Blackwood Special

This is a bit special. It's the one that Clive tried to kidnap at Ullapool. African Blackwood back and sides, Adirondack Spruce top, Walnut Neck, Tulipwood bindings. 46mm fingerboard. Gotoh 510 tuners. The shape is a repeat of the recent guitar that I made for Megan Henwood, a slightly shrunken Falstaff, and a shallower body. I’ve tried to capture just those parts of the tone spectrum that I think are most valued for fingerpickers, not too much and not too little of anything, just right, just there at your fingertips.

Everybody loves it; certainly one of the best guitars Ive ever made.

When I first joined up the soundboard about a year ago, I didn't like the way it felt, so I put it on one side. Since then, I have rejoined it at the opposite edge, and what a difference! It immediately felt so much better. It’s astonishing how much the feel of the raw wood can tell you while the guitar is being made. Each note is "round" - no tightness, its not "warm" as such, far stronger than that. It’s a full figured opera singer.