Matthew, you have created a fairly comprehensive list of luthiers who make guitars derivative of Nazareth with differing degrees of replication for discussion (thanks).
As in all things guitar, who is “best” depends on the individual buyer and their definition of “best”. To some, accuracy of a recipe of Nazareth design, materials and methods is that definition of “best”. To others, it can be based on visual precision of their execution, quality of materials, work methods, tone, cost/benefit or availability. So in this post, I suspect that we will reflect this heterogeneity.
To me, when I have played vintage Martins that I enjoyed (Honestly, some I did not), what I found were instruments that had a tonality with:
- A balanced, clear fundamental surrounded by differing degrees of supportive partials and decay (e.g. the “dry” sound) depending on whether they were mahogany or rosewood.
- They are responsive to touch and feel “alive” like a living, breathing thing when you play them.
I have played instruments by a number of builders who have captured this type of guitar including Laurent Brondel, John Slobod, TJ Thompson and Kim Walker.
For me, my favorite is
Bruce Sexauer.
Bruce makes and broad spectrum of styles of guitars from Martin derivative to cutting edge evolved traditional instruments. Even when a client wants a guitar in the Martin tradition, Bruce’s guitars are NOT Nazareth copies and differ in a number of significant but to my view “good” ways:
- Mold-less, Spanish tradition top up construction vs. factory based, use of molds and back up construction
- Use of an oil varnish finish vs. nitrocellulose lacquer
What I like about his building approach is:
- He builds his guitars one-at-a-time serially vs. in parallel small batches
- All aspects of construction are executed by him using traditional shop and hand tools vs. use of purchased CNC fabricated components
- He consistently uses some of the best, seasoned, quarter-sawn timbers
- His oil varnish finishes are time consuming to execute and are, low density, flexible and thin
At this point, he has five decades of experience building 500+ instruments including 70+ Guitars for Eric Schoenberg. Lastly, being a guitar playing musician he has an inate sense of what a guitar as a tool needs to do in terms sound and feel. In my opinion, his approach combines the best aspects of traditional classical guitar lutherie in the Spanish tradition with the design construct of Nazareth when you ask for a Martin-like guitar.
What is important to me, is not Nazaresque accuracy, but that his guitars have tonality with a balanced, clear fundamental surrounded by differing degrees of supportive partials and they are responsive to touch and feel truly “alive” like a living, breathing thing when you play them.