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.
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.
Classical Guitar Builder Joshia de Jonge on Experimentation and a Life of Lutherie
Classical guitar builder Joshia de Jonge talks about experimenting in her own shop after years of working alongside her father & other facets of a life of lutherie.
Paul Reed Smith Took Inspiration from Torres for His Acoustic Guitar Design
When Paul Reed Smith first heard an 1800s acoustic guitar built by Antonio Torres, he knew his own steel-string guitar designs would borrow structural elements from Torres.
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Thomas Ripsam, C.F. Martin and Co.’s First Non-Family CEO, Combines a Love of Guitar with Global Business Experience
Thomas Ripsam’s path to CEO at C.F. Martin & Co.’s Nazareth, Pennsylvania, headquarters is even more unlikely than most.
After 50 Years at the Forefront of the Guitar Repair Industry, Dan Erlewine Is at the Top of His Game
Dan Erlewine's pioneering reference works and instructional content have made him a mentor to three generations of guitar maintenance and repair geeks.
Makers & Shakers: Sherwood ‘Woody’ Phifer’s Forward-Thinking Archtop Designs
His fresh thinking and artistic touch combine to make his instruments both striking and familiar.
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Ecuadorian Master Luthier Luis Uyaguari Uses Hand Tools and Designs His Own Guitar Molds
Almost 50 years ago, master luthier Luis Uyaguari Quezada, then an adolescent, moved with his family to the metropolis of Cuenca, Ecuador, leaving behind the remote mountain village of San Bartolome. Their tiny pueblo had a generations-long tradition of guitar making, and Uyaguari’s father was one of the village’s best,…
Makers & Shakers: Audrey Bartlett of Waterloo Guitars
Audrey Bartlett, the lead builder and department manager of Waterloo Guitars, in Austin, Texas, says, “I’m not a musician—which makes me different from most of the people doing this work.” That can make her feel like she doesn’t fit in, but also sets her apart for its parallels to her…
Makers & Shakers: A Chat with Nylon-String Luthier Stephan Connor
Cape Cod, Massachusetts–based luthier Stephan Connor has built a world-class reputation by taking a fresh approach to what may be the most traditional branch of guitar building.
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Tony Klassen of New Era Guitars Is a Revivalist of Under-Appreciated Designs
The Indiana-based luthier, who runs a one-man operation, produces impressive reproductions coveted by collectors and pros alike
George Gruhn on the State of the Vintage Guitar Market
As Gruhn Guitars approaches its 50th anniversary, Gruhn, has plenty to say about prewar instruments, speculators and collectors, old guitars vs. new ones, and more.
Fraulini Guitars’ Todd Cambio Digs for Inspiration in the Overlooked Guitars of the Past
The Chicago native specializes in building instruments like those used by such early guitar heroes as Lead Belly and Eddie Lang
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."