This guitar was made as an overdue gift to Stephen Mattingly's guitar program at the University of Louisville as a prize for the first place winner of the UofL Guitar Festival Competition in 2015. The African Mahogany back and sides have a beautiful ribbon strip figure that became deep and very evanescent after applying the French Polish. Mahogany is a rare wood to use for a classical guitar, but the sound begs us to ask why. It is a very enjoyable instrument to play.
Specifications:
- 650mm scale length
- 52mm nut width
- Jumbo, Gold Evo Frets
- Der Jung Tuners with Roller Bearings
- African Mahogany Back & Sides
- West African Ebony Fretboard
- Tiger Maple and Purple Heart Accents
- An asymetric lattice bracing
- Western Red Cedar Soundboard
- Padauk Bridge with 12 hole tie block
- French Polish of Shellac Finish
Update
In the fall of 2019, just before Covid became the destroyer of worlds, I received a call from a gentleman in Arizona. He told me that this guitar was for sale in a music shop in Tucson. It was an easy purchase decision for me. I called the shop and ordered the guitar immediately. I told them I knew the guy that built it and that it was an incredible bargain.
When I received the guitar and looked it over I realized that it made no business sense to restore it for resale. The top was far too damaged by playing wear and, given that I had built it as a competition prize in times passed then purchased it, I would have to rebuild it into a new guitar to ever break even. I had always wondered if I should have used a spruce top on it, and proceeded in that direction throughout the beginning of Covid. The competed rebuild is listed as guitar no. 63 and is available as a new guitar with the most updated top design imposed up this earlier body style
There is an old saying that goes "you get what you pay for."
Thing is, if people aren't invested in something they own, they aren't likely to value it or take good care of it.
So this has become a critical variable in the valuation of my work.
