RECENTLY SOLD
“The Bear Claw”
17″ Archtop Guitar
North American Wood
Solid Sitka Spruce Top
Solid Bigleaf Maple Back
Ribbon Mahogany Trim
INSTRUMENT FEATURES
Solid Wood Top, Back & Sides
Environmentally- friendly CITES approved wood and materials.
Environmentally-friendly Super Hard, Waterborne Lacquer
Finish
Hand Carved & Tuned
Natural Hide Glue
Used Throughout
Deeper cut-away
Exotic Woods
Unique Soundports
3 YEAR WARRANTY
Each guitar comes with a 3 year warranty against manufacturers defects to the original purchaser.
GUITARS & MANDOLINS
Built for years of enjoyment with unlimited design capabilities and customization possibilities
Free consultation to discuss your custom guitar or mandolin
A few things that are important to me.
The playability and comfort of the instrument for the artist; the quality and precise woodworking techniques used to help the artist produce their unique sound; hand tuning each instrument to maximize each piece of tonewood and finally the aesthetics of the overall instrument.
MEMBER G.A.L.
GUILD OF AMERICAN LUTHIERS
MEMBER A.S.I.A.
ASSOCIATION OF STRINGED INSTRUMENT ARTISANS
CUSTOM ORDER COMMISSIONED GUITAR
The Jack Grassel – JG1
During my formative years I studied guitar with Jack Grassel who is one of the top jazz guitarists in the country. 40 years later, in 2010, Jack Grassel approached me to build him a custom made solid body guitar made out of Bubinga and Wenge wood.
THE BODY
– Solid Bubinga
THE NECK
– Solid Wenge
THE PICKUPS
– 1967 Guild Humbuckers
ARTIST REQUIREMENTS
CUSTOM ORDER COMMISSIONED GUITAR
8 String, Multi-Scale, Left Handed 18″ Archtop
Another guitar teacher of mine, Tom Zietlow who has performed with a multitude of jazz greats approached me about his dream of owning an 8 string archtop guitar. Tom is a phenomenal player who excels in fingerstyle jazz and arranging.
BODY
– Solid Sitka Spruce Top
– Solid Bigleaf Maple Back and Sides
-Leopardwood binding and headstock
NECK
– Two piece Rock Maple with Leopardwood center
ARTIST REQUIREMENTS
CONSTRUCTION
Client Testimonials
Tom Zietlow
Jazz Guitar Artist
“My music has taken on an entirely new sound with an 8 string guitar. The extra high A string and low A string allows me to explore sounds
and arrangements that were never possible on a 6 string guitar.”
Jack Grassel
Jazz Guitar Artist
“It’s great having a custom made guitar because it has all the things I like in a guitar.”
Dirk Krouskop
“It is truly a beautiful guitar with absolutely stunning craftsmanship.”
Email me for more information
dan@smockeguitars.com
About Me
More to come…
Dan Smocke
Luthier
Latest News
Just finished the “Bear Claw” 17″ Archtop. It’s called the Bear Claw because the top has one small area to the left of the tailpiece that looks like a bear clawed the grain while the tree was growing. I don’t think this actually occured but it’s a good description of what the grain looks like. It’s BEAUTIFUL!
The Effect of Finishes on the Vibration Properties of Spruce Guitar Soundboard Wood
I read an interesting paper recently published in the Savart Journal which is published in collaboration with the Guild of American Luthiers. The article was written by Howard P. Stephens,[…]
Read moreLeft-Handed Archtop
Almost finished with the new left-handed 17″ archtop. Using solid Bigleaf Maple for the top, Bigleaf Maple for the back and sides, custom cut and bent solid wood binding. The[…]
Read more