PORTLAND, Ore. — Built from scratch with carefully selected wooden materials and exquisite balance, John Greven's acoustic guitars have won a loyal following among musicians both at home and abroad.

"It's very, very bright. It's very, very stiff," he said while tapping a piece of wood. "So this guitar will have a very bright sound, very stringy, almost metallic."

Using a certain piece of wood for bracing will help soften the tone of the guitar, he explained during a recent interview.