We've been quiet here for a couple of weeks, keeping very busy making instruments.

So, to compensate, we present...well, it's more than one guitar, for sure.

This is the second doubleneck 6/12, and the first to be fully completed and get past the 'prototype' stage.

There is a whole lot going on inside this guitar! Each neck has:
a pair of Fralin Split-Blade pickups
a piezo bridge
its own preamp
its own set of Volume, Blend, Pickup Selector, and Tone controls

As if that's not enough, there is also a built-in TriColor tuner with a fiber optic display, hidden in the 12-string bridge adjuster.

Weighing in at 9.8 lbs, this is the lightest and best-balanced doubleneck any of us has ever laid hands on. It also happens to sound incredible.

There is a lot of subtle design work that make this guitar much more playable than one would expect. The light weight and neck placement just make it really pleasant and comfortable.

We'll probably make some more.
 

It's not often we get to see something this old, in such good shape and still sounding great!

Here, for historical and entertainment purposes, we present:

Joe Veillette Guitar #6, dated June 1974, Grahamsville, NY.

After leaving behind his position as an architectural designer, Joe moved 'upstate' to Grahamsville and started building acoustic guitars by hand (with very minimal tools). This guitar is from that period, and is the 2nd nylon-string instrument Joe built.

Influences from Michael Gurian are visible in the simple, rounded-end headpiece and clean lines. The colorful double-helix rosette (visible in the inset) is made in the traditional 'bundled sticks' method, again by hand.

Back and sides are mahogany, with a Sitka spruce top and maple bindings.

35 years later, this guitar sounds and plays great. It's been spared the ravages of age, and is still in great shape cosmetically and structurally. The bottom end is thick and pliant, and the trebles have a very meaty quality with a nice strong impact.

Special thanks to Bob Gasster at Select Guitars for reuniting us with this guitar.
 

Here's our latest offspring, a Swift Gryphon in Walnut (body, top and neck) for Terra Guitars. It has wonderful tonal flexibility with the piezo/mag combination and soundhole. It's great having customers who order really cool pieces like this.
 

It sometimes seems like not a week goes by when we don't come up with something new. Usually, it's something we've been itching to make for a long time and have finally gotten around to building.

This new is certainly one of those - we've been looking forward to this one for a while! Behold - the Parlor 14"!

This shape completes our full spectrum of sizes, from the 13" Gryphon to the 17" Bass. It's a comfortable delight to hold, with a very intimate feeling and no right-arm discomfort.

The 25" scale and shallower box emphasize the midrange and really let this guitar project - shades of resonator guitars and even Selmer/"Django" sounds are present, along with a very vocal quality. Note separation and articulation are also outstanding, and the whole range of the guitar is very quick, sensitive, and responsive.

With the addition of the 14" shape, we can now fine-tune every aspect of a custom guitar to target an exact sound and response for any musician's needs - from the delicate fingerstylist to the heavy-handed rhythm player, and everyone in-between.

Every Veillette has its own personality, and some particularly stand out.

This week's feature is a very special order that just shipped to Terra Guitars in Connecticut. Check them out at http://www.terraguitars.net

The back and sides are Brazilian Rosewood, the most sought-after guitar wood by far. Used in the classic "pre-war" Martin guitars, Brazilian Rosewood is now endangered, and is very rare and pretty expensive! Terra Guitars worked with a company that legally imports recovered Brazilian wood from stumps and older fallen trees, and this guitar is the result!

That's not all - the top on this guitar is Adirondack Spruce, another classic wood that is hard to find these days. The Brazilian/Adirondack combination is found on some of the world's best and most desired acoustic flattops.

To complete the package, an ebony fingerboard and bridge and flamed koa binding lend a little flash to this classic package.

This is the first Gryphon built from Brazilian Rosewood, and it had a unique resonance and responsiveness - the body was 'humming' and vibrating in our hands just from ambient noise in the shop!

This is the first of several special pieces we're making for David Butler at Terra Guitars. Next on the line will be a Swift Gryphon with lots of beautiful walnut.

Thanks David!
 

Hot off the setup bench this week, it's the latest addition to our Alpha line - the Alpha Bass!

Like our Alpha guitars, this bass is handmade in our Woodstock shop, and features the same quality construction and innovative features as our Paris models.

The adjustable-height piezo bridge gives the player total control over action and feel, and the Volume and Tone controls open up a very wide range of tones. Like all our basses, this instrument is very responsive to finger technique, and a lot of variety can be had by simply moving the right hand position.

The satin finish and plain top give this bass a 'workman-like' appearance and a classy, understated vibe. These options also make the Alpha our most affordable bass yet.

Lightweight, classy, killer-sounding, and more affordable...what's not to like?