Steve Hicks. Finger style guitarist and luthier
Gallery
CLASSICAL GUITAR
Back and Sides: Indian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood
Maple. Figured or Birds Eye
Pau Ferro (Santos Rosewood/ Bolivian Rosewood)
Neck: Mahogany or Cedrella (Spanish Cedar)
Fingerboard: Ebony
Machine Heads. Sloane as Standard. Rodgers as high end up grade.
STEEL STRING GUITAR.
Soundboard: Sitka Spruce, European Spruce, Englemann Spruce, Cedar.
Back and Sides: Indian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood
Mahogany
Pau Ferro
Bubinga
Koa
Black Accacia
Maple. Figured, Big Leaf, Birds Eye
Amazon Rosewood
Honduras Rosewood
Walnut
Cherry
Neck. Mahogany. I can also offer Maple to go with Maple Back and Sides. Fingerboard. Ebony or Rosewood.
BOUZOUKI, OCATVE MANDOLIN, CITTERN. The same materials as for steel string guitar.
HARDWARE: Machine Heads. Gotoh or Schaller. Waverky as high end up grade.
pickups. L.R.Baggs. Fishman. Others brands available, please enquire.
Cases: Hiscox as standard. Calton as high end up grade, please enquire,
EARLY FRETTED INSTRUMENTS. Materials choices, lease enquire.
PRICES
Prices from 2008 start at 1800 pounds. For Irish Bouzouki and Octave Mandolin please e quire. Due to the specialized nature of custom work prices will vary.
The more exotic and higher end the materials and
hardware and the more complex the design the higher the price.
ORDERING.
This is usually a three step process.
1. Discussion with customer regarding the type of
instrument and sound you are after. Design elements such as scale length, neck width at nut and string spacing at bridge along with customers playing style and action settings will all be taken into consideration.
Discussion regarding custom options, cutaway, decorative inlays and hardware, tuning machines, pickups etc.
2. Once the above has been decided upon the total price is set. I then require a deposit of 20% or 25% up front to secure your order and get you into my diary. The higher percentage deposit will be charged for unusual designs and/or exotic materials.
3. Waiting Time. My current waiting list is between 9 months and 1 year from the placing of your order.
4. Balance of payment to be paid in full before shipment/collection of your instrument.
I reserve the right to increase prices should it be
necessary (I will inform you of such). I reserve the right to change materials and design elements if necessary.
All payments to be made in British Pounds Sterling. Cash, Cheque or Money Order. No credit card payments and no online payment systems (Paypal etc).
Latest Video
Welcome.
I am a British luthier based in Leicestershire UK. I run a small scale luthery operation, building approximately 10 instruments a year, working alone.
I build to commission only but very occasionally will offer up for sale new or used Hicks guitars. I build Steel String guitars ranging from original designs to vintage USA styles. 12 string, Baritone and Multi Scale (fan fret) in 6, 7 and 8 string designs. Classical Guitars, Octave Mandolins, Irish Bouzouki and Cittern.
My training included 4 years study in making early fretted instruments and so I include, Renaissance Lute, Viols, Cittern, Orpharion and Bandora.
I can sometimes accept repair work on acoustic guitars and violin family instruments.
As a fingerstyle guitarist myself I like to specialize in building small to medium sized steel string guitars and am also interested in the development of the instrument.
I hope you find something of interest in these pages.
Thank you,
Steve Hicks.
MODELS
STEEL STRING GUITARS
European Classic steel string. 12 fret neck, slotted headstock as standard. Also available with solid headstock.
O.M. Standard. Lower Bout width 375mm. Depth at tailblock 110mm. O.M. Large. Lower Bout width 400mm. Depth at tailblock 110mm.
Vintage 000 (triple '0'). 12 fret neck, slotted headstock.
Dreadnought. Square Shoulder style.
Dreadnought. Slope shoulder. Also available in 12 fret version with slotted headstock.
Parlour. 12 fret 25.4" scale (shorter scale also available) Slotted or solid headstock.
12 String. Square shoulder Dreadnought.
Baritone and Multi Scale. Please enquire.
Tertz. Please enquire.
CLASSICAL GUITARS. Please enquire
HISTORIC DESIGNS
BAROQUE. After Stradivari' but as 650mm scale.
BAROQUE. After Voboam.
PANORMO. Fan Bracing.
VIHUELA. From various sources.
CHITARRA BATTENTE. 17C wire string guitar used for rhythmic strumming accompaniment.
IRISH BOUZOUKI. 660mm scale length.
OCTAVE MANDOLIN. 550mm scale length.
See gallery for photos
Thank you, Steve Hicks.