b'Martin Simpsons 12 fret guitars.Martin and I have known eachthat decision early on. Despite theneeded to try the idea out with the other since 1975 or even beforelarge body, Martin wanted a shortmore Classic timber- Brazilian that. Ive made him two resonatorscale, so we had an interesting andRosewood, and if he was going to be guitars during that period, andunusual combination of features.using it a lot, it made sense to have weve often said it was time I madeThen something occurred to me.a cutaway this time.The Rosewood him something else. When RichardThere was an opportunity to makeIve used is the Mike Waterson Hawley and Martin were at thesomething quite different. Nearlytimber, so now Martin, Richard workshop for the recording ofTheall steel string guitars have anHawley, John Smith and Anne Instrument Makers for BBC radio,adjustable truss rod, but this was aWaterson all have matching guitars!most of the day was spent talkingshort neck, short scale, and MartinIts a gorgeous looking and feeling about wood, and we almost lostuses a very wide fingerboard, so oneguitar, physically well balanced, and Martin in my wood store, we had toway or another, it was going to betonally pure. I was wondering if the drag him out and check his pocketsa strong neck.Before that thoughtguitar would have any dead spots before he went home. Then whenprocess finished, it occurred to mewhich might be caused by a truss we were discussing the Strings thatthat perhaps there could be norod etc. Its early days but so far, Id Nimble Leap album project, I thinkmetal components at all in the neck.say that is a success.we began to focus a bit more. MartinIt struck quite a chord with me, anBecause Martin was enjoying the has an old Mahogany 12 fret guitaropportunity to try something out inguitar so much, we had to consider which he wanted to update and hada very serious professional context.the possibility that he might need to been playing the Falstaff guitars thatThe neck is attached to the bodytake it on tour abroad, but the CITIES I made for Richard and for Johnwith a mortice and tenon joint, withregulations make that difficult and Smith.no bolts, and is reinforced with fourrisky. The obvious answer was to There was the basis of the idea. Bothlengths of carbon fibre beam, withmake a third guitar, this time using of us thought that the guitar shouldno adjustment. That was a challenge,Indian Rosewood but otherwise not have a deep body, Martin likesas I couldnt predict how the neckvery similar.Martin played at a local a clean tone, and does not want awould sit when it was first strungvenue and collected it that night. So layer of bass painted over everyup. Eventually, we had to fret itfar, Martin has kept the pickup choice note, also, the Falstaff is quite athree times, each time adjusting theon this guitar to a single original De large guitar, and making the bodystraightness of the neck by sandingArmond, we shall see what happens. shallower makes a huge differencethe fingerboard surface until we hadI do know that Richard Hawley has to playing comfort. The position ofthe neck relief just right. taken quite a liking to it, and several the bridge on a 12-fret neck join isThe top is bear claw Swiss Pine, theof Martins students have ordered fundamental, it puts the bridge rightback, sides and neck are superbsimilar models already.in the middle of the working part ofMahogany reclaimed from oldThree guitars, to a similar spec. but the soundboard, where it is mostsnooker table legs. The bindingswith variations. Because we wanted flexible and efficient, its particularlyare Snakewood as is the bridge,to, and we could. So, we did.significant for a fingerpicker whojust for fun really, and the tuners are wants a big output from a relativelyhandmade Robson. Martin asked for gentle input. his usual combination of pickup, Traditionally, 12 fret guitars haveThe Highlander IP2, coupled with a slotted heads. There are positive andMcIntyre Feathernegative consequences, but again,Martin loved the guitar and started Martin agreed with me, they lookusing it straight away, it was so lovely on a short neck so we madesuccessful that we decided we 360'