Tap Testing wood for Preston Reed‘s new signature custom baritone acoustic guitar
Tap Testing
Preston visited the workshop this week to choose some wood for the next project.
We are basing it on the Signature Baritone I made for him last time but with a few changes.
He loves the warm rich sound of the mahogany and Cedar but wants something with a little ‘more punch’ for some of his more aggressive tunes and maybe a little more exotic.
We chose Sitka Spruce for the soundboard and Cocobolo for the back and sides.
In keeping with Preston’s green ideology we are using reclaimed mahogany for the neck and fairly traded African Blackwood for the fretboard.
Thanks to David Dyke for finding and sending us the most amazing piece of Cocobolo for the back and sides…it not only looks totally stunning but when we tap tested it sounded to me like thunder followed by an earthquake.
I expect this will be one of the most beautiful instruments I have made to date – in all respects. Cannot wait to get started but will have to wait a few weeks for the wood to acclimatize to the workshop.
If you haven’t yet seen Preston play his own design Bailey Signature Baritone & Jumbo acoustics, then get along to one of his 4 upcoming UK gigs ….or if you are across the pond you’ll be able to catch Preston on his East and West USA tour in October and November
And if you can’t get to any gigs then check out his most recent album “In Here Out There”, which was composed and recorded here in Ayrshire using both guitars.