The Craft

Every instrument begins with a set of quiet decisions — made not for effect, but for sound.

The Neck

The neck sits elevated, set at a subtle angle to the body. To keep the strings running true and parallel to the top, the soundboard itself is gently sloped — a small geometry with a large effect on projection and touch. Many instruments carry an adjustable neck, in the tradition of Stauffer, allowing the guitar to be fine-tuned to the player long after it leaves the workshop.

The Rosette

Around the soundhole, a rosette of solid wood — no printed pattern, no imitation inlay. Just grain against grain, cut and set by hand.

Materials

Materials are chosen, not simply sourced. Soundboards are aged for a minimum of ten years in the Swiss Alps, left to settle and stabilize long before they meet a chisel. Backs and sides are most often Indian rosewood, occasionally other rare tonewoods selected for their character.

Finish

Only French polish. It is slower, more demanding, and forgiving of nothing — but it lets the wood breathe, and that breath becomes part of the instrument's voice.

Bracing

Beneath the surface, an asymmetric bracing system: a wooden lattice single top, or a double top built with fan bracing and a honeycomb or balsa core between the layers. The structure stays hidden — but it is where the tone is truly built.

Soundport

A side soundport opens the instrument outward, letting the player hear what the audience hears.