The Waipa Creative Trail

When you visit Rodney in his studio, you’re going to get a glimpse into the world of a devoted master craftsman.  

Rodney’s story is an inspiring one. Paying attention to his creative nudges, in 1998 he started teaching himself to restore old string instruments which eventually led to travels around the world where he was fortunate to spend time with masters who shared their skills and knowledge with him.

In his Cambridge workshop, Rodney crafts one-of-a-kind classical and flamenco guitars that find homes both here in New Zealand and around the world. 

With an attention to detail that is rare in this modern mass-production world, each custom guitar is the result of many hours of meticulous planning, designing and crafting.  

Rodney’s skill was recognised when he was selected as a finalist in the European Guitar Foundation guitar making competition in Granada Spain.

Passionate about sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm, we are fortunate to have the unique opportunity to visit Rodney in his Cambridge workshop as part of our Waikato Creative Trail.  

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When you visit Rodney’s studio, you’ll see examples of “work in progress” and the processes used to prepare the wooden components, rosette making, and French polishing.

There will be a few guitars on display, as well as some of Rodney’s own personal instruments, and some that will be for sale. 

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The Waipa Creative Trail is a free community event where local creatives will open their studios to the public on 16 March 2024.  To find out more, like ‘The Waipa Creative Hub’ page on Facebook and Instagram or visit our website http://www.waipacreativetrail.com.  You can read more about Rodney at https://rodneystedallguitars.com.