
What is a crossover nylon string guitar? In essence, it is a guitar built for musicians whose hands and technique are attuned to steelstring acoustics or electric guitars. Having spent years playing narrower necks, transitioning to a typical classical, or a flamenco guitar neck could feel awkward. Crossover guitars address this challenge by narrowing necks, and adjusting the string spacing. Frequently, crossover guitars would also incorporate radiused fingerboards and cutaways in their design, although models without a cutaway are quite possible. It is difficult to find a crossover guitar out there that is not factory-made. As a result, finding something acoustically excellent is a challenge.
The search for a superior guitar led my client to my studio, where he played a few “normal” guitars at my shop. He commissioned a custom guitar with walnut body, Western Red Cedar soundboard, shorter scale length (640mm, or approximately 25-1/4″), Rodgers tuners, soundport, in the shape of a Hawaiian flower, and passive Ultratonic pickups by James May Engineering for amplified playing. Now, my work is done. Let the music begin!
If you are looking for a custom crossover guitar, I’d be interested in hearing from you. Here’s my contact info.