Guitars Made to Fit Your Style

Although most electric guitars look similar to the untrained eye, they can sound radically different for many reasons, such as the type of wood used in construction and the brand of pickups installed. Every guitar feels different, depending on the amount of lacquer used for the finish and the shape of its body and neck, subtleties that are crucial to guitar aficionados.

Dobbs Ferry resident and musician Nick Fanelli is sensitive to the how seemingly inconsequential details can make or break the sound a guitar makes--that's why he opened American Ax, a custom guitar shop on Cedar Street in Dobbs Ferry. 

Fanelli completes some construction himself, but the process starts with solid blocks of heavy rectangular wood he sends to Connecticut to be shaped by a computer-programmable CNC router machine used by every major guitar-maker in the world to create a rounded body with cavities for the pickups and wiring. 

At his home shop in Dobbs Ferry, Fanelli assembles the guitars and does some finishing. His showroom at 60 Cedar Street occupies one of two storefronts in the building, and he plans to move his workshop next door when he gets the opportunity.

For now, Fanelli's spartan space includes: a waist-high glass and steel display case containing tuners, cords and strings; a couple of chairs; an area rug and two tube amplifiers favored by guitar aficionados. A few guitars hang in a white wooden case affixed to the wall. Illuminated with tastefully placed track lighting, the beams accentuate the striking details of a gorgeous guitar with a flamed maple top, whose grain pattern resembles tiger stripes.

Fanelli specializes in three body shapes: the iconic Les Paul style, made famous by Jimmy Page and Slash; the Telecaster, played by Keith Richards and a bunch of country pickers; and the Stratocaster, favored by Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix.

His Les Paul inspired designs cost $3,695 and Strat styles go for $2,800.

As befits his company's name, most of Fanelli's wood and parts come from the United States, which he touts as a unique selling point; guitars remain an item for which the phrase: "Made in the USA" still carries cachet. His native mahogany, used for bodies and necks comes from a farm in Florida. Other wood types include alder, swamp ash and maple.

Other custom features of Fanelli's guitars include ultra smooth, high-grade ebony fingerboards, gold stainless steel frets (which rise above the fingerboard, allowing players to make notes and chords) and the ultimate guitar bling: mother of pearl inlays and a strip of binding around the body, neck and headstock (where the tuners are located).  

"You can have whatever you want," Fanelli said. "I'll make the radius of the neck comfortable for your hand so that it fits like a glove."

Fanelli used to lead several bands in addition to working as a photographer for major newspapers and media outlets in the Metro area, but gave it up to start American Ax.

"I've sworn off bands," he said. "They're too much of a hassle."

For the love of music, he still performs solo shows every now and then, recently sitting in at Pablo's Deli up the street. Sometimes he turns his small showroom into an ersatz rehearsal room. The woman who lives upstairs works traditional hours and even when she's home, she enjoys the music, he said.

"I played with a female singer who hit all the harmonies," he said. "I like playing and I'd rather perform for no money in a room where everyone is into it than sit in front of a crowd in which no one cares and make a little money."

Fanelli got the idea for American Ax after building a custom-made slide guitar, constructed without any radius or bend to the fretboard so the metal or glass slide lays flat against the strings for ease of play. Another guitarist expressed interest in buying it and the light bulb went off.

"I thought about it and here I am," he said.

So far, Fanelli has sold two guitars and performed several repairs and set-ups to make customers' guitars  easier to tune and play. He aspires to franchise his operation, touting his creations as all American-made guitars built to order.

American Ax is located down the street from The Muzic Store, which relocated to Dobbs Ferry from Yonkers in 1991, offering lessons, school rentals, sales, repairs and a recording studio. Housed in an historic theater, instruments and accessories from major manufacturers hang in the former lobby and fill the spacious auditorium crammed with drum sets, mixing boards, horns, guitars, cellos, loudspeakers and instrument amplifiers.

Owners Peter and Paul Scatt seek to open a performance space in the theater and also run a side business called Stolen Moments, which books wedding bands, DJ's, classical musicians and a steel drum band.

"We have guitars that go from $100 to $5,000," said Paul Scatt, who plays the keyboard and welcomes Fanelli's endeavor.

"This is like the 48^th Street of the Rivertowns," he said, referring to the famous strip of music stores in Manhattan. "What he does has nothing to do with what we sell, so it's all good."