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Roy
Noble began building musical instruments in 1959 at the age of sixteen.
His first efforts were classical and flamenco guitars from the Spanish
school of guitar construction as well as medieval lutes and violins.
In
the summer of 1963 Roy began building steel string guitars. But unlike
the other steel string luthiers, Roy added his knowledge of classical
guitar and violins to their construction. Roy Noble led the first wave
of contemporary steel string luthiers, and still today his knowledge and
craftsmanship have no equal.
Roy
retired from commercial guitar building during the later half of the seventies.
He returned to full time construction in the fall of 1991. Roy moved his
family and shop to the high desert above Los Angeles in 1993 where he,
his wife and son construct some of the finest musical instruments available.
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Throughout
the sixties and seventies many well known and respected players owned
and recorded with Roy Noble guitars:
Partial listing:
- Al
Ross: 6 & 12 string
- Tommy
Tedesco: 6 string
- Steve
Mann: six string
- Pete
Seeger had two 12 string long scale Nobles
- Vince
Martin and Fred Neil: 12 string
- Michael
de Temple: 6 string
- Jorma
Kaukonen: 6 string
- Doc
& Merle Watson: 6 & 12 string
- Leo
Kottke: 12 string (his main guitar for studio use)
- Fred
Gerlach: 12 string long scale
- John
Hartford: two 6 Strings
- Bobby
Kimmel: 6 string concert (the very first one)
Many
ideas in use by other guitar builders were Roy Noble's original concepts.
- Western
red cedar and redwood tops for steel string guitars
- Butt
jointing the heel of neck to the guitars body and later the addition
of stainless steel machine bolts to attach Through the neck block (used
today by Taylor, Collings, Seagull, Musser, and many other companies)
- Pre
stressed and carved tops. This allowed the top and bracing to be much
thinner as the top is under its own stress and will not be pulled up
by the strength of the strings over time, nor will the top cave in front
of the bridge. This concept is similar to that of cantilevered bridge
construction
- The
extra large sound hole
- Rosewood
or Englemann spruce top X braces
- Thin
neck profile on acoustics
- There
are many rumors floating around about a Martin guitar that Clarence
White owned and played. In order to set the historical record straight.
Roy Noble rebuilt one of Clarence White's Martins after it had suffered
extensive damage. A new Noble Sitka Spruce top with an extra large sound
hole and new neck were fitted to the remains of his Martin D-28 shell.
The fingerboard was unadorned and no decal on the headstock as requested
by Clarence.
- The
guitar is legendary among those who have played it.
See Guitar Player 09/79 for additional information
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