Custom Handmade Acoustic Guitars and Ukuleles
Here are answers to just a few of the questions we get most often. If you have a question that you cannot find the answer to on our site feel free to contact Jay directly via email.
Too, we invite you to visit our Resources Page for links to many online and offline guitar and ukulele resources
There are some great handmade instruments out there but if you are looking for something really special and something that will inspire great music, Jay shares six reasons to buy a custom acoustic guitar or ukulele from Lichty Guitars.
In the big world of music there are big guitar makers. Gibson, Martin, Taylor and many others build quality, solid production instruments played by the best. When folks ask whether they should go with a production guitar or uke or a custom handmade instrument there are a few easy questions to ask to get to the right answer.
It is typically a nylon string guitar with a nut width between the traditional classical width and a steel string width, with a cutaway, and radiused fretboard. The Lichty Crossover takes it a step further and also features a side soundport, side fretboard dots, truss road and a K&K pickup….
Taking the best care of your acoustic guitar or ukulele from the first day forward will ensure it maintains its beautiful appearance and tone and will ensure that it will provide years and years of play.
We get frequent inquiries about custom left-handed guitars and ukuleles. It seems not many luthiers build left-handed custom instruments for left-handed players. In terms of construction, the difference between a left handed and right handed ukulele or guitar comes down to the bracing and bridge and saddle. Jay hand-carves the bracing for the top and this bracing is reversed for a lefty. The angle of the bridge and saddle are also reversed.
Luthier Jay Lichty builds a wide variety of custom handmade acoustic guitars and ukuleles. One classic style that is popular is the parlor guitar. The term “parlor guitar” dates back to the days before recorded music when entertainment was live and it occurred in the “parlors” (though we’d like to point out the hottest music on these small-bodied guitars was most likely cooking on the front porches and in the back streets).
Ancient Kauri radiates its incredible history. Reclaimed from ancient bogs, its radiocarbon dating places the age of the currently harvested Ancient Kauri trees from the northland of New Zealand at 50,000 years old. Few tonewoods have such a great story to tell.
Sinker redwood offers that winning combination of incredible beauty and lovely tone. Before we answer the question, What is Sinker Redwood? we’d like to share a few audio samples and images of instruments Jay has crafted from this fine wood …
The answer is currently a bit of yes and no. Yes, Jay teaches both, however, he is currently booked up through 2020.
For many luthiers, building just a few models in a few varieties is what they do. That has never been the case for Jay. From the very beginning Jay’s fulfillment as a luthier has come, in part, from testing new designs, playing with different wood combinations and working with customers who bring unique ideas to the table.
One great example of this is the custom painted guitar and ukulele collaboration between Jay and artist Clark Hipolito.
Standard tuners for solid headstocks are Gotoh 510s for guitar and for slotted it is Gotoh Classical. For both styles of ukulele headstock the tuners are Grover Sta-tite. We also offer a wide variety of options.
The choice of case for our custom instruments depends on the specific model and the dimensions. For some of our guitars and ukuleles you will have a choice of case; for others, we have custom cases designed just for that instrument.
Jay stands behind the workmanship and materials of every Lichty guitar and ukulele. His goal is to ensure that each instrument he crafts is the perfect fit for the musician and can provide a lifetime of play and enjoyment.
“That finish is amazing!” That is what we often hear when folks take their first look at a Lichty. Jay has put finish on over 200 instruments and though he is continually learning new things he decided a few months back to document his current process for applying water-based finish to guitars and ukes.
When an instrument evolves past its traditional design and sings with a voice that is unlike any other, it stands out from the crowd and it stands alone. Such an instrument deserves a spotlight and begs for its own distinct name. So it is that the name Kīkū (pronounced kee koo) was born.
Many guitar/ukulele makers, whether big factory guys or quiet luthiers, have their standard lines of models offered in one, or just a few, types of wood. You’ve got your Model A (built from mahogany or Indian rosewood), Model Z-1 … that kind of thing, and then you may have some choices to customize within the parameters of those models. Heated discussions can take place between luthiers over which tonewood is the best, each being steadfast in the belief that the wood they work with is the best guitar tonewood.
We have just arrived home from a bit of traveling. Jay regretted immediately his decision not to bring a guitar or ukulele along in response to seeing folks at airports carrying all manner of instruments. Next time he’ll have an instrument in hand and will keep an eye on it as a carry-on item.
The zero fret is a fret located where the nut typically would be. The instrument will still have a nut however the nut is now moved towards the peg head and its primary function is that of a string guide.
It’s the one that you feel so inspired to play that you take it with you everywhere!
Now, I’d jump in here and let you know that there are definitely some “travel ukes” out there that are designed to withstand most anything that you can throw at them: late misty nights by the campfire, getting tossed around in the airline checked-bag compartment, extreme shifts from a cold morning on the seat of your car to a scorching hot afternoon or beginning an adventure at a low elevation only to pop out ready to play in some high-in-the-sky ski chalet.
For some there is indeed a place for such ukes. For example, if you are a Colorado River guide and want to entertain your guests you’ll need a bomb-proof instrument. No getting around that. Perhaps you should explore carbon fiber ukuleles. In contrast, we seriously would not want you taking your Lichty down stream.
Torrefied Spruce is just one of dozens of woods from around the world that Jay is using when constructing custom guitars and ukuleles. But just what is Torrefied Spruce?
We’ll hand this explanation off to the experts.
