We are pleased to let everyone in on some of the thoughts behind this up and coming builder from Atlanta, GA.  Kris Barnett gave us great answers and insight into his building style and evolution.

1. On your website there is very little information about your history.  How did you find your way into classical guitar building?

There’s actually an interesting story behind that. I built my first guitar about 5 years ago in my old apartment. My roommate and I shared a small 2 bedroom apartment in Atlanta. I became so enthralled with building and was so eager to begin the process that I converted my bedroom into a workshop and slept on the couch for about 6 months. My first 2 instruments were completed there. Obviously not an ideal situation, but with no money and plenty of ambition it ended up working out okay. Thankfully he was a very forgiving person and did not mind the occasional sawdust trail leading out of the bedroom.

I really didn’t have any woodworking experience prior to my first guitar. In fact, I had to make a deal with the guy at Highland Hardware that if I bought a handplane he would show me how to use it. I have always been very interested in how and why things work so it was a natural progression for this curiosity to carry over to the guitar. I think being self-taught is both a blessing and a curse. I believe it helped me to think outside of the box and formulate my own ideas about building. I also think that it helped me to really understand why certain ideas worked and other didn’t. I made plenty of mistakes and really learned a lot from them. Sure there are things that I screwed up that would have been easily avoided should someone have been looking over my shoulder, but I really think that these mistakes helped me learn at a much deeper level. I am quite certain that I re-invented the wheel many times, but I don’t regret any of the ideas that I tried because it was all a learning experience. At first, building was a very cerebral endeavor; everything was decided based on theory or principle. But now it is much more intuitive. I have some experience under my belt now which is what ultimately dictates what I do in the shop. I still have a long ways to go as far as learning the craft, but I can’t wait to see where it takes me.

2. How do you approach your daily building process? Do you have some mystic routine?

I really wish I had some type of really interesting or surprising story for this question. I always enjoy hearing about people’s weird routines and superstitions. Sometimes they can be quite bizarre and surprisingly involved. I have never been one for routine and don’t really having anything I do for “good luck”, I mainly rely on good karma and a nutritious breakfast for that. My daily routine involves waking up, going into the shop, cleaning what I didn’t clean up from the day before, and deciding what I want to work on and what needs to be done. I would probably be a better builder if I was a bit more routine oriented. I have actually tried this in the past and it simply does not work for me. I like being surprised by the day and enjoy experiencing what it has to offer at any given moment.

3. What is your favorite "gadget" in your workshop?

My favorite gadget in the shop is my iPod and radio. Everyday I listen to the iPod until about 3:00. That is when NPR comes on. They have such wonderful coverage, great stories and it seems to be mostly unbiased. I like listening to the radio because it keeps me updated on world events and it also feels like someone else is in the shop. Sometimes it is difficult being completely alone for 8 hours at a time, although I do occasionally have some very wonderful visitors (my future wife and the shop cat). My iPod is filled with a lot of different genres and is always on shuffle mode. I have some heavy metal, old jazz, indie rock, hip hop, and the occasional classical guitar recording on it, which reminds me that I need to add some recently acquired tunes to the library.

4. You use laminate back and sides on your guitar. How does this differ from more inferior instruments (i.e. mass produced) that use a laminated process?

That is a very important question and I am glad you asked…The fundamental purpose of the arched/laminated back is to create a very stiff surface that the sound waves can reflect off of very easily without losing much energy into the back. The purpose of the domed back is to aim the reflected waves more toward the sound hole so they are not bouncing around inside the guitar. The back acts much like a parabolic reflector. Wave interference is very important to understand because it can cause unevenness in the sound of the guitar. It can either cause amplified notes or dead notes, depending on how the waves interact inside the guitar. This interference is going to be very prevalent if the two surfaces (i.e. soundboard and back) are parallel. The doming of the back makes this much less likely because it is not causing the initial (from the soundboard) and resultant (after the waves reflect off the back) waves to be directed at one another. My customers are often very quick to comment on the evenness of the instruments and a large part of this is because of the domed back.

The main differences between an inexpensive laminated back and the backs on my instruments are the type of glue used, the number of laminates, the arch, and most importantly the type of wood used. The type of glue used is very important because it needs to resist veneer creep, needs to be very strong, and also very stiff. I use a two-part catalyzed adhesive formulated specifically for structural applications. Other glues do not dry as hard which is very bad for tone, almost like a sponge. Once the back is assembled it is virtually bullet proof. The customer will never have to worry about the back cracking because of humidity and I’ve even had a guitar make it through a very bad car accident while it was not in the case. It broke a few strings and broke 2 of the tuning machines, but no cracks or anything. The customer and I were both very surprised.

Most laminated backs that I have seen are only three veneers. A thick piece in the center, which is typically a wood that would never be used on a solid instrument because of quality and tonal characteristics, and two very thin veneers of exotic hardwood. It seems they are basically decorating an inferior wood with more expensive laminates. They are very cheap to manufacture and cost is the most important variable, not tone. The tap tone of some of these backs is much like cardboard. My backs are now made from seven veneers of quality hardwood, for example Indian rosewood, madagascar ebony, maple, bubinga, etc. My backs have a very clear and focused tap tone which is often much better than even the highest quality solid backs. I probably would not believe it if I didn’t experience it for myself, but it is true. My customers are always surprised when they visit the shop and hear the difference between them.

I know there is debate on how much the back influences the overall sound of the guitar and to what extent the back should vibrate. I used solid backs for years and find the arched back to be superior in every way; tone, volume, projection, sustain, responsiveness, longevity, etc. I really cannot imagine myself ever going back to solid woods. The arched back is much more time consuming and difficult, but the benefits are well worth the additional effort.

5. Your guitars also feature a two-way truss rod. Can you help us understand its importance to the player who is not used to having a truss-rod in his/her classical guitar?

The truss rod actually serves several different purposes. The primary purpose is to adjust the amount of relief in the neck. This is a very important component of the final set up. The envelope of a vibrating string is not flat so it does not make sense to me to have a perfectly straight neck. Ideally I want the neck to somewhat mimic the curve of the strings when they are being played. The second purpose, which is also very important, is to stiffen the neck. I will snug the truss rod up a bit after the final set up, even if the neck relief is perfect. Stiffening the neck is very good for sustain and will also prevent the neck from developing back bow. It is difficult for me to understand why some builders are not using truss rods. At the very least it is good insurance for the builder that they are not going to have costly repairs if the neck ever changes due to humidity or any other reason. It is not “traditional”, but then again this technology was not available in the days of Torres. Again, it is a bit more time consuming, especially with the elevated fingerboard, but I would never build a guitar without it.

6. Many players might be cautious about the shellac in your finishes being covered by another finishing material. Why do prefer this to the traditional multiple layering of the shellac?

Shellac is a very beautiful finish and is generally the preferred method of finishing a fine classical guitar. The downside is that it is a very soft and fragile finish offering virtually no protection for the instrument itself. I really dislike seeing a beautifully crafted instrument that looks like it has been to hell and back within a few years, despite every effort to keep the guitar in good condition. I have experimented with many different finishes to come up with what I consider to be the optimum choice. In my opinion the soundboard and back/sides of the guitar can be finished differently because they are playing completely different roles in the production of tone. The back and sides of my instruments are very stiff so using a finish that is more resilient is not an issue, like lacquer or urethane. Most of my guitars are finished using these two finishes, although I have recently been using a very durable varnish that is more similar to a French polish in appearance. Shellac is a very good sealant and is also used very often as a base coat for other finishes. Virtually every finish will adhere well to shellac. Because of these properties I can French polish the soundboard and spray a very light coat of lacquer over top to really help protect the instrument. I have found that lacquer can be applied thinner than urethane so this has been my preferred method for a while. There are no adhesion issues and the finish on the soundboard is still extremely thin which is good for sound production. After the lacquer has dried I will usually use a very mild abrasive to reduce the sheen which is good for performances (reduces glare from the lights) and adds a very nice look to the instrument. My experience has been that the type of finish is not as important as how much of the finish is being applied. Some finishes are very thick by nature and do not evaporate into the atmosphere like lacquer and shellac. Urethane, for example, will have an extremely high gloss and will be mirror-like in appearance. Some prefer this while other prefer a thinner, more natural look. In general I am pretty rigid about the finish used for the soundboard, but the customer is free to choose the finish for the back and sides based on their preferences. Finishing is a very difficult process which is why there are so many luthiers contracting their finishes to others who specialize in this field. I am excited to see that more and more builders are thinking outside the box as far as finishing is concerned. In my opinion, experimentation will only increase the knowledge base for all luthiers.

7. Many builders/players consider Brazilian rosewood the "holy grail" of tone woods.  Do to its dwindling numbers and the subjective nature of a guitars sound to the listener, do you feel that your laminate process allows you to achieve similar results to the Brazilian wood sound without necessarily using this endangered wood?

If you would have asked me this question a few years ago I likely would have had a very different answer. My experience has been that the building process and skill of the builder is so much more important than the type of woods used or the quality of the wood. Bob Taylor made this point when he made a beautiful sounding guitar from shipping pallets he recovered from the back of his factory, which started a limited run of very sought after “pallet guitars”. Obviously the wood selection and quality of materials is very important, but I have heard very beautiful instruments made from less than ideal woods and visa versa. If you give the same detailed blueprint to 5 builders, using the same materials, you will very likely end up with 5 completely different instruments. There is so much that goes on during the building process, sometimes even subconsciously, that all of the minute details add up to be extremely important to the end result. I think each builder has a different idea about how the guitar works and will do small things during the build to meet their ideals. My idea is that I want the back to be very rigid and work very efficiently, meaning it will not absorb sound waves. It is difficult to say whether the laminated backs capture the essence of Brazilian rosewood or not. I always think this is a very difficult question to answer because there are too many variables that can account for the overall tone. I can say for sure, however, that I would prefer an Indian rosewood laminated back over my best solid Brazilian rosewood guitar.

8. You have an interesting feature that is optional on your guitars called a distressed finish. Can you inform us as to why and how you do this?

I love these guitars. If I ever get a chance to build myself a guitar it will be with a distressed finish. I love the character of old guitars. You get to see where they have been and how they have been loved. I take a lot of pride in making the guitars look old and not just abused. This may seem pretty simple, but it is a lot of work to get them to look authentic, right down to the tuning machines. Customers that have ordered them in the past say they love how unique they are. I guess it is another way to put a signature on a particular guitar. All of the guitars are completely different depending on how aged the customer wants it to appear. I can do very small things like darkening the finish or having small ware marks on the finish, or I can heavily age the guitar with scratches, dings, faux cracks, worn finish, and distressed neck. None of the cosmetic issues will harm the sound or longevity of the instrument and you will not have to worry about getting the dreaded first scuff on a brand new instrument. The process for doing this is very elaborate and is one of the things I am somewhat secretive about. It is a lot of experimentation and examining old guitars to see how they age and common themes from one guitar to another.

9. How do you prefer to drink your coffee?

I drink a good bit of coffee. I love the way it makes me feel. Nothing makes me feel more invigorated than a hot cup of coffee on a cold winter’s day. I can imagine walking down the city street close to sundown on a cold winter day on the way to the local bookstore. Nothing gives me such a sense of comfort than a hot cup of coffee. It is so soothing for me. On these occasions I will drink a medium coffee, usually from San Francisco Coffee here in Atlanta, black and really hot, with a to-go lid of course so we don’t have any unfortunate accidents. On the other hand, nothing is as refreshing as a cup of iced coffee with cream and sugar on a hot summer day, usually from Starbucks. I guess it’s sort of weird that I only drink hot coffee black, and only drink iced coffee with cream and sugar and get them from different coffee shops. I am sure that says something about me but I don’t know what.

10. How do unwind and relax?

I love hanging out with my fiancé so she is usually part of my unwinding routine. We always go for long walks in the city to catch up on the day’s activities or if we’re feeling lazy we will just have a couch party with junk food and bad TV. If she is not around for whatever reason I will go for a bike ride and listen to my iPod. I make sure that I take time out to relax because it is really easy to get caught up in the “all work no play” mentality, especially being self employed doing something you love. Other than that I really like going to concerts and having a drink with some friends at week’s end.

Visit Kris' Website:  www.krisbarnettguitars.com