The R Robinson Model 10 C stands as a testament to the quiet mastery of Bob Robinson, a builder whose voice in the guitar world has grown not through spectacle but through unwavering devotion to the craft. His presence is felt most clearly in the instruments he shapes, each one revealing an understanding of wood that borders on reverence. Robinson’s joinery traditions are rooted in the old ways yet sharpened by a modern clarity. He leans into the natural strengths of every material he touches, letting the grain dictate the line and the carving suggest the voice. His approach has earned him a following among players who sense that beneath the beauty lies something rarer. It is the assurance that every joint, every surface and every tonal choice has been coaxed into harmony by a builder who listens closely to what the wood wants to become.

The Model 10 C begins its song with an Adirondack spruce top that feels alive the moment it is set into vibration. Adirondack has long been the top wood favored by those who seek power without sacrificing nuance, and Robinson draws from it an immediacy that blooms into rich color with every touch. The carved Claro walnut back and sides form a dramatic counterpart. Claro walnut is known for its striking figure and balanced voice, but here it feels sculpted for resonance rather than ornament. The result is a tone that rises quickly and settles into a warm and articulate sustain. English holly binding and a matching holly rosette frame the instrument in quiet elegance, their pale outlines offering a natural contrast that enhances the depth of the walnut.

The Claro walnut neck continues the theme of organic unity, shaped for comfort and stability with its two way truss rod paired to alloy steel reinforcement. Beneath the hands it feels solid yet agile, guided by a fingerboard of West African ebony that carries a nine to twelve inch compound radius for fluid movement across the entire range. The ebony bridge mirrors the fingerboard’s clarity and strength, delivering the string energy with precision to the carved walnut body. Medium nickel silver frets welcome both delicate expression and assertive playing styles, while the twenty five point four inch scale length offers projection with a familiar sense of tension and balance. Practical dimensions such as the one and three quarter inch nut width and two and three sixteenths inch bridge spacing ensure that the guitar feels welcoming to both fingerstyle players and flatpickers.

Robinson’s mastery of joinery appears most clearly in the glue less bolt on neck joint and the graceful bird’s beak headstock joint. These choices are not mere flourishes but reflections of a luthier who prizes serviceability and structural integrity just as much as tone. Nickel Waverly tuning machines with wooden buttons lend both refinement and reliability, their smooth gearing matched perfectly to the instrument’s responsive voice. A bone nut and saddle complete the tonal chain, shaped carefully to carry every vibration with purity. The body is finished in a high gloss pre catalyzed lacquer that brings out the depth of the woods without weighing them down, while the neck receives a matte oil finish that feels natural and immediate in the hand.

For players who step onto a stage or into a studio, the K and K Pure Mini pickup offers a transparent and organic translation of the guitar’s acoustic character. At four pounds six ounces, the Model 10 C is remarkably light for its power, responding to the player with ease and immediacy. In every detail the guitar reflects Bob Robinson’s deep connection to his materials and his unwavering pursuit of tone. It is an instrument that carries its maker’s voice quietly but confidently, inviting the player into a conversation where wood, craftsmanship and inspiration meet.