Inspired from the Gothic cathedral of
St. Denis just outside of Paris, the Compass Rose body utilizes graphite rods to form flying buttresses to strengthen the bracing thereby reducing weight. We offer our Parametric Tilt Neck which eliminates the stress typically placed on
the heel of the guitar. The neck is easily removed making it easy for
maintenance or even to ship the guitar in a non-standard guitar case.
This series of guitars is designed to project acoustically. The
instruments do not sound particularly loud to the player, but out in front, the
guitars are really loud. There is a little overlay of Selmer/Macaferri and arch
top midrange punch onto the warmth of the flattop sound. Harmonics ring and
sustain well, helped by an almost woofer-tweeter relationship between
the lower and upper bouts.
To achieve projection, we stiffen up the back by overlaying
graphite onto the back center seam reinforcement and the back braces, turning
the back into an efficient reflector. We also double the thickness of the
sides at the top with a 1” wide strip of Indian rosewood, helping to reflect
vibration back into the top that would otherwise be wasted into the sides.
We make these in 16 ¼” large jumbo and 15” small jumbo sizes, and
both sides are available with an optional cutaway. We also love to make these
with a slot peghead reminiscent of the Selmer Macaferri designs.
Each instrument is made to order and should be considered a
true custom shop guitar.
