Session King 6 string guitar video

For the last few years I’ve sold.a lot of Session King tenor guitars, so I thought it time to look once more at making a Session King 6 string. It’s nice to be able to offer a more affordable handmade guitar, for those who want the sound, playability and craftsmanship without the high price tag.

What I didn’t want to do was just make a string version of the tenor – I prefer the crisper sound you get from a Sobell style arched soundboard, especially when you play in dropped tunings like DADGAD. So this is what I came up with – a small bodied, wide wasted design, with a Western red cedar Sobell style soundboard.

The back and sides are Queensland maple – a lightweight wood which has much more in common with mahogany than maple. The neck is New Guinea rosewood, the fretboard is lovely old bog oak. I came up with a new variation on my bridge design for this guitar, the new bridge is a little stiffer than the old which allows me to lighten things up a little more under the bonnet (or hood if you’re an American.)

In keeping with the Session King style, the guitar is stripped down to the basics – simple black rocklite binding around the top, and simple black/white/black purfling lines to decorate. The rosette is cut from purfling lines and wenge. This body shape is the Model E, the soundboard is a Sobell style (SS) and the striped down Session King style (SK) makes this little guitar a Model E-SS-SK. I really enjoy making these simple guitars, and who better to demonstrate it than Ian Stephenson and Tom Fletcher?

The guitar is in the UK, and ready for sale. It can be shipped worldwide, and of course, I’ll be happy to make one just for you if you’d like one. get in touch through the form at the foot of this page and we can take it from there.