Workshop

Black Raven Workshop is the home of a small bench luthier that specializes in steel body resonators. For me the label luthier evokes images of a refined craftsman working delicately on all manner of acoustic instruments. I have the image of them in their shop aprons delicately working with finely honed tools. I do not work delicately. I hate sharpening, so my cutting tools are not sharpened like German scalpels. My preferred tools are hammers, rasps, files, and fire. You could say my instruments are ground and pounded into life. Sawdust and metal shavings mix freely on my workshop floor. Resonators in particular have gripped my passion. I am drawn to both their sound and their story.

What I can do for you

My goal is not to simply sell you a guitar. My goal is to make a guitar that you are just as excited about playing as I am building it. I recognize that my guitars are not for everyone. There are plenty of manufacturers trying to cater to the market of "everyone". I am drawn to building resonators. I have a form that I create the bodies on. This is a standard parlour sized guitar body. The parlour body helps to keep the weight down. It is also a delightful size for most people to play. Which is a win-win for resonator guitars as most of the acoustic amplification and tone comes from the cone. Whereas my bodies are standard sized, the necks are wide open. I can produce a guitar with any neck shape, profile, scale length, or nut width that your heart's desire. If you want one of my guitars, built with my ethics, then I will work with you to create a guitar that fits your playing style.

Materials

I use 20 gauge cold rolled sheet steel for my bodies. It has a good mixture of weight, strength, and resonance. The bodies do not need extensive supports to hold the guitars together, which allows their backs to resonate cleanly. The neck is bolted onto a neck stick that travels the length of the body. The construction is similar to a bolt on neck electric guitar. This is the true workhorse of the entire structure. I have designed my build with an eye towards simplicity and repairability. The entire structure is simply to dismantle and the necks can be easily reset. I use clear grained Maple for my necks and Wenge for my fret boards. I make every effort to source quality and sustainable materials.

Finishes

The look I go for when finishing my guitars is the look of an instrument that has been buried in a swamp for years but has been found in mint condition. I like matte finishes without a lot of gloss or shine. In fact I do a lot of work to take the shine off of shiny hardware. I prefer natural finishes that will not hurt myself or the planet. There are a lot of myths and misinformation surrounding wood finishes floating around the internet. A lot of it is perpetuated by the finishing "experts" themselves. They will claim that oil based finishes will not truly dry or impart much in the way of protection to your guitar. I can assure you that drying oils do cure to a protective finish if they are applied in many thin layers over time. It takes time to build them up properly and they do create a finish that will protect your guitar. I topcoat everything with an additional layer of wax which adds another layer of protection. This was a traditional way of working and the entire system does provide a good level of protection to your guitar.