Roger Williams - Luthier

The "finger-style" Acoustic Guitar

Design philosophy

I have repaired, and studied, many of the Worlds finest steel-string acoustic guitars both factory and handmade. Combined with my knowledge of classical guitars I have shaped a philosophy and design for a very special type of finger-style guitar aimed primarily at the performing artist; the first example was made for Gordon Giltrap.  This instrument is very much like my classical guitars in design, being very light in weight, ultra-responsive, bright and with a full-range balanced tone which ideally suits the requirements of the finger-style professional.

The scale length (the distance from nut to bridge-saddle) of 630mm (24.8 in.) is specifically chosen to give the optimum tone and playability required for finger-style playing.  The tone is sweet and well balanced from low to high notes and playability is improved in two ways; the frets are closer together making it easier to reach those difficult chords and stretches, and the strings are a slightly lower tension giving a superior 'feel' to the instrument.  So you gain all round, especially if your hands or arms suffer in some way.

The 'Finger-style guitar' is designed to be amplified as well as played acoustically.  It can be fitted with any pickup of your choice but I strongly recommend the Highlander IP-2 with internal microphone.

Specification (Gordon Giltrap original)

This instrument is designed and built to provide the performing artist and keen amateur with the ultimate in stage-sound and recording performance.  Every effort has been made to extract the finest tone, balance and volume from this compact guitar.  The instrument is very lightly built and has a 630mm, 20 fret scale, with 12 frets to the body; this is a specific design feature which places the bridge at the optimum position on the soundboard. The bracing to the soundboard is a unique decoupled and heavily scalloped hybrid of the X-brace system, and has a  rigid soundboard perimeter and stiffened back bracing to isolate the top from the back for improved internal resonance control and cleaner internal mic. performance.  The Florentine cutaway provides easy access to the higher frets and the "wedge" body shape makes this an extremely comfortable instrument to play for extended periods.

• The soundboard is fine quality Western Red Cedar, selected for both tone and appearance.

• Back and sides of first quality, well figured, Indian Rosewood; bindings are Rosewood with a single fine-line, white purfling

• Neck is quarter-sawn Honduras Mahogany with adjustable truss-rod.

• Headstock is slotted (option) or flat for conventional tuners.

• The fingerboard is Ebony bound with Rosewood, and has a compound radius of 12 in. at the nut increasing to 20 in. at the 12 fret and built-in neck-relief that allows the very low action that Gordon demands.  The width at the nut is quite wide at 48 mm, while the string spacing at the saddle is 57.5 mm.  Fingerboard decoration consists of MOP Diamond inlay and side dots (options)

• The acoustically designed bridge is made from Indian Rosewood; it is ultra-light in weight (only 16 grams) and fitted with Ebony un-slotted bridge-pins with MOP shell inserts.

• Decoration consists of blue/green purfling to soundboard and a rosette with Mother-of-Pearl shell inlay (option); English rose MOP inlay to headstock (option).

• Bone string-guide and fully compensated bone saddle for optimum intonation.

• Tuning machines for slotted headstock (option) by Schaller or conventional headstock by Gotoh.

• Finished in shellac French polish.

• 11 gauge strings are fitted as standard (maximum recommended) and a Hiscox LiteFlite hard-shell case is included.