The Design

The guitar I am building in my shop today is very loosely based on the Hauser/Torres guitar design. The design has evolved in search of improved sound and playability. The plantilla is all that remains of the original 1937 Hauser from which this design began.

The sound of Segovia's 1937 Hauser always appealed to me, even with the less than ideal sound quality of the old recordings. Therefore, when I began making guitars I started trying to reproduce this sound with the Hauser/Torres design. The more conscious I became of the sound of the guitar in general, the more open I became to other influences and my concept for the ideal sound began to evolve and my design began to change. The design of my guitars has changed slowly over the years.

It is difficult at best to describe sound with words due to the fact that sound, and language, are both so subjective. So I will limit my words to those I typically hear other people use to describe the sound of my instruments. The phrase I hear most often is that they have a traditionally Spanish sound. I would not disagree with this statement. Additionally, they have character, a full tonal palette, and power. Enough said, I invite you to come and listen to one yourself.

Specs

A guitar can be built to your specifications. Below is list of standard dimensions to which my guitars are built if the end user is unknown at the time of construction, as is the case when building a guitar for a dealer. These dimensions will suit most people, but there are exceptions.

Standard dimensions
neck width at nut	53mm
neck width at 12th fret	63mm
string spacing at nut	43mm total, 8.6mm per string
string spacing at saddle	60mm
neck depth at 1st fret	22mm
neck depth at 9th fret	24mm
scale lengths	650,656,and 640mm

If you are not sure what you are comfortable with as far as dimensions go, I encourage you to go out and try some instruments and see what feels good. You can ask about the dimensions in question or measure yourself. If you require a guitar with dimensions different than those of the standard guitar described below, it may require a larger deposit to secure an instrument.

Three scale lengths are offered, 640, 650, and 656mm. These scale lengths will accommodate a wide range of players. Typically, dimensions which are often customized are the width of the neck at the 1st and 12th frets, and string spacing.

The thickness of the neck is a critical dimension. Making the neck thinner than the standard (depth) dimension is not recommended due to risk of hand injuries. If you have experienced pain in the back of your hand from playing the guitar chances are your neck is too thin. This is something learned from personal experience.

All my instruments are built with 5mm of space between the outer strings and the edge of the neck.

Features

Below is a list of standard features that come with every guitar. These features are included in the price of the instrument. Substitutions may require additional fee.

Standard features

Indian rosewood back and sides premium quality

master grade Engelmann or European spruce, western red cedar

Rosette with natural burl or spalted center ring

Ebony fingerboard with 20th fret

Subtle 7th fret indicator .040" dia.

Sloan tuners

Arched hardshell case

The Indian rosewood on a standard instrument will be quarter sawn, dark, rich and striped. Only the finest grade of Indian rosewood is used in the shop. Also, all soundboards are master grade quality for all the types of soundboards offered.

All my rosettes feature a natural wood center ring. This wood is typically highly figured burls, spalted, or crotch wood. Most clients typically leave the selection of the scheme and motif up to me, but if you have a favorite I will be glad to accommodate as long as the wood is available.

There are two styles of Sloane tuners used, the bronze leaf and the stippled bronze. Both are high quality mechanically, the only difference being the baseplate. The bronze leaf is darker in color with a handsome antique patina and the leaf pattern is etched in the metal. The stippled bronze tuners have a regular pattern cut into the baseplate and have a higher shine. Both tuners have bronze alloy 16:1 toothed gears, are very smooth adjusting and durable. There are three types of knobs available, Ivoriod, Pearloid, and ebony. The rollers can be either black or white except with ebony knobs in which case only black is offered. Alessi or Rogers tuners can be ordered but will incur additional cost.

The 7th fret indicator is a .040" diameter piece of galvanized wire. The small size makes this a very subtle marking yet the silver color makes it easy to see even in harsh lighting conditions. Even after 40 years of playing I would be lost without this invaluable aid. And all guitars come with a 20th fret.

Details

The details on an instrument can certainly add to the overall visual appeal. Particular care is taken in pulling together all the details to make a cohesive design. Schemes are changed regularly to keep things fresh. If there is a particular scheme you prefer, chances are it can be applied to your instrument, please inquire. I have used a variety of rosettes with different colors and types of wheat motif, and a Greek motif on occasion. All the rosettes have a natural wood center ring. This section is selected from a vast supply of burls, spalted, crotch wood , and veneers on hand. This center ring serves as a signature of sorts for my instruments. If there is a particular scheme you prefer, chances are it can be applied to your instrument, please inquire.

Recently colored veneers have been added to the mix because not only can they brighten up a design, but they introduce many more color combinations than are available in natural wood.

Whatever the scheme, effort is taken to use colors that compliment the woods of the guitar without demanding too much attention. For me less is often more. Highly figured woods are avoided for a number of reasons, not the least of which is their inherent instability. The guitar in of itself is quite beautiful with its curves and human quality it shouldn't have to compete for attention. There are examples of various schemes throughout the site and in the galleries.