The builder says: My
Classic Model (14.5" lower bout) is made from Engelmann spruce for its
face, East Indian rosewood for the back and the sides; it has a Spanish cedar
neck, Indian rosewood fingerboard, and the bridge is carved from Cocobolo. Happily, the binding is made using memorable
and visually effervescent Snakewood and so is the soundhole rosette. The scale length is 25.4".
In
1995, my local tonewood supplier got some unusually nice logs of Engelmann. I
bought as much as I could afford at the time and, sadly, am now down to only 7
sets. Ever since then I have tried to
find more like it – but to no avail. As always,
I chose perfect wood – wood like this doesn’t grow on trees. For example, the rosewood is old stock that
was purchased from a retiring builder (very shy). It presents as being dense with dark purples
and a wispy stripe down the middle, much like my stuffed skunk.