A Friday Afternoon Visit to the Collings Shop
On a blazing hot July afternoon in Austin, Texas, a patter of guitarspeak could be heard in the front office of Collings Guitars.
Martin Celebrates Its Flagship D-28 With a New Exhibit
Standing in front of the display cases and taking it all in, it’s easy to witness the dynamic nature of the D-28’s history and that of its predecessors.
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Makers & Shakers: Matt Eich of Mule Resophonic Guitars
"I wanted to make a resonator guitar that was closer to an acoustic instrument, with traditional resonators that sounded and looked different, and were warmer."
Taylor Guitars Rolls the Dice—Again
Taylor looks to the future with its new V-Class bracing system, which was designed to boost the volume and sustain of its instruments, while also improving their intonation.
George Lowden, Building Guitars His Own Way for 43 Years
Northern Ireland’s Lowden Guitars recently celebrated the production of its 20,000th guitar with a commemorative model called Genesis. This instrument marks over 40 years in lutherie for George Lowden, whose journey has brought him to the upper echelons of guitar makers worldwide. Working with a small crew that includes members…
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A Shop Visit with Luthier and Restorer David Eichelbaum
Luthier and instrument restorer David Eichelbaum's M.O. stems from one simple tenet: Do no harm.
Makers & Shakers: Kathy Wingert Reveals Her Unlikely Path to Lutherie
On a Sunday last June, I couldn’t help but notice a strange wooden creation resting on a purple towel on Kathy Wingert’s workbench. It was the rough and elongated soundboard of a harp guitar, the historic instrument that Wingert and a select cohort of modern luthiers have been revisiting in…
Great Acoustics: Greg Brandt’s “Bubbles” Guitar
Maybe it’s the glint in his eye, but you get the impression that luthier Greg Brandt has a whimsical soul. And one look at his guitar “Bubbles” confirms it.
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Guitar Makers Challenged by New Rosewood Restrictions—and What This Means for Players
If you don’t already know all the materials used in creating your instrument, now is the time to find out.
Linda Manzer, Jean Larrivée, Grit Laskin, and More Luthiers Honor Canada’s ‘Group of Seven’ Painters with Artful Guitars
Seven Canadian luthiers spent months building guitars inspired by Canada's famed "Group of Seven" painters.
Jack Casady’s Custom Acoustic Bass Leads Luthier Tom Ribbecke to a Higher Calling
When legendary bass player Jack Casady’s beloved wife Diana passed away, the Hot Tuna bassist went to luthier Tom Ribbecke's shop in search of a new guitar.
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Highlights from the Woodstock Invitational Luthiers Showcase 2016 [Photos]
A photo gallery from the Woodstock Invitational Luthiers Showcase 2016.
Artist William Matthews Keeps Western Tradition Alive with Martin’s 2016 LE Cowboy Acoustic Guitar
The Golden Age of the cattle drive lasted a mere 20 years, from 1866–1886. But the cowboy has since occupied a distinct role in American consciousness. A lone figure, often on a horse, tending to nature’s perilous landscapes and occasional scofflaws, the cowboy is seen as a folk hero, a…
Makers & Shakers: Benedetto Guitars Is Building Some of the Most Coveted Archtops in the World
Some of the most coveted archtop guitars in the world are built in Savannah, Georgia, at Benedetto Guitars, where the company’s president and CEO Howard Paul and master luthier Damon Mailand ensure that every guitar going out the door represents the artistic legacy of Robert Benedetto’s original designs. Benedetto archtops…
Richard Hoover’s Santa Cruz Guitar Co. Celebrates a Milestone
Since being founded in 1976 by Richard Hoover some 70 miles south of San Francisco, CA, Santa Cruz Guitars has become a favorite of superstars and aficionados.
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Acoustic Guitar Tonewood Primer: How to Pick the Right Materials for Your Optimal Sound
As the acoustic guitar has evolved, so has the variety of different tonewoods used in guitars. Here's how to find the right tonewood to get your optimal sound.
Guadalupe Makes Custom Strings the Old Fashioned Way, By Hand
Gabriel Tenorio explains how and why he and his small crew at Guadalupe Custom Strings wind their strings one at a time.
Republic of Texas Offers Affordable Resonators Steeped in Tradition
Republic Guitars has caught the attention of the late Texas blues legend Johnny Winter, as well as members of the Eagles and the Doobie Brothers.
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Brooklyn Luthier Dan Krugman Specializes in Archtop Artistry [VIDEO]
“I’m drawn to archtops because each maker puts his fingerprint on each individual instrument,” Dan Krugman says. He’s speaking from the Brooklyn workshop of DDK Guitars, the company he launched in 2011. “Design elements seem less agreed upon. Everyone has their own style of F-hole or bridge configuration.” He likens…
Met Acquires Two Ken Parker Guitars
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has acquired two guitars hand built by Ken Parker—who joins Paul Reed Smith as one of the few custom-guitar makers in the prestigious New York City museum’s Musical Instruments collection.
The Big Gun: Martin Dreadnought Celebrates 100 Years
In 1916 C.F. Martin & Co. created the biggest six-string guitar ever built. Here's a look at how the dreadnought has played a singularly unique role in the shaping of popular music.
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The Legend of ‘The Tree,’ a Mythic Source of 500-Year-Old Mahogany Coveted by Slash, Andy McKee, and More
Saul Hudson was eager to see his new guitar, but he wasn’t expecting manna from heaven. After all, Hudson, better known as Slash, is the celebrated former Guns N’ Roses guitarist who’s owned some of the finest instruments in his neck of the rock ’n’ roll woods, from big-name vintage…
A Conversation with C.F. Martin IV, the CEO of Martin Guitars
After 27 years at the helm of America’s oldest and most storied guitar maker, Chris F. Martin IV has learned a thing or two about preserving a legacy. Unlike his father, C. F. Martin III, who headed the company through the disco era and resulting acoustic guitar market crash, Martin…
American Companies are Producing Higher-quality Affordable Acoustics in China
For many American consumers, the words “made in China” elicit feelings ranging from skepticism to outright disdain. Given the rash of headlines in recent years documenting the darker side of Chinese manufacturing—from lead paint used on Chinese-made toys, to a string of suicides at an Apple computer plant in Shenzhen—that…