About this episode

Raymond Kraut discusses his innovative guitar building techniques and the unique properties of desert ironwood.

For Episode 111, I'm joined by highly respected guitar builder Raymond Kraut. Ray shares why he's embraced unconventional sound ports while staying true to his traditional tone, how his porting designs have evolved over time, and what he's learned through real-world testing. We also dive into Ray's Derrio Wood Company, which sources and supplies desert ironwood and other unique tonewoods. Ray talks about what makes desert ironwood so special, its tonal character, and why it's becoming an exciting alternative for guitar builders. Links https://www.derriowoodco.com/ https://www.krautguitars.com/ Luthier on Luthier is hosted by Michael Bashkin of Bashkin Guitars and brought to you by the Fretboard Journal . This episode is sponsored by the Looth Group , Dream Guitars and StewMac .

People in this episode

Host: Michael Bashkin

Guest: Raymond Kraut

Topics covered

• guitar building
• sound ports
• tonewoods
• interview
• craftsmanship

Keywords

• guitar builder
• sound ports
• desert ironwood
• tonewoods
• craftsmanship

Sponsors

Looth Group, Dream Guitars, StewMac

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Derrio Wood Company, Fretboard Journal

Products: desert ironwood, tonewoods, guitars

More episodes of Luthier on Luthier with Michael Bashkin

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• 110. Ben Wilborn · January 30, 2026 · 1h 9m
• 109. Juha Ruokangas · December 29, 2025 · 1h 25m

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