Mark Hendrickson:
Handmade Acoustic Guitars

I bought the components for my first guitar when I was a university student, working on a degree in speech pathology. For the next 25 years I made special tools, jigs and fixtures, became authorized repair person for most major brands of guitar, invented and patented the Modular Electric Guitar and hand-made over fifty acoustic and electric guitars. Along the way I built a couple houses, a lot of furniture --I seem to have an affinity to wood. And musical instruments seem to be its premier application.

In my acoustic line I make six and 12 steel string instruments and classical guitars.

My personal favorite shape for ease of playing and acoustic balance is a modified dreadnaught I call the "B" shape--slightly deeper waist and wider top bout. I also make the classic Martin dreadnaught shape. Given the same materials, I find the two forms acoustically indistinguishable .

The prices on my acoustic guitars start at $2750.00, not including the case, for which there are several options. Additional charges may include custom materials, changes in neck shape, custom inlay, electronic components, or Florentine cutaway.

Tops

The tops I select are the best of a steadily diminishing supply of Master grade Sitka and Engelman spruce, redwood and red cedar. Add to that the Belize mahogany tops that currently grace my all-mahogany guitars. All tops are book matched to best advantage from well quarter sawn sets.

Top Bracing

Top braces are vertical grain spruce in the Martin-inspired X configuration that has become the standard. The braces may be scalloped or not, as the soundboard stiffness dictates.

Back and Sides

I build the frames of the bodies using woods that are known for their rigid, stable qualities:

Indian Rosewood: Rich color and excellent figure, plantation grown.
Belize mahogany: Perfectly quarter sawn, straight figure, tiger's eye iridescent under finish
Walnut: Figure, color, tone and stability--plus it‚s sustainable--depending on the subspecies, it can be as variegated or as highly figured as you want. If walnut is used with a fairly stiff spruce top the resulting tone is mellow, yet bright on the high end.
Zircote: Very rigid and dense. Wildly beautiful, expensive.
Other domestic hardwoods: Sustainable and reasonably priced. I think Lasido does it better than anybody.

Necks

Two-piece or three-piece opposing stress hardwood; embedded graphite rods; two-way adjustable truss rod; bone nut, (Buzz Fieten conversion optional);width at nut and string spacing are subject to customer‚s preference.

Fingerboards

Ebony, Invisible straight grain. May be bound or unbound; fret scale 25.4‰ standard.

Bridges

Ebony, two styles, bone saddle with passive compensation unless otherwise specified; ebony pins with abalone inlay.

Tuners

Grover Rotomatics for high mass and metal to metal durability unless otherwise specified.

Finish

I prefer oil, but it is slightly more expensive than the standard nitrocellulose lacquer. Both will darken to subtle amber tint over time.

--Mark Hendrickson

Guitars coming soon!

The following is a listing of instruments that are currently in the works.When the image appears with the description, the instrument is complete and will be sold.

In the mean time, If you'd like any information regarding my latest projects or pricing for these custom built guitars, please contact me at music@gvtel.com

#1 - Handmade Acoustic 6 String Guitar

Indian Rosewood B&S
Master grade redwood top
Koa 2-piece neck
Ebony bridge, fingerboard, head veneer
Curly maple bindings
Buzz Fieten style bone nut (optional)
Bone saddle
Grover tuners
Abalone inlay

This is the first guitar completed in 2007. It features an antique oil finish over redwood. In overall mass and tonal properties, redwood is similar to red cedar. This master grade top was purchased about 10 years ago. In my experience, oil based finishes are superior to lacquers in practically every way except economy in application, and what the oil finish does to redwood is absolutely spectacular!

#2 - Handmade Acoustic 6 String Guitar

Belize Mahogany top, back and sides
Mahogany 2-piece neck
Ebony bridge, fingerboard
Belize curly mahogany head veneer and bindings
Buzz Fieten style bone nut (optional)
Grover tuners
Abalone inlay

I love the sound of all-mahogany acoustics, but the practice of staining the entire guitar doesn't do the wood much justice. Check out perfectly quarter sawn mahogany under an antique oil finish--it doesn‚t get much nicer. And the decreased surface tension of the oil finish makes the instrument as easy to play as it is to look at. I built this to accommodate Medium gauge strings.

#3 - Handmade Acoustic 6 String Guitar

Belize Mahogany back and sides
Variegated red cedar top
Mahogany 2-piece neck
Ebony bridge, fingerboard
Belize curly mahogany head veneer and bindings
Buzz Fieten style bone nut (optional)
Grover tuners
Abalone inlay.

I bought a flitch of variegated cedar about 10 years ago and have used the nicely book matched pairs in quite a few guitars. Besides its obvious visual appeal, the tone and intensity are classic red cedar. Strung with light gauge strings, it gives with the full range of tonal colors with plenty of punch.

#4 - Handmade Acoustic 6 String Guitar -- Cutaway

Indian Rosewood B&S
Master grade Sitka spruce top
Mahogany 2-piece neck
Ebony bridge, fingerboard, head veneer
Curly maple bindings
Buzz Fieten style bone nut (optional)
Bone saddle
Grover tuners
Abalone inlay

This guitar features a Florentine cutaway (because I can). I love the way the curly maple frames the rosewood at the tip of the cutaway. It's built for battle with medium gauge strings driving a scallop-braced master grade Sitka top. The slightly constricted sound hole helps to bring out the bottom.

Mark Hendrickson: Handmade Acoustic Guitars