Top Secret Plans Leaked!

Top secret in the making

That’s right, you have seen it here first….everyone has been waiting for the low-down on the new series of Litchfield “Compact” supports.  For some years I have been making the “Standard” support which has worked well for most people, but every now and then, someone will just want something different.  It’s not surprising, considering everyone comes in different shapes and sizes, and uses different techniques and positions.

Funnily enough, the new designs are nothing new to me.  They are actually based on my original support I started making close to 20 years ago.  Karin Schaupp and other local players got me started on this path.  Karin still uses the same support she got from me all those years ago, which is testimony to their longevity!  Those supports were phased out due to the difficulty of building them, and the stress on my hands and wrists.  Yes….they were hand made like the standard design, but also very labour and craft intensive.  I developed the newer “Standard” with bespoke suction cup brackets (aluminium extrusion and repetitive machining being outsourced), which simplified and improved the functionality of the supports.  Seen in this photo are the two new Compact prototypes in the rough.  The background shows Sapele veneers used in laminating the support bodies.

The revisiting of the older design is a response to some clients wanting a different guitar position, and just a smaller support to fit easily into their bags.  I hope to have the Compact design finalised and in production before the end of the year.   Eventually they will be offered alongside the Standard,  and will include the same “arm length” options from 4″ to 9″.  Making things in timber of this nature necessitates hand work, and the production in a small workshop by one person keeps numbers low.

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