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Synonymous with 'Smallman' must be 'lattice'. A balsa wood lattice has very little strength...
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...until overlaid with fibres of carbon....
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The "Rosette Log". Only the size of a pencil, but probably the most difficult part to make
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Cutting slices from the log. Carefully.
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Fitting the slices and outer bands of wood into the soundboard.
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...before glue is applied to hold it all together.
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The finished rosette. Inaccuracy has nowhere to hide.
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Steam-bending a set of ribs in Rio Rosewood.
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Internal frame prevents sting tension from distorting the body and allows soundboard to vibrate without hindrance. Birch ply / carbon tube system (left) is now superseded with a balsa / carbon cloth variant (right)
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The age-old method of holding the back in place whilst the glue dries.
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Who knows how much time the Almighty has spent creating these beautiful patterns only to hide them inside trees. I know that I've spent a lot of time just gawping at them.
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Shaping the neck with a rasp.
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Measuring thickness of the neck with a caliper guage. At 25mm it's still too tubby - so back to the rasp!
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Voluptuously shaped heels seek appreciative fingers. All enquiries treated in strict confidence.
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A batch of necks shows the Ebony splice running from the inner heel to the headstock.
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A batch of necks shows the ebony splice running from the inner heel block to the headblock.
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Swiss bank account? Secret coded message? Winning lottery number?
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Cutting the 'ramp' in the headstock. Ebony will blunt this chisel even before the other ramp is cut.
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Blending the headstock into the neck..
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The traditional method of installing frets...
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...is to bash them in with a hammer.
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Guitar back before glueing to body. Multiple laminations of carbon cloth and balsawood create an immensely stiff bracing structure
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A wide, flat brush varnishes the body...
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...whilst a smaller one does the head
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Everything stops for a tea break.
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Two timbers from Mexico. Cocobolo (top) is an extremely dense rosewood, even heavier than Ebony. Although not a rosewood, Ziracote (bottom) is easily as beautiful.
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Cleverly designed Schaller machineheads are fitted as standard.
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As a soundboard becomes more responsive, so damping from the forearm becomes more noticeable. The Smallman solution is an arm rest. An arm rest in Brazilian Rosewood gets a coat of linseed oil...
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... before being fitted to the body. Carbon fibre rods locate into massive carbon fibre frame. This frame is responsible for much of the instruments weight.
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In use the armrest is smooth and comfortable, making the conventional guitars feel quite unpleasant.
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Joep travelled from Austria to play this guitar. I've promised to make him one that sounds even better. I hope I can do it Joep!
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Can't reach me on the telephone? I'm probably cruising on the family yacht. But... I'll be back....