Guitars
2003 Gregory Byers
Cedar top, Indian rosewood back and sides
A fantastic guitar by one of America's very best makers! I get compliments on its sound nearly every time I play in public. It is dark, rich, and very powerful. This has been my main concert guitar since it was built for me in 2003.
2015 Stephan Connor
Spruce top, Indian rosewood back and sides
This is my newest guitar. Steve finished building this guitar for me at the very end of 2015. I expected to have to break it in for months before it would be ready to play in public, but it sounded so great that I gave a performance with it after owning it for only two weeks. It has a beautiful, clear sound, with incredible sustain, and it will only get better with time! It is a joy to play.
1994 Dake Traphagen
Cedar top, Honduras rosewood back and sides
http://www.traphagenguitars.com
A very nice guitar from an outstanding builder. One of my students owned this guitar, and I admired its sound every week when he came in for his lesson. When he got a new Traphagen and wanted to sell this one, I snatched it up and it became my main concert instrument for a number of years. Dake's guitars have gotten even better since he made this one. In fact, I was so impressed with a 2014 cedar Traphagen that I was able to convince the Crane School of Music to buy it and use it as a scholarship instrument for talented students.
Strings
Pro-Arté Nylon, Normal Tension (EJ45)
Pro-Arté Nylon, Hard Tension (EJ46)
I am proud to be a D'Addario Artist and to endorse their strings and other products. I think they are the best strings in the world. They sound fabulous, with warm, singing trebles and powerful, rich basses. Their quality control is unsurpassed; I can't even remember the last time I got a bad string. (Sadly, this isn't the case with other brands.) Their packaging is eco-friendly, and they lead the industry in their support of classical guitar festivals and emerging artists. And if that isn't enough, they're made in the USA. That's why I'm a fan-boy!
