In the early 1970s I traveled to Spain for the first time to learn to play the flamenco guitar. During the two years that I lived in Andalusia and Majorca I had the great fortune of being able to study the traditional Spanish method of guitar construction.
I have spent many years since then researching the designs and construction techniques of famous Spanish guitar makers ... from Ramirez, Hernandez, and Bernabe to Contreras, Romanillos, and Reyes ... and even though I have great respect for the work of these master craftsmen, I was inspired, virtually from the beginning of my career as a guitar maker, to create my own concept of the flamenco guitar based on the use of exotic wood and an integration of 'old world' and 'new world' techniques.
The type of instrument I had in mind needed to be a visual "work of art" but, just as importantly, it also had to be acoustically suited to the demands of the professional flamenco guitarist. This initial inspiration has been instrumental in the evolution of the fully-customized guitars (and the six individual models) that I currently construct.
