Signature Gallery

Builds in Progress

A logical extension of my design lineage. Commissioned by a collector with exquisite taste and complete trust in the design and build process. Hand-carved spruce top on a mahogany body with matching Honduras neck. Black ebony fingerboard and headstock faceplate. This was the first use of the “Claw” inlay of abalone and mother of pearl—seven hand cut pieces fitted at the twelfth fret. The idea was to bridge the gap between a jazz box and a more modern roots-rock guitar without losing the open look and sound of the former. Thus the name—Vista. Understated faux tortoise binding of Italian cellulose surrounds the entire instrument. More>

T-Boss SOLD

T-Boss—SOLD

A stunning hybrid concept that created the core of the Team Built Dantzig line. The original T-Boss is a mahogany bodied long-scale guitar with the soul of a 1950s single cutaway from Kalamazoo with the familiar feel of Fullerton. Suddenly your humbucker guitar feels as comfortable as your favorite T-Shirt and jeans.

TRACKER—SOLD

The concept was simple—literally. My client wanted a back to basics guitar that was sophisticated in its execution. The idea that simple doesn’t have to be boring appealed to me because it was the exact opposite of the flashy, inlay-laden “boutique” guitars that permeate the market. Built from extra-heavy straight-grain Honduras mahogany with a rosewood fingerboard devoid of any inlay. Hand-wired with vintage Western Electric cloth covered wire and vintage switching components and the unobtainable John Grail humbuckers. Prototype locking Klusons and a featherweight aluminum wrap-around bridge. To further the aesthetic, I finished it in low-gloss nitrocellulose lacquer. A no frills, rock machine with a built-in soul.

THE CROW INQUIRE
I’d been playing guitar for about six years when I first heard Charlie Christian. Of course, everything changed that day in 1970. My teacher, Mike Bloomfield, implored that I study Muddy. Jeff Beck cited Cliff Gallup and Scotty Moore, and Keith Richards wasn’t bashful about praising Chuck Berry. Peter Green and Clapton went on and on about B.B. King, Otis Rush and Buddy Guy. However, hearing Charlie Christian banging out amazing single-note electric runs in recordings from 1939 set me straight. Above all, Christian’s mysteriously raw tone floored me. With this lingering memory haunting me, I started to build the Crow. My design was fueled by the writings of Ginsberg and Kerouac recalling the journey of Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty across America. Their wanderings reminded me of touring musicians. Bands of traveling storytellers, who—like crows—are clever scavengers. In mythology the crow is a harbinger and messenger. I wanted my instrument to reflect the dark, mysterious lives of these souls. More>

SAKURA INQUIRE
Proceeds to benefit tsunami relief
The difficult Japanese winter ends with the arrival of cherry blossoms. In April, the Hanami Festival celebrates the rebirth and symbolizes the transience of life. The Sakura guitar features front and back, hand-engraved, nickel plated ornamental steel plates with my original artwork in a traditional Japanese style. Petals of genuine rose gold, stems and leaves in green gold and a rising sun of 24kt yellow gold adorn hundreds of hours of hand work by master engraver Heidi Roos. Twin humbuckers hand-built by my friend Seymour Duncan feature twin-tapping single-coil simulation and engraved nickel covers. Vintage cloth covered wiring and oil-filled tone caps. More>

HELL’S HALF ACRE INQUIRE
The trail driver’s whip and lasso were as crucial as his pistol and rifle. After pushing dusty herds of beeves north for weeks along the Chisholm Trail, the cowboy’s first stop for pleasure was in Fort Worth’s south end. Nicknamed Hell’s Half Acre, it was here where commerce ran roughshod over everything in its way. This instrument is designed in tribute to the lawless and bawdy reputation of both the herdsmen of the 1800s and the modern rock musician. A half-herringbone purfling recalls the twisted form of the cowboy’s lariat and gun-blued appointments with 24kt gold, hand engraved eagles complete the scene. Vintage Western Electric cloth-covered wiring and salvaged electronics from a Chicago telephone switching station. More>

Korina T-Boss

Korina T—SOLD
The Tulsa Concept with an African twist—white limba.
As resonant as a piano soundboard and light as a feather, the Korina T was an experiment that turned out perfectly.