My goal is to build responsive, sensitive guitars for all players, in all playing styles of flat top guitar. Using traditional materials and design, mixed with some of my own changes in aesthetics and voicing, my guitars are crafted with superior tone and playability. Whether you’re a professional musician or an enthusiastic amateur, I want to build the guitar that is right for you.
I offer six body styles with different levels of ornamentation. Custom inlay is available. (I hand cut all inlay material. There’s NO CNC here – they’re too big, too expensive and too a lot of other things). I don’t believe in a base model of guitar. All of my guitars have solid wood bindings, bound fingerboards, and fine line purfling around the top, back and sides. Each guitar comes with Adirondack Spruce bracing, scalloped and tuned top and back, Honduran Mahogany neck, bone nut and saddle and ebony fingerboard and bridge. Also,I use a two way adjustable truss rod accessed through the sound hole and a traditional sliding dovetail neck joint.
I will work with you through the design and building process to craft a guitar that best fits your playing styles. Being a single builder working alone I make every part that goes into a Vadeboncoeur Guitar (except for the tuning machines and bridge pins… that would just be crazy!) – from hand planing the top and back plates, to carving the neck, and the final assembly. Each part is precisely made to achieve a desired tone for that individual guitar. Whether you want a lightly built finger-style guitar for solo playing, a rhythm guitar built to accompany vocals, or one that is equally comfortable in either style, I will match all elements of the instrument to optimize the tone and playability.
I offer Sitka, Adirondack or European Spruce top wood. Choice tonewoods for back and sides Cutaways are available for the OM , Dreadnought and Jumbo body styles. Although I like to work within my proven design parameters I am open to ideas and custom design features if they fit the overall tonal and design aesthetic considerations. I look forward to working with you to build your guitar.