My building philosophy is really quite simple: to build an aesthetically refined and sonically superior concert quality instrument that you want to play. Accordingly, I build each guitar to meet certain criteria I feel are essential for the instrument's success. First, my guitars must possess sufficient power, projection, and volume to fill a concert hall. Second, they must be responsive to the player’s input, that is, they must respond quickly, cleanly, and clearly. Third, they must have good sustain. The only exception to this is the flamenco guitar; where I work to decrease sustain in order to accentuate its percussive qualities. Fourth, my guitars must be balanced throughout their tonal range. Finally, my guitars must maintain clear separation of notes across the strings. This is especially important in the trebles where note volume can vary significantly from string to string.
All guitars are handcrafted in my workshop here on Alaska's beautiful Kenai Peninsula. I am a one-person operation, and my approach is slow and methodical. It takes 100-120 hours to complete each instrument. A guitar can certainly be built faster, but my slow approach affords me the ability to make the minute-by-minute decisions necessary to create a truly responsive, articulate instrument.
I use a traditional French Polished shellac method to finish each guitar. I have experimented with several other finish options, but have not departed too far from the traditional methods. I have used an oil varnish on occasion and believe it to be a good choice if you want a thin, satin-like finish. However, I do not grain-fill when using oil varnish, so if you do not like the open-pore look on your guitar, French Polished shellac is the best choice.