Personal Selection Bog Oak and Bearclaw Spruce Leonardo

An extraordinary instrument. 5,000-year-old Bog Oak, quarter sawn, jet black, and beautifully figured, paired with the whitest, stiffest and most spectacular piece of Master grade Italian Spruce I've ever seen. Although all the physical characteristics of soundboards can be judged "in the rough", the final appearance only becomes clear after the very last part of the lacquer and polishing process, and in this case, even Mike's lovely pictures can't do justice to the astounding Bearclaw figure.

45mm Ebony fingerboard with Slotted Abalone Diamonds. The neck is very old Mahogany, with red and black lines and outer sections of what I think is African Walnut, sometimes I get parcels of unknown wood from retired cabinet makers and by the time I've identified it, it is already a guitar! Whatever this is I'll be using it again.

The Leonardo design is unlike most other guitars, it's not a small guitar, It was designed from square one to have a cutaway, and it doesn't look at all right without it. The body is relatively shallow and exceptionally comfortable to play. In this combination of timbers, it has a "big voice", clear and strong, the overall size produces a full bass response, the stiff Spruce soundboard ensures properly balanced treble, and the Oak back and sides add a liveliness that many of the heavier, traditional timbers do not have.

The bindings are Snakewood, bordered by red lines, which I think brings everything together in one of the most spectacular, one-of-a-kind guitar we have ever made.