Some Kind of an Experiment

Strung up this new guitar last night and I'm very excited about how it turned out. It was a bit of an experiment. I was feeling particularly reckless when I started it and I decided to pick out a relatively plain-looking top (though quite good in terms of stiffness and runout) and pair it with a weird-looking maple/rosewood/walnut back. The idea was to make something a bit more unconventional in aesthetic, but very traditional in tonal character. The bracing is close to a Torres, which gives it a loose and open sound, but with a bit more lateral stiffness that brings it closer to a Granada style guitar in my opinion; the high-end is just a bit crisper, but not stiff at all. The first string is nice and even up the fretboard and has a gradual clear decay. There is kind of a hollow breath to the sound.

I'll be showing this guitar at the Vinyl and Music Festival in Vienna this coming weekend. Here a link for more information: http://www.vinyl-music.at/

Vinyl & Music Festival Vienna!

I'm excited to be one of the few musical instrument makers participating in the Vinyl & Music Festival this year in Vienna. The event also happens to host the Vienna International Gig Poster Show. It looks like it'll be a lot of fun and the organizers are super nice, so come say hello and check out some cool stuff!

Website: http://www.vinyl-music.at/

Vinyl & Music Fest Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/138969916834278/

Vienna International Gig Poster Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1826197334090756/

Making a Rosette

Getting back into the flow of things. Here are some photos through the process of making a rosette. Inspired by the Antonio de Torres FE09 owned by Miguel Llobet. It's become a classic design often used by Hauser and Velasquez. I've always been a fan of this motif, so I've done a number of different variations of my own often incorporating a little bit more color. This one includes Spanish cedar, walnut, padouk, ebony, rosewood, maple, cherry and dyed poplar.

First Guitar of the Year

Strung up the first guitar of the year yesterday and I'm very pleased with how it turned out. Big lively sound, an even response and nice loose singing trebles. All handmade rosette, purflings and bindings.

  • Western red cedar top
  • Indian rosewood back and sides
  • Spanish cedar neck
  • Ebony fingerboard
  • 650mm scale length
  • 52mm nut width
  • Elevated fingerboard
  • Alessi tuners with ebony buttons

New Review

Pretty happy about this review and photos from guitarist and designer Teppei Teranishi of the instrument that I made for him. Thanks!

"My dude @cadizguitars absolutely crushed it. I gave him a couple really loose ideas of what I wanted out of a classical guitar and let him take it from there. Spruce and walnut, perfectly understated with the tastiest details. Ridiculously beautiful craftsmanship. Magical sound. Every note sounds like a thousand unicorns singing in unison. Thank you Michael!!✨🦄🙌🙌🙌"

First Coats of Shellac on New Modern Concert Model

Put the first coats of shellac on a new cedar and rosewood Modern Concert model. Really dark and straight grained Indian rosewood. Hard to get a good picture of though. Elevated fingerboard. 20th fret. 52mm nut, 43mm string spacing at the nut and 58mm at the saddle. An ever-so slightly re-proportioned headstock shape. Very excited to get strings on this thing.