What makes DTG different from other handcrafted guitar makers?

Aside from my own line of handcrafted guitars, I've rebuilt, repaired, restored, setup and professionally played thousands of guitars and basses over the last 40+ years -- a great many of them electrics from the 1950s. Along the way I've made it a point to study the better examples (there's also a lot to be learned from the not-so-good instruments). Although no two manufactured models were exactly alike, and while the manufacturing standards drifted a great deal over the years, there are common denominators in the "keepers" -- including instruments that have what I call "the magic."

Some of the more magical vintage electrics have revealed a lot to me -- how they were put together, wood and cut selections, finishing techniques, weight and balance, pickup compositions and setups, trem adjustments, nut treatments, and a long shopping list of lesser known, and perhaps more obscure details. As a result of these experiences I've discovered many subtle luthier tricks and tweaks that result in not just better but substantially improved tone and player comfort.

I craft each Spirit Series guitar one at a time (or two at a time in the case of "twins"), with an absolute minimum use of machinery -- so that I can feel the wood and draw the best out of each instrument. I realize that that can sound like a cliché, but that's how I look at it. Each guitar gets my full attention, including hours of playing and tweaking before it leaves the shop. If requested, I also fit your guitar to your specific playing style.*

My ultimate goal is to create a guitar that fits, feels and sounds so good, you’ll never need or want another. And based on the response, that goal has been achieved.

*This process requires one-on-one discussion, including analyzing your attack of the strings and your fret-hand positioning. Those unable to come into the studio may send a video tape. There is no extra charge for this service.

We chose to name these guitars the "Spirit Series™" for a very good reason. The idea is that they capture the essence, or "spirit" of the originals. And they are essentially a composite of the cream of that period. These instruments deliver the sought after tone of vintage guitars.

My guitars are extremely light weight. I select the wood through a pain-staking process (see How does Michael select timber?). Each guitar has a translucent hand-rubbed, micro-layered nitrocellulose finish, vintage-spec controls and hardware, fossilized ivory nut, SweetSpot™ Pickups made to my exacting specifications (or your choice of any of the great boutique pickups available), and a matchless setup -- which includes a number of proprietary modifications that I've accumulated over the years that improve the guitar's tone and feel. I am frequently told, especially from seasoned, veteran players, that my guitars have an immediate "old friend" feel. And that's exactly what I set out to accomplish.

The only major alteration not from that period is the truss rod design, which has been reengineered to work better, last longer and remain absolutely silent (no rattling around!). The design change also allows for easier truss rod servicing.

These are incredible instruments! I do not believe it is possible to build a better guitar. Your Spirit Series™ guitar will be the ultimate player's guitar.

The subtle nuances of working with woods specific to instruments benefit from a lifetime of skill and knowledge. I'll go as far as to select and tune the timber for specific tonal qualities. The process is known in the fine art of violin making as "tap-tuning." It may seem that I carry it to the extreme, but these instruments are literally in tune before the strings are put on. It may seem remarkable, but after the setup is complete each string jumps to, and locks onto its correct pitch -- you've never seen (or heard) anything like it.

The timber is particularly difficult to find. I've often had to wait months to find an ultra-light single body blank or two. Likewise, the quarter sawn flamed Maple neck timbers are continuously in short supply. I'll only build a guitar out of select pieces and if that timber is not available I'll wait until it is.

Spirit Series™ guitar necks have a number of uncommon, yet subtle comfort-enhancing angles and radiuses I've developed over the years. I've also experimented extensively with truss rod installation methods, designs and composition, as a result we make our own to very exacting specifications. The nut is made from fossilized ivory for its resonance qualities. The fret slots are cut to the same radius of the fingerboard and the same depth as the fret tang to eliminate any air pockets, voids, or dead frets. Frets are placed OVER the lacquer, not under it (as with almost all Maple fingerboard guitars); it's a much more time-consuming process to do it this way, but the beneficial affects on tone and playability are really noticeable.

Both the neck and body are finished in multiple micro-coats of hand-rubbed nitrocellulose lacquer -- thin and smoother than glass -- without that plastic feel of polyurethane and vinyl. Finishing typically requires two or three months, sometimes more depending upon our California climate, and how the nitro is setting up. Nitrocellulose lacquer, over time, becomes one with the wood as opposed to just a coating over it. I never use a buffing wheel because hand-rubbing allows for more subtle working of the finish and I believe results in a better overall feel.

Timber is selected for various qualities, including cut, weight and tone. Although figure is attractive, it's a secondary consideration. Bodies are one-piece swamp Ash or two-piece Alder (also one-piece Ponderosa Pine, as periodically used by Leo on early Fenders®) -- and VERY lightweight. The DeTemple '56™ bodies average an astonishing 3.5 lbs., and 6.7 to 7 lbs. for the complete guitar with a steel tremolo block. The DeTemple '52™ body is also extremely light at an average weight of 3 lbs. 12 oz., without "cheater" body routs.

Necks are quarter-sawn, flamed Maple for strength and stability. The "skunk strip" varies; these days I'm using mostly Bocote.

For those who are looking for something different, I maintain a selection of alternative and exotic woods for necks, bodies, tops and fingerboards -- some pieces have been aging for 50 years or more. Occasionally a client will request other exotic tone woods or timbers, which are also accommodated.

I have also harvested my own timber from local, California trees.

Through the years I have weighed many Fender®  Strat®  Ash bodies that have been in excess of 5 lbs., although most Ash Strat® bodies from the '50s weighed 3 to 3.5 lbs. A few magical instruments were a mere 3 lbs. and under! That is what I aim for when selecting Swamp Ash, and I'm always in search of featherweight bodies.

The ideal body timber is cut from the reservoir section of the tree, the section that holds and stores water. The water is retained in these cells and become enlarged to hold more water. Upon harvesting and curing, the water evaporates and leaves the empty enlarged reservoir cells resulting in lighter wood.

Alder doesn't have as much air space as Ash. The character of the cellulose is lighter in weight but more dense. It's very rare to find large enough pieces of Alder to make one-piece bodies, so two-piece bodies are more common and usually a little heavier than the Ash bodies. As a reference, most manufactured guitars (not mine!) now laminate 3-pieces of Alder for their bodies. I'm still searching for the 2.5 lb. one-piece Alder body -- perhaps I'll find it one day....

To me the featherweight swamp Ash has a more wide-open sound. Whereas Alder is more focused in the mid-range.

Through the years I have weighed many Fender®  Strat®  Ash bodies that have been in excess of 5 lbs., although most Ash Strat® bodies from the '50s weighed 3 to 3.5 lbs. A few magical instruments were a mere 3 lbs. and under! That is what I aim for when selecting Swamp Ash, and I'm always in search of featherweight bodies.

The ideal body timber is cut from the reservoir section of the tree, the section that holds and stores water. The water is retained in these cells and become enlarged to hold more water. Upon harvesting and curing, the water evaporates and leaves the empty enlarged reservoir cells resulting in lighter wood.

Alder doesn't have as much air space as Ash. The character of the cellulose is lighter in weight but more dense. It's very rare to find large enough pieces of Alder to make one-piece bodies, so two-piece bodies are more common and usually a little heavier than the Ash bodies. As a reference, most manufactured guitars (not mine!) now laminate 3-pieces of Alder for their bodies. I'm still searching for the 2.5 lb. one-piece Alder body -- perhaps I'll find it one day....

To me the featherweight swamp Ash has a more wide-open sound. Whereas Alder is more focused in the mid-range.

Most musicians are aware that Rosewood fingerboards tend to have more mellow tone characteristics. For those who prefer a Rosewood fingerboard I maintain a few select pieces of Brazilian Rosewood.

*Each Spirit Series™ guitar comes with a custom made, one-of-a-kind manual -- literally one for each guitar I build. In the manual I document a number of easy-to-follow methods to keep a guitar in tune with Kluson-style tuners. If you use my methods you'll find there is no need for locking tuners.

Locking tuners will slip when a string is pulled on to pre-stretch it after re-stringing. The cam mechanism locks the string for the minimal pull associated with a trem movement, but will not lock it with enough force to let you prepare your guitar for real world playing and string bending. I have stretched and stretched strings that never stopped stretching, only to see that as I pulled on a string it moved through the locking mechanism. I know that if you pre-stretch your strings correctly you should never have any problems with tuning. Assuming your guitar is set up correctly, correct string changing techniques as well as the pre-stretching allow it to very easy to get it in tune and stay in tune.

That's my sales pitch, but as each guitar is crafted to the specific requirements of the client, the back shapes and thicknesses of the neck can follow any contour you desire. Interestingly, I'm sculpting more "fat" necks these days -- a swing of the pendulum from the "thinner the better" patterns of recent years.

I use a number of methods to determine each neck's backshape, including impressions from your favorite guitar. It's an area you and I will spend a great deal of time in discussion over.

In the end the actual shape of the neck is up to you. Each neck is hand carved and sculpted, if I used machines you'd only have a couple of choices, but in this case there are absolutely no limits. And in extreme cases we will ship the neck to you during the shaping process to help ensure it's exactly what you are looking for.

I believe the two decisions for fret wire and radius should be based on what you like to play, not what will be more vintage-like. I promise you that whichever way you go you will have a wonderful and inspirational instrument.

To determine if a block is alloy or steel all you have to do is put a magnet up against it. If it sticks it is steel. If it doesn't, I would replace the block with a cold rolled steel block. Be aware, though. There are blocks manufactured that are hot rolled steel and the magnet will cling to them as well, however hot rolled steel has lead added to it in the manufacturing process. If you have ever clanged a piece of lead with a hammer you will know that it gives a very dull thud. Not musical at all. The bottom line is that you want a cold and not hot rolled steel block because it is more resonant.

I am quite critical in my assessment of what makes a guitar sound/respond to my expectations -- but I do trust in my ears and sense of touch. I have spent so much time with so many guitars -- forever analyzing their sound/response based on their often varied components. It is very clear to me that any combination of components that make up a Strat® are going to have an effect on the sound and playability/response. It is certainly not just one thing that makes a guitar sound great, but rather, a whole group of very apparent, and many not so apparent, factors that make that magic seem to just "be there."

Addendum: If you have trouble finding the right bridge components feel free to contact me as I use them in the guitars that I build.

All DeTemple Guitars™ contain SNAGG’s tiny hidden microchip. When scanned, SNAGG emits a 10-digit alpha-numeric radio signal code containing your guitar’s unique electronic serial number. The code is registered only to you and tells store owners, dealers, repairmen, pawnshops, law enforcement officials, etc., who the rightful owner really is.

The grain of rice-sized implant is hidden in your guitar and there is no known way to detect its specific location. Once the alphanumeric serial number is set at the factory, it cannot be changed.

When a thief tries to hock or trade your SNAGG-implanted instrument or amp at a shop, he/she will be in for a big surprise when the merchant scans it with the SNAGG scanner. One check at www.snagg.com and that number will reveal all information about that instrument as registered by its true owner.

Snagg enlisted the aid of the California State 2nd Hand Dealer Investigators Association (CSDIA) and the National Association of Property Recovery Investigators (NAPRI) in designing their Web site’s database. SNAGG makes both the scanners and chips available to retailers and police departments. SNAGG maintains thousands of instruments in its database, and has made preliminary arrangements for distribution of its technology to the European market.

This is the same system used by Fender’s Custom Shop, Martin as well as many boutique and custom guitar makers. SNAGG ensures product authenticity and proof of ownership should your instrument ever be lost or stolen.

To find out more, contact  DeTemple Guitars™, or visit www.snagg.com.

*RFID = Radio Frequency Identity Device