Fitzwilliam Guitars - Luthier

Fitzwilliam Guitars - Luthier A lifetime of playing has led me to building guitars based on classic designs with a twist.

This is a passion hobby rather than a business, with the same ethos as my String Doctor instruments, "The best quality I can, without the hype".

Wow Friday already! Have a great weekend don’t forget your alarms for the dawn service if you’re going. A Bookaar closed...
24/04/2026

Wow Friday already! Have a great weekend don’t forget your alarms for the dawn service if you’re going. A Bookaar closed up ready for the binding and end graft….and the shop supervisor making sure I wasn’t slacking off!

Where did that week go? Happy Friday and have a great weekend. One of the job this week- inlays.
17/04/2026

Where did that week go? Happy Friday and have a great weekend. One of the job this week- inlays.

Sorry belated Friday bench shots. Hope everyone is staying warm through this cold snap. Some shots of the back and sound...
11/04/2026

Sorry belated Friday bench shots. Hope everyone is staying warm through this cold snap. Some shots of the back and soundboard of my current build, a Gnotuk with a flame Mahogany back and Engleman soundboard. This one will end up being available via the Acoustic Centre in South Melbourne. Enjoy!

Happy Fretboard Friday. Have a great weekend everyone!
20/03/2026

Happy Fretboard Friday. Have a great weekend everyone!

Oh man Friday again!  Some highlights from the last fortnight. Another Bookaar acoustic coming along, a hot rod 335 and ...
13/03/2026

Oh man Friday again! Some highlights from the last fortnight. Another Bookaar acoustic coming along, a hot rod 335 and a refin that I did for a friend on a 78 Musicmaster bass. An interesting lot! Have a safe and happy weekend everyone

Happy Friday have a great weekend everyone! Little job on the bench today.
27/02/2026

Happy Friday have a great weekend everyone! Little job on the bench today.

Well a belated belated Friday bench post and a note to self not to make a clip of the pictures. Here’s some highlights f...
21/02/2026

Well a belated belated Friday bench post and a note to self not to make a clip of the pictures. Here’s some highlights from the bench and spray shed over the last fortnight- have a great weekend.

Happy bench Friday- have a great weekend everyone!
06/02/2026

Happy bench Friday- have a great weekend everyone!

Happy Friday Bench Day! Take 2 - not sure what happened to the first try 🙄. Hope everyone is safe and well. So the V bra...
29/01/2026

Happy Friday Bench Day! Take 2 - not sure what happened to the first try 🙄. Hope everyone is safe and well. So the V brace conversion 1930’s Parlour is finished. Great little blues picker with a really strong voice - much more open than the ladder bracing. PM me if you’re interested in getting her.

Friday bench shots - new Purrumbete acoustic getting closer to ready. It’s OM  thickness and short scale. Can’t wait to ...
23/01/2026

Friday bench shots - new Purrumbete acoustic getting closer to ready. It’s OM thickness and short scale. Can’t wait to string her up!

So Friday bench day - this scorcher of a day something a bit different. Started out as a 30's plywood ladder braced parl...
09/01/2026

So Friday bench day - this scorcher of a day something a bit different. Started out as a 30's plywood ladder braced parlour guitar - old but not overly special. Someone had very neatly drilled another sound hole in the back? So, a candidate for new back.

I had a sheet of Sycamore available in the right size, so off with the old back and using that as a template I swapped over the original back braces. So far so good.

Getting ready to put the new back on and close her up when I recall reading about luthiers who take old 30's ladder braced acoustics and re-brace them with great results - much livelier and fuller sounding instruments.

Now that sounded like a cool project but to take it one step further rather than X brace it I will V brace it to see how that sounds.

So progress to date old top bracing removed except the Upper transverse brace and new spruce V bracing installed. Back cut out and braced using the original back braces.

Top sanded and bridge glued on - more updater soon.

Stay out of the heat and wind and have a great weekend.

Arch top finished today. A jump blues special with P90’s wired out of phase but also can be in phase using the push pull...
06/01/2026

Arch top finished today. A jump blues special with P90’s wired out of phase but also can be in phase using the push pull tone pot. Old friend nitro finish means she’s ready for any gig you can throw at her.

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Melbourne, VIC
3058

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