THE PERIOD SERIES
The Black Lion
My desire to improve upon traditional-style guitars like the OM, Dreadnought and L-00, both sonically and ergonomically, has led me to design completely new and exciting guitars. My four scaled instruments (they are all aesthetically similar, but in increasing sizes) are The Bantam, The Lion, The EllieBelle and The Patros. These all have my "waist-forward" design that results in the guitar sitting more naturally on the right knee, and bringing the left hand closer to the body, resulting in more comfort and less fatigue. The Gloria, though more traditional in appearance, has a large body air volume and an extra long scale length, making it a great choice for drop tunings and finger style playing. All of my guitars have lightweight x-bracing, and carefully graduated top thickness for unparalleled tone and responsiveness. The WarHorse is my version of the iconic Dreadnought, but with special attention paid to making a warm, fat treble response while still maintaining a huge powerful bass.
The Bantam
The Bantam is a small but fearsome parlor guitar. At only 12-1/4” across the lower bout, and the smallest of my "waist-forward" guitars, this small and elegant guitar defies expectations with a very healthy bottom end, a penetrating mid, and a rich, singing high end, coupled with volume that always surprises the first time listener.
The Bantam can be built with a 12 or 14 fret neck. Its small size makes it a perfect choice for smaller players, and a lovely intimate musical companion for anyone. The unique lines of the body give it a look that is both exciting and contemporary, yet somehow reminiscent of the baroque era.
| Scale Length | 24.9" | Frets to Body | 12 or 14 | Nut Width | 1-3/4" | String Spacing at Saddle | 2-3/16" | Fingerboard Radius | Compound 14 – 20" | Lower Bout Width | 12-1/4" | Maximum Body Depth | 3-11/16" |
The Lion
At 14” across the lower bout, The Lion falls into the Parlor Guitar category, but is truly the King of that tiny jungle. The second smallest of the "waist-forward" guitars, my original inspiration for this model was the 1935 Gibson L-00. But ultimately, The Lion shares very little in common with its godfather besides its size. A thoroughly modern approach to bracing, a carefully graduated top, and careful control of body resonance creates a guitar that is entirely surprising in its rich and voluminous tone.
A great choice for lead players, the smaller body size contributes to a very even and articulate sound all the way up the neck, with great note separation and attack, and an incredibly sweet and powerful midrange. Works well as a 12 or 14 fret instrument.
| Scale Length | 24.9" | Frets to Body | 12 or 14 | Nut Width | 1-3/4" | String Spacing at Saddle | 2-3/16" | Fingerboard Radius | Compound 14 – 20"" | Lower Bout Width | 14-1/4" | Maximum Body Depth | 4-1/4" |
The EllieBelle
This guitar is the most versatile instrument I make, capable of holding its own in an acoustic ensemble, creating sonorous and cello-like basses with finger style drop tunings, and leaping out front for leadwork with a ton of volume and headroom.
The EllieBelle is 15" across the lower bout, a comfortable size for almost everyone. This was the first instrument I designed with my "waist-forward" philosophy, and lends its modern lines to the rest of the team. The idea, beyond the purely aesthetic, was to push the waist forward, thereby bringing the left hand closer to the player’s body for a very comfortable and healthy playing position, even with its standard 14 fret neck join. With a very sensitive and quick feel, it's a true jack-of-all-trades. (That happens to be a master of them, too!)
| Scale Length | 25.4" | Frets to Body | 14 | Nut Width | 1-3/4" | String Spacing at Saddle | 2-3/16" | Fingerboard Radius | Compound 14 – 20"" | Lower Bout Width | 15" | Maximum Body Depth | 4-1/2" |
The Patros
The Patros, as the name suggests, is the Papa of this family. This is a big guitar, at 16-7/8” across the lower bout. A tremendously voiced 6 string, this platform also works well for 12 strings or Baritone configurations.
With a body this large, boasting this much wood to amplify string energy, the Patros looks down from its throne and laughs at the feeble efforts of Dreadnoughts and Jumbos. A great flat picker’s guitar, it also does well as a near-symphonic accompaniment for a singer/songwriter solo act.
| Scale Length | 25.4" | Frets to Body | 14 | Nut Width | 1-3/4" | String Spacing at Saddle | 2-3/16" | Fingerboard Radius | Compound 14 – 20" | Lower Bout Width | 16-7/8" | Maximum Body Depth | 4-3/4" |
The Gloria
The Gloria is my solution to a problem I’ve noticed in so many guitars: a small body produces a sweet, immediate tone, but lacks the gusto of a large body’s bass response. A large body (think Dread) often produces a very satisfying bottom end, but with a constricted treble response
Although The Gloria is only 15-1/4” across, the body is deep, giving it an air volume approaching that of a dreadnought. With the smaller, carefully braced and graduated top, and the larger bodied air volume, I am able to capture the best of both worlds. The Gloria has a more traditional look than my other instruments, and is offered with either a classic slotted or standard headstock. With its longer scale length, it's a favorite of fingerstyle players.
| Scale Length | 25.6" | Frets to Body | 12 or 14 | Nut Width | 1-3/4" | String Spacing at Saddle | 2-3/16" | Fingerboard Radius | Compound 14 – 20" | Lower Bout Width | 15-1/4" | Maximum Body Depth | 4-3/4" |
The WarHorse
The WarHorse is my modified version of the iconic Dreadnought. Gone are the flat surfaces at the top and bottom of the body. (These were employed to make construction easier.) The shoulders are tightened up, and the lower bout is more shapely. At first glance, it is clearly a Dreadnought, but somehow more elegant and modern
Inside the body, the bracing is tall and narrow, to maximize lightness, and redistributed slightly to create a very powerful but exceptionally even tonal response all up and down the neck. Primarily intended as a flat picker’s guitar, it also works wonderfully for finger style and drop tunings.
| Scale Length | 25.4" | Frets to Body | 12 or 14 | Nut Width | 1-3/4" | String Spacing at Saddle | 2-3/16" | Fingerboard Radius | Compound 14 – 20" | Lower Bout Width | 15-13/16" | Maximum Body Depth | 4-7/8" |
