Two new guitars

Figured Sitka soundboards

For many years I’ve not used Sitka spruce for soundboards, having had indifferent success with it when first building instruments. However, it turns out there is Sitka and there is Sitka. While visiting Pacific Rim Tonewoods in the Cascade Mountains near Seattle I saw sets of lovely looking Sitka spruce, both straight grained and figured. They looked so good I bought two of each, and I’ve recently built two guitars using the figured sets. These are a Martin Simpson D model (long scale tuned a tone low) and a New World model, both with African Blackwood back and sides, Wengé necks, ebony fingerboards and bridges, and figured Sitka soundboards. Both are a rich colour and extravagantly figured. And they sound wonderful; I’m so pleased to have another combination of woods I’m really happy to offer. I plan to keep the D model for a while, but sell the New World model (see my ‘available now’ page).