I’ve come across this photo from around 1970.  Liz is playing her original dulcimer, the one that inspired me to build one myself, and I am playing the Portuguese guitarra that inspired my first cittern.

Liz had long hair, I had hair.

Taken in a Harrogate folk club, the guitar shown leaning against the wall is the fearfully battered Harmony Sovereign belonging to Steve Morrison.  Steve was a great innovative guitarist, well ahead of his time. He died many years ago now.

I’ve had my workshop in Whitley Chapel Old School for nearly forty years now, I moved here in November 1979. It’s much more crowded now, with a room partitioned off at one end and wood stored above. The solid fuel stove has been replaced with an oil fired one and there is LED lighting everywhere – good light is important to good instrument building.

But it’s essentially the same.

Until 1981 I built citterns and mandolins but in 1981 I built my first arch-top guitar and in 1982 my first flat-top.  I’m currently building 8 or 9 guitars a year; my Martin Simpson model, my Steinbeck model, my new Verona model and my Model 2 D guitar.

Still a great place to build instruments, lots of light and a view over fields.  And close to Slaley forest for walking with Ben.

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Guitarist, collector and friend Massimo Raccosta, with his fiancé Francesca, visited last autumn. As well as visiting the Roman Wall built by his ancestors nearly 2000 years ago (and experiencing and enjoying weather conditions they hated), Massimo had the idea of a guitar optimised for use with a pickup. It was to be called the Verona model, where Massimo, originally from Rome, now lives.

This wasn’t easy, particularly because my existing models already work so well with my preferred Highlander Pickups.

We talked about this over a meal, and later by email, and came up with a very slim bodied version of my Steinbeck model. Unusually, it is deeper at the heel than at the tail.

Because of the slim body, the battery isn’t mounted inside but is Highlander’s external battery box model where the battery box is in line with the amplifier input.

I loved it from the moment it was strung; such a clear focused sound both acoustic and through the pickup. Not a beefy sound, but clear and deep with an almost unbelievable acoustic volume from such a slim body. And through the pickup, the sound is wonderfully clear and full, without a hint of confusion.

Three months on, it has opened into a truly surprising and wonderful guitar. Massimo will collect it later this summer; in the meantime I play it every day. A second Verona model is now built and being lacquered.

Verona Model  Specifications

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Martin is now playing my latest Martin Simpson Mk 3 model, and is reluctantly selling his 2004 MS Mark 2.

Details on my ‘Available Now’ page https://www.sobellguitars.com/available-now/

Darrell Scott and wife Angela came to the UK in March. They were visiting friends here, and Darrell was playing a gig in Cork.

While they were here I met up with them, taking two of my latest guitars. One was a long scale big bodied D guitar, the other was my latest Steinbeck S.

We had talked about these, and Darrell’s plan was to see if he liked one enough to use in Cork and then take home.

We met in Harpenden, outer London in the home of Liz’s school-friend Pauline and her husband John. Darrell played each guitar in turn, first unplugged and then amplified. He took his time, playing, listening, playing and listening, then the same with the other guitar, concentrating all the time.

It was a great private concert for Pauline and John.

Eventually Darrell looked at Angela. ‘What do you think?’ Angela was really happy with both, but thought the smaller Steinbeck S was more what Darrell would use on gigs.

But Darrell was in love with the larger long scale D Guitar.

After considerable discussion they stepped out to find a coffee shop and chat there, joking that if they didn’t return, we’d know they’d decided on neither.

After so long that I was wondering had they really been joking, they came back. ‘We want both’ they said.

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Yesterday Joseph Sobol collected his figured Sitka spruce and African Blackwood 12 string bouzouki. This has been under discussion and construction for just about two years now. Joseph has previously had me build at least three 12 string bouzoukis (I’m beginning to lose count).

For his two previous instruments, Joseph specified mahogany and Koa back and sides. This one has African Blackwood back and sides, along with a figured Sitka soundboard, as used on my Steinbeck guitars. And after playing it a while, when asked how he felt about it Joseph replied ‘this is the last’.

He thought it looked and sounded great, and so did I. Being so newly strung, we know it will open out in the months and years to come.

Today I received this email from him:

Dear Stefan— this new instrument is astonishing. By the time we got to York it had already opened up. You just have to touch it and it rings out like a choir and organ. Notes just leap off the board. Big day here in cittern world. Thank you for going out on the field one more time to make this magical thing.

Joseph

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Here is the body, bound with black Rocklite and red/gold/green purfling. It is now ready for me to fit the neck, though it will be a little while before I can do this, I have other projects to complete first.

You can see here that because the top and back are curved (the back more so), the sides are narrowest at the widest part of the lower bout.

You can also see the greater depth at the neck end; this will give the heel more leverage and make sure the neck is stable.