Welcome to the workshop Journal
Teaching season finished, back in the shop for new builds.
Quiet, tools, materials, scents. Starting with this beautiful Crelicam ebony back. ☺️
..
..
@madinter_woodformusic
#intentionalacousticdesign
#iuliusguitars
#handcraftedguitars
#acousticguitars
#madeinfrance
...
The latest Lirica in dark ebony, with deeply figured maple burl details. The magnetic neck-cavity, External Tuning Slot covers and back plate of the headstock can be customized, giving each instrument a distinctive visual identity.
..
..
#IuliusLirica
#AcousticGuitarDesign
#IntentionalAcousticDesign
#BoutiqueGuitar
#uniquedesign
Soon available @eddiesguitars 😉
...
A view of the latest Lirica Ebony.
The Drop Port, optimised soundboard and T-Fan bracing work together as part of a single acoustic system, controlling how energy is distributed, coupled and radiated.
Designed, built and tuned through Intentional Acoustic Design.
Available soon @eddiesguitars 😊
..
..
#IuliusLirica
#IntentionalAcousticDesign
#AcousticGuitarDesign
#BoutiqueGuitar
#GuitarMaking
...
Nine interactive tools to explore the mechanics behind guitar sound.
I originally developed these tools to support my workshops and teaching. Over time, they became part of the way I explain guitar behavior, so I decided to make them freely available on my website for anyone who wants to deepen their understanding of acoustic guitar design.
If you`re interested in designing with greater intention, you`ll also find the same engineering framework expanded in Mastering the Sound of the Acoustic Guitar, available at @stewmac_guitar
Explore the tools, try them on your own instruments, and let me know what you think. 😉
..
..
#IntentionalAcousticDesign #AcousticGuitar #Lutherie #GuitarMaking #LuthierTools
...
The Iulius Lirica ETS cover in flamed maple, set against flamed French walnut and selected Jura spruce. A customizable detail celebrating the beauty of local woods, supplied by @le_bois_de_lutherie.
Available through @eddiesguitars.
..
..
#iuliuslirica
#intentionalacousticdesign
#iuliusguitars
#luthier
#acousticguitar
...
The cantilevered neck of the Iulius Lirica. One structural decision, serving both playability and the behavior of the instrument. Everything is connected. ☺️
..
..
#iuliusguitars #intentionalacousticdesign #customguitar #acousticguitar #luthier
...
The latest Lirica Ebony. The soundboard is where the instrument begins. Every structural decision is made to preserve its behavior.
..
..
#iuliusguitars #luthier #acousticguitar #intentionalacousticdesign #boutiqueGuitar
...
The Lirica Walnut. Designed at system level, where every structural decision contributes to the behavior of the whole instrument.
Explore this guitar on @eddiesguitars collection.
..
..
#intentionalacousticdesign #IuliusGuitars #boutiqueGuitar #acousticguitar
...
Every piece of wood has its own mechanical properties. The TPC (Tonewood Parameters Characterization) is specifically designed for luthiers to measure, compare, and understand those properties in a practical way.
Unlike other systems, the TPC uniquely measures the Q factor of tonewood, adding a key parameter for evaluating its acoustic behavior and helping translate raw measurements into meaningful design decisions.
If you`re interested in the TPC system, write "INFO" in the comments and I`ll get in touch. 😉
And thanks as usual to my friends at @stewmac_guitar that offer the book Mastering the sound of the acoustic guitar in their catalogue.
..
..
#iuliusguitars #tonewood #lutherie #intentionalacousticdesign #acousticguitar
...
Thank you to Pierre Bergeron, Jean Rompré, Michel Bélair, and the entire team at @lutherie_guitare_bruand for the wonderful welcome during these four days in Montréal.
It was a pleasure to spend this time together exploring Intentional Acoustic Design, guitar behavior, and the experience of sound.
A special thank you to all the participants for their enthusiasm, curiosity, and engagement throughout the workshop.
See you next time, Montréal. 😉
..
..
@pelleringuitars
@boucherguitars
@lutheriemso
@tremblay_luthier
@jeremyhluthier
@michael_kennedy_guitars
..
..
#jeanrompre
#michelbelair
#intentionalacousticdesign
#acousticguitar
#innovativeguitars
...
Three days at the luthiery school Écho d`Artistes in Toulouse, exploring Intentional Acoustic Design with a group of passionate builders.
Always refreshing and energizing to spend time with fresh luthiers, sharing ideas, exchanging experiences, and building connections around a common passion.
Thank you to everyone who took part. See you next time. 😉
..
..
#lutherie #luthier #guitarmaking #acousticguitar #intentionalacousticdesign
...
An ordinary morning at Tom`s: birds outside, music inside. Everything in its right place. 😊
Thank you Will, for the most welcome gift.
@willmcnicol @tom_sands_guitars @stringbreak_uk
..
..
#IuliusLirica
#Luthiery
#AcousticGuitar
#intentionalacousticdesign
#radiohead
...
Ever played a note that suddenly fade out, feels unstable, or seems to fight back against the rest of the instrument?
That phenomenon is known as a wolf tone.
In this first reel of a two-part series, we explore what a wolf tone actually is, why it appears, and what is happening inside the guitar when it occurs.
In the next reel, we`ll look at practical strategies to manage and reduce wolf notes through design, setup, and acoustic optimization.
These topics are explored in greater depth in Mastering the Sound of the Acoustic Guitar, available through @stewmac_guitar
Follow the channel for more content on guitar acoustics, design, measurement, and tone development. 😉
..
..
#Luthiery #GuitarMaking #AcousticGuitar #BoutiqueGuitar #intentionalacousticdesign
...
On the way home, I found myself going through the photos from a truly special weekend at the second @stringbreak_uk .
What Tom Sands has created is much more than an event. It is a celebration of modern lutherie, a gathering built around passion, friendship, curiosity, and the simple joy of sharing what we do.
@tom_sands_guitars is not only one of the finest builders I know, but also a remarkably generous and tireless force for bringing people together. Through String Break, he has created something rare: a place where instruments, makers, musicians, and stories can meet naturally, without pretension, and where the human side of our craft is given as much importance as the work itself.
A special thank you as well to @willmcnicol , whose support, enthusiasm, and contribution helped make the whole experience even more enjoyable, and to the sponsors that supported the event:
@stewmac_guitar
@lrbaggsofficial
@elixir_strings
@ernieball
I came home inspired, grateful, and reminded of how fortunate we are to be part of this community.
Thank you, Tom, and to everyone who made the weekend what it was. See you next year. 😉
...
The new Lirica, in European spruce and Exotic ebony.
Built around a low activation threshold, fast transient response, and controlled energy distribution, this instrument was designed to remain articulate and stable under the hands while preserving depth and flexibility of color.
A compact format, but not a reduced voice.
Precision without stiffness.
Responsiveness without excess.
Premiering next weekend at the @stringbreak_uk
See you there! 😉
..
..
#IuliusGuitars #Lirica #IntentionalAcousticDesign #AcousticGuitar #BoutiqueGuitar
...
One place left.
27th and 28th of June in New York, at Doug’s Proper workshop, @guitarspecialistinc
A two-day workshop on Intentional Acoustic Design:
a system-level approach to the acoustic guitar design and build, beyond isolated adjustments and modal tuning.
How the instrument radiates sound.
How it responds under the hands.
How to define, control, verify — and make the work more legible.
📩 One place still available.
Mastering the Sound of the Acoustic Guitar, the book, is also available on @stewmac_guitar catalogue
..
..
#lutherie #acousticguitar #guitarmaking #intentionalacousticdesign #acoustics
...
What does a guitar actually do under your hands?
The Acoustic Guitar Tone Profiler connects measurable parameters to playing behaviour.
Now live on the website, the link is in bio.
And thanks as usual to my friends at @stewmac_guitar
for bringing the book in their catalogue.
..
..
#acousticguitar #lutherie #guitarmaking #acoustics #guitardesign
...
Lirica.
An instrument defined by intimacy, versatility, and controlled response.
World premiere at @artisanguitarshow .
In the hands of @dustinfurlow , exploring the instrument. 🙂
..
..
#IuliusGuitars
#Lirica
#ArtisanGuitarShow
#AcousticGuitar
#FingerstyleGuitar
...
What a blast, the 10th anniversary of the @artisanguitarshow .
Perfect organization, friends and colleagues, exceptional players, and passionate people from all over the world.
Thank you to John and the whole team for this beautiful celebration of guitar making.
And thank you to everyone who spent time with the new Lirica.
Follow this instrument’s path at @eddiesguitars .
More to come soon.
..
..
#ArtisanGuitarShow #iuliusguitars #boutiqueguitars uitar #GuitarMaking #Lirica
...
Opening this afternoon, @artisanguitarshow
The new Lirica premiere.
Designed for intimacy, composition, and expressive control.
Here in rare flamed French walnut, paired with high-Q French spruce from the Jura mountains.
Come experience it.
..
..
#IuliusGuitars
#Lirica
#AcousticGuitar
#Luthier
#guitarMaking
...
Lirica.
Designed around a controlled acoustic behaviour. Clarity at low energy, stability across the fretboard, and a balanced response in close playing conditions.
Conceived as a system, #intentionalacousticdesign
..
..
World premiere this weekend @artisanguitarshow , then available at @eddiesguitars 😉
..
..
#IuliusGuitars
#Lirica
#AcousticGuitar
#Fingerstyle
...
Guitar Test at the @romaexpoguitars , @giovanni.baglioni.official plays L`insonne on a Iulius Orchestra. Enjoy. 🙂 ...
A new model, built for proximity.
An instrument that responds immediately, with clarity and control under the hands. A different kind of presence.
Lirica.
Presented at the @artisanguitarshow , next weekend.
..
..
#IuliusGuitars
#Lirica
#AcousticGuitar
#Fingerstyle
#IntentionalAcousticDesign
...
@zangrandoalessandro taking the Orchestra for a short tour at @romaexpoguitars — a moment quietly stolen from the show.
Thank you for stopping by, Alessandro. A real pleasure to meet you. 🙂
..
..
#IuliusGuitars
#OrchestraModel
#RomeExpoGuitar
#AcousticGuitar
...
Headstock detail, Gotoh 510 tuners installed with custom 3D-printed spacers, designed to fit the post holes under string tension, protect the finish, and ensure smoother, more stable action.
Details that matter.
..
..
#IuliusGuitars
#Headstock
#Gotoh510
#GuitarHardware
#IntentionalAcousticDesign
...
ETS cover back in place.
The unique External Tuning System allows final adjustment of the instrument once assembled — bringing the soundboard to its target condition after stringing and setup.
Final tuning, where the system settles into balance.
..
..
#IuliusGuitars
#IntentionalAcousticDesign
#ExternalTuningSystem
#GuitarTuning
#Luthiery
...
Soundcheck at @romaexpoguitars
@giovanni.baglioni.official playing the Orchestra in a quiet, suspended moment before the stage opens.
The instrument finds its voice, and the room holds it.
Tuning: CGDGGE
..
..
#IuliusGuitars
#OrchestraModel
#fingerstyle
#boutiqueGuitars
#IntentionalAcousticDesign
...
This is my framework.
Instruments, measurements, and tools brought together under one approach: Intentional Acoustic Design.
..
..
@romaexpoguitars
..
..
#IuliusGuitars
#IntentionalAcousticDesign
#SystemLevelLuthiery
#RomeExpoGuitar
#Luthiery
...
Final stage of the build.
After polishing, and nut and saddle setup, the instrument reaches its calibrated playing condition — the most delicate phase of tuning.
At this stage, the parameters of the soundboard and back monopoles are measured. From these measurements, the External and Internal Tuning slots are set-up, together with small corrective interventions to ensure that the system sits exactly where it should.
This system-level approach defines my work and the responsibility I take for every instrument.
Intentional Acoustic Design. 😉
..
..
#IuliusGuitars
#IntentionalAcousticDesign
#SystemLevelLuthiery
#AcousticMeasurement
#MonopoleResonance
...
Independent guitar making is today highly visible.
Instruments circulate globally through images, shows, recordings, and social media. Yet many of the tools traditionally used to understand the work — shared reference points, descriptive language, and professional frameworks — remain fragile or incomplete.
The essay "Independent Guitar Making — structure, value, and the need for a shared language" reflects on several structural tensions shaping the profession today: the economic realities of thin markets, the changing role of shows, and the difficulty of making responsibility and value legible beyond individual narratives.
The slides above present four short excerpts from the text. Which of these observations resonates most with your experience of the profession?
The book is available in English, French, and Italian, link in bio. 😉
Soon available also on @stewmac_guitar
Catalogue !
..
..
#acousticguitar
#guitarmaking
#luthiery
#independentluthier
#handmadeguitar
...
The Tone Profiler maps the acoustic design space of the guitar’s main monopole.
It translates monopole physics into tone behavior and playing styles, helping builders connect structural choices to how the instrument will actually respond under the player’s hands.
A small step toward a shared language for describing acoustic guitars.
Try it on the website, available for free, on Luther`s tools page. 😉
..
..
#luthier
#acousticguitar
#guitardesign
#guitaracoustics
#intentionaldesign
...
Independent Guitar Making — Structure, value, and the need for a shared language
A new book about the profession itself: how we speak about value, responsibility, and long-term stability in independent guitar making. Not a manual, not a method. An attempt to clarify the conversations that shape our field.
Available now — link in bio.
Soon available through @stewmac_guitar catalogue
Et disponible aussi en français, e - ci mancherebbe altro - in italiano.
Daje forte. 😉
..
..
#lutherie #guitarmaking #acousticguitar #luthier #independentguitarmaking
...
Built in 2024, this Orchestra model has accompanied the workshop through recordings, demonstrations, and sessions with @michael.watts.guitar , @benjaminguilletguitarist , Stephen Bennet, and others.
Now, for the first time, it is available for sale as a REG Limited Edition. See you soon, in Rome. 🙂
..
..
#IuliusGuitars
#OrchestraModel
#REGLimitedEdition
#BoutiqueGuitars
#Luthiery
...
Bridge just glued.
This is always a special moment, a needle point in the build. With the bridge in place, the soundboard moves very close to its final equivalent mass and stiffness, and the top–back coupling approaches its working condition.
For the first time, the instrument truly starts behaving as one system, and the tuning becomes a dialogue.
This guitar will soon travel to the wise hands of @eddiesguitars — and it will be the first Lirica model available in North America.
Looking forward to seeing it out in the world. 😉
..
..
#IuliusGuitars
#IntentionalAcousticDesign
#BridgeInstallation
#SystemLevelLuthiery
#frenchflamedwalnut
...
Final polish, and the surface becomes a mirror.
The visual result is not secondary. It is part of the responsibility of the builder — care for the object, for the material, care for the person who will live with it.
Beauty is not added at the end. It is carried through the entire process.
..
..
#IuliusGuitars
#IntentionalAcousticDesign
#Luthiery
#GuitarMaking
#BoutiqueGuitars
...
Starting a new build.
Tonewood is selected using the TPC System, measuring resonance frequency, density, Young’s modulus, and Q factor.
Selection begins with behaviour.
The TPC System is available to professional builders.
Write INFO in the comments to learn more.
..
..
#IntentionalAcousticDesign
#TPCSystem
#TonewoodSelection
#AcousticMeasurement
#QFactor
...
From spray booth to measurement bench.
Lacquer modifies mass and damping, and the only way to understand its impact is to measure before and after the frequency response and monopole behaviour. My target tolerance: ≤ 1 Hz shift.
Control is part of the design.
..
..
#IntentionalAcousticDesign
#SystemLevelLuthiery
#AcousticMeasurement
#FrequencyResponse
#MonopoleResonance
...
Coming out of the spray booth, on the way to the @stringbreak_uk gathering.
The new Lirica in French flamed walnut and spruce, sourced from @le_bois_de_lutherie
Building with local wood that grows close to home is a particular pleasure—and a responsibility.
This walnut offers not only a striking visual character, but first-class acoustic qualities that fully belong in a reference-level instrument.
..
..
#IuliusGuitars
#Lirica
#IntentionalAcousticDesign
#SystemLevelLuthiery
#FrenchWalnut
...
Precision in fretwork is not accidental.
When the target is accuracy and repeatability, tools like the Fractal Fret Press help support a controlled process. Available from the @stewmac_guitar catalogue.
Grateful for the guidance of my mentor, @greenfieldguitars , whose perspective continues to sharpen my work.
..
..
#IntentionalAcousticDesign
#Fretwork
#PrecisionCraft
#AcousticGuitar
#GuitarMaking
...
“The best sounding guitar I’ve ever played in my whole life.”
The full test of the Orchestra model by @benjaminguilletguitarist is out, and this reel is a musical cameo from the video, check out the link in my bio.
Thank you so much, Benjamin, for your kind words and your playing — you really made her sing... 😉
..
..
#luthier
#guitarbuilder
#acousticguitar
#guitardemo
#boutiqueguitar
...
