The "Companion" model from Kenny Hill is a very is a small “parlor size” instrument made with no frills in an old school manner, that is an all solid woods, fan-braced 19th century Spanish style guitar. Originally Kenny's aim was to find a way to make a more modestly priced handmade guitar, and use some materials that had been set aside because they wouldn’t work for full-sized, more pricey instruments. It became curious to bend the “rules” of lutherie in intriguing ways, such as making soundboards out of woods normally reserved for the back and sides, or using un-matched sets of woods, etc. The body size and shape were directly influenced by an original 1864 Antonio Torres (FE 18), and the bracing is a simple system of 5 fans. Departing from 19th century tradition, Kenny added sound ports, which Kenny believes adds extra volume on such a small guitar. It has a shorter 620mm scale to go along with the the smaller body.
By reducing or eliminating mostly cosmetic features like purflings and binding, and simplifying the finish to a basic wash coat of shellac and lacquer, Kenny is able to cut down the labor going into the build. It’s still hand made, but with more streamlined simplicity. His experiments with various wood types has yielded suprisingly successful results - making bodies with all the same woods such as all rosewood, all maple, all koa, have produced very interesting musical results. Not a concert classical guitar, not a native folk guitar, but simply a guitar for all purposes.
Although Kenny admits that his concert classical guitars are still the flagship of his workshop production, he still sets aside some time to make something that is relatively affordable and adventurous - a "go anywhere guitar" and a wonderful addition to any guitarists daily musical life!
