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WJJG FEATURED IN THE BOOK ELECTRIFIED BY ROBERT SHAW
ARGOS 660 FRETLESS
SK2
March 14, 2011
Big Announcement: I've finally uploaded the first of
Az Samad's Guitar Lessons that he and I are producing in collaboration exclusively for William Jeffrey Jones Guitars! This will be a regular feature with a new lesson added to the index nearly every month. Az is just finishing up Lesson #2, which will follow closely on the heels of this first one. If you have any questions about the material, feel free to drop Az a note by visiting either his website or his Facebook and Twitter pages, listed on the
Lesson Index page.
I'll be adding a button to the others at the top of this page for easier navigation straight to Az's Lesson Index in the future.
You've also got to make sure to check out one of Az's latest recordings with
Planet Loop from their forthcoming CD entitled "Cubed." The CD will be released in April and the tune is called
The New Three. Give it a listen. Az is playing his WJJG Proteus on this track.Great stuff.
Enjoy and stay tuned for more soon.
~Jeffrey
March 10, 2011
After much deliberation, I finally fretted the previously fretless Special Kay. I designed and built this guitar as a fretless instrument a few years ago, but it's been waiting patiently for a good home. It's a beautiful guitar... and it sounds every bit as beautiful as it looks, too. I received a number of inquiries about it when it was first built, but for most, its fretlessness was the dealbreaker. Fretless instruments aren't everyone's cup of tea, no matter how much I personally like 'em. Now that the Special Kay has a newly fretted neck, I'm going to offer it at a demo price of $2,450, even though it's brand new for all intents and purposes. I just want this guitar to find some love, because it has so much love to give. To see more photos along with specs and some other info, click on the Special Kay photo featuring the new EVO gold frets below.
Drop me an email if you're interested in discussing the purchase of this special instrument or if you'd just like more information about it. As always, I'm also happy to discuss building you a similar instrument to your own specifications.
~Jeffrey
February 18, 2011
William Jeffrey Jones Guitars' Syrena carved mermaid guitar is featured on the cover of the 2011
Wood Carver's Supply catalog!
Make sure to visit the
Wood Carver's Supply site and request a free catalog. If you're into woodcarving, this catalog is indispensable.
Also in the news this month, the recent blizzard across the Midwest left about 2 feet of snow on the ground that I felt I should do something with. So, I sculpted a snowman. The media picked it up and I appeared on television and in a
newspaper article that was published in hundreds of newspapers across the country.
Regarding the new guitar lesson feature here on WJJG by Az Samad, I have in my possession the first guitar lesson and I'm getting ready to upload and post it very soon! For those who are patiently waiting, it's coming! Stay tuned.
~Jeffrey
January 14, 2011
Special New WJJG Feature coming in February 2011! In collaboration with fingerstyle guitarist, composer, and music educator
Az Samad, this site will be hosting an ongoing series of valuable guitar lessons by Az that he's contributing exclusively to William Jeffrey Jones Guitars. The lessons will cover fingerstyle playing, jazz harmony, and solo guitar via videos and audio files along with notation and explanations by this experienced working musician and educator. Many of the lessons will be performed on his WJJG
Proteus guitar. If nothing else, here's your chance to see and hear Az play that wonderful instrument. I couldn't be more excited to present this kind of experience to you here. Don't miss it. It's FREE!
Currently based in the San Francisco Bay Area, guitarist-composer Az Samad's music has taken him to festivals and venues in the United States, Austria, United Kingdom, Singapore, and Malaysia. Az has performed/recorded with Grammy winners Flaco Jimenez and Max Baca, singer-songwriter Tara Linda, Rick Vandivier, Hristo Vitchev, world music ensemble Bogofusion, electronic jazz-funk group Planet Loop, and string jazz ensemble JazzMine. "A prodigy with the steel-string and nylon-string guitars" (Faces Magazine), Az is constantly in demand with his diverse musical skills in Jazz, contemporary acoustic fingerstyle guitar and classical guitar leading to performances from intimate solo guitar shows to outdoor festival stages and classical orchestra concerts.
Az received his MA in Music (Jazz Studies) from San Jose State University, BM in Jazz Composition and Performance (Summa Cum Laude) from Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA, and BMus in Arranging from University of Westminster, United Kingdom.
As an educator, Az has been on faculty for Berklee College of Music's Summer Guitar Sessions. Az was also the co-teacher for the Guitar Fundamentals class, and teaching assistant for Jazz Improvisation class at San Jose State University (SJSU), San Jose, CA. In addition to his musical outreach work at SF Bay Area schools with Sonart Group, Az has taught workshops at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT; Culturefest in Pipestem, WV; Freight and Salvage in Berkeley, CA; International College of Music, and Malaysian Institute of Art in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
See
Az's website for much, much more!
Drop me a note to sign up to be notified by email when the first lesson is posted. Simply place the phrase "Az Lessons" in the subject heading. I'll also be making regular announcements on my
Facebook William Jeffrey Jones Guitars page, so head over there and join if you haven't already.
See you back here soon.
~Jeffrey
January 1, 2011
Happy New Year!
Here's just a quick glimpse of what's coming down the pike:
I've never been busier with commissions than I am right now, but this is a spec guitar currently available to anyone wishing to reserve it. I'll post more about it soon, but I'll be happy to answer any questions about it if you want to
shoot me an email. In the meantime, stay tuned for more great new guitars and basses from WJJG in 2011!
~Jeffrey
November 21, 2010
As many of you know, some of the instruments I build aren't commissions, but rather, are guitars that I just plain want to build. I'll always build them, for two good reasons. One is because I have so many ideas as I work in the shop or studio and am compelled to try them out. Two, it just makes sense for me to take these risks so that I can develop new ideas from which I and my clients can benefit. For me, it's always been the greater risk NOT to develop new ideas. New ideas and the motivation to follow them down a path are some of my greatest assets.
I have a handful of these instruments that are fully finished except for the assembly with hardware and electronics. I'm making them available now, giving you the opportunity to select the pickups, switching, tuners, bridges, string gauges, and case as if you were commissioning a custom instrument, albeit one that you won't have to wait months for. It's a chance for you to get a custom instrument quickly, but also an opportunity to possibly save some money.
First up is a really nice new piece called SK2, which is an abbreviation for Special Kay 2. To read more about it, click on the photo, but also feel free to check out my Facebook to read some discussion about it, as well.
Next is a singlecutaway that I've been tweaking on for years. I just couldn't help myself. It's a beautiful guitar and versatile design that lends itself nicely to a number of directions. It's a brand new instrument with no shop wear, but I'm making it available to you now. So, take the opportunity to snatch this one out of my hands before I do something else to it. :)
I made 3 obvious changes to it this past year, including the inset tune-o-matic bridge, the original celtic-influenced design of the "tattoo" below the bridge, and the ultra-cool carved neck/body transition. Click on the pic to see more photos and information.
Please don't hesitate to drop me an email with any of your questions about either of these two instruments.
UPDATE: The Arcadia SC Celt above is sold and no longer available. Email me if you're interested in one similar. I have one more top from the same board from which this one came.
~Jeffrey
July 13, 2010
Here are a couple of new and available tops, each ready for me to build you a Proteus model guitar to your own specifications. Contact me as soon as possible, if you're interested. Either will be an absolutely stunning Proteus. And since either is not yet laminated onto a back of any kind, you can specify your choice of back wood, as well. At this stage, I can cut out the pickup cavities with a scroll saw to use as pickup covers in a technique similar to the one I used on
this Argos for exact matching wood pickup covers. Nice!
Click either of the photos to see larger images.
There are some discussions about them on
my William Jeffrey Jones Guitars Facebook page if you'd like to learn more about these tops and see more photos of them from other angles. If you're ready to snag one for a custom build,
drop me an email to discuss it directly. I'll require a small deposit (applicable to your total payment for the guitar) to reserve the top of your choosing while we discuss the full specs and your preferences for your personal custom WJJG Proteus.
~Jeffrey
July 04, 2010
Happy Independence Day, USA!
I've just recorded a simple demo of
this Kronos fretless tuned CGCFGC, playing some sections from one of my original tunes. The 26" scale length of the instrument is long enough to impart plenty of string tension for tuning down as low as C on the bottom string and possibly B using a proper string gauge. You can
hear it for yourself!
~Jeffrey
June 23, 2010
I was just going through a large selection of photos taken of the
Syrena by photographer Matt Hayes and came across this detail shot that really speaks to me. It's a great depiction of both the wood and my attention to detail. The surface you're seeing is actually the wood with a penetrating Danish oil finish. No film coatings. I don't mind saying that I take pride in being able to show you such a close-up of my work without hesitation. All of my work really is this clean, which is why I don't like covering it up with a thick plastic finish. And if I'm this meticulous with just the surface and form of my guitars, you can imagine how particular I am about playability.
To see the larger version of this photo, click on the pic.
More detail photos coming soon, as well as some brand new guitars.
~Jeffrey
April 20, 2010
Here's another sound file from San Francisco Bay Area Guitarist/Performer/Teacher
Az Samad. This is a live recording of his performance of the Kurt Rosenwinkel tune "East Coast Love Affair", accompanied by Adam Everett on drums. Again, the guitar Az is playing is
this Proteus.
East Coast Love Affair by
Az Samad
To see more photos of Az playing this guitar, see
this Proteus link.
There is also a
video of this performance available.
~Jeffrey
April 13, 2010
For your listening pleasure, here's an amazing piece by San Francisco Bay Area Guitarist/Performer/Teacher
Az Samad from his recent graduate recital at San Jose State University, where he co-teaches guitar fundamentals. Az is also a member of the faculty at Berklee College of Music for their summer guitar program. This is a live recording of his arrangement and performance of the classic Over the Rainbow in a medley with a tune by Malaysian composer P. Ramlee called Getaran Jiwa. The guitar Az is performing on is
this very Proteus. Enjoy!
Over The Rainbow/Getaran Jiwa Medley by
Az Samad
Video and photos are coming soon, so stay in touch.
~Jeffrey
March 21, 2010
I recently completed this guitar, the
Argos, built on commission. This exquisite one-piece walnut top is one of the best examples of what I like most about walnut and wood in general as a medium. Even as a luthier, sculpting is certainly my modus operandi, but there comes a time when this amazing material has to be allowed to speak with its own voice. The best thing I can do for it is to carefully devise an arrangement and performance that befits its qualities. Like any jazz musician worth his or her salt, a sculptor has to know how to play in the moment which includes knowing when to back off and comp for the other players in the band with something important to say.
To view a variety of photos, the full specs, and a great letter from the owner, click on the above image to visit the page dedicated to this instrument. The guitar was also one of four featured in the
April issue of Premier Guitar mentioned last week. If you love this guitar and/or the article, drop me a note or better yet, join the fans on my Facebook fan page and leave me a comment. If the guitar speaks to you in such a way that you'd like to discuss the possibility of commissioning a special instrument of the same visual caliber and quality, do
send me an email to begin the dialogue or ask me any preliminary questions you have.
More great guitars to come.
~Jeffrey
March 16, 2010
BIG NEWS: William Jeffrey Jones Guitars is the featured builder in the April 2010 issue of Premier Guitar Magazine! The print version will be available at your local bookstore on April 1st, but
Premier Guitar publishes the full issue for free as a digital edition online. You can view the article about my guitars right
here, right now or by clicking on the April cover just below. Don't miss it!
Drop me a note or
talk to me on Facebook if you enjoyed the article
and be sure to pick up a printed copy when it hits the shelves.
~Jeffrey
March 8, 2010
When I exhibited at the Healdsburg Guitar Festival last year, I took along
this Kronos fretless. Thanks to Russ Jolly, who shot a quick little video with his phone, here's
Az Samad giving the Kronos a short audition in the amp room at the show.
The audio doesn't do Az or the instrument justice, but it was recorded with a phone! It's fun to see, nonetheless. You have to admit 21st century technology is amazing. Thanks Russ and Az.
BTW, there's more video and audio of Az playing WJJ guitars on the horizon, so keep an eye out.
~Jeffrey
March 3, 2010
Back when I first built it, I got a lot of inquiries about my
Special Kay guitar. I think the fact that I'd built it with a fretless neck became a dealbreaker for most folks. The guitar itself is one of my more traditional electric guitar styles, different from the highly sculptural and contoured guitars I usually build, but it's still an original design that I've always been proud of. And those who've played it, like Clint Searcy of
Searcy String Works can attest to its quality and craftsmanship.
This beauty is still in my possession, but deserves to be played. I've decided to build it a new neck... same scale, size, and design, but fretted. So, for all you fans of this guitar that were interested in it the first time 'round but didn't want a fretless guitar, it's up for grabs now with a brand new fretted neck. Priced to sell, too. If you're at all interested, drop me an inquiry via email. I'm even putting Searcy String Works vintage P90 pickups in it for you, too. And a cocobolo fretboard! With EVO gold fretwire! WOW!!
~Jeffrey
January 24, 2010
William Jeffrey Jones Guitars now has a fan page on Facebook!
If you like what you see here on my official site, show your support by visiting my fan page, become a fan and spread the word. I'll be exhibiting a few photos of select guitars there, along with some sound files and eventually video files. And some links to my dealers, promoters, players, and suppliers. Another fun feature there is a discussion page where you can post a new topic about my guitars that you'd like to discuss. Feel free to post to any thread already in progress or start your own. I love to get feedback from you about my guitars.
Hope to see you all there.
~Jeffrey
January 21, 2010
Back in August, I exhibited instruments at the
Healdsburg Guitar Festival in California. One of the instruments I featured there was the
Proteus, a brand new design of mine at the time.
It got a lot of attention, because of it's unique shape and hand-carved appointments. A number of players attending the show got the opportunity to play the Proteus electrified in the amp room. One of the players who blew me away was Az Samad, a jazz and acoustic instrumentalist from the San Francisco Bay area. Az has since been in touch with me about building him a Proteus of his own. I took the opportunity to ask him to describe his playing experience on the original Proteus and here's what he had to say:
"The Proteus is one of the very best electric guitars I've ever played. Not only is the design beautiful and comfortable to play, the clarity of the sound brings out each note that I played like separate voices in a vocal quartet. The harmony comes out rich and united, yet each note has a great vocal quality to it. The guitar responded well to single-note playing as well as more contrapuntal solo jazz guitar work. I couldn't stop playing it and it made me want to keep making music. Truly, any instrument that can inspire creativity is special and this is definitely unique. Kudos to Jeffrey for putting so much love into his work."
-
Az Samad -
facebook/twitter: az samad
Thanks, Az! I'm deeply honored.
Take a moment to check out Az's site when you can and listen to some of the recordings he has online as well as the copious quantity of videos he has out there in the youtube universe. He's a superb fingerstyle acoustic instrumentalist who also works in the straight-ahead jazz idiom and the type of musician I kept in mind during the design/development phase of the Proteus. Thanks also goes to Clint Searcy of
Searcy String Works for such perfect pickups for it.
~Jeffrey
January 20, 2010
I know for a fact that a lot of you have been waiting to see this guitar completed. So,
here it is: the newest chapter in the tale of the Arcadia doublecutaway design, the
Arcadia Skull and Roses.
It's been an on-going project for a long time and I've made a few changes as I wnat along, but that's the way I work on some of my original spec instruments. I'm extremely particular about my work. When you finally see these guitars completed, you know they've met my requirements and are something I'm proud to have bear my name.
The instrument is
currently available. More guitars on the way soon.
~Jeffrey
December 20, 2009
One of the reasons I love building custom guitars is that I have the freedom to make them all unique. As I'm working on one guitar, I can't help but imagine variations on the design I'd like to make on the next one. One such variation is the new
iO Longhorn that I've just completed. To see more photos and read about the alterations I made for this instrument, click on the photo below.
This guitar has a very attractively figured one-piece walnut top with just the kind of figure variation that I like. And if you like this top, I've got two more tops just like this that were sequentially cut, one of which is already in the process of becoming a
Proteus model. So, look for that in the year 2010.
Completed guitars are flowing quickly right now as this latest run is heading into the final stretch. I should be posting yet another some time this week, as time permits during this, a holiday week. As many people do this time of year, I've got friends and family coming into town and plan to spend some quality time with them, too.
If you don't hear from me here again this week, though, please have a happy holiday and be safe!
~Jeffrey
December 17, 2009
The newest bass addition to my folio is this Hyperion VLM. It's a 32" scale instrument that can be strung standard fashion, but in this instance, I've strung it with .085-.065-.045-.032 gauges and tuned it to ADGC. I wanted a midrange 4-string, somewhere between a standard and a piccolo bass, that can be used as more of a solo instrument the way players like Victor Wooten and Stanley Clarke use theirs.
The body is walnut with a sassafras back, maple bolt-on neck, and osage orange fretboard. The floating bridge is one of my uniquely carved pieces in ebony. The walnut headstock features an integral carved logo.
This is a killer simple bass with a sweet, sweet sound. Again, it can be strung with the string gauges and tuning of your choice, but the lighter "tenor" gauges and tuning I have now are irresistably fun to play. Basses have come a long way as solo instruments in the last decade or two and platforms such as this have helped put the bass on the map as a solo performer.
~Jeffrey
December 15, 2009
Here's one of the new ones. It's a fairly straight-ahead 6-string electric with a 25.5" scale and two P90s from
Searcy String Works. While the contoured body shape is new, it's still obviously within my recognizable style range. One of the outstanding features of this instrument is the body wood, which is solid sassafras. This is the first guitar using that wood that I've finished, but I've got a bass with a sassafras back completed now, as well. Sassafras is a very interesting hardwood. It's very light and resonant. The guitar weighs only 5 lb 12 oz, meaning that you don't have to dread playing your guitar on a strap for 3 sets anymore.
The cherry neck is amazing, too. I love cherry necks. This one is carved to a soft V profile and is as smooth as you can imagine. The scale length and two P90s makes this a rock/blues machine. Click the pic for more info and photos of The Daemon Sassefrax or you can also get there through my
In Stock page.
As always, if you don't see the answers to your questions there, feel free to drop me a note. In the meantime, stay tuned for a new bass and another new iO here, soon.
~Jeffrey
December 14, 2009
For the past few days, I've been tied up with a busted water pipe to the house. No idea what caused it, as the water line is 3 1/2 below ground where it broke. The easier part has been fixing the pipes. The harder part was busting concrete and digging a 4 foot deep hole by hand. Donna's nephew came over with his backhoe to help after I'd dug the main hole to locate both the waterline and the electrical conduit. Our electricity comes from the transformer underground. Finally get to cover the hole up this afternoon.
Until I get the final photo shoot of this bass completed, here's a shot of the carved bridge of the piccolo bass before I strung it and set it up. The bridge is ebony and the saddle is bocote. The full spread is coming. Sweet bass.
I've got another new 6-string solidbody all photographed and the text completely written, as well. It'll go live here on the site within the next day or two. Until then...
~Jeffrey
December 9, 2009
Busy, busy, busy. Soon to be posted on the site are a batch of very fun guitars. I've just completed two brand new ones, one of which is a new design using a new species of wood for me, the other a variation of an old design of mine. As soon as I have some good day lighting, I'll shoot photos and post 'em. I'm assembling several others this week, as well, including the much anticipated Skull and Roses guitar which I've finally completed and a piccolo bass.
Those of you who know how I work my schedule, know that I work on a group of guitars at once, which makes for a long period of time between postings to my site, but once that group starts being completed, things get interesting here. I'm hoping to post 4-5 of the new guitars this month, so if you don't see anything new here for a week or two, know that they're coming. It takes time for me to photograph them and resize the pics so I can post them in sizes you can download quickly and write an interesting text for you, as well. All while getting in 8-10 hours of building a day, to boot.
Thanks for being patient and for the emails, those of you who take time to write. I appreciate hearing your comments.
Hope to see you here again soon.
~Jeffrey
October 23, 2009
Boutique Guitar Resource has just posted an
interview with me that some of you may be interested in reading. A big thanks goes out to Ron of Boutique Guitar Resource for his hard work, not only on the interview, but also for his advocacy of the boutique guitar. Do visit the site if you've not done so already.
If you're visiting my site for the first time and found it via the Boutique Guitar Resource, then welcome. I hope you enjoy your visit and come back often. I'll be posting some new guitars very soon.
~Jeffrey
October 5, 2009
Lots going on this week. This is my favorite time of the year, too. I love the fall.
Just got back from a quick jaunt over to Chapman's sawmill and couldn't resist snagging too large hunks of walnut. They were 8/4 thick before planing and now they're just the right thickness for the majority of my bodies.
That's Crissy, our catahoula/blackmouth mix, sitting in front. She's about a 90 lb. dog. The boards are a bookmatch that if I cut them up right, I'll get at least 4 good bookmatched walnut bodies and a couple decent necks out of them if each body is joined in the center. I'll cut the boards into rough sizes and store them in my shop to allow them to acclimate a bit, though Chapman's is within spittin' distance as the crow flies.
Here's a closer view of the crotch feather figure. There's one just like it that mirrors this one in the other board. I'll likely resaw this feather into thinner tops to laminate on another back. Note: a body made of a walnut crotch feather the full thickness of the guitar is going to be rather dense, which means the guitar will be a bit on the heavier side unless it's resawn and chambered or used as a thinner top laminated to another, lighter wood. Putting these puzzles together is half the fun.
You might recognize that I used another bookmatch of a walnut crotch feather like this to create the
iO Blackthorn. How exciting is that? Anybody interested in a walnut feather iO with a rosewood or cherry neck?
It was a good day to visit Steve Chapman's mill.
~Jeffrey
September 27, 2009
Recently, I've had some discussions with WJJG fans who would really like to own one of my guitars, but have been waiting for a model that fits their budget. I've decided to take this opportunity to make one of my demonstrator guitars available at a great price. The guitar is one of my DonnaKay models which I've been using as a demo for almost 2 years, as well as for my own personal guitar. It's a magnificent instrument... beautiful as well as a superb player. Take a look at it, along with the full specs by clicking the pic...
I've built a lot of guitars and this is one of my classics that will keep performing and looking gorgeous for years to come. It's got a traditional look, but the feel of this guitar is all William Jeffrey Jones right down the line. Comfort, head-turning original style, and impeccable playability are just a few of the hallmarks of this guitar. Like all of my instruments, I built it as if I were the client. Even though it's in perfectly new condition, it's been a demo, so I don't feel right selling it as a new guitar. However, there is no wear that I can see. The finish isn't even worn, but it's aged and cured exactly as I like it. The two years this guitar has existed have been very, very good to this instrument.
As I intimated, it's been played, but maintained as an example of my work to show. I always kept it set-up properly with good strings and perfectly working electronics. The lucky recipient is getting right into a tried and tested guitar, complete with new strings and a basic hardshell case for $2,250 without having to wait for 6-8 months to have it built. Two years ago, this guitar would have been priced at $3,200, so jump on it while you can. Drop me an email as soon as possible to let me know you're interested and I'll hold it for you until I receive payment. Please email me with any of your questions. Hope to hear from you soon.
UPDATE: This guitar is sold. If you'd like one similar to it, drop me a note.
~Jeffrey
September 20, 2009
I'd like to draw your attention to the fact that
Boutique Guitar Resource includes a very nice feature page for my guitars. They've posted a number of fine photos there, as well as their own flattering commentary about my instruments. I'm both pleased and proud to have been selected as one of the A-List of custom guitar builders compiled by
Boutique Guitar Resource.
Please take some time to click over there when you can and check it out.
~Jeffrey
September 17, 2009
An important update has just been made to my custom commission policy, found on my
Pricing page. I've completed a group of special guitars and I'm now accepting custom commissions, so if you'd like one of my instruments built especially for you to your custom specs, please contact me as soon as possible to get on my build schedule. The current wait for delivery of a custom instrument is 6-8 months, though that may change, depending on my scheduled work load. Let me hear from you soon if you have something in mind.
~Jeffrey
August 27, 2009
These are 3 of the guitars I unveiled at the Healdsburg Guitar Festival a couple weeks ago. While I linked some previews to the Proteus and iO Blackthorn in a previous update, here are the shiny new pages of the final photos of those guitars, including some text for those who like a little more information. Click on the guitars below.
Saving the best for last, here's the newest carved guitar I've been hinting at for months and the third of the instruments I unleashed at Healdsburg. Entitled "Syrena" (see the new page for an explanation), I've worked on this piece for some time and in my opinion, it's one of my best carvings to date. Check it out.
At this time, all three are available for ownership, so please contact me soon if you're interested in owning one of these unique guitars.
Email me with any of your inquiries and I'll be happy to anwer any questions you may have, as well as provide you with more direct contact information. Or, if you'd rather contact my dealer Cliff Cultreri, feel free to visit his page dedicated to my guitars at
Destroy All Guitars.
I'm currently back in the shop creating more instruments of this caliber. Several are already conceived and designed, but then, that's the easy part. The hard part is bringing them to life. It's time-consuming and tedious, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm in my element when I'm working on instruments like this. While some might call me patient, patience is, for me, just a by-product of my focus and determination (read: "obsession") to create something on another level.
Enjoy,
~Jeffrey
August 18, 2009
The Healdsburg Guitar Festival was a great show this past weekend and I'd like to thank all the folks who stopped by my table to say hi or play my instruments. The guitars I showed were the Nocturne for iO, Syrena (carved mermaid in black walnut), Proteus, iO Blackthorn, and a fretless Kronos. At the moment, I've got a couple of preview pages up for the iO Blackthorn guitar and the Proteus model I had at the show, but the Syrena mermaid guitar photos are coming later in the week or next, as I'm still on the road until next week. Taking a nice little vacation in Simi Valley. For now feel free to check out those previews that I've linked.
Much more in a few days.
~Jeffrey
July 4, 2009
Hey, Happy Independence Day!
I've just completed 4 hot new guitars that I'm assembling as we speak. I'll release final photos as soon as possible, but in the meantime, how about some music while you wait? These are some simple demo snippets of tunes I composed and recorded last year. The first is called
Conscious and the second is entitled
Isle of Dusk. Both feature a fairly simple bassline with me playing
this Arcadia Doublecutaway.
I'm also working on one of the new carved instruments I'll feature at the Healdsburg Guitar Festival next month. I'll post pics of that one after the show.
Hope you're all having a great summer.
~Jeffrey
May 25, 2009
Quick update: I'm currently working like crazy to finish a group of new guitars and a couple bass commissions, as well as complete the new intensely carved instruments that I'll unveil at the Healdsburg Guitar Festival in August.
I'll post completed pics of the new instruments asap. This new group includes several iO-shaped guitars with minimal sculptural embellishment, which should please the players who've been waiting for an iO at a lower price level that they would feel confident playing out. They're heavily contoured, though, which makes 'em some of the most comfortable playing guitars around. I'm stoked to get 'em finished and assembled myself. Drop back by in the next couple of weeks.
~Jeffrey
January 27, 2009
Just finished this one, which I've titled "Satyrn." I've not previously exposed this guitar in progress or mentioned anything about it up until now. It's important to keep you all on your toes. You never know what I've got goin' in the studio.
It's got a fun antique vibe, consistent with my steampunk disposition. Besides the carving and contouring, the most prominent feature is the bridge. I first worked with this bridge concept back on an early Del Fuego, but I've taken it a lot further than that here with the carved surround and the brass pin saddles. Click on the pic above for more photos and information about this new work.
It's snowing outside this evening. The neighbor up the road just phoned and read me a poem by Robert Frost. Aside from that and jotting this note, I'm sculpting a brand new, intensely carved instrument while listening to Pullman's book The Golden Compass on audio. Life is good.
"...miles to go before I sleep."
Thanks, Ed.
~Jeffrey
January 10, 2009
I'd like to welcome the new year with a couple of newly completed instruments, fresh from my bench.
First off, is a new Arcadia doublecutaway - a semi-hollow instrument featuring a traditional f-hole and a handsome carved ebony bridge. Click on the pic to see more photos along with the full specs.
This next instrument - "Nocturne for iO" - is one of my more elaborate guitar works. After spending an incredible amount of time creating this guitar, it's finally complete. For a full range of photos and text about it, please click on the photo of it below. It's a truly unique instrument. Enjoy!
While I've already started work on the next fully carved instrument, I fully intend to revisit the Nocturne design in the near future. I'm currently completing 2 more unique instruments that will be released within the next few weeks, so do check back in.
~Jeffrey
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