To build my guitars I use an external mould: firstly I adapt the previously bendend sides and linings to the mould, then I glue the back to the sides. With the back lying on the bench, the upper border of the sides is now ready to receive the soundboard. For the top I generally use spruce from Val di Fiemme, but cedar can also give good results if well chosen and aged. My bracing system is derived from the work of Patrick Alexandre.
The sides and the back are obtained by laminating different essences; I generally use acacia, toulipier and mahogany, but sometimes I change the external wood leaving the other two unchanged. The laminated back and sides are a peculiar feature of Maccaferri’s guitars and give the instrument the particular sound that made them famous. The neck is strictly made from Italian walnut, reinforced by three carbon fiber bars.
Every detail has its relevance for the final result: I build the rosettes respecting the colors chosen by Mario (the same used in the Italian flag) and I customize the tailpiece (the same used by the majority of my colleagues) by engraving in wood a small caricature of Mario Maccaferri dating back to 1932.
All my guitars are french-polished.
