Ryan picks up his guitar

I held my breath as Ryan opened the case and took out his newly completed guitar. I was pretty confident he would like it because we worked together on all the details, from the shape of the neck to the color of the strap button. But this would be the first time he played it. And with the first strum, I knew it was a success!

Ryan might be described as a private player. Like many fine guitarists he doesn't play out. He's not looking for a lot of volume. He's more interested in a guitar that will respond to his light touch with a sweet intimate sound. And that's what we were after when we chose a western red cedar top with a cherry back and sides.

While cedar is the go-to wood for nylon-string classical guitars, spruce is a more typical choice for steel strings. Because cedar is less dense than spruce, it requires less string energy to bring the top to life--perfect for someone like Ryan who wants will to bring out the instrument's best tone and maximum sustain while playing with his bare fingers. Cedar can sound a bit muddy if played hard with a pick. If you want to play vigorous rhythm or flatpick like Doc Watson or Billy Strings, get yourself a spruce-topped guitar.

Oh, in case you are wondering why Ryan's guitar is plugged in, it's because he likes to record. So, we installed a K&K Pure Mini, that faithfully reproduces the sound of the guitar without an on-board pre-amp and battery.