Model 1 Guitars

I first developed my Model 1 design in 2007, wanting a 14 fret neck guitar, a tad larger than an OOO and with a more curvaceous shape. It has proved to be more versatile than I anticipated; it works equally well with a 635 or 650mm scale and there has also been 12 fret cutaway version and an archtop built.

 Claro walnut and cedar

Indian rosewood and cedar

Left handed cutaway, with Snakewood and abalone

12 fret neck, cutaway, English walnut and sitka

London Guitar Gallery 12 fret Steel String

This guitar is a demonstration model that I built in 1979 whilst at the London Guitar Gallery. The shape was based on my classical guitar body with the addition (or is it subtraction?) of a cutaway. For many people, the 12 fret neck with a cutaway body is the perfect set-up. The bridge is in the sweet-spot and the cutaway allows access to the upper frets. This one was made with a maple body and  a German spruce top. My son now owns it and when I played it recently I was surprised by how light it was and its wonderful resonance; it’s certainly opened up! If I remember correctly, two rosewood versions were built for customers. As a point of interest, head shape is still used on many of my mandolins.