acoustic guitars

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued guidance making it easier for companies which import instruments made prior to 2008 to file the import declaration form required by the Lacey Act.

APHIS’ Form PPQ 505 requires disclosure of genus and species and country of harvest for all wood contained in imported pianos and other string (but not electric) instruments.

R. C. Allen is a guitar luthier that uses the style of his many friends of the era in the early 1950s in Southern California when guitar innovators were reshaping the instrument and grooming it for a new birth. RC was building his own unique instruments when Leo Fender and Lowell Kiesel of Carvin were also just starting out. RC was influenced greatly by his dear friend Paul Bigsby who worked for Merle Travis on one of the most historic electric guitars of the era.

Muriel Anderson sure puts her heart and soul into her music as both a performer and songwriter. Over the years the music products industry has been lucky to be closely associated with Murial thanks to her endorsement of instruments and accessories as well as her widely successful All Star Guitar Nights, a feature at NAMM Shows since 2000. Her many projects include raising funds for school music programs and music education.
 

Tim Angell grew up interested in the craft of woodworking. As a teenager he became interested in stringed instruments. With little woodworking opportunities in New Jersey, Tom and his wife moved to Connecticut where Tim found a job at Ovations Guitar. He worked his way through many departments learning all of the stages of guitar building and participating in design and general modifications. Fascinated with computers and databases he kept track of serial numbers and statistics of the assembly and output of the shop. The parent company, Kaman, was impressed with his research and offered him a job at the headquarters up the road in Bloomfield.

Scott Baxendale is a noted guitar luthier who has crafted a unique career based on his own style of guitar building that echoes several of his favorite luthiers. While working for Mossman guitars, he created several specialized instruments, including the noted custom Warner Brother’s guitar, which showcased his skilled techniques of inlay, design, and use of creative bracings. Scott bought the company for a time. To this day, he continues to design guitars.
 

Robert Benedetto is a guitar luthier’s luthier! Respected around the world, Bob has achieved what few have in guitar craftsmanship: a unique style and sound, creative and classic design, and tooling that is second to none. His knowledge of guitar building was evident in our interview with Bob along with his genuine respect for his contemporaries. With his lovely wife, Cindy, at his side, Bob was interviewed for the NAMM Oral History program on January 18, 2004. 

Tony Blair is the proud president of the Kay Musical Instrument Company, which has a long and important history in the music products industry. As Tony points out, many noted musicians today got their first start playing a Kay guitar. Over the years Tony added his passion for distribution and innovative manufacturing ideas, particularly in China, to the Kay business model. As a result he has been able to expand the marketing of Kay’s instruments as well as introduce new products and models over the decades to beginners, intermediate and professional players alike. 

Dick Boak has served as Director of Artist Relations for the CF Martin Guitar Company during the development of the popular signature series product line, as well as for such historic projects as Martin's One Millionth Guitar.  Dick has been passionate about the company's important past ever since joining the company in 1976 and has long served as Martin's historian.  Dick studied the history of the company, which was formed in 1833, and wrote the book "Martin Guitar Masterpieces" in 2005.  Over the years Dick worked long and hard to establish the now popular Artist Signature Guitars series working with Eric Clapton, and the Limited Edition series, which began in 1994 with the Gene Autry guitar.    

Harold Bradley is one of the most recorded guitarists in the history of Nashville. Harold and his brother, the legendary producer, Owen Bradley, created a new feel in country music, a style known today as the “Nashville Sound.” Harold can be heard on classic recordings such as “Crazy” by Patsy Cline and “Little Sister” by Elvis Presley. Advocating music education and playing a strong role in preserving the history of music and its Nashville connection, Harold has been a popular and effective leader as President of the Musicians Union and an author of several important articles on music and music making.  

Kim Breedlove began building banjos in the 1960s, during the Folk Music movement and the popularity of such performers as Pete Seeger. After working with his brother for a few months he moved to the east coast while his brother moved to Oregon to form Breedlove Guitars. As Kim moved to Oregon, his brother returned to work with his old friend Bob Taylor in San Diego, while Kim changed his focus from the banjo to the guitar. Today, the Breedlove Guitar Company is known for their range of professional products.