How a Pappenfüs Guitar Gets Built
Every guitar starts the same way: a conversation. It does not start with an order form. It does not start with a dropdown menu. A real conversation about what you want the instrument to do.
Step 1: Consultation and Wood Selection
The build begins with a meeting, either in person at the Columbia Falls workshop or over Zoom. Jeremy walks you through the five model sizes, discusses your playing style, and helps match the right wood to the sound you are after.
Concierge wood selection is included in every custom build. You are not choosing from a catalog. You are looking at actual sets of tonewood and discussing what each species brings to an instrument. Sitka spruce offers clarity and projection, western red cedar brings warmth and immediate response, and Indian rosewood provides complex overtones.
If you are local, you can come to the shop and handle the wood yourself.
Step 2: Design Decisions
With wood selected, the design conversation turns to specifics. Jeremy uses a center-out design approach: the bridge position on the soundboard determines the relationship between scale length and neck attachment. Sound first, then ergonomics, then aesthetics.
You choose your model size (1 through 5, parlor to jumbo). From there, optional features: cutaway (Venetian or Florentine), side sound port, arm and rib rest bevel, Manzer wedge, progressive back radius, multi-scale fretboard. Each option adds cost beyond the $4,000 base price.
The design phase is where the guitar becomes yours.
Step 3: The Build
Once design is finalized and the 25% deposit is placed, the build begins. Jeremy works alone in his Columbia Falls shop, building one instrument at a time.
You are not left wondering what is happening. Jeremy sends progress updates throughout the build: photos of the bracing going in, the binding wrapped, the neck shaped.
Instagram followers see the same updates. Behind-the-scenes access is part of what makes a Pappenfüs commission different from ordering a production guitar.
The build is a collaboration. You are becoming part of how the instrument gets made.
Step 4: Finish and Setup
The body receives a French polish shellac finish. French polish is not a production spray booth operation. French polish is applied by hand, layer by layer, buffed between coats. It produces a thin, resonant finish that lets the wood breathe and the guitar open up over time.
The neck gets an Osmo poly-x finish for durability where your hand makes contact. Final setup includes action height, intonation, nut slots, and saddle compensation. Jeremy plays the guitar before it leaves the shop.
Step 5: Delivery and Guarantee
When the guitar arrives, you have a five-day approval period. You can play it and live with it during that window. If the guitar is not met with full approval, return it for a full refund minus shipping.
Every Pappenfüs guitar carries a two-year warranty from the completion date, covering material defects and workmanship.
A guitar case is included in the base price, up to 10% of the total build cost.
Start Your Commission
Custom builds start at $4,000. The first step is always the same: a conversation about what you want the instrument to do.