With some regret I left lutherie for computers in the mid 1980s. Eventually I became a developer of telecommunications network management software. After more than two decades of survival at more than one employer, I finally succumbed to a layoff in 2006. Since then I have become primarily occupied with stringed instruments again, this time with a focus on building my own new designs.
Over the years I have done some stringed bass repair working with my brother Patrick McCarthy. He is a professional symphony musician and luthier here in Berkeley, California, with a career spanning over 40 years, and clients from all over the U. S. and Europe. I have learned a lot from Patrick about tone production, playability, and aesthetics in violin family instruments. Patrick continues to be an active collaborator in the design and production of my instruments.
As a jazz player, my main interest is acoustic arch top guitars. I have owned and restored many arch tops from the classic era, but never been completely satisfied with them. My goal as a builder is to create instruments that combine the charm and sound of the best of the classic era, with improvements available through modern lutherie, and my own design ideas. I strive to fully optimize all aspects of the instrument, and spend a lot of time working out every design detail. Where appropriate, I apply insight developed from working on violin family instruments to my arch top guitar designs.
I use Rhino 3D software for design, with the MadCAM plugin to create tool paths, and a Techno LC 4848 CNC router. It has been a big investment, and an arduous learning curve, but I am very pleased with the results I am getting. In the long run, this technology will allow me to put instruments of high value into the hands of a larger number of players than would be possible using only traditional methods.
