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| The Concert Model Gallery Click on thumbnail photo to bring to center of screen, then click again for larger format image |
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In 1976 when I made the mold for this shape, I dubbed it the "Concert". Since then, a lot of manufacturers have utilized this term in their model nomenclature so I was determined to come up with another name. The fact is though, I've made so many of this model over the decades that I'll never in my mind think of it as anything but "the Concert" ... so Concert it remains! The whole concept of this body shape was to have a nice tight waist that made you feel like you were holding a relatively small instrument ... while the lower bout packed a full 16" of tone producing punch. After building over 190 guitars from this mold, I know this model like the back of my hand. If I had to choose the most versatile guitar that I've ever produced, it would definitely be the Concert. This instrument likes a light fingerstyle approach but turns on a dime when you dig in aggressively with a pick ... very definitely a wide dynamic range is part of the DNA of this shape. After playing flattop steel string guitars for the last 40 years, I've developed a very focused idea of the sound I want to hear in different playing situations. With this model, I am going for a precise balance of note fundamental versus overtone component. Any instrument needs an extremely solid note fundamental as a foundation to its overall sonority. I build this particular model with a very crisp initial attack transient that precedes a beefy note fundamental ... the icing on the sonic cake being a many layered overtone series that launches while the fundamental is just past its peak ... the sparkle and sizzle that can be so engaging in the right player's hands. It took quite a few guitars to get the exact balance my ears wanted to hear, but now I'm extremely pleased with the results!
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| The Remuda Model Gallery Click on thumbnail image to bring to center of screen , then click on it again for larger photo |
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The Remuda model reflects my love of vintage acoustic guitars and retro visuals. The shape was inspired by a late '20s archtop guitar with that classic flattened upper bout and an elongated bulbous lower bout. The 15 3/4" lower bout dimension gives a definite sonic alternative to my Concert model, emphazising the lower mids like many good vintage instruments, but with more complexity in the upper partials. I'm convinced that the tight waist on this model not only makes it comfortable to hold, but also helps create more layers of sound and better response to a wider frequency range ... effectively dividing the soundbox into almost two different chambers. Certainly the back has two quite different but almost equally prominent tap tones in the upper and lower bouts, a phenomenon not unusual in a lot of guitar designs, but more noticable in this particual shape. The Remuda model has a full compliment of tonewood, hardware and marquetry options listed below. The instrument comes standard with a clear pickguard, but this shape definitely invites some funky tortoiseshell pickguard shapes and I will be featuring a few of these in the weeks to come. The full rope binding in the example above can be swapped out for other more traditional binding options. For more images of this model, check out the image-flow thumbnail photos at the top of this page ... click on the small photo to see an enlarged image.
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The NL-1 Parlor Gallery |
I've always loved the feel of small-bodied guitars, and this funky 1920's body shape with its tight waist and diminutive 13 3/4" lower bout really appealed to me when I was working up ideas for a parlor-sized model. I strived to keep the visuals of this instrument very straightforward but wanted to emphasize a retro aesthetic ... so the "rope" or checkered top marquetry really fit the bill. From a tone standpoint, I am also going for an old-time sound ... think Norman Blake meets David Rawlings ... a slightly reduced overtone component in favor of lots of meat in the midrange. The positioning of the bridge is critical in any guitar and even more so when you have the limited tone producing real estate of a small box. For this design, I opted for a 24.9" scale and a 13 fret neck-to-body joint, which places the bridge nicely between the soundhole and butt for maximum efficiency. The instrument shown above has a Sitka top with tropical mahogany back and sides, but of course any combination of woods can be used to good effect, depending on the sound you're looking for ... Bearclaw/Indian ... Alpine/quilted Sapelle ... Lutz/Brazilian ... all will impart different sonic qualities to the NL-1.
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