How Apollo Picks Founder Nik Monnin Turned a Pandemic Experiment into a Dream Job
Apollo Picks are favored by players like Norman Blake, Bill Frisell, Julian Lage, and Mary Halvorson and are made one at a time in Monnin’s Ohio workshop.
Santa Cruz Guitar Company Founder Richard Hoover Reflects on Five Decades of Lutherie—and the Road Ahead
As his company’s 50th anniversary approaches, Hoover is still refining his craft and pushing the guitar in both subtle and profound ways.
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A Dylan Role for His Guitars Is Just the Latest Chapter in Lark Street Music Owner Buzzy Levine’s Vintage Saga
Loaning instruments to be used in Hollywood films is only a small part of the Teaneck music store proprietor's business, but it makes for some good stories, as the following interview shows.
L.R. Baggs Marks 50 Years of Acoustic Electronics Innovation—as Founder Lloyd Baggs Returns to His Lutherie Roots
As his namesake company celebrates its 50th anniversary, Lloyd Baggs reflects on his fascinating career, from transforming the world of acoustic sound to crafting custom guitars.
Joe Caruso of the Music Emporium Helps Guitarists Connect with Their Perfect Instruments
You’d be hard pressed to find a better selection of top contemporary instruments—or a more inviting space in which to put your hands on them.
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Dale Fairbanks Blends His Jazz Background with a Passion for Crafting Vintage-Inspired Guitars
The Fairbanks Guitars founder talks about his journey from being a jazz trumpeter and guitarist with coffee-shop day jobs to becoming a master luthier.
Scott Memmer’s Charmed Life Picks Offers Handcrafted Alternatives to Tortoiseshell Plectrums
A conversation with Scott Memmer, whose cutting-edge products have brought him lots of fans in the world of acoustic instruments.
Cat Fox of Sound Guitar Repair Fixes and Restores Instruments for Stars and Hobbyists Alike
The acoustic instrument "health and wellness" expert talks about her training, memorable repair jobs, and her recent move to New England.
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Santa Cruz Guitar Company’s Richard Hoover Brings out His Choicest Tonewoods for the Stunning New Vault Series
Hoover enlisted the most skilled luthiers in his workshop to build a series of instruments that would represent the state of the art of the steel-string guitar.
The Secret to Shubb Capos’ 50 Years in Business? It’s the Little Things
Checking in with Rick Shubb, founder of Shubb Capos, on his company’s 50th anniversary.
Rosie Heydenrych of Turnstone Guitar Company Incorporates English and Other Tonewoods in Her Stunning Custom Instruments
Founded in 2015, Turnstone has been gaining accolades and visibility in the custom-built acoustic world.
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ToneWoodAmp’s Helene Webman on Her Company’s Unique Gear and Mission
Webman tells the story behind one of the most intriguing pieces of guitar technology to emerge in the past decade.
How Guitar Makers are Responding to Climate and Supply Threats by Turning to Sustainable Sources, Alternate Materials, and More
Guitar manufacturers are rethinking their processes in a world where climate change and deforestation are no longer abstract problems.
Sicilian Luthier Noemi Schembri Has Dedicated Herself to the Craft of Guitar Making
Her instruments, evenly divided among steel-string, nylon-string, and crossover guitars, have earned rave reviews.
How Reuben Cox of L.A.’s Old Style Guitar Shop Came to Build and Tweak Guitars for Stars and Hobbyists Alike
Whether working on guitars for Jackson Browne, building a rubber bridge for an instrument powering a Taylor Swift hit, or setting up some kid’s cheap acoustic, Cox keeps chasing a sound—and inviting the world along for the ride.
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John Monteleone’s Exquisite Archtop Guitars Are Seen in the Hands of Top Players and Museum Display Cases
If there’s a living heir to the great mid-20th-century luthiers like John D’Angelico and James D’Aquisto, John Monteleone would have to be it.
Checking In with Lillian Werbin, the New Co-owner and President of Elderly Instruments
Werbin talks about balancing dreams and realities at the celebrated East Lansing, Michigan, music store founded by her father, Stan Werbin, in 1972.
Luthier William Eaton Has Made a Life in Music with a Passion for Unconventional Instruments
William Eaton has made many unconventional instruments since the mid-1970s, and he has helped students learn how to build much more straightforward guitars at Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery
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A Visit with Archtop Luthier Tim Frick
For the last decade, luthier Tim Frick has quietly been pushing the envelope on the design of the archtop guitar.
Maegen Wells Is Building Next-Level Archtop Guitars in Her Northern California Workshop
“I don’t ever say that I chose to get into guitar making,” says archtop guitar maker Maegen Wells. “I felt like I was surrendering to a mission.”
Great Acoustics: Linda Manzer’s Sunflower Guitar for Ukraine
Renowned Canadian luthier Linda Manzer made the "Sunflower Guitar" to raise funds to aid the Ukrainian people.
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Steve Nall Steps into a Big New Role at Collings Guitars
Steve Nall recently took over selecting tonewoods and voicing the tops and backs of all Collings acoustic guitars after working for decades with mentors Bill Collings and Bruce VanWart.
Great Acoustics: A Loyal Customer Inspires a Bold New Big Hollow Jumbo
When a repeat customer asked Big Hollow Guitars' Bevan Frost to build a large-bodied guitar with unique inlays, the luthier rose to the challenge.
Young at Art: Five Luthiers 30 and Under Share Their Stories and Talk Shop
Five promising young luthiers—Brian Itzkin, Oliver Marchant, Eve Meister, Max Spohn, and Olivia Elia—chat about their personal visions and approaches to the craft of building guitars.
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Great Acoustics: A Trio of Hand-Built Instruments from “Retired” Industry Icon Dick Boak
Since his retirement in 2018, former C.F. Martin & Co. mainstay Dick Boak has continued hand-building instruments like this dreadnought-ukulele-small-bodied-guitar trio.
