With all of my commissions, the goal has always been the creation of an instrument with a particular, specific Voice to complement those of the superb guitars and mandolins I am already privileged to own.
Achieving that Voice is paramount and determines everything else about the build.
I choose my builders very carefully; those whose craftsmanship, attention to detail, fit & finish and sense of design, all of which contribute the look of the guitar, meet my standards, so I don’t have to concern myself with those areas further. After all, Doc Watson never cared about what his guitars
looked like. This allows the conversations between us to remain focused on achieving the target Voice.
I make a few ergonomic specifications (a cutaway, EVO frets, my preferred neck width & profile), but once the builder and I are confident that we share a clear understanding of the sonic goal to which all other decisions will be subservient, I leave most build decisions, including body size, the woods to be used, type of finish, etc. in the capable hands of the person whose task it is to produce it. Where a decision is required of me regarding the look of the instrument (for example, choosing a rosette design), I generally keep it simple and select from among the builder's usual options. Any customization I might request will generally concern the Voice, but I since I select my builders because I appreciate their signature tone, I don't ask that they build me something with a Voice that sounds like anyone other than themselves.
I had long admired Tom Doerr’s work and remembered playing one of his wonderful instruments at nearby Dream Guitars some years back, so last spring I drove up from NC to the Artisan Guitar Show in Harrisburg, PA, specifically to sample the guitars Tom was bringing to display.
When I got home I sent him a deposit.
Now, some 14 months later, Tom has begun building a Legacy Select model to be personally delivered to me when Tom arrives to take part in the Luthiers Exhibit during Guitar Week at the Swannanoa Gathering in late July, and I look forward to sharing the process with you as it takes shape.
Tom and I are going for a pretty lofty goal in this guitar’s Voice, and he’s using some of the very finest wood in his stash to achieve it.
Here’s a shot of the woods he’ll use. On the right you can see some of his highest grade Swiss moon spruce for the top (note the crescent moon in the corner). The mahogany neck block is at the top, with the Brazilian rosewood back & sides in the middle and the outline of the Brazilian fretboard drawn on the piece on the left.
All of the Brazilian rosewood used on this guitar, from the rosette to the tiniest pieces of top trim, is from the same plank of wood.
The straight-grained Brazilian back.
A closeup of the laminated neck block
The top being joined
Back being joined
Stay tuned...