Custom Built Acoustic Guitar Builders

Wayne Baker · Post by **Wayne Baker** » 1 Feb 2008 1:49 pm

I know this is the steel guitar forum, and this is the pedal steel area, but can anyone recommend an excellent custom built acoustic guitar person???

Thanks in advance,

Wayne Baker
Tuttle Ok's most handsome steel player

Fred Justice · Post by **Fred Justice** » 1 Feb 2008 3:18 pm

You bet Wayne, Mark Giles builds the best I've seen or heard. Mark lives in Hamilton Texas and is a member of this forum.

Jim Paschall · Post by **Jim Paschall** » 1 Feb 2008 6:40 pm

http://www.danknowles.net/SHOP%20DOOR.htm

Dan Knowles in Paris, TN

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 1 Feb 2008 8:29 pm

Wayne Baker wrote:...can anyone recommend an excellent custom built acoustic guitar person???

I'm one of the organizers of the Northern California Association of Luthiers, and I have a database of our members, which includes most of the luthiers on the West Coast. I can put you in touch with many of them. To my mind, the one that stands out above the others is my good friend Ervin Somogyi in Oakland. I have to warn you that a hand made guitar from a master builder is going to set you back about $20,000.

Lonnie Portwood · Post by **Lonnie Portwood** » 1 Feb 2008 9:01 pm

Wayne, you can call my friend David Wallace, 423 568 2163, in Niota, Tenn. I have 5 of his guitars including an Archtop modeled after the Gretsch Super Chet, a jumbo acoustic electric, a classical with small neck, 1 and 15/16 wide at the nut with individual p/u on each string (Baggs) and two "Hollow" Tele style, one with Bigsby tailpiece. I love every one of 'em! I have the archtop listed for sale on this forum for $3000.00. David is building a new one for me. The average price for a new archtop is around $5,000.00. He has a completely hand carved arch top very similar in size and looks to a Gibson super 400. I have a video of Thom Bresh (Travis's son) playing this guitar for about an hour. Every time He would finish a song, He would look it over and say, "what a great" guitar. If David still has it, I believe He would sell for around $10,000 / 11,000. Just for your info. Lonnie Portwood

A. J. Schobert · Post by **A. J. Schobert** » 1 Feb 2008 9:45 pm

Lynn dodenbostel (spelled right?) is the man, I don't think he is taking any orders though.

Tim Hurst · Post by **Tim Hurst** » 2 Feb 2008 8:42 am

Wayne Henderson in VA (The subject of the book Clapton's Guitar), and John Arnold of Newport, TN. John makes a lot of tops for the Martin company.

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 2 Feb 2008 7:29 pm

Hey Tim, are Wayne or John still taking orders? Last I heard, Wayne was backed up by ten years or so, and John Arnold was snowed under a long time ago. But both of 'em build a mighty fine flat-top!

Tim Hurst · Post by **Tim Hurst** » 3 Feb 2008 9:04 am

Hey Stephen, I don't know Wayne personally, only by reputation and through conversations with John. John told me recently that he does have a pretty good backlog of orders, but he would like to catch up on repairs and tops and build more guitars. I have known John for about 40 years and consider him a true genius when it comes to his craft.

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 3 Feb 2008 9:26 am

James Olson, Circle Pines, MN makes a beautiful guitar.

Russ Tkac · Post by **Russ Tkac** » 3 Feb 2008 1:51 pm

Gary Zimnicki. www.zimnicki.com

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 3 Feb 2008 7:08 pm

Roger Rettig wrote:James Olson, Circle Pines, MN makes a beautiful guitar...

James Taylor always uses Olson guitars.

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 3 Feb 2008 7:35 pm

...and the one in the picture is a replica of the same model - the 'SJ'. Taylor usually plays the SJ in his first 'half', then switches to the cutaway version for the second (he apparently likes to play a fresh set of strings for each segment of his show).

Drew Howard · Post by **Drew Howard** » 10 Feb 2008 10:08 pm

My old friend Abe Wechter/Wechter Guitars of Paw Paw, MI needs no introduction and Jake Robinson/Robinson Guitars of Kalamazoo is cranking out some beauties.

Kevin Lange · Post by **Kevin Lange** » 11 Feb 2008 8:30 am

Richard Leach Guitars, St. Cloud, MN
www.richardleachguitars.com
Great guitars, great guy.

Kevin

Webb Kline · Post by **Webb Kline** » 11 Feb 2008 9:36 am

http://www.dillonguitars.com

It might take a while, but John Dillon builds the most phenomenal guitar I've ever played. Hank Jr, Steve Earle, Trisha Yearwood, and Michael Martin Murphey are among his customers. They're not for skimpy pocketbooks, but they are the most beautiful, best sounding, playing instruments I've ever played. Good luck to get him to build one for you, but if you do, you'll be one lucky dog.

Dave Burr · Post by **Dave Burr** » 11 Feb 2008 3:44 pm

Having owned primarily Martin's dreds, my next will either be a Collings (www.collings.com) or a Mossman (www.mossman-guitars.com). Collings is in Austin, Texas and Mossman is in Sulphur Springs, Texas.

I have a Collings mandolin and it is spectacular. I've probably played more than a dozen Collings guitars and I've never strummed a bad one (lucky I'm sure). I played a Collings D2H with an Adirondack top that spoke to my soul!!!

My brother has a Mossman that is truly a great guitar as well. The owner/builder (Bob Casey) is extremely great to work with and will build the guitar to your specs (you name it and he'll try to do it). My brothers guitar is not quite as boomy as a Collings or Martin dred (it's mahogany), but it's extremely well balanced and plays like a dream. Given time to open up, I feel it will be a monster as it's getting more pronounced every time I hear it. I've talked with Bob and he is currently building some out of Mexican rosewood that he says are the loudest guitars he's ever heard. That's saying something coming from a builder that's handled as many guitars as he has. Best thing about the Mossman is one can be had for around $2K. That's a pretty great bargain for a hand crafted instrument of this quality!!

There are many other great handmade guitars out there and I love each of them as well. I just noted a couple that I'm currently looking into.

Good luck with your search. I'll be interested to know what direction you go.

Kindest regards,
David Burr

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 11 Feb 2008 5:07 pm

I don't think you've been lucky - I think Collings are the most consistently-good instruments on the market today.

I've been a Martin-lover all my life, and it's hard for me to desert them, but there sure are some bad ones out there!!!

RR

Dave Burr · Post by **Dave Burr** » 12 Feb 2008 6:19 am

Roger Rettig wrote:I've been a Martin-lover all my life, and it's hard for me to desert them, but there sure are some bad ones out there!!!RR

Roger, Thanks for summing up my feelings!! I currently have 3 Martins and that statement is so dead on to me. Granted, I've never owned what one would call a "vintage" Martin, I do however own a Martin HD28 I bought new about 15 years ago that I'll NEVER part with. To borrow a phrase from Guy Clark; "it is a keeper". However.... I probably played more than a dozen before I found that one. It was noticebly better than any of the others I had played. Some are noticeably "bad"... Especially on the bass strings and no amount of set-up can cure them. Help them? Yes. Cure them? NO.

My apologies for the sidebar discussion to the subject at hand. Let's hear more about custom acoustic instrument builders.

Respectfully,
David Burr

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 12 Feb 2008 7:23 am

After James Olson got so backed up, a lot of folks went for Kevin Ryan's guitars. Great instruments.
But Wayne, you never said what KIND of guitar you wanted built. Archtop, dreadnaught, whatever. Pick up a copy of "Acoustic Guitar" magazine, you'll find ads from dozens of builders in the back.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 12 Feb 2008 8:46 am

Roger Rettig wrote:...I've been a Martin-lover all my life, and it's hard for me to desert them, but there sure are some bad ones out there!!!
RR

I've never owned a Martin, but always aspired to. The fact that Hank Williams and Elvis Presley, and a host of the other "greats", played them created a mythology in my mind. But it stands to reason. Two identical guitars made out of identical woods will sound different, so there must be some better than others.

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 13 Feb 2008 11:42 am

Alan

Same for me, except the mythology - in my case - was born when I learned at age 14 that Lonnie Donegan's guitar was a Martin!

I knew nothing back then, but I did notice that his 000-28 was 'prettier' than Elvis' thick-waisted D-28. I've only had 0s, 000s or 0000s with that narrow waist ever since, although I am strictly a finger-style player, so that would be my preference anyway.

I had them make me a 000-28 in 2004 - it's not fancy, just with a retro look to replicate a 1950s model - and it's a fantastic guitar! So is my 1947 000-18. My 1927 000-18 needs work, yet still sounds wonderful. My 0000-28 (or M-28 - same thing) is not in their league, but I'm hoping it'll open up in due course. It certainly looks good!!!

RR

Bob Blair · Post by **Bob Blair** » 13 Feb 2008 12:50 pm

There are some wonderful builders a lot closer to you than Ontario. However, I am very fond of my Oskar Graf (www.grafguitars.com) that I bought in Kingston around thirty years ago. This guy has built some wonderful instruments. I also have a big black guitar inspired by the Every Brothers Gibsons made by Marc Benetau (www.beneteauguitars.com), also from Ontario.

Mike Black · Post by **Mike Black** » 13 Feb 2008 10:09 pm

delete

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 14 Feb 2008 7:20 pm

Roger Rettig wrote:...Same for me, except the mythology - in my case - was born when I learned at age 14 that Lonnie Donegan's guitar was a Martin! ...

Wow ! Someone else who was brought up on Lonnie Donegan. When I was a teenager he was my greatest influence. He had such a powerful high voice, and, of course, he introduced a whole generation to Woody Guthrie and Huddie Ledbetter, from whom he derived the majority of his repertoire, years before the folk boom.
My cousin was playing piano at the Great Yarmouth Pier, where Lonnie Donegan was resident for a season. Unknown to my cousin at the time, during that season Lonnie was having an affair with his wife. It ended with him leaving his wife and moving to South Africa.
Another coincidence is that I met Leadbelly's niece a year ago here in San Francisco.
It's a small world, and getting smaller.

...sorry for hijacking the thread.

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