second choice to Brazilian. Panamanian Rosewood is also acoustically very similar to Brazilian, but it is rare to find, and often light in color — which is not that appealing to people who are used to seeing dark rosewoods. If it was readily available,  I wouldn’t hesitate to use it. It makes great sounding guitars.

Spanish Cypress is also one of my favorite back and side woods. Most people think of it as only being used in flamenco guitars but it works great for standard classical guitars, and I look forward to using it on a steel string before long.

Is all Brazilian Rosewood equally appropriate for classical guitars, and steel strings? That is, will a great set of wood for a classical guitar automatically mean the wood is great for a steel string? Or do you look for different properties, even within the same species of wood, which make it more appropriate for specific guitars?

In general great wood is great wood for any stringed instrument. That being said, there are some sets of Brazilian that are so heavy I would prefer to use them on a larger body steel string guitar rather than a classical or small body acoustic. Great Brazilian Rosewood is rare, and if thicknessed appropriately, it should make a great guitar of any style.

You’ve developed a unique hybrid bracing system for your steel string guitars. Can you describe the way you brace, and why you’ve come to believe that this is the best way for you to do it?

I referred to my bracing system earlier, but prefer this hybrid ‘X’ lattice design because of the way it distributes tension evenly over the entire top. It seems to activate the top more as a whole unit, as opposed to the various tone bars for specific areas in the traditional design.

I still make traditionally braced steel strings for those wanting that ‘traditional’ sound, but usually I use this hybrid system when I’m free to make the guitar the way I choose.

I don’t see Sitka spruce available as an option on your website? Is this an intentional omission? Do you build with Sitka?

Well, this may rub some people the wrong way but I just don’t like the sound of Sitka spruce. In general it is much too dense for classicals and has a rather generic sound on steel strings.

I much prefer the spruces from Europe, with all their variations. Northern Italian spruce is quite different from the Swiss ‘moon’ spruce. Carpathian spruce has its own voice and is different from German spruce. Adirondack spruce has its own character as well, and is actually quite similar to the Carpathian spruce in my view.

Depending on the sound a client is requesting, I can use these different spruces to help achieve the voice the player hears in their head.

Do you use hide glue? Why or why not?

I do use hot hide glue, as well as fish glue, which is very similar in strength and hardness. I always use it with everything having to do with the top. Sometimes I’ll use it for the entire instrument. I prefer hot hide glue or polyurethane glue for the fingerboard, as it will not ‘creep’ under extreme climate conditions.

I often use clear aliphatic resin glue, like Titebond but clear, for the back and linings.  It goes on very cleanly and cleans up easily too, When you look through the sound hole you don’t see any excess glue, which is difficult to clean off when it’s hide glue.

I’ve never asked you this before — are you a good guitar player? Do you think being a player is essential to becoming a great builder?

I do play some. Not as much as I used to as my hands are a bit ‘used’ from building for so many years. It will be 40 years next year, yikes! As my violinmaking teacher told me “you have workman’s hands”.

I have played many different instruments over the years, mostly strings and keyboard, and I do think it helps to be ‘musical’ in order to make a fine guitar. Historically however, luthiers usually didn’t excel at playing the instruments they made. For instance, a violinmaker may have been a very good horn player and so on.

I am intrigued by your French Baroque guitar. Is it based on a specific historical instrument, or is it your interpretation of that style?

There are two Baroque guitars on my website. One is in the guitar section and another in the slide show. The one in the guitar section is a copy of a French Baroque guitar in the Victoria Albert museum in London built by Jean Voboam. I had the pleasure of handling this guitar and measuring it while I was visiting London.

The other is an Italian Baroque guitar based on a guitar by Mateo Sellas, which I measured and cataloged while visiting the Brussels Conservatory of Music in 1975.

The tunings and double stringing are different between the two as well. In the early music scene, players want historically accurate instruments in order to play the repertoire as closely as possible to the way it would have been played back in its day. I rarely make these instruments anymore, as the decorative work becomes rather tedious and laborious. It was very exciting the first few times I did it, now however I know how much time it’s going to entail so I shy away from it.

What sets Traphagen guitars apart from other custom and high-end hand built guitars?

Each builder has their own unique sound, and works in a way that makes sense to them. It is nearly impossible for me to copy another builder’s guitar and expect it to sound exactly the same — and vice versa. We luthiers are, in a way, stuck with our own voices/sound. Sometimes that is a little frustrating if you’re trying to make big changes in ‘your’ sound.

I’ve done a lot of experimenting with top bracing for instance — sometimes radical changes — and in the end they will have slightly different characters. Overall though, they still sound like one of my guitars.

I once had and apprentice who was making some nice guitars. We decided we would make identical guitars using wood cut from the same boards, using the same tools, in the same shop environment, with the same design/plan etc.

In the end you could tell the two guitars were related, but his sounded like his and mine sounded like mine.

My guitars are known for their volume and beauty of tone. If this is what a player is looking for, then they’ll love my guitars. Also, having nearly 40 years experience doesn’t hurt.

The luthier's workbench.

The luthier's workbench.

What advice would you give to someone who is considering a career in luthiery?

If you don’t get consumed/obsessed by it then it’s not for you. This craft takes complete dedication and it’s hard work as well. You’ll spill a lot of blood, sweat, and tears – literally – in the pursuit of becoming an accomplished luthier.

Also, start off with a standard tried and true pattern and bracing system. I’ve seen many novice builders think they are going to change the guitar world with some clever design, only to find that they didn’t really understand the basic mechanics of how a guitar produces sound in the first place.

Many builders say you won’t really understand what’s going on until you’ve built at least 100 guitars. I think that time frame has been shortened a bit because there is so much more information readily available now, as opposed to when Istarted back in the dark ages. However, hands on experience is still the best teacher – as long as one is paying close attention to what their doing.

Even after all the hours and years I’ve put into guitar making I’m still learning little things I didn’t realize before. It becomes a way of life, not just a job or ‘product’.

Do you have any final thoughts for the readers of our blog?

For me building guitars has been, and still is one, of the most gratifying pursuits I can imagine. Each day I thank everyone who has helped me along the way to becoming a better builder and having such a fantastic ‘job’.

Please don’t call your guitars a ‘product’. I feel it is an insult to the builder, and to the amazing musical instrument that is the guitar.

I also want to thank you Steven, and Paul, for believing in my guitars and for giving me the chance to share a few thoughts about my instruments. Good luck to everyone who is building or wants to build these beautiful musical tools,  and to the players that make us luthiers sound so good.

Chaconne Klaverenga plays the second, third, and fourth movements of Koyunbaba by Carlo Domeniconi. Unfortunately I could not get the first one on because of time restraints. This was recorded at the Frankfort Library Concert Series on January 15, 2010.
She’s playing a Thomas Humphrey guitar

Invocacion y Danza by Joaquin Rodrigo, played by Chaconne Klaverenga at the Frankfort Concert Library Series Solo Concert on January 15, 2010.
Guitar by Thomas Humphrey