Preston Thompson Guitars Workshop | Behind the Scenes
Behind the scenes at the Preston Thompson Guitars Workshop.
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Get ready for another great traditional guitar from Preston Thompson! While we have a relatively new relationship with Preston, we've been blown away by the craftsmanship of his guitars and with this OO we get our smallest guitar yet! The OO-14 is a great guitar for writing songs without the hassle of a dread on your lap, or if you are a performer looking for a dependable guitar that will sound as good as your records while out on the road. This specific guitar has an Adirondack top that just fits the instrument so perfectly that I couldn't help but stare the first few times I've opened the case and you will certainly appreciate the complexity that it will provide. This guitar has a rich and beautiful sound without straying into more modern guitar tones and is a great example of what Preston is doing out in Oregon! If you want a pre-war inspired guitar that is handbuilt by a master luthier then you should definitely give Preston Thompson another look!
Preston Thompson 00 guitars are made to similar specifications as our 000’s as either 12 or 14 fret models. 00 model instruments are smaller bodied guitars that fill a niche between larger guitars (000’s and Dreadnoughts) and smaller Parlor size guitars. For that reason, they have an intimate feel and voice that is elegant and inspiring.
Solo performers and songwriters have enjoyed the unique attributes of these beautiful guitars for decades. 00’s are sweet, warm and about as charming as a guitar can get. In keeping with the exacting standards of all our guitars, the woods we use, our features and designs are true to those great American made instruments from the 1930’s.
Our fine guitars are designed by master guitar luthier Preston Thompson. Discovered by bluegrass virtuosos Charles Sawtelle and Peter Rowan in the 1980s, Preston has built a reputation for handmade, original vintage guitars. He got his start building guitars under Charles Fox at the School of the Guitar Research & Design Center in Vermont, the first school for guitar makers in North America.
During the 1970s, he honed his guitar-making skills at the legendary Randy Wood’s Old Time Pickin’ Parlor, the center of Nashville’s bluegrass music jam scene. In the 1980s, Preston’s custom acoustic guitars attracted the attention of the top flatpicking and fingerstyle guitarists in the world. For three years in a row, his instruments were selected over other top brands as the choice of prize by the winner of the National Flatpicking Championships at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas.
His collaboration with bluegrass great Charles Sawtelle of Hot Rize gave Preston access to Sawtelle’s collection of rare and famous pre-war vintage instruments. The guitar Preston built for Sawtelle based on these studies became one of his most treasured instruments. And Preston uses his detailed measurements of those instruments to this day to create guitars that are coveted for their superlative sound, the beauty of their materials, and the precision of their construction.
From our workshop in the music-loving town of Sisters, Oregon we build custom guitars and standard models based on the best American made guitars from the 1930s. The choice of Grammy-winning flatpick and fingerstyle guitarists alike, Preston Thompson Guitars are among the best acoustic guitars available anywhere, renowned for superior tone, craftsmanship and materials.
Our fine guitars are designed by master guitar luthier, Preston Thompson. Discovered by bluegrass virtuosos Charles Sawtelle and Peter Rowan in the 1980s, Preston has built a reputation for handmade, original vintage style guitars based closely on the measurements and sound quality of those golden era steel string guitars. He got his start building guitars under Charles Fox at the School of the Guitar Research & Design Center in Vermont, one of the first schools for guitar making in North America.
It was during his collaboration with bluegrass great Charles Sawtelle of Hot Rize, that Preston began to gather measurements from Sawtelle’s collection of rare and famous pre-war vintage instruments.
The guitar Preston built for Sawtelle based on these studies became one of his most treasured instruments. And Preston uses his detailed measurements of those instruments to this day to create guitars that are coveted for their superlative sound, the beauty of their materials, and the precision of their construction.
Serial Number: 1409
Model: 00-14
Top: Adirondack Spruce
Back and Sides: East Indian Rosewood
Rosette: 3 Ring 28 Style
Braces: Adirondack Spruce/Kerfing/Spanish Cedar
Neck: Solid Mahogany
Binding/Trim: Grained Ivoroid/Herringbone
Peghead Overlay: Figured Ebony
Peghead Inlay: Logo
Fingerboard: Ebony
Scale Length: 24.9"
Fingerboard Inlay: Slotted Diamonds & Squares
Frets: 18% Nickel Silver
Trus Rod - Adjustable: Single Action
Bridge: Ebony
Nut/Saddle: Bone
Pickguard: Tortoise Style
Bridge Pins: Ivoroid
Finish: Nitrocellulose Gloss
Tuners: Waverly Nickel, Butterbean Knobs
Strings: Elixir Phosphor Bronze Light
Hardshell Case
Behind the scenes at the Preston Thompson Guitars Workshop.