Custom electric guitars and semi hollow body, archtop, and acoustic guitars and hand made inlay - Pederson Custom Guitars (formerly Abyss Guitar Company)

All of our Pederson Custom (formerly Abyss Guitar Company) acoustic guitars are custom made with no inventory and no stock. There are literally thousands of options and shapes that exist, but I have narrowed my model building down to two main shapes for now. The first shape on the far left will be the TH style and the body on the far right will be the Acoustic V-2 (for variation 2). More will come, but this will allow me to experiment with shaping a sound with different wood and bracing options, while using a consistent body shape.

As you can see I have also been experimenting with sound hole placement. This allows me to use the different bracing schemes I have mentioned above. By employing alternate bracing schemes, I can also use different top woods. I like to get my balance from the extremes. As most of you can see from my designs and ideas, I take my balance from the far left and far right...where most get there balance more conservatively towards the middle. Most builders wouldn't use quilted maple or species other than spruce for the top wood. Although I do use spruce, I am trying to engineer a great sounding acoustic guitar with greater aesthetic top woods. If it sounds great and looks even better, then a Master Grade Pederson Custom Guitar has been created.

For acoustic guitar building, I have chosen a technique called free standing assembly, or simply free assembly. Using this technique, all the guitars construction takes place on a work board rather than in a different mold for each different variation. Free assembly is more challenging, and the advantages of deviation clearly out weigh using a mold, although extra care must be taken to maintain the instruments symmetry and structural alignment. Free standing acoustic construction enables me to construct totally custom guitars in all shapes and sizes.

To minimize dimensional shrinkage (which is common to all woods), a consistent shop atmosphere is required. Also, I take into consideration the wood's moisture content. The rule of thumb is that it should have between 6 and 8% moisture content. I order supplies from places that have kiln dried their guitar woods to this percentage. They also maintain a consistent shop atmosphere.

DESIGN PROCESS
When you first meet with me, we will first get a layout drawing to draft the guitar's dimensional requirements. We discuss what you want and draft it to paper. We'll accurately layout the fingerboard, sound hole, bridge, bracing and where the neck meets the body, among other things. This is literal custom building from the ground up. Your specifications. Once again, these are just template ideas. We can go traditional with the sound hole placement and the bracing if you are looking for that proven system.

SHAPE AND SIZE
Steel string guitars widely vary in size with smaller body (parlor) guitars starting at 14" at the lower bout and range up to 17". Folk artists often prefer the smaller size. 15" and 16" is a very common and they produce a very even response with a good deal of clarity. Dreadnaught guitars are universally 16" across at the lower bout and they produce a nice bass response without distorting under heavy pick attack. Jumbo sized acoustics are 16" and bigger up to 17 1/2". These big boxes produce a deep powerful response, tone and are generally loud guitars.

NECKS
For centuries, mahogany has been the most versatile of the tone woods used for necks. Its workability and strength make it a favorite for all types of guitars and guitar builders. Mahogany is a very stable wood and this makes it an excellent choice for neck preference. Another accepted and common variation is maple. Maple is chosen for its strength and stiffness, and it adds brightness to the overall tone. For years, highly prized flame maple and bird's eye maple have been used as neck material as well.

Optional are neck laminations. These add a fair amount of stability and strength, and we can use woods not normally suited for neck material. Generally, I use two 1/8" strips of ebony for the accent stripes, although walnut, koa, Brazilian rosewood and quilted maple also make great accent pieces. Most of the time, the overall wood concept of the guitar is taken into consideration and that gives a frame for the laminations.

TOPS
The major tone factor of the guitars sound box is the top. Regular top woods are cedar, redwood and spruce. There are several varieties of spruce which include the following: Sitka spruce, German spruce, Adirondack spruce, and Western red cedar. Sitka spruce is very common on production and handmade guitars alike, and will darken with age. If you prefer the whiter look, a choice like Engleman spruce would be good. Top woods are selected by the grain orientation which is referred to as quarter sawn or vertical grain. Quarter-sawn timber is stiffer both laterally and longitudinally in relation to its light weight, making it an outstanding choice for the sound board material.

BACK AND SIDE MATERIAL
The most frequent hardwoods used for back and sides in acoustic construction are mahogany, Indian rosewood and maple. In the last few decades Koa, walnut, and other varieties or exotic hardwoods have seen increasing use. Undoubtedly, the most prized back and side material is Brazilian rosewood. This wood is extremely expensive and not in great supply, so it is a premium in pricing. Inlay concepts can be applied to acoustics as well.