The term Handcrafted is open to a broad range of interpretations in the music industry. To a few it means that no power tools are used at all, while others feel the term is applicable when only the final assembly is completed by hand.
My shop lies somewhere in the middle; while I prefer to do most of my close up work by hand, I don't know how I would get by without my router, joiner or table saw.
After receiving repeated questions about how much of my work was actually done by hand someone brilliantly suggested that I put up some videos on my web page... and I have responded.
The following videos are of me utilizing two of my most trusted tools while hand-carving the neck of a 7-string guitar. In the first video I am using a draw knife, inherited from my grandfather, to carve the length of the neck. In the second video I am using a chisel to carve the neck heel. I recorded both videos in 4x actual speed to minimize the potential for viewer boredom. The photo at the top right is of the finished product.
That's all for now, but I hope to have some new videos up soon.
The Myth of Tonewood
It is important that a musician’s instrument match his or her tonal as well as visual ideal. The first step toward achieving this is wood selection. There are several species of hardwoods that, due to their prominent use in instrument manufacturing, have been classified as “tonewoods.” This classification has led to a great deal of misunderstanding concerning the nature of wood. The most common misnomer is the belief that woods labeled as “tonewoods” have preferable tonal characteristics to woods not labeled as such. To dispel this myth we must understand the reasons that these woods gained prominence in the industry: availability, durability, workability, and perhaps most importantly, beauty.
The truth of the matter is that all species of wood have positive and negative tonal characteristics, depending on your point of view and it is important that you understand these characteristics when selecting wood for your instrument. In general, stiffer woods will give your instrument a brighter tone, more clarity and greater sustain with pronounced harmonics; flexible woods provide a warmer and darker tone but with less sustain. The density of a wood contributes greatly to tone as well as sound projection as denser woods absorb sound, particularly in the lower register; lighter woods project more volume, especially in middle to low frequencies. Personal taste is very much a factor here; to some people bright may mean “brittle” and to others dark may mean “muddy.”
Environmental Responsibility
Due to the value of many species of hardwood, there has been a steady increase of illegal harvesting practices globally. The destruction can range from the cutting of individual trees to outright deforestation. I realize that my business is small, but this is a tragedy that I refuse to be a part of on any level. If I can not find a reliable source for the wood you are requesting I will not use it, but I will suggest some possible alternatives. As you can see, this issue is clearly important to me and I appreciate your understanding.