Weissenborn Lap Slide

Just completed this guitar.  The body is Sapele, with Wenge fingerboard and bridge. Bindings are Red Myrtle. Rosette is Tasmanian Blackwood. Head veneer is Red Myrtle.  Plays beautifully!

Priced at £1875   

SOLD

Mercury Custom (Ziricote)

A superb instrument with Ziricote ( Mexico ) back and sides, American Curly Ash binding . European Spruce top with scalloped spruce x brace and mahogany cross strut under fretboard end for extra stability.

3 piece American Curly Ash neck, with Ziricote lines between. 2 way truss rod with carbon fibre inserts either side of rod. Bookmatched Ziricote veneer to front and back of headstock. Ebony fretboard bound with Ebony, to hide fret ends. Ebony bridge and pins, Gotoh tuners 650 mm scale Nut width 47.5 mm Commissioned by High End Guitars Price £2499
SOLD

Two Navigator 12 string acoustics   (#1 & #2)

These are probably the best 12 strings ever built (as Carlsberg would say). The sustain lasts for ever.

Indian Rosewood back & sides and spruce top give these 12 string guitars fantastic base and all the treble 'zing' you could want.  (I don't supply ear-plugs when your trying this guitar - bring your own!!!

One with pick-up, the other without (but can be added)

With pick-up     £2300        JUST SOLD!   £2000 
Ben Andrews (now deceased) used this actual guitar on his last tour
Without pick-up £2150        SOLD

6 string Resonator Guitar (National style)

Handmade National style biscuit bridge 'Black Chrome' Resonator Guitar, Wooden bodied,  with Black cellulose finish and beautiful flamed maple binding. 

Mahogany neck sprayed with black cellulose.  Ebony head veneer and fret-board with 6mm mother of pearl dot inlays.  ' Butterbean' tuners & Bone nut..

 Price  £1750         SOLD Sale price £1550

THE LEGEND ARCHTOP

Hand carved Spruce top & Flamed Maple back & sides, make this archtop guitar a truly first class instrument. 

It has Ebony bridge, tail piece, fretboard & head veneer, with Mother of Pearl & Abalone  'Deco' styled inlays.   Fitted with a Kent Armstrong 8k floating jazz pick up, mounted on the pick guard.

The original Legend was designed for Big Jim Sullivan, who no doubt is still using it in his heavenly band.  

Occasionally used demo version, so priced at   £2850

SOLD

More photos here (in new window)

Pegasus 2T  (2T= Double top)  6 string Guitar

Conceived as a experiment of a 'lattice' system steel strung guitar.  Using two thinner than usual European spruce tops with an asymmetric spruce lattice in-between them ( see inset photo of  light inside guitar showing through). The only internal parts from a normal x-brace system are the bridge plate and under-fret-board cross-struts.

American Walnut Back & Sides, bound with Curly Ash; Ebony fret-board & bridge, with chrome GoToh tuners.  Walnut head veneer, rosette and Walnut neck.  I don't have the written language to describe the sound, you are going to have to hear it.  I had high hopes for this guitar & they have been exceeded!! Two tops seem to give twice the sustain, and a massive 'open' sound.

£3,400   - SOLD - but let me know & I may make another.

Weissenborn lap slide guitar/ a.k.a. Hawaiian style

This guitar is the prototype built to test the sound & construction prior to a Black Walnut copy was built for a customer.

Based on original pattern drawings of the Weissenborn style II (circa 1933) it's constructed of aircraft grade birch laminate, finished in red & black sunburst with nitro cellulose lacquer & fitted with Schaller chrome tuners

This fabulous sounding and rare guitar is likely to go quickly, so make your interest known ASAP.  I don't want to let it go, but need to clear some space!

The full Black Walnut version sold for £2k.
NOW SOLD

Douglas & Co. 'Zither' Banjo

What's a 'luthier' doing with a banjo! So in the effort to clear space, I have to let this banjo go.  It has a new goat skin head and I've set it up so it has a good playing action, so it plays well and sounds extremely good.

Originally made by G. Houghton for  Douglas & Co. of 7 South Street, London, it has a beautiful semi-curved back, plus silver peg-head etchings and what to me seem silver buttons.   c.1900

SOLD

GEMINI 6/12.

The Gemini 6/12 really speaks for itself! European Spruce top, braced to take the pull imposed by all that “wire”! Maple back, sides & necks, with Ebony bridge, board & head veneers. Fitted  Headway pick ups, with selector switch (not both together) with centre position being totally OFF!   Fantastic sound on BOTH the 6 & the 12 string sides.  

I made this for myself and as a demonstration instrument, but would sell for £1975 – with case !

!!! SALE PRICE  £1750 !!!         NOW SOLD

Phaedra Custom

Another superb instrument Commissioned by High End Guitars.
Black Walnut back and sides Western Red Cedar top with scalloped spruce x brace and mahogany cross strut under fretboard end for better stability Mahogany back braces and linings.

Brazilian Mahogany neck with 2 way truss rod and carbon fibre inserts either side of rod, for extra stability and control over adjustment. Ebony fretboard, bound with Ebony, to hide fret ends;
Ebony bridge and bridge pins . Gotoh tuners, 630 mm scale length (short scale Martin equivalent) Nut width 47 mm.  Guitars Price £2399
NOW SOLD

Phoenix Custom

A superb instrument.  Flamed French Walnut back and sides with American Curly Ash bindings. European Spruce top with scalloped spruce x brace and mahogany cross strut under fretboard end for better stability.

Brazilian Mahogany neck with 2 way truss rod and carbon fibre inserts either side of rod for extra stability and control over adjustment. Ebony fretboard bound with Ebony to hide fret ends Ebony bridge and pins, Gotoh Tuners 650 mm scale length (long scale Martin equivalent) Nut width 47.5 mm Commissioned by High End Guitars Price £2499
NOW SOLD

PHAEDRA mahogany.

This Phaedra is to the standard mahogany specification, but with added Spalted beech rosette, head veneer & pickguard.    Fabulous sound !   £1950
SOLD

Mahogany back  & closer view of front

PHAEDRA Tasmanian Blackwood.

This Phaedra has Tasmanian Blackwood back & sides,  with a European Spruce top.   Ebony fretboard, bridge & bindings. The rosette & head veneer are Black Walnut.   Abalone inlays finish off this beautiful guitar.

The Tasmanian Blackwood gives it a really  dark, but warm & punchy sound.  630 mm scale. RECOMMEND YOU TRY !   £2150

NOW SOLD

AB 49 BASS

There are acoustic basses and then there's the AB 49. This one is in its standard Rosewood spec. (see  standard guitars page)  

The AC was conceived to work as an acoustic bass without having to plug in to get anything worthwhile out of them:  as is the case with so many acoustic basses. The bracing design is very different, and it's this that's made the AB sound so good !

TRY IT AND HEAR FOR YOURSELF !   £2150

!!! SALE PRICE  £1685 !!!      NOW SOLD

A.G.E  

The AGE electric guitar is a demonstrator/prototype of a new range, planned to be coming out next year.   Solid Maple body with Mahogany centre splice, underneath a Flamed Eucalyptus drop top.  

Seymour Duncan JB at bridge & 59 classic at neck. 5 way superswitch gives singles from each pickup in series, and in parallel at number 2 & 4 respectively. Tele style bridge plate, for that “mounted in metal” sound   Fantastic sound; sustain; playability .    COME AND TRY !! £1150

NOW SOLD

PHOENIX Jc  QM.

This Phoenix has a Sitka Spruce top with fabulous Quilted Maple back, sides, neck, head veneer & fretboard. The bridge is Ebony & the rosette is 300 year old Burl Elm ( it came off of an old beam).   Fitted with a Headway under saddle pick up. Those of you who are familiar with Headway pick ups,  will know how good they are!

Plays, sounds & looks truly fantastic ! Must really be seen in the flesh, to be really appreciated.

£2650

NOW SOLD

KINGFISHER PARLOR GUITAR.

European Spruce top. Brazilian mahogany back, sides & neck.  Ebony fretboard & bridge.  630 mm scale.

Plays & sounds great.  Demo guitar, so not as new, but VGC.  £1250

NOW SOLD