The Material
The only premade parts in my guitar builds are tuning machines, fret wire, truss rod, carbon fiber reinforcement, and the occasional soundhole rosette. All the wood used is cut, calibrated, bent, and sanded to the specifications of the instrument's design and the playing style of the individual guitarist. I have a substantial variety of soundboards (Engelmann spruce, western cedar, redwood & moon spruce from Switzerland) and a variety of back & sides (over twenty different species) in my shop. The first part of the commission process is to have a discussion about the client's playing style and preferences in visual aesthetics for a guitar. The next step would be to send photos of all the wood being used in the build and a detailed itemized estimate of the cost. I try to use reclaimed wood and eco-friendly distributors whenever possible. Some of the best sounding and beautiful wood I have used has come from reclaimed lumber.
Design & Construction
Eagle Guitar's designs focus on these principles:
Tone: The sound produced and projected
Longevity: The life expectancy
Playability: Easy to play
Appointments: The aesthetics
The balance of these four principles is critical. If too much emphasis is on one principle, there will be a diminished return on the other three. An overbuilt guitar (that will last a long time) will negatively affect the guitar's tone. When constructing the guitar (light bracing and thinner wood), an unusually superior sound may cause structural problems that affect the longevity. The unexpected shape of a guitar's body may make it harder to play.
I build to produce the most responsive tonal interactions through the entire guitar (including the neck, upper bout, and bridge plate). I utilize an open cavity (carbon fiber) neck reinforcement for my classical guitars to increase overtones. Along with this, I alter the upper bout bracing to produce more tonal properties without risking structural damage. The bridge plate in both my classical and steel-string is a very thin carbon fiber/wood laminate to increase the dispersing of vibrations from the bridge throughout the soundboard. The tops are graduated thinner around the edge of the lower bout in both the classical and steel-string. A reflective back seems to produce more treble for the classical, whereas a responsive back has greater bass for the steel-string guitar. The sides of the guitar should be rigid. If they are not, the vibration waves from the bridge will go to the edge of the soundboard and dissipate energy instead of reflecting sound to the center of the soundboard to sustain the resonance further. I've reshaped the body design for additional bass response in my parlor design (Eagle 01).
The Models
Eagle Guitar offers three standard models for building commissions.
EC 37
Eagle Classical Guitar 37
Based on a 1937 Hauser, fan bracing, Spanish heel, 650mm scale length
Standard: Engelmann spruce top, Indian Rosewood back & sides, Spanish cedar neck, open cavity carbon fiber neck reinforcement, Ebony Fingerboard, Indian Rosewood bridge, wood purfling & bindings, bone saddle & nut, laminated rosewood & carbon fiber bridge plate, Gold Schaller tuning machines, French Polish
Options: various tonewoods, double-top, lattice bracing, additional scale lengths, side sound port.
EAGLE O1
Eagle Acoustic Guitar 01
New design small body steel string, X+fan bracing, tenon & mortise neck joint, 24-inch scale length
Standard: Moon spruce top, Indian Rosewood back & sides, Mahogany neck, Ebony Fingerboard, Ebony bridge, wood purfling & bindings, bone saddle & nut, laminated rosewood & carbon fiber bridge plate, adjustable truss rod, Waverly tuning machines, French Polish
Options: various tonewoods, double-top, additional scale lengths, side sound port,
EAGLE O2
Eagle Acoustic Guitar 02
Based on small body Martin O steel string, X bracing, tenon & mortise neck 24.9-inch scale length
Standard: Moon spruce top, Indian Rosewood back & sides, Mahogany neck, Ebony Fingerboard, Ebony bridge, wood purfling & bindings, bone saddle & nut, laminated rosewood & carbon fiber bridge plate, adjustable truss rod, Waverly tuning machines, French Polish or water-based spray
Options: various tonewoods, double-top, additional scale lengths, side sound port.
Standard and upgrade prices for commissions are found on the 'Pricing' page.