New Bracing /Floating Ties

Voicing the guitar is a big part of the fun and challenge of building. I’m always working on “dialing in” or improving on the sound. The process involves understanding your materials, because every piece of wood is different, and then working with all the variables at your disposal. When you play with all the variables over time you get a feel for how each element affects the way the guitar sounds in the end. Usually, that means playing with the bracing pattern and doming of the top… changing the lengths and heights of braces as well as changing the placement of braces; making the top stiffer or more flexible in specific areas. Most of the time you are gluing the braces to the top itself to stiffen or discipline the top. This project pictured above was something completely different for me and I wasn’t very sure of what the guitar was going to sound like when it was all said and done.

I’m not sure what to call this at present. These “floating ties” are braces that don’t directly discipline the top but are one step removed as they are notched into the braces above and are controlling the braces instead of the top itself. It is adding some across the grain stiffness but in a completely different way than a brace glued directly would do. This guitar is thus so very different sounding than any guitar I have ever made. The guitar sounds very “open” with a warm treble and lush harmonics throughout and is still very balanced all the way through from low to high with a good sustain. In some ways it makes sense to me now. These floating ties allow the top to resonate more freely with very little added weight while still disciplining the top in a different way. Anyway, I’m enjoying the guitar very much and I think I’ll have to make a few more guitars with these superstructures to really see if I’m on to something.

Here is some video. Thanks to Ryan Walsh for stopping by the shop and recording some snippets.

This guitar is available and will be listed in the inventory on my website shortly.

A Love Letter to St. Lucia

This is a really unique custom instrument for a customer who is a fan of St. Lucia (the island) and wanted a guitar that expresses that feeling. Every detail is a product of that collaboration. We started with a small jumbo sized instrument with African Blackwood and Redwood. We also designed the custom inlays that show off the Pitons, St. Lucia’s iconic mountains, in abalone and reconstituted stone as well as inlays that express the shape of the St. Lucia flag. That motif is carried down the fretboard in abalone and all the way to the custom pinless bridge that also boasts a bright burst of abalone. There is an arm bevel and binding in beautifully flamed maple and that is dressed up with gold hardware and EVO gold fretwire. I really like the asymmetrically carved heel and back of the headstock. The final touch was the installation of a K&K Pure Pickup. I also want to thank KOZM Guitars for lending his services in cutting the bulk of the inlays which saved me many hours work hunched over cutting inlays by hand.

Also, a nice accessory for most any bridge, but definitely required for this pinless design was a nice top protector to keep from dinging the top while changing strings.

June 2018

I'll be attending the 2018 Guitar Foundation of America International Convention and Competition at the University of Louisville this week.  I'm gonna miss the first few days but will be there Wednesday thru Saturday.  I'll have a  western red cedar and east indian rosewood guitar there to display.   I hope the heat and humidity don't kill me.   Come down and check it out if you can.    https://www.guitarfoundation.org

Also,  here are a few photos of a uke I made for a long time friend.  I was really excited to deliver this uke in person.  It's a bearclaw swiss spruce and claro walnut tenor with some black mother of pearl.  

2018 Koblenz International Guitar Festival and Finally Some Videos!

I just got back from the 2018 Koblenz International Guitar Festival.  I met a lot of great people: mostly all amazing players or fellow luthiers from around the world.  I didn't bring my nice camera on the trip but I took some photos with my phone while I was there.  I mostly subsisted on fried potatoes and beer during the trip. That picture of beer, fries and currywurst is indicitave of my diet.  Below are some photos which include:  Pictures of the town, a blurry photo of Fabio Zanon (whom I always enjoy hearing), the ceiling of the symphony hall which I thought looked cool,  Swedish Luthier Heikki Rousu showing off an 11 string guitar, Guitarist Miguel Mandelli checking out my guitars, and a random food cart pod event going on Sunday night where half the carts were American style BBQ and most the trucks had a rock n roll theme with flames painted on the sides!?!

Secondly,  I'm going to try to make videos on a regular basis for my instruments.  Here the 1st video; a performance of "La Paloma" by Sebastian Iradier and performed and arranged by Guitarist Ryan Walsh.  The guitar is a 2018 western red cedar and East Indian Rosewood guitar. This is the 1st video I've uploaded.  More to come later.  

This is a short and charming Spanish tango by Sebastian Iradier from the 19th century. Also one of my favorite encore pieces! If you enjoy videos like these, consider becoming a patron on Patreon.com! There will be monthly uploads of such pieces, and much more! https://www.patreon.com/ryanwalsh