CURRENT PRICING & HOW TO ORDER
The creation of a custom instrument is a special process, combining the musician’s aspirations, style, and vision with the luthier’s craftsmanship, experience, and passion…culminating in a tool that is an extension of the artist: designed to create, inspire, and be loved for a lifetime to come.
- Joseph Steinbock
THE PROCESS
The design process for your guitar will be as unique as the instrument itself: some prefer to be involved in every detail, others prefer to discuss general ideas and leave the rest to me. The way in which you would like to approach your design process is up to you.
During our first conversation, we will discuss tonewood pairings: fundamental-to-overtone balance across spruce varieties, differing tonal characteristics across the back & sides woods I offer, and much more. I will also ask you to complete a questionnaire that will help me understand your musical and artistic tastes, as well as what role this instrument will play in your collection, which will better help me create an instrument that is truly an extension of you, the artist. We will discuss practical elements such as scale length, body size, and desired accommodations (such as a multi-scale neck, Florentine cutaway, or arm bevel)...as well as artistic elements such as desired inlays, color schemes, and the visual flow of the instrument from a design perspective. By the end of these conversations, you will have a complete spec sheet for your instrument, as well as to-scale drawings of the artistic elements.
Once it is time to begin construction on your instrument, I will set up a private photo gallery for you, and will update it as important steps and phases are completed. If you are local, you are also welcome to visit the shop to see your instrument in various stages of construction.
Included with any Steinbock Fine Instrument:
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Indian Rosewood or Honduran Mahogany back & sides (See Tonewood Library for selections)
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Hand selected Italian Alpine Spruce top
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a side soundport
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traditional dovetail joinery
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All HHG (hot hide glue) construction
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Genuine Honduran Mahogany neck
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all wood bindings
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hand-applied French Polish Shellac finish
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an Access hardshell case.
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Waverly Tuning Machines (or upgrade to Scheller Gitarrenmechaniken handmade tuners)
Please contact me for upgrade pricing, including but not limited to:
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Back/Sides Tonewood Upgrades (see Tonewood Library for selections) featuring Madagascar Rosewood, Brazilian Rosewood, Crelicam Ebony, Mun Ebony, African Blackwood, Ziricote, Cocobolo, and more
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Top Tonewood Options, including other old growth species of spruce as well as cedar and redwood. Additional options include Bearclaw Figure on some spruce species as well as thermally treated tops.
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Florentine Cutaway
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Magnetic arm rest
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Custom Scheller Gitarrenmechaniken handmade tuners
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Custom Inlays, Rosettes, soundhole design and other appointments (e.g. heel or back-of-neck inlay motif)
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Any other embellishments or features desired.
My instruments begin at $7,000 (plus applicable sales tax) with your choice of East Indian Rosewood back/sides or Honduran Mahogany paired with an Italian Alpine Spruce top in any of my three body sizes. A $1,000 deposit is required to hold your place in my queue, with 50% of the remaining balance due when I begin building your instrument and the other 50% due upon completion.
Additional information, including warranty details, can be found on the "Additional Info" tile below.
Occasionally I have instruments listed for sale, which can be found "Available Instruments" tile below.