Craftsmanship
Craftsmanship refers to the skill of the maker. It refers to our ability to make a beautifully aesthetic and functioning object. The fine classical guitar must be more than a tool for making music; it must be a work of art as well. To achieve this end, I custom design and make my own rosettes, purflings, bindings, inlays and everything else. No factory made catalogue parts are used.
I use a v-joint between the headstock and neck. It is stronger than the commonly used scarf joint, and it looks very nice. Two hundred years ago, most luthiers used the v-joint. Today, suprisingly few do—it takes time and patience to execute accurately, and so production factory shops do not use it on their guitars. We should value this kind of workmanship because it has largely disappeared in our modern world.Working by hand gives me maximum contact with the materials. In order to make a predictable, and exceptional instrument, the luthier needs regular hands-on contact with the woods, without relying on lots of jigs and machinery.
Building this way is slower and demands much more skill, but the principal advantage is its flexibility; changes can easily be made at any point in the building process, ensuring that each guitar will sound as intended.
Contrast this with the approach taken by modern factories, which treat every piece of wood and guitar the same. The results are like what you'll find on a bell-curve: Some factory made guitars are very good, some are very bad, but the majority are mediocre. There exists a popular misconception: That the factory made instruments must be consistent and predictable, while those of the luthier are inconsistent and unpredictable. I have found the opposite to be true.
The finest musical instruments have always been made in small shops by skilled luthiers. Don't leave the building of your dream guitar to chance. Talk to me about having your guitar custom built the way you want it, with a beautiful sound, the finest woods, and all the correct specifications and features you need. Get it done right the first time!
-Marcus Dominelli