Miles Henderson Smith.
My guitars are mainly influenced by Antonio Torres, Herman Hauser I, and Kevin Aram. The body shape and overall design that I use is based on plans of the famous 1937 Herman Hauser I guitar as played by Andreas Segovia, that resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. I am convinced by Jose Rominillos’ argument that that the principles of guitar making as practiced by Antonio Torres holds the essential key to building an ideal instrument. However, the strongest influence on my work has been Kevin Aram whose guidance and support has been an inspiration to me.
My approach to guitar making is informed by my background as an artist. For me, the art of luthiery lies in the ability to build subtle nuances into each instrument, responding to the unique variations of the wood. When carving or planning a particular piece of wood a point is reached where one more shaving is too much and one less, not enough. As each piece of wood is unique a measurement alone is not sufficient. While some luthiers tune their tops and use complicated and expensive scientific equipment to determine the thickness of the top, I believe that the ability to recognising the thickness is ultimately an art determined by tacit sensory experience.
I use the highest quality woods that I am able to obtain. Generally I use Indian rosewood for the back and sides, spruce for the top, western red cedar for the neck and head, and ebony for the fret board. However other woods can be used if desired.
I make relatively small bodied guitars with a light construction using a fan braced top. My guitars have a traditional ‘Spanish heel’ with wedges to keep the sides in place using a similar method of construction as Kevin Aram and Jose Rominillos. I use a V head/neck joint, which is, I think, not only an attractive detail but also adds strength.
The design of the rosettes, bindings and purflings are unique to each instrument. Each rosettes I make by hand from wood veneers, based on traditional designs. I aim for my guitars to have a simple, elegant and understated aesthetic. I use the natural colours of the wood to complement the other materials used. I prefer to use an oil finish on my guitars which I feel shows the natural qualities of the wood to their full advantage.
I aim for my guitars to have a warm open woody tone that I associate with the best English and northern European makers. I aim for my guitars to be as balanced as possible across the range, with rich velvety bases and rounded clear trebles. I aim to make guitars with a clear separation between voices. I aim for my guitars to be as responsive as possible to a light touch drawing you in to the subtleties of the music. I aim to make guitars that are not necessarily the loudest or most powerful but capable of clearly projecting sound. I believe that the best concert guitars are those which allow a musician to express with ease the full range of colours, textures and emotions that the music requires; those are the guitars that I aim to make.
