00 Sunburst | 2021

This was an earlier version of my Smith & Fison 00 shape, here in a 14-fret version. The hand-rubbed sunburst is much more organic than later sprayed bursts, and that’s just how I like it. The guitar is played by a gifted Australian musician who uses it both for singing and for oldtime backup. The tone is balanced and loud, yet very woody, reminiscent of much older guitars. I wish I could say I knew exactly how to reproduce that sound…but I don’t. Every piece of wood is different, every build is different, and sometimes you just get lucky.