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1) What do you strive to accomplish in your instruments? Sound: Sound quality is the single most important thing that I strive for as luthier. Most classical guitarists look for things such as balance of register, separation of notes, projection and clarity. But a truly special instrument should be more. It must have a personality or character of sound that draws the listener into it's beauty. It must have a presence. This is the sound I'm after. Although loud guitars are appealing to (and required by) many players, I do not feel that the pursuit of volume to the detriment of maintaining tonal quality is a valid pursuit. A guitar with a strong presence and clarity of voice will project to the back of a concert hall better than a big, boomy unfocused one. Unfortunately, the latter type of guitar is often the kind sought after by inexperienced players.
Aesthetics: For most musicians, how the guitar sounds is more important than how it looks. If the guitar sounds great it will always find a happy owner. But to many instrument lovers and collectors (and increasingly to players), aesthetics, and the work behind it, are deeply valued. Traditionally, custom made marquetry (rosette, inlays, and purfling) played a big part in defining the look of the instrument. On the finest guitars, the marquetry is made by the luthier himself.
Playability: This refers to how well the instrument feels in the hands of the player, and is extremely important for obvious reasons. Many people think that playability is simply a function of certain measurable, tangible factors related to the set-up: nut, saddle, fretwork, neck relief and neck angle. If this were true then why can two or more guitars set up with identical strings, scale length, action, etc respond so differently? One might be effortless to play and have an open, breathy quality to the sound, while another takes more work to get the sound out of, often taxing the player of energy. I've found that playability is very closely related to the sensitivity of the soundboard itself - namely the quality of the wood used, the bracing, and the bridge design. Playability and sound are inextricably linked, which is why the best sounding guitars are usually the easiest ones to play.
1) Standard Concert Classical Guitar. $5000 Can I make my standard classicals with either Hauser 1 style fan bracing or my Dominelli Hybrid Lattice System. The lattice bracing I use is all wood - no carbon fibre! European spruce, Engelman spruce or Western Redcedar are used for the soundboard, and either Brazilian or East Indian rosewood are preferred for the backs and sides. I can make this guitar to your specifications such as scale length and neck width. Other woods can be substituted for the traditionally used Indian or Brazilian rosewoods, such as Maple, Claro Walnut, Cypress, or a different species of rosewood (for example Honduran or Cambodian) 2) Elevated Fingerboard Concert Classical $5500 Can The Elevated Fingerboard model has a full 2cm elevation at the 12th fret, as measured from the top of the fingerboard to the binding. This greatly improves access to the upper register of the guitar without compromising the traditional beauty of the instrument. Many people love the modern look of this design. I'll make it with either my Lattice or Traditional fan bracing, and I can build to your specs, such as scale length, neck width, etc. 3) Flamenco Guitar. I offer traditional blancas and negras. A few years ago I was building quite a few blancas - cypress back and sides. Lately I've been making more flamenca negras (rosewood back and sides). My flamenco guitars are virtually always made with a spruce soundboard - European, engelmann,or lutz spruce. 5) Custom made instrument. I am a custom guitar maker, and it could be argued that every guitar I make is a custom guitar - because I will build it with the features you want. However; I occasionally get a request for something that is very specific or unusual, such as a period instrument. For example, In 2005 I built two 19th century style guitars; one of which was an 8-string guitar based on a Rene Lacote design. The other was an 1847 Louis Panormo copy. I welcome your ideas.
 3) What is special about your guitars in terms of their 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 help achieve this end, I custom make my own rosettes, purfling and marquetry. You won't find catalogue rosettes made in Russia, Spain, or Japan on any of my guitars. On my deluxe models, I use a v-joint between the headstock and neck. Jose Romanillos believed the v-joint to be stronger than the usual scarf joint. Both are plenty strong enough when executed properly. The value of the v-joint is in its beauty. Two hundred years ago, most luthiers used the v-joint. Today, suprisingly few luthiers do. It takes time and patience to execute accurately, and it cannot be cut by a machine. We should value this kind of workmanship; 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. For this reason I have choosen to build my guitars by hand, without lots of jigs and machinery. The process of hand building demands much more skill of the luthier, and of course it is slower. But there are advantages: the building process is flexible, allowing for changes to be made at any point in the building process. This flexibility helps to ensure that each guitar will sound how it was intended. Contrast this with the approach taken by modern factories, which treat every piece of wood the same. The results are like what you'll find on a bell-curve: Some guitars are very good, some are very bad, and the majority are mediocre. There exists a popular misconception: That the factory instruments are consistent and predictable, while those of the luthier are inconsistent and unpredictable. I have found the opposite to be true. The finest classical and flamenco guitars have always been made in small shops with one or two luthiers, and occasionally an apprentice or helper. Experienced luthiers such as myself consistently make a superior product, time after time. Unsatisfied customers are extremely rare.
4) What types of wood do you use? Why?
As far as spruce is concerned, I've built excellent concert guitars with European, Englemann, and Lutz spruces. They are all great woods. I am more concerned about the quality of the wood within a given species, rather than the species used per se. Lately I've had exceptionally good results using master grade lutz spruce. Lutz spruce is a hybrid between the coastal sitka spruce and the interior white spruce. It has the stiffness of sitka combined with the light weight of englelmann/ white spruce. Lutz spruce grows in Northern British Columbia in the Skeena River area. European spruce needs no introduction; many luthiers pronounce it to be the best spruce. It's certainly been used the longest for violins and guitars, if only because it's endemic to Europe. Engelmann spruce is a Canadian variety of alpine spruce that works very well. Some prefer it to European. It's certainly available in higher quality these days than European spruce is. Most of the western red cedar I use comes from the Queen Charlotte Islands, and northern Vancouver Island. In my opinion, the finest cedar comes from these areas, which are heavily influenced by the marine environment. The growth rings in the wood are very even, and there is a higher proportion of spring wood to summer wood. This makes the wood lighter in weight. The growth rings are also very close, giving the cedar much stiffness. And because the trees are so massive, obtaining perfectly straight, hand split billets is relatively easy. These three factors - stiffness, light weight, and straight grain are very important for making a loud, reponsive instrument with beautiful tone quality. I use these same criteria for selecting my spruce tops as well. For the guitar back and sides I prefer using East Indian Rosewood (dalbergia latifolia) for its beauty and its high quality. I love Brazilian rosewood (dalbergia negra) too, but due to over-harvesting, it is now an endangered species. For this reason, high grade (quarter sawn) Brazilian Rosewood is extremely scarce and very expensive. I would rather not use the low-grade, flat sawn stuff that many builders use today. It is too vulnerable to warping and cracking. In early 2010 I was able to obtain some high quality Brazilian Rosewood. The wood was cut many years ago. It is perfectly seasoned, and quarter sawn. Unfortunately, because it is not CITES certified I have only been offering it up for sale to customers in Canada. It cannot legaly be shipped outside of the country. It is beautiful looking wood. I recently built some classical guitars with Cambodian Rosewood (dalbergia bariensis & dalbergia cochinchinensis). Although lighter in colour than either East Indian or Brazilian, Cambodian rosewoods is harder and heavier than Brazilian, giving it the potential for making excellent concert guitars. Cambodian rosewood is not well known in North America yet. It is a rare and special wood. In january 2011, I finished a guitar using Camatillo rosewood in conjunction with a master lutz spruce top. I loved the sound of this guitar too. Besides the other members of the rosewood genus, I really like using Maple, Claro Walnut, and Cypress for back and sides. Figured Claro Walnut and Maple in particular, have given exceptionally good results in terms of sound quality. They are often considered "alternatives" to rosewood, but can be considered great woods in their own right.
Why I use any particular wood is a function of its structural and tonal qualities, availability, marketability, and cost. As the traditional woods are becoming rapidly depleted many new species are being used as alternatives. Brazilian rosewood is now an endangered species. How much longer will high quality East Indian rosewood be available? In the short term, there are plenty of excellent alternatives to the traditionally favoured woods. Antonio de Torres, who can be considered the father of the modern classical guitar, employed many unusual woods for his guitars. He used Brazilian rosewood when he could get it, but also used locust, maple, cypress, and pear wood for the backs and sides of his instruments.
5) What is French polish and why do you use it? I studied French polishing with Geza Burghardt, a master luthier and French polisher from Hungary, who now lives in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. I appreciate his willingness to share his knowledge. Strictly speaking, French polishing is a technique, not a finish. Today, however, a French polished finish means a shellac based finish applied by hand with a special pad. When it was first used (probably in the 1700's) various natural resins were added to the shellac to alter its aesthetic and structural properties. The recipe I use contains some of these natural resins to make it tougher and more resistant to wear than a finish consisting purely of shellac. I French polish my instruments for several reasons. First, it is the most beautiful finish, and is the only finish which organically compliments the completed instrument. The warm amber tones of shellac bring out the true beauty of wood like no other finish material can. Secondly, French polishing is thin enough not to inhibit the way a fine instrument is made to vibrate. It is the right finish for musical reasons. In theory, many other finishing materials can be applied thinly, as manufacturers always claim. In practice, they are invariably too thick. As an instrument repairman I witnessed this on a daily basis. I was asked by several flamenco and classical guitar owners if I would strip the polyester varnish off the soundboards of their factory made guitars and replace the finish with a French polish. In every instance, the sound of the guitars was greatly improved. Some of the first instruments I made were sprayed with nitro-cellulose lacquer. Nitro-lacquer must be sprayed on quite thick, so as to ensure that the finish is not rubbed through when it is level sanded and buffed to a high gloss. This extra thickness does protect the instrument well, but it also restricts the sound. Nitrocellulose laquer and polyester varnish were designed for factory mass-production, not for making fine classical guitars. Thirdly, French polished shellac is extremely repairable. Touching up scratches, dings, and wear spots is relatively fast and easy. This does not constitute re-finishing. It is expected that a French polish finish will need re-touching at some point to renew its luster and life. Other finishes get damaged and worn too, but most of the time they are difficult, costly, or impossible to repair without major intervention. Lastly, shellac has stood the test of time. It is centuries old, and has proven itself as the superior finish for fine classical guitars.
6) How do you look after a French polished instrument? Shellac, the main ingredient in the finish is sensitive to heat and moisture. Make sure that you do not let your skin come into direct contact with the guitar if you are hot and sweaty. Most classical guitarists put a thin cotton towel between themselves and the guitar. After the guitar has been played, wipe off any sweat, or grime on the finish with a soft flannel cloth. Keep the instrument stored in its case when not in use. If the finish starts to look aged or 'pebbly' over time, find a competent luthier to re-touch the finish. This is usually a simple procedure, unless the finish has been seriously damaged or neglected.
7) What about humidity? Wood shrinks and expands with changes in relative humidity. If the air is very damp, wood will absorb moisture from the air and expand. If the air is very dry, wood will lose its moisture to the surrounding air and shrink. A steamy jungle environment will have a relative humidity (r.h.) of 100%. A house with central heating in central Canada in winter can be as low as 10 -20% r.h. which is very dry. My workshop and wood are stored in a humidity controlled environment which is kept at 45% relative humidity. This is the best humidity level at which to build guitars. Ideally, your Dominelli guitar should be kept in an environment close to this middle range at which it was built at. Extremes of humidity should be avoided. For example, if you live in an arid area where the it gets very dry, you'll have to humidify the guitar. If you live in a damp or tropical locale you'll have to dehumidify. But most places fall in the middle zone of 40 -75% r.h. I have shipped guitars all over North America, and a couple to Asia and the guitars have had no problems. Looking after a fine guitar may sound complicated after reading all this, but it is not. It is just a matter of knowing the climatic characteristics of where you live, and responding appropriately.
8) How much will a Dominelli Guitar cost me, and what does this price include? Classical Guitars: My standard concert classical model is $5000 Can/ U.S. Concert Classical with Elevated Fingerboard is $5500 Can / U.S. This price includes my finest East Indian Rosewood, Engelmann or European spruce or western red cedar for the soundboard, Irving Sloane or Gotoh 510 premium tuners, and a deluxe, double arch TKL case. Here is a list of possible up-grades and their cost: -Brazilian Rosewood: (straight grain, quarter-sawn) add $2000 -Cambodian Rosewood, Ziricote, Honduran rosewood, Bosnian Maple, Claro Walnut or other : inquire. Price will depend on availability. -Cypress for Classical: no additional cost -V-Jointed headstock: add $250 -Tuners: Allese, Gilbert, Graf, Rodgers, etc: available at List Price -Soundport: add $100
Flamenco Guitars: Standard "Gypsy style" flamenca blanca is $3500 Can $3600 U.S. Spruce or Red cedar soundboard, Yellow cedar or Spanish cypress back and sides, Spanish Cedar neck. The gypsy style flamenco guitar is an aesthetically more simple version of the deluxe flamenco model. The rosette, purfling, and binding are more basic, but the guitar sounds just as good as the deluxe model. Good for the working musician or student who wants a professional flamenco guitar without paying for the extra details. Price includes Gotoh brass tuners w/ ebony knobs, and double arch TKL case. -East Indian rosewood back and sides (negra) - add $100 -$200 depending on grade of rosewood preferred. Deluxe Model Flamenco (Blanca or Negra): $4500 Can / $4600 U.S. The deluxe has the same aesthetic attention to detail as my concert classical guitars. Fine marquetry/binding work, and all the other appointments, including high grade tuning machines. -East Indian Rosewood back and sides : add $150 -Brazilian Rosewood (straight grain, quarter sawn): add $2000 -Koa, Walnut, Maple, or Cuban Mahogany: inquire -V-Jointed headstock: add $250 -Friction Pegs: no additional cost Special Order Guitars: For example, a Lacote or Panormo Copy, or an 8-string classical. The cost of a special order guitar will depend on the materials used and the work involved, after discussing the project with the client. Not necesarily more costly than my standard classical guitar. Price is guaranteed at the time of order.
9) What is your waiting list? How long can I expect to wait for a Guitar? My wait list for commissioned guitars is now about 8 months . If you do not want to wait, see my Guitars For Sale Page. I often have one or two guitars available for purchase. These stock guitars have a one week trial period. If it prooves unsuitable I will give you a full refund upon safe return of the guitar.
Yes. For more details you can go to the "Repair and Restoration" page of this site. If you have an instrument that needs a repair I would be interested in seeing it. Just contact me.
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Any good luthier is going to be very choosy about the quality of woods they use. It makes no sense to start out with anything but the very best.
