Meet Alex – talented designer and maker of handcrafted guitars and traditional musical instruments. Professionally known as A.S. Potter Instruments.

From his workshop in the New Forest village of Sway, Alex spends his time crafting each instrument from scratch using carefully selected local timbers, hand tools and heritage techniques. Each guitar showcases great skill and attention to detail, but Alex’s process aims to delve deeper than any one instrument and is rooted deeply to the landscape of the New Forest.

Where guitar making is traditionally reliant on tropical rainforest, old-growth or otherwise endangered trees from far flung corners of the world, Alex takes pride in using sustainably harvested, New Forest grown timbers such as walnut, ash and yew. He regularly sources from local businesses who share his sustainable ethos, such as fellow woodwork and timber masters BearWood.

A Studio model guitar, Made from timbers from the New Forest and surrounding areas: Back and sides: walnut
Soundboard: cedar of lebanon
Neck: field maple
Binding: ash
Fretboard, bridge and headstock: apple

By Alex’s own admission his output is too small to change the world of guitar making on his own, but by demonstrating the beauty and character of these local timbers he hopes to show that a more responsible, considered, local approach can produce wonderful instruments.

A mountain dulcimer – a traditional American instrument – made entirely from New Forest grown timbers. It has oak back and sides and walnut trim.

Alex explains:

‘A typical guitar might be made from rosewood from India, mahogany from Senegal, spruce from America (among many others), all imported to a factory in China to be made into a guitar before being shipped to the UK.

If I can use an ash tree cut in Brockenhurst, processed in East Boldre and then further re-sawn in my workshop in Sway, that timber has potentially travelled less than 20 miles from tree to guitar. Using local, recycled and considerately sourced timbers does present challenges, but it also produces instruments with unique characters.

‘Buying local puts money into the local economy, certainly, but it also reduces airmiles, increases supply chain transparency and helps manage environmental impact. This is one of the reasons why I am a member of the New Forest Marque.’

As well as custom-made designs, Alex also offers repair, maintenance and restoration services, and also teaches classes in instrument making and traditional carpentry.

For more information on Alex’s work and tuition please visit his website or contact him at a.s.potter.luthier@gmail.com.

All images courtesy of Alex Potter.