Greg Smallman (born 1947) is the Australian guitar maker who created the lattice-braced concert guitar, made famous by John Williams; his sons Damon and Kym have built with him since the 1990s.
Greg Smallman at a Glance
- Born: June 19, 1947, Cronulla, New South Wales, Australia
- First lattice guitar: 1974
- Known for: lattice-braced cedar tops of balsa and carbon fiber, heavily domed thick backs
- Sound: great power and piano-like sustain
- Played by: John Williams, Xuefei Yang, Ben Verdery, Craig Ogden, Tim Kain, Judicaël Perroy, Gabriel Bianco, Nicola Hall, Carlos Bonell, Miloš Karadaglić, Paul McCartney
- Workshop: with his sons Damon (from 1993) and Kym (from 1996); labels “Greg Smallman & Sons Damon & Kym” from 1999
The Lattice Guitar
Smallman built his first lattice guitar in 1974, after years of trial and error. Instead of a traditional fan system, his soundboards – cedar, which he chose for its lightness – are reinforced internally with an intricate lattice of balsa wood and carbon fiber, and are only a few tenths of a millimetre thick in places, about half the weight of a typical Torres top. Small pieces of Blu-Tack inside the top tame the wolf notes. The heavily domed, very thick back makes the body a rigid shell that forces all the vibration into the soundboard – the source of the great power and piano-like sustain his guitars are known for. Later guitars add maple lining inside the body and an adjustable neck that changes the setup and action in minutes.
John Williams and Beyond
Greg met John Williams in the 1970s, when Williams was looking for an Australian-built guitar (Williams himself having been born and still is - proudly Australian); Williams would eventually play a 1981 Smallman for many years, and his recordings made the lattice guitar famous around the world. Many other concert artists followed, among them Xuefei Yang, Craig Ogden, Tim Kain, Ben Verdery – who recorded “First You Build a Cloud” with Andy Summers and “Start Now” on a 2003 Smallman – Nicola Hall, Carlos Bonell, Miloš Karadaglić and even Paul McCartney. From 1999 Greg’s labels have read “Greg Smallman & Sons Damon & Kym” – Damon joined him in 1993 and Kym in 1996, and the three work on every guitar’s sound together.
Books on Greg Smallman
Our 1992 Smallman from the Russell Cleveland collection appears in “The Classical Guitar – A Complete History”:
Greg Smallman Guitars at GSI
Many Greg Smallman guitars have passed through our doors over the years. You’ll find guitars currently in stock by clicking the “Guitars In Stock” button in the header of this page as well as earlier examples in our Museum by clicking the “Guitars In Museum” button.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Greg Smallman?
An Australian guitar maker, born in 1947, who developed the lattice-braced classical guitar.
What is a lattice guitar?
A guitar whose thin top is braced with a criss-cross lattice of balsa and carbon fiber instead of traditional fan bracing.
Who plays Smallman guitars?
Most famously John Williams, and also Xuefei Yang, Ben Verdery, Craig Ogden, Tim Kain, Nicola Hall, Carlos Bonell and Miloš Karadaglić.
Who are Damon and Kym Smallman?
Greg Smallman’s sons, who joined him in 1993 and 1996; their names are on the labels from 1999.
