WHAT'S THE LATEST?
Here's a video interview with Kenny from the Healdsburg Guitar Festival.
STAGE GUITAR: This is the latest latest, project, encouraged by a few of my professional clients, most forcefully, Almer Imamovich. This is a attempt to make a truly electric classical, for those gigs where you need to play really loud and strong, but not give up the feel, dynamics and tone values of a fine classical guitar. A few companies have tried (no names) and most have failed, miserably. I've built three variations on this over the last few weeks, and I'm hoping to have them wrapped up by Namm. I know it will take several more attempts to get it right, but I'm planning to get it right eventually. We'll see.....
SMALLER GUITARS: I am making a model of Performance Series with a 630mm scale and a smaller body. I don't know what to call it yet; 3/4? Parlor? I'm not sure, but I do know it fills a need for a truly concert quality guitar for a smaller person. Normally children, petite women, or anyone who wants a small guitar have to settle for low quality cheap kid's guitars. But this is something much, much better. It is handmade with double top, lattice bracing, French polish, sound ports, the whole kit! It's not exactly cheap, but everything about it is really good, and not available anywhere else.
CROSSOVER GUITAR: In the past a Crossover Guitar has been part of our catalog, and it was received well by many professional players. Now we are making it as part of the Performance Series, which means it has a double top, lattice bracing, sound ports, as well as the cutaway and 48mm nut which define it as a Crossover style guitar, that is, an instrument for players accustomed to steel string or electric guitars. Of course nylon strings are very different form any kind of steel strings, but we are trying to meet somewhere in the middle.
The early versions of this have been stunning. It is a big breakthrough in this type of guitar. I've been frustrated to see other companies (again, no names) coming out with variations of this idea, but their guitars I've tried have been soo disappointing. I can't help but think that they are ruining the market for such guitars by making terrible nylon string guitars, causing the people who try them to dismiss the whole idea. We are making really good Crossover guitars, guitars worth getting excited about. Not many so far, but quantities are increasing, and the sound and feel are amazing.
ARMREST: This is actually the very very latest latest thing. I've taken two fully completed Stand Up Signature Model Guitars and band-sawed the bass corner off of the lower bout to create an ergonomic armrest. Demented, I know. At first it leaves a big hole, ( a new sound port) but then I close it up with a lovely rosewood armrest. Believe it or not, it doesn't hurt the sound, it might even improve it, in fact the guitar doesn't even go out of tune!
I've seen some steel string makers developing this as a fashion detail, but I'm getting a feel for the postural, ergonomic justification for classic players. I have a relationship with a French company Evolutiomusique who designed a model called Ergnomique, and I learned something from them. This is an experiment, but so far it appeals to me. Sure, this is yet more tampering with the "perfected" guitar design, and wandering farther still from the classique guitar. Time will tell. So far, the most recurrent responses are "very cool" and "sexy" and "I love it, it fits like a glove".
NEW WORLD GUITAR: I have been working in China for almost a decade now, and New World guitar is my most personal result. I have kept these guitars relatively quiet because I have been especially busy with the various developments in Hill Guitar. Recently Paul McKinney has taken a real interest in New World Guitar and has been actively promoting their a virtues and their availability. This has led to a heightened interest and demand for New World Guitars, and we will be continuing to promote them. I'm gratified to see the new appreciation and audience we are finding for these guitars, and will do my best to keep up with the increasing demand.
CORDOBA GUITARS: For a few years now I have been chief design consultant for Cordoba Guitars Iberia Series. It has been a great experience. The magnitude of this project has grown far beyond anything I or anyone else imagined, and I am very proud of the work we have done. I have learned a lot from this project, and I see tremendous progress to be made this year and in years to come. It's hard work, and it is really interesting.
PERFORMANCE SERIES: What a good idea! It's really working.
SIGNATURE GUITARS: They keep getting better! I love this.
WE'RE MOVING: Huh, didn't we just move? Time flies. Four years ago we moved into this perfectly wonderful place we are in now. At the time I thought we were downsizing, maybe a retirement plan. Wrong!! As cool as this place (and the retirement plan) is, it's now too small. We are still growing in multiple ways, and with both the increasing demand for the Performance Series and New World Guitar, not to mention the amazing and lofty Signature Guitars, we are trying to tighten up, become more efficient and to spread out a bit. This requires more room, more talent and more ideas. It is challenging, but wonderfully exciting. The new place is just down the street so we don't have to change community or the commute. We will continue to run the sales and admin in the same place, but guitar making will be a half mile down the street. This change will happen around February or March 2011. Well, it's gonna be a busy year.
It's a lot to think about, but really, this must be the coolest job in the world. Lucky, lucky. Please stay tuned.
Kenny 1/11/11
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