Phil (aka The Guitar Doctor ) is a master level luthier. He possesses
a gift of bringing new life into old instruments and as it were, bringing the old into the new. As you see from the photos his eye for detail
is especially evident in the extraordinary finish work. A gifted classically trained guitarist, Phil also teaches and performs.

Joe is an expert craftsman and possesses and intricate knowledge and zeal for vintage string instruments, their specifications and sensibilities. He is also a master guitarist and mandolin player,
who is accomplished in several diverse musical forms. In addition
he also teaches, composes, records and performs music.

The talents, passion and experience of Joe Manuel and Phil Patterson
are built into each Manuel & Patterson Guitar.


Joe voicing braces

Braced Top and Back

Phil working on a 12 fret 00 Style 5 body

Joe pickin' his "circa" 1933 Gibson L-00 & The Abita Beer 20th Anniversary Guitar at The Abita Springs Opry

12 fret 000 Style 5 body with Master Grade Adirondack Spruce Top

Manuel & Patterson Guitar Makers
When sitting in the audience at the Abita Springs Opry
or other musical venue where Joe Manuel is playing, one cannot help but be dazzled by the sounds flowing from his acoustic guitar. While Joe is a guitar wizard with abilities far beyond us lesser mortals, he is armed with a not-so-secret weapon that captivates audiences.
Joe plays a Manuel & Patterson guitar.

In a small workshop just outside of Covington,
Joe and his partner Phil Patterson are quietly building guitar history…one instrument at a time. While production guitar companies like Martin, Taylor, and Gibson can produce excellent instruments, Manuel & Patterson offer something the big boys can't, which is a carefully hand crafted guitar that rivals the tone and playability of the legendary prewar instruments
sought by players and collectors around the world.

Using materials such as rich Brazilian and East Indian rosewoods
, ebony, Adirondack and Sitka spruce, western red cedar, Hawaiian koa, and Honduran mahogany, Joe and Phil work closely with each of their clients, carefully crafting instruments to satisfy their playing needs. The customer can choose from a variety of body styles, order custom mother-of-pearl or abalone neck and headstock inlays, select a neck width that's ideally suited for their hand size, and complete the order with a striking sunburst or natural lacquer finish.

A guitar's top and bracing system is its voice.
Prewar guitars often had perfectly placed bracing, with certain areas of the braces being scalloped. Scalloping, or the shaving of braces, allows the top to vibrate freely, resulting in a substantial increase of volume and purity of tone. Bracing in Manuel & Patterson guitars is carefully scalloped and shaped, which is part of the secret to their sweet and powerful tone.

While it takes untold hours to build a guitar by hand,
it takes as long or longer to apply the nitrocellulose lacquer finish. There is far more to this painstaking last step than many are aware of, and the finish not only protects and enhances the wood, but can have a dampening affect on tone if applied incorrectly. It's been said that a guitar maker's finish separates the men from the boys, and Joe's and Phil's guitars are finished to glossy perfection, showcasing their deep and beautiful grains and allowing them to resonate with equally beautiful tone.

As Joe puts it,
"Once a player steps up to a professional quality instrument, he can never go back, and it's the same with custom guitars. Once you step up to a high quality custom guitar, you'll never go back."
Story and photographs by Sam Alfano
Covington Magazine, Fall 2007

Applying filler to Brazilian rosewood headstock

The "Dixie Flyer" 1923

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