More 3/4 guitar top

Using "go-bar" to clamp braces while gluing

Quilted maple back and 3/4 Indian rosewood back

3/4 Nylon string guitar

Shapng the fan braces

Detail of fan brace going under cross-brace

New method of building guitars!

Over the past 18 years (since 1991) I have been a leisure luthier building a guitar every now and then. While looking at my stock of guitar wood in the early months of 2009, I figured that at the rate I was going I would be about 120 years old before I used all the wood I had in stock. So, my "new method" of building is this: While setting up to do a task, I simple do that task 22 times thus eliminating multiple set-up times saving many hours of my labor. While doing this multiple part production, I make sure that each component still receives my full attention to ensure a high quality construction. That savings in time will help keep the cost of my guitars down to an affordable level for hand-built instruments.
Since opening the Knothole Lutherie Shop in October 2009, there has been an interest in people wanting me to teach them how to build guitars. This option is now available. I have developed a six phase method of learning to build a nylon string, Spanish style classical guitar. To be sure that each student receives enough guidance, the class size is limited to two.

Cutting rough profile of Indian rosewood back.

Routing the channel for the rosette.

Joining jig doing its thing.

Soundboard ready to join