The wood
As a guitar maker, I have a great responsibility towards wood and its sustainability. Not only for the people whose livelihood depends on providing it but also for the material itself, given the current danger in which many forests and species are.
In order to reduce my impact and as long as I meet my standards of wood quality, I try to recycle wood from furniture, beams or any other previous use. In addition, I use more and more local wood and wood with FSC or Rainforest Alliance certificate.
The non-local wood that I use has a permit. This includes rosewood and bubinga, which require a CITES certificate.
On the other hand, investing in good materials is a priority. Throughout the years I have been collecting high quality wood, much of which I luckily bought already dried.
For Spanish guitar and mandolin soundboards I mostly use Italian or Swiss spruce of great quality.
Finish
I only use shellac as finish for my Spanish guitars. Shellac allows a very thin finish that barely adds any weight to the instrument and allows the wood to breathe and vibrate freely.
On my electric guitars and mandolins I use oils. Oil gives a very natural look and enhances the figure and grain of the wood. Nevertheless, it is a finish that wears out more easily than others traditionally used for electric guitars.
For a different type of finish, please contact me.
Machine heads
For my Spanish guitars, several options are available:
For those who look for an inexpensive but reliable and high quality tuner I use Gotoh machine heads.
For those who look for artisanal tuning machines, the ones from Fustero or Alessi are aesthetically and functionally extraordinary.
For those who look for a traditional look without losing tuning quality, Pegheds could also be fitted in.
For my mandolins I use Rubner machine heads.
For my electric guitars I use Gotoh 510series or Hipshot.
Hardware
I only use high quality components in my electric guitars –CTS pots, Switchcraft jacks, Orange Drop capacitors and Hipshot and Gotoh bridges.
Cases
I usually use Hiscox cases for both my Spanish and electric guitars.
It is also possible to use Manzano cases (handmade in Spain) or Visesnut cases for the Spanish guitars.
If you would like any other option, please contact me.