What options are available?
- Standard Classical model: elevated fingerboard design with Indian rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia) back and sides, mahogany neck with headstock joined by a V-joint, 20 fret ebony fingerboard, and bridge with double-hole tie block. Standard finish is French polish.
- Flamenco model: traditional geometry with spruce soundboard, mediterranean or domestic cypress back and sides, cedro (Cedrella mexicana) neck with headstock joined by a V-joint, 19 fret ebony fingerboard and bridge with double-hole tie block. Sloane machine heads or wooden tuning pegs. Standard finish is French polish.
- The following scale lengths are available at no additional charge: 650 mm, 630 mm, and 613.5 mm.
- Soundboards are available in cedar, European spruce, Adirondack spruce, Engelmann spruce, Port Orford cedar, and redwood. They all have merit, though the great majority of my guitars are in European spruce and cedar. Back and Sides are also available in various other rosewoods, and maple (both Western big leaf and European).
- Brazilian rosewood (Dalbergia nigra) is available, with an additional charge of $3500. African blackwood is $2500 extra. Cocobolo rosewood and Madagascar rosewood are $1500 extra.
- Sloane tuners are standard. Rodgers are optional at about $800 extra. Graf tuners are also an option from about $800 extra. Please inquire.
- The standard case that comes with my guitars is a good quality double-arched plywood case imported from Canada. As an option I can provide a custom-fitted Hoffee case for a very reasonable additional charge.
How do I order a guitar?
To place an order, call, e-mail or write and we will have a conversation about your wishes and needs. I will need to know your contact information (phone, e-mail and snail-mail). A non-refundable deposit of $500 is required. Once it is received I will send you confirmation.
You may also wish to visit to see my work firsthand. This will also create an opportunity for you to pick out woods for your guitar.I look forward to meeting you if this is possible. If it is more convenient, you may find one of my guitars for sale at Guitars International in Cleveland, Classic guitars in Santa Barbara, or Kirkpatrick Guitar Studio in Baltimore.
Any estimate of the waiting period is just that: an estimate. As we all know, the future is characterized by unpredictability so I ask for your understanding should your guitar be ready later (or sooner!) than predicted. However, if I cannot fulfill your order within a year of the predicted date, I will refund your deposit upon request.
I will contact you when I am about to begin construction of your guitar. At that time we can finalize the details of construction, payment, and delivery. Full payment, including the cost of shipping, shall be paid in advance of taking possession of your guitar. Once you receive your guitar you will have a week to decide if it is right for you. If you are not completely satisfied with it you can return it for a full refund (less deposit). However, return shipping is your responsibility and I may also deduct from your refund an amount commensurate with any damage incurred while it is in your possession. In addition, I may charge a restocking fee of $250 The foregoing term does not apply to special orders that have non-standard features. In these cases the guitar must be paid for in full before construction begins, and there may be no return option.
I will guarantee your guitar to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for one year after you purchase it, unless I have specifically stipulated otherwise. For example, if a crack should appear within the first year, and reasonable precautions were taken by the purchaser to avoid exposure to extremes in temperature and humidity, I will repair it at my expense. The owner, however, is responsible for shipping costs.
At the present time, the price of my standard Classical model is $10,500. Please inquire for information about my Flamenco guitars.