We would like to invite you into our workshop where our guitars are created. Although this is a brief tour, it
will give you some insight to the time and detail involved in building a Burrell guitar.
Click on any image to enlarge for detail.
One section of the guitar neck is roughed out.
A planer is used to smooth each section of the guitar neck.
A completed neck blank is ready to be given the Burrell
“Twist”
The completed neck blank is placed into this device, which shapes
the neck into its patented twist. As an innovative inventor, Mr. Burrell has designed several devices that are
exclusive to the patented design of Burrell Guitars.This is one of those devices. It allows the neck to be moved both
horizontally and vertically as it is being cut, thus achieving the Burrell “Twist”.
A solid body guitar is shaped using another device invented by Mr.
Burrell.
Some finishing touches on the “butcher block” solid body.
A fretboard is cut to thickness using a bandsaw.
Using another device of his own invention, Mr. Burrell contours a
fretboard for an acoustic guitar.
As necessity is the mother of invention, and since there were no machines
or tools readily available to build twisted guitars, Mr. Burrell had to design his own. Another of those designs is used
to contour the back of an acoustic guitar.
Binding is added to an acoustic guitar.
The opposing parabolic shape of the top and back results in corners of
the body that are as little as 2” high. This increases the visibility of the fretboard and reduces the
sharpness of the lower bout under the player’s arm.
The “wrap-around” pattern is where the plane of the fretboard
is raked relative to the longitudinal axis of the body by approximately 8 degrees allows the body of the guitar to tuck
neatly under the forearm of the player for greater comfort.
This view shows an innovative headstock design by Mr. Burrell. This
design allows all the tuners to be installed in the same direction, allowing the player greater ease and
comfort in tuning.
