Sheaf Guitars Cherry Parlour guitar, hand-built by local luthier Malcolm Griffiths

This sweet, resonant parlour guitar has been lovingly hand-crafted by local luthier Malcolm Griffiths, who lives and works just up the road from our shop in Woodseats, Sheffield! You won’t believe the volume and clarity of this small-bodied instrument. The tone is deep and well balanced with very clear fundamentals and bright, clear overtones thanks to its sitka spruce top. The Neck is mahogany with ebony for the fingerboard, bridge and headstock veneer. It has a short scale length of 646mm (approx. 25.5″) which means you won’t have to stretch so far for chord shapes. It also means the strings will be under slightly less tension so it’s very comfortable and easy to play despite being strung with medium gauge strings for extra volume and a deeper tone. This guitar is beautifully finished with a steamed pear binding and New Zealand abalone decorations on the rosette and bridge pins. GOTOH tuners give precise, reliable tuning. It also has a bone nut and saddle which aid sound transmission. The saddle is set into a bi-level bridge, which enhances the brake angle leading to greater downward pressure and greater sound transmission into the resonant body of the instrument.

Players who have tried this gorgeous and utterly unique guitar have all been surprised at its volume, string separation and rich bass response. This is the only guitar of its kind in the world and would have cost at least £3,000 as a commission piece but Malcolm is offering it to the public at just £1500 with a free hard case included. This outstanding guitar is built to last and will only sound better with age. That’s why we’ve decided to throw in a free hard case- you’ll want to protect your investment!

The instrument can be viewed and played by popping in to the shop. You can also meet the luthier to discuss commissions or find out more about his build process (workshops visits are also available by appointment). If you would like to know more about Malcom you can visit his facebook page here.