How We Build Our Guitars

At Del-Tone, building a guitar is much more than just assembling parts—it’s a craft that starts with the careful selection of premium materials and ends with a fully custom instrument made to sound and feel exceptional. Here’s a glimpse into how we bring each Del-Tone guitar to life.

Hand-Picked Tone-Woods: The Foundation of Every Guitar

We believe that getting the sound and quality right starts with the wood. That’s why we hand-pick all the tone-woods we use for each guitar. Depending on the weight, appearance, and sound we’re aiming for, we select from a variety of woods like Alder, Swamp Ash, Abachi, and Mahogany. These woods not only shape the sound but also influence the overall feel and aesthetics of each instrument.

We keep a well-stocked selection of these woods, so when a new order comes in, we can start building immediately. Every piece of wood is chosen for its unique characteristics, ensuring that no two Del-Tone guitars are exactly the same.

The Perfect Neck: Strength and Playability

The neck is one of the most crucial parts of the guitar, and we use solid hard rock maple combined with an Indian rosewood fretboard for both durability and smooth playability. 

We use 6105 narrow jumbo frets, which offer the perfect balance between ease of play and long lifespan. By sticking to this specific fret size, we ensure that our guitars provide consistent, comfortable playability every time.

Precision and Craftsmanship in Our Workshop

In our workshop in Halfweg, The Netherlands, we combine traditional craftsmanship with modern techniques to ensure precision at every stage. Equipped with a bandsaw for cutting, a table router, top routers for shaping, and machine sanders, our process involves a lot of handwork—especially hand sanding. This hands-on approach allows us to maintain full control over every detail, from the initial shaping of the body to the final touches.

 

The Importance of Finish: Colours and Lacquers That Resonate

The finish of a guitar isn’t just about looks—it plays a huge role in the instrument’s acoustic quality. We love experimenting with new colours and expanding our palette with each new series we build. But we’re very careful with the lacquers we use, knowing that the wrong paint can choke the resonance of the wood. 

At Del-Tone, we stick to historical guitar lacquers that preserve the natural tone and resonance of the instrument. Yes, you can hear the difference—even when plugged into an amp!

Custom-Built Pickups: Control Over Your Tone

Our pickups aren’t just wound in-house—they’re built from scratch right here in our workshop. Every single magnet is installed by hand, ensuring a personal touch in every pickup. While our pickups have a vintage sound, we aren’t just replicating old models. Instead, we experiment with new combinations using vintage materials to achieve tones that are rich, dynamic, and distinctively Del-Tone.

For custom orders, we offer completely bespoke pickup sets, giving us total control over the sound of the guitar and allowing us to cater to each guitarist’s unique tone preferences.

The Final Touch: Hand Setup and Personal Care

Before any Del-Tone guitar leaves our workshop, it undergoes a detailed hand setup to ensure perfect playability. From adjusting the action to intonating the strings, we make sure every guitar is ready to play right out of the case. 

And speaking of cases, each Del-Tone guitar comes with a vintage-style guitar case to protect your investment. We also include a Certificate of Authenticity with every instrument, because owning a Del-Tone guitar means owning a piece of handcrafted excellence.