His approach to the art of instrument building calls for a direct connection with the raw materials, much like a musician. A strong focus on hand tool use is integral to this process, as well as extensive use of reclaimed local materials. Focusing mainly on guitar, Irish bouzouki and Turkish oud building, Josh has maintained a steady production of around 10 instruments per year, built one at a tim
e in his home-based shop in Eugene. All individual pieces and parts of the instruments are hand-crafted, using local materials where possible. His instruments are commissioned and played by musicians around the country, as well as in Europe, parts of Asia and India. Then comes the built-ins. You might want a small built in bookshelf next to the john- why not? Or a small wine cellar of the kitchen. Or maybe you've always wanted a 8x12 den off the living room to read and have a sip of scotch in the evenings. Now you have a frame of reference for a custom instrument. I'm not sure how much you're into trees and nature and stuff, but let's start with the fact that trees grow. They respond to things like temperature, sunlight, moisture and wind. Even two pieces cut side by side from the very best piece of wood will behave differently. In a factory guitar (and all but the most expensive guitars, even of the high-end maker, are at least in part factory built), like a prefab home, all dimensions will be averaged to the common denominator. Scale length, nut width, neck thickness etc. will be sized for the "average" player (whoever that is!). Wood is left thick, erring on the side of caution, to ensure against breakage under rough handling for as long as possible. This leads to more mass, and less tone. In a custom guitar, a skilled builder will have the client in mind for the duration of the process. Even as the lumber is selected, the desired tone of the product will be in mind. Highly sensitive craftsman hands will feel the stiffness, elasticity and response, and trained ears will test the tone all the way through the process, of crafting each part, to ensure the highest level of sound. I hand build every wooden part of every instrument I produce. The only pre-assembled items I include are tuning machines and strings. I do this so that I can rest assured that every part meets my strict standards for quality. The playability of the final product will be exactly suited to the players needs. Sting tension, scale length, string spacing, action etc. will be carefully set to the highest level of precision, matching the clients needs so that the instrument will be comfortable (and fun) to play. Are custom instruments "better" than manufactured ones? To some, very much so! But, just as a prefab home is the right decision for some people (much more affordable; and some people prefer to put their money into other things!) a custom home or instrument is the right decision for many, and will be built to suit them, and most often, cherished for life.
