The best guitar I’ve ever made…

Introducing Angelika. This is one of those guitars that when strung up for the first time you know you have a live one!

It is loud. It is punchy. It is the best guitar I’ve ever made. 

We’re looking at a Model M 12 with European Spruce soundboard with that gorgeous medullary ray silking - one of the best pieces I’ve ever handled for its stiffness to weight ratio and aesthetic beauty. 

The back and sides are old growth Brazilian Rosewood that I acquired from Stefan Sobell. It’s so dark it looks almost like African Blackwood.

We have Indian Ebony for the bridge, headcap and bindings - these trees take approximately 150 years to reach their prime, which transforms into amazing jet-black trees and what’s really cool about this piece is it's actually flamed.

And to top it all off we have blood red copper for the rosette.

But what makes a guitar the “best”? It is, of course, completely subjective, but it may have something to do with the story behind the guitar. 

Angelika will be gifted to the wife of a very special customer, someone I’ve known since the start of my luthiery career, with a background in high end hi fi production and an extremely discerning ear. 

We spent a great deal of time selecting the right tonewood, rejecting four others before finally making a decision on the European Spruce. 

During the build process we were in almost daily contact. Having a client who really appreciates the tonal quality of each piece, the accuracy and with very particular needs makes communication critical. 

For me the stars aligned, but have a listen for yourself to Angelika being played by Marnie Glum and Will McNicol