THE JOURNAL
MY CREATIONS & THOUGHTS
Flamed Redwood BR Genesis Nylon
This modern nylon string guitar is part of a set of two custom made guitars with matching flitch cut flamed Brazilian Rosewood back and sides. The top is made of ancient flamed redwood with paua shell purfling and Macassar ebony bindings. It also features fossilized...
Genesis 12 Fret Acoustic Guitar
The 12 Fret slotted headstock version of the Geneis G2 acoustic guitar has become one of my most popular models. The lower bought is only 14.5″ wide but the sound is amazingly full and rich. The 12 fret neck lets the bridge be positioned in a more optimal...
Genesis Nylon – Redwood & Rosewood
This Genesis model nylon string guitar features an ancient Redwood top with Curly Koa Bindings and Bloodwood/Lacewood perflings. Stunning Brazilian Rosewood Back and sides surrounded by shimmering Curly Koa Bindings. Carefully inlayed falling Leaf pattern crafted from...
The Art Of Lutherie Guitar Making Book
If you play guitar professionally or just for fun, or if you’re a luthier and have built 1 or 100 guitars, you probably will agree — there is always more to learn. That’s one reason we all love building and playing guitars so much right? It’s an endless...
Handmade 17 Inch Archtop Guitar
17″ Natura Deluxe Model archtop guitar; featuring Highly flamed Maple back and sides and Curly Bear Lutz Spruce top. Falling leaf fingerboard inlays and tasteful appointments and bindings of flamed maple. Custom made ebony pickup by Jason Lollar. See the full list of...
Seven String Modern Acoustic Guitar
If you are looking for a small comfortable acoustic seven string guitar with a deep, powerful bass…. look no further! The G2 seven string model is only 14.5″ wide in the lower bought and yet still has more bass than many guitars much larger. I’m sure you...
French Polishing
What Is French Polishing? The term French Polishing refers to the art of using what is know as a pad, rubber, or muneca constructed usually of cotton cloth wrapped around some type of core material to apply a finish to a wood surface by rubbing. So the...
Understanding Fanned Fret Guitars And Scale Length
The concept of the multi-scale musical instrument (one in which each string has its own scale length) is not new by any means. It is commonly employed in many instruments such as the piano, harp, and others. This multi-scale arrangement applied to a fretted instrument...
The Art Of Lutherie
Introducing a new guitar building website with video courses online now! Watch the sample video below! One of the greatest parts of my job is the wonderful people I get to meet and talk to everyday. My customers, students, and friends. I feel truly blessed to receive...
Sculpting An Archtop Guitar Time Lapse Video
Watch a time-lapse guitar making video showing my process for hand carving an exceptional piece of highly flamed maple into a back fr a 17" archtop guitar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVybh8TOET4 In the video, I show about 10hrs of work in around 30 seconds. It...
Sarzana Acoustic Guitar Festival Pictures
Luthiers John Montelone and Tom Bills It’s time for the annual Sarzana Acoustic Guitar Festival in beautiful Sarzana Italy again. Unfortunately this year I won’t be able to attend, but I thought I would share some of my pictures from last year (2011) when I was able...
Guitar French Polishing Class
Guitar French Polishing with shellac is an ancient craft that has been handed down for many generations. I am very passionate about French polishing; as it pertains to my work, and in the passing on of this important aspect of our craft of lutherie. This French...
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Fanned Fret Steel String Acoustic Guitar
This Genesis model fanned fret steel string acoustic guitars is made of cocobolo back and sides with one of my last Lutz spruce tops form the famous Curly Bear tree. It also features my white mother of pearl falling leaf inlays on the fingerboard, bridge, but joint,...

Genesis German Spruce Classical Guitar
Genesis nylon string guitar with German spruce top and Malaysian Blackwood Back and sides. The bindings are Koa with accents of Bloodwood and Lacewood in the purflings. "This guitar is powerful, has a well developed fundamental, sings, has developed it’s own character...
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