Laurie Williams Tui Old Man River Kauri

Designed for fingerstyle guitarists, the Laurie Williams Tui offers sublime balance and tonal clarity. Its wide dynamic range makes it more expressive and nuanced for the virtuoso player.

Laurie Williams' guitars originate deep in the Paraoanui Valley in the far north of New Zealand's North Island, where he has been handcrafting exclusive acoustic instruments since 1993. For this Tui, Williams used a beautiful combination of woods, resulting in an exceptional instrument. The top is made of 'Old Man' River Kauri, whose tight grain and bluish hue beautifully complement the captivatingly figured Ancient Kauri used for the back and sides. This wood, which has acquired its deep, dark color after centuries of submergence in a peat swamp, has a beautiful grain.

The neck of this Tui is made of Totara, a mahogany-like wood also sourced from a river. Rimu adorns the rosette, while the headstock overlay is made of Kauri. Williams used the familiar ebony for the fingerboard and bridge; Praised for its hardness and density, the bridge provides fingerboard stability, clear articulation, and intonation, while its mass and stiffness efficiently transfer string energy to the top, enhancing clarity and sustain.

Laurie Williams's approach is entirely artisanal, starting at the source: Laurie selects, saws, dries, and processes his wood himself, with a particular focus on native New Zealand woods such as kauri, rimu, and totara. All wood is sustainably sourced, including river timber and carefully managed sources, giving each instrument its unique character and provenance. The wood harvested from the rivers, due to the lack of oxygen and underwater pressure, has special qualities. It both preserves and modifies the tonewood, altering its sonic and visual properties.

This dedication to material selection goes hand in hand with a deep understanding of acoustics and physics, ensuring his guitars are not only visually exceptional but also excel in resonance, balance, and dynamics. Each guitar is individually built in small quantities and often custom-built, making a Laurie Williams instrument a rare and personal possession prized by discerning players worldwide.