Roger Williams.
Biography
I have worked with my hands, at various crafts, for most of my life both as a hobby and for a livelihood. An early fascination with materials, structures and aeroplanes in particular, led me take an engineering apprenticeship with Rolls-Royce eventually becoming a jet-engine designer. My design and craft experience is extensive and extends from audio monitor speaker systems through racing sailing dinghies to guitars; but making music has always been my passion. I acquired my first guitar at the age of twelve and purchased the materials for my first handmade guitar in 1970 and since then I have restored, repaired and built many hundreds of guitars and string instruments for discerning professional and amateur musicians.
My Guitars
My Classical guitars follow many of the principles established by the early Spanish master Antonio de Torres and are built in the "Granada School" - light in weight and very responsive. I have also been influenced by the Spanish master luthier Antonio Marin Montero and the English maker Kevin Aram who has been particularly helpful to me.
Flamenco guitars are influenced by Marcel Barbero and Manuel Reyes of which I have repaired several examples. My Flamenco guitars are available in the traditional Cypress 'Blanca' or the 'Negra' version in Rosewood which has also found a home in the "Fusion music" of jazz, salsa and World music.
The Baroque guitar was made at the request of Raymond Burley and is loosely based on the Baroque guitar made by Antonio Stradivari about 1680. It has five courses (ten strings) with pegs and has a raised fingerboard with metal frets and a bridge with bone saddle - really quite unlike a traditional Baroque guitar, however it plays like a Classical guitar and sounds just like a Baroque!
My finger-style Acoustic guitar, designed and built for Gordon Giltrap, follows a similar design and construction philosophy to my classical and flamenco guitars, resulting in a very light and responsive instrument.
I recently designed and made a 'Requinto' size guitar for Gordon which can be seen on Gordon's website Link.
Every guitar that I build is special and individual. I make as many parts as possible myself from raw materials and design and make my own rosettes, purflings and bindings and do all my own finishing. Your guitar will be truly handmade by one pair of hands - mine.
Players comments:
The respected acoustic guitarist Gordon Giltrap plays my acoustic steel-string guitar:-
" ...your guitar sounds STUNNING. I love that guitar so much and so do the audiences..."
(Gordon Giltrap)
