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You are here: Home / Dogwood Acoustic Guitars / Mastery of Craft

Mastery of Craft

As a high end artisan woodworker of over 30 years, Greg’s passion for excellence is a hallmark of his instruments. Every Dogwood guitar reflects this dedication to fine craftsmanship. All the skills required to make exceptional high end guitars- perfect joinery, harmonious design elements, flawless high gloss finishes- have been acquired the slow, hard way… through years of painstaking attention to detail, of being one’s own worst critic, and the cultivation of persistence and perseverance.

Peghead side smallThere are many design trends among modern hand builders of guitars. Some are tasteful and exquisite, some are ultra modern, and a few are rather garish. Greg is a traditionalist and his designs reflect his love of vintage instruments. The unique Dogwood peghead, for example, with it’s hand cut shell inlay, evokes memories of a bygone era when craftsmen considered details like a distinctive peghead to be part of their signature. Greg designed his peghead with this tradition in mind, rather than following the modern trend toward simple, reduced (and easy to make) designs. Putting in the time and effort to shape the Dogwood peghead is just one of many labors of love that go into each of Greg’s guitars.

As committed as he is to traditional construction methods and design elements, Greg is also quick to embrace new technology that has led to a better understanding of guitar tone. Anyone with the right tools and skills can make pretty guitars; consistently building great sounding guitars is a more elusive accomplishment. Greg uses a cutting edge, computer-assisted process to test and select the top for each guitar. These select tops are then voiced and tuned for exceptional clarity and balance.

In these days of mass produced goods, discerning craftsmen such as Greg are becoming rare. When you own a Dogwood guitar, you own something made by humans hands, not robots. Something fine that can be passed down to the next generation, after giving you a lifetime of pleasure.

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Building a Monarch: Spraying Lacquer

Most guitar players want instruments with a high gloss finish. Nitrocellulose lacquer is the traditional finish for the best guitars. It is durable and unlike some other finishes, it can be repaired later. Oil, poly, and water-based finishes are also … [Read More...]

The Three Elements of a Great Guitar

Guitar players and collectors have so many choices available to them. New, used, factory brands, custom hand built...how do you narrow down the choices to the best option for you? In my opinion, any guitar should be measured by three … [Read More...]

Warranty Information

Dogwood acoustic guitars have a lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship. This warranty applies to the original owner and will be honored for as long as I am actively building and repairing guitars. This warranty does not cover … [Read More...]

Customer Testimonials: Monarch 12 String

"Greg Maxwell's 12-string Monarch guitar is the product of an artist. I played the guitar among a small of group of rock-climbing paramedics during my interim stay in Richmond, Kentucky, before returning to Kailua, Hawaii, and the comments about the … [Read More...]

Customer Testimonials: Morgan Monroe

Greg... Thanks again for the top notch work you performed on my Morgan Monroe. Although this guitar is an expendable "gigging" tool you made it sound and play like a much more expensive instrument. It sure is comforting to know someone with your … [Read More...]

Customer Testimonial: Taylor Custom setup and upgrades

Greg, when I met you and talked with you, it helped ease my apprehensions. You were very professional and explained in detail what, why, and how you would make my guitar play and sound better. You said that guitars sound what they sound like, but you … [Read More...]

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Technical Articles

Humidity, Temperature, and Your Guitar

Maintaining your wooden instruments at an appropriate level of humidity year round is vital to their health and well-being. It is surprising how many owners of expensive instruments are unaware of this. I suppose that the primary reason is a lack … [Read More...]

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Viewpoint Articles

The Three Elements of a Great Guitar

Guitar players and collectors have so many choices available to them. New, used, factory brands, custom hand built...how do you narrow down the choices to the best option for you? In my opinion, any guitar should be measured by three … [Read More...]

More Viewpoint Articles

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