Michael Fontenot, 2026

Michael Fontenot is a friend and a neighbor, based in Fredericksburg, Texas, not far from us in Austin. He has been coming by the shop for years now to measure guitars and look over new arrivals, and his latest instruments are genuinely surprising us. He has built 28 guitars as of this writing, and at 28 guitars you will not be prepared for how good these are, or for how comfortable they feel in the hand.

This is that 28th instrument, finished in April of 2026. We have been fortunate to represent several of his guitars, and this one has reached the level where it belongs alongside the finest instruments we present. It is extremely easy to play, it is full of interesting details, and after spending real time with it we struggled to come up with a single piece of feedback for the maker.

Specifications

Luthier: Michael Fontenot
Year: 2026
Number: 28, completed April 2026
Top: Cedar double top with Nomex core
Back & Sides: Indian Rosewood
Construction: Doubletop, seven fan bracing
Finish: French Polish
Scale Length: 640mm
Nut Width: 52mm
Air Resonance: E
Tuners: Sloane with snakewood buttons
Strings: D'Addario EJ45 normal tension nylon
https://ddar.io/guitar-collection
Condition: New

Sound & Playability

From the first chord it rings open and true. It is strung with a D'Addario EJ45 normal tension nylon set, nothing substituted, and we are leaving it exactly as it is.

The sound is very deep, and that comes from a low main air resonance sitting around an E. Play that low E and you feel a punch that recalls a great Antonio de Torres or a Santos Hernandez. It is rich in a way that is rare in a modern double top. The usual drawback with very low air resonance guitars is that the E's on the treble strings turn sour, and that simply does not happen here. They ring out in full glory.

String by string, the first is hard to fault: plenty of volume, overtone rich, and it sets off sympathetic vibrations all over the instrument. There is real sparkle to it. The second is beautiful and open. The third is touchy and responsive with lovely clarity, enough that a careless nail will show, which is exactly what you want from a third string. The fourth has power, and you can feel that low air resonance even on the fourth string E, coming up from the bottom of the earth. The sixth is rich enough that dropping to D is a genuine event.

The larger point is this: so many double tops chase volume and give up detail to get it. We cannot think of anything this double top is sacrificing. It has a lot of volume, it is very open, and it is easy to play.

This is a 640mm scale guitar, which is what we keep ordering from Michael, with a standard 52mm nut width and a thin C shaped neck. Not electric guitar thin, but slim and quick. The frets are nice and wide and tall, which is our preference, and the action is very low. Michael plays well himself, so he can judge his own instruments, and he is constantly asking players what they think of them. It shows.

Construction & Design

The top is a cedar double top with a Nomex core over a seven fan bracing design. The rosette is the nice mosaic pattern he has settled into lately, and through the soundhole you will find his label and signature, dated April 2026 and numbered 28.

The bridge is a simple Indian rosewood design. The armrest is very classy and nicely integrated. The purflings are a beautiful mix of blue and lighter tones that do not jump out at you across the room, but reveal themselves when you are holding the guitar and looking closely. The 20th fret extends all the way across the fingerboard, a detail you see in many of the Berlin and Mittenwald builders. The fingerboard is slightly raised, giving easy access to the upper frets.

The back and sides are a very nice set of Indian rosewood. No frills, no flashy woods, just an excellent guitar. The headstock is carved with a center inlay inspired by Daniel Friederich, paired with a blunted, swept shape that points toward a modern design. The tuners are Sloane with snakewood buttons, a very nice match, with white rollers keeping a classic touch.

About the Luthier

Michael Fontenot is a retired pediatrician turned luthier, based in Fredericksburg, Texas. He has spent years collecting and charting sonic data from some of the finest classical guitars in the world, analyzing air resonance, response curves, and stiffness to weight ratios, and translating those findings directly into his own instruments. The result is a young workshop producing guitars that perform well beyond what their builder's experience level would suggest.

New, completed in April of 2026. We will be straightforward about one thing: there is a difference between a luthier who has built twenty-some guitars and one who has built hundreds, and if you look closely you will find the occasional small mark or detail in the finish that a later instrument might not show. The guitar presents beautifully, and everything that matters, the sound and the playability, is at a very high level.