Customize Your Own Guitar or Ukulele

Lichty Guitars and Ukuleles are handcrafted by Jay in a one-man shop. Production is therefore limited to approx 25 per year. While we typically have a selection of handmade acoustic guitars and ukuleles available for immediate sale, the majority of sales are custom made acoustic guitars and ukuleles. Given custom instruments are Jay’s specialty, he works closely with each patron in the design process to craft to your specifications. On this page we’ve provided simple steps to follow to customize your own guitar or ukulele … well, at least to get you started!

The current delivery time is approximately 3-6 months. (Note: If your project is time-sensitive touch base and we’ll see if we can work it in sooner)

To view our special selection of instruments that are available for immediate sale see: Handmade Acoustic Guitars or Handmade Ukuleles.

Too, we invite you to check out an example of recent Custom Acoustic Guitar and Custom Ukulele projects to get you inspired!

If you are interested in placing a custom order there are three ways to get started:

Contact Jay to discuss your ideal instrument and to explore all the options.

Follow our simple Design Your Dream Guitar or Ukulele steps that follow.

If you’d like to give the gift of a Lichty to a loved one you can learn more about our gift certificate program by clicking here.

Design Your Dream Guitar or Ukulele

1) Decide on the body style/size instrument you’d like. You can compare models and hear audio samples here.

2) View recent projects at our Custom Acoustic Guitar Examples or our Custom Ukulele Examples pages to get an idea of design elements

3) Visit the Guitar Tonewood Gallery of Ukulele Tonewood Gallery to narrow down your choices or to select the specific set of wood for your back and sides. Too, we invite you to read our post, Best Guitar Tonewood / Best Ukulele Tonewood ?

4)  Determine an approximate price based on the options you have selected by using our Custom Guitar and Ukulele Price Calculator or by continuing down the page to the pricing provided below.

5)  Get in touch!

Once you and Jay have finalized all details you will receive a confirmation form and projected completion time. Sign and return this form with the booking deposit of 1/3 of the instrument’s total cost and your instrument will be placed in our production schedule. Balance is due upon completion. All prices are indicated in US dollars.

Custom Features

As a custom guitar builder/ukulele builder Jay loves the challenge of blending the customer’s ideas with his own style and expertise. As an example, he currently works with a wide variety of beautiful and exotic tone woods. See the Guitar Tonewood Gallery or Ukulele Tonewood Gallery section on this website for a sample of what is currently available. Other custom appointments include bindings, tuners, pick-guards, inlays, etc.

Base Price for a Custom Acoustic Guitar: $4000 + shipping

Features include:

• Your choice of a Dreadnought, OM or Parlor style guitar
• Your choice of tonewood (we invite you to pick out the actual set you’d like) from the following selection: Honduran or African Mahogany, Sapele, Black Walnut or Indian Rosewood
• Your choice of Engelmann or Sitka Spruce soundboard
• Wood Binding: your choice from a variety of options
• Herringbone or wood rosette (your choice from a variety of options)
• Ebony or Indian Rosewood fretboard and bridge
• Optional Wood-bound fretboard
• Grover Sta Tite tuners
• Camel bone nut and saddle
• Choice of nut width and neck size
• Mother of Pearl dot fretboard markers
• Access Stage 3 hardshell case
• Cooperstand Guitar Stand

Base Price for a Custom Ukulele: $2250 + shipping

Features include:

• Your choice of a tenor or baritone ukulele
• Your choice of tonewood (we invite you to pick out the actual set you’d like) from the following selection: Indian Rosewood, Beech, Black or Claro Walnut, Maple, Bubinga, Pau Ferro, Purple Heart, Black Limba, Cherry
• Englemann or Red Cedar soundboard
• Wood Binding: your choice from a variety of options
• Mother of Pearl or wood rosette (your choice from a variety of options)
• Ebony fretboard and bridge
• Optional Wood-bound fretboard
• Grover Sta Tite or Gotoh SGM tuners
• Camel bone nut and saddle
• Mother of Pearl dot fretboard markers
• Hardshell case
• Cooperstand instrument stand

Payment Options

Payments made be made via check, bank transfer or via credit card. We accept MasterCard, Visa, Discover and American Express

Shipment and Warranty

Shipping: Upon completion of the instrument and receipt of the balance, your instrument will be shipped. Prices do not include insurance, taxes or shipping.

Warranty: The full cost* (minus shipping charges) is refundable within a 5-day approval period if you are dissatisfied with your instrument for any reason. Jay provides a limited lifetime warranty to the original owner against defects in materials and workmanship. The warranty does not provide coverage for normal fret/fingerboard wear, or damage to the finish or other as a result of improper climate control or other improper care. Warranty cards are provided with each guitar.

*Certain restrictions may apply to highly customized special orders.

Custom Acoustic Guitar Options

While this list of options is extensive, it’s tough to cover every possibility. The best way to determine an overall design and price for your custom instrument is to call Jay and share your ideas with him. Based on that discussion he can provide you with a quote.

(See our Image Gallery for design ideas)

Custom Ukulele Options

(See our Image Gallery for design ideas)