Snowden:
Fine String Instruments
Handcrafted from the world's finest tonewoods.
Hand-built steel-string guitars, crafted slowly and deliberately from exceptional tonewoods seasoned over decades. Every guitar is shaped, voiced and finished by one pair of hands.
Meet the Maker
Michael Snowden began building acoustic guitars more than 30 years ago while studying at the Newark School of Violin Making in England. During that time, a copy of Irving Sloane’s Classic Guitar Construction introduced him to steel-string design, and he built his first guitar using the plan in the back of the book.
Even after a woodworking life that began when he was seven, the result surprised him.
Working with Exceptional Tonewoods
Wood selection has been central to Michael’s practice. Much of what he works with today — spruce tops, rosewoods, mahogany — has been seasoning in his workshop for more than 35 years.
For soundboards, he primarily uses Italian Alpine Spruce, harvested in winter for maximum stability and acoustic responsiveness. Each set is evaluated for stiffness, weight, tap-tone and consistency before it enters a build.
Wood behaves honestly when you understand it — and Michael’s instruments always reflect those early decisions.
The Collection
Each Snowden guitar is individually built, voiced and finished by hand. No CNC machinery. No production outsourcing. Just careful construction and tone-driven decisions at every stage.
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Scale: 25.5"
Back and sides: Cocobolo
Bindings: Indian Ebony
Bridge: Indian Ebony
Bridge pins: Ebony with Abalone Dots
Finish: Two Pac Polyurethane
Fretboard: Ebony with Golden Sassafras Inlay
Fretboard Inlays: Brass Dots
Frets: Evo Gold, Medium
Headplate: Coco and European Maple
Neck material: Brazilian Mahogany, Indian Ebony, Rosewood and Maple
Nut width: 45mm
Rosette: Cocobolo and European Maple
Top: Italian Alpine Spruce
Tuners: Gotoh SGL510 Locking
Saskia
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Scale: 25.4"
Back and sides: Cocobolo
Bindings: Indian Ebony
Bridge: Indian Ebony
Bridge pins: Ebony with Abalone Dots
Finish: Two Pac Polyurethane
Fretboard: Cocobolo with Ebony Binding
Fretboard Inlays: Laminated Abalone
Frets: Evo Gold, Medium
Headplate: Cocobolo and European Maple
Neck material: Brazilian Mahogany, Indian Ebony, Rosewood and Rock Maple
Nut width: 45mm
Rosette: Cocobolo and North American Maple
Top: German Spruce
Tuners: Gotoh SGL510 Locking with Ebony Buttons
Sophia
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Scale: 25.4"
Back and sides: Cocobolo
Bindings: Cocobolo and American Black Walnut
Bridge: Indian Ebony
Bridge pins: Fossilised Bone, Ebony Dot
Finish: Two Pac Polyurethane
Fretboard: Indian Ebony
Fretboard Inlays: American Black Walnut Birds, Mother of Pearl Dots
Frets: Evo Gold, Medium
Headplate: Indian Ebony with Maple and American Black Walnut
Neck material: Brazilian Mahogany, Rosewood and Rock Maple
Nut width: 45mm
Rosette: Cocobolo and American Black Maple
Top: Alaskan Bear Claw Spruce
Tuners: Gotoh SGL510 Locking with Ebony buttons
Suki
Build Philosophy
How a Snowden Guitar is Made
Michael builds alone and works in small volume. Each guitar is shaped, tuned and assembled using traditional hand-tool methods, with a focus on stability, responsiveness and long-term acoustic performance.
Neck Construction
Every Snowden neck begins with a remarkable batch of Brazilian Mahogany sourced in 1979 for a marine project that was never completed. Decades later, the timber found its way to Michael’s workshop.
The mahogany is laminated with East Indian Rosewood, Indian Ebony and American Rock Maple, giving the neck its strength, stability and improved sustain.
Top Voicing
Soundboards are individually thicknessed and tap-tuned, with braces carved until the top reaches the required balance of stiffness and mobility. These adjustments are made by hand — by feel, by ear and with respect for what each piece of wood is capable of.
