John Hall
Luthier

 

John Hall.

Living in Staffordshire, I was originally apprenticed in engineering but switched to cabinet-making in the mid-1980s.  Having come from a family with a strong musical background, and always having had a love of anything which made use of the skills I have in my hands, the inspiration to make my first classical guitar came from my son’s playing of the instrument.  That was about 12 years ago, and it triggered a search in the local library where I found a book by Irving Sloane on building classical guitars and basically that’s where I started, making and trying out different things but only for home, including a mandolin which went to my brother.  I’ve now made the first guitar that is going outside of the family and want to develop something that has been a hobby until now into a more full-time occupation. 

My guitars have a light construction, using a traditional fan-strutting pattern, and to make the most of the texture and feel of the wood are finished with oil.  The aim is to produce a guitar which is light and responsive, has good playability, and where the sound quality has clarity and a sweetness of tone.

Having got to this point, the next stage is to further develop my own strutting patterns and style to produce a guitar which is both aesthetically pleasing and which provides the owner with an instrument which can enable them to explore the possibilities of the music and of their own playing.

Table.
 Alpine Spruce.
Neck.
 Western Red Cedar.
Back and Sides.
 Indian Rosewood.
Machineheads.
 Irving Sloane.
Finish.
 Oil.