guitars

Marty Albertson began working at the Guitar Center in San Francisco when the small chain’s founder, Wayne Mitchell, was still active in the business. Marty was there to see the store locations expand and grow and was very much a part of the executive branch of the company when it was first offered as a publicly-traded company. As Chairman of Guitar Center Marty is still active in the major decisions, but also finds time to serve on a number of music related organizations including on the board of the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation.

Ron Anthony can be heard playing his jazz guitar on several classic recordings of George Shearing as well as on the top selling CD, Frank Sinatra’s “Duets.” His love of music goes back to his childhood and has remained in full force ever since those early days. In addition to performing, Ron is a music teacher and a songwriter. His songs have been recorded by many artists including George Shearing. He co-wrote “It’s Always 4am” with legendary songwriter Sammy Cahn, which has been recorded by several artists over the years.

Roger Bucknall is an instrument maker who formed Fylde Guitars, which is located in Penrith, England, not so far from the Scottish boarder. Roger’s long and well regarded career as a guitar builder began as a teenager, although he actually made his first guitar when he was just nine years old. Roger’s love of tool making, woods and the process of designing and hand crafting instruments, is more than his job, it is indeed his passion.

Graham Butterworth has spent a few decades in the British music industry. He has worked with both retailers and suppliers alike and has witnessed first hand changes to the industry that have impacted the music business. Along the way he has also developed many life long friends. Graham was one of the first publishers to create a magazine for a very focused group of musicians such as magazines dedicated for audio engineers, guitarists and drummers. 

Jimmy Capps has backed nearly every performer at the Grand Ole Opry as a house band guitarist since 1960! The list of artists he played with is nothing more than amazing and represents the grand old pioneers such as Roy Acuff as well as current Opry members such as Vince Gill and Garth Brooks. Along the way he was a sought after studio musician who recorded with another vast list of country, bluegrass and rock artists. His career has been historic!

Emmett Chapman was playing guitar when he began playing a two hand tapping style. As he researched the idea he found that he could create a unique instrument and style of playing that would later be explored by musicians of nearly every musical style. The Chapman Stick has become one of the most celebrated string innovations of the last 40 years and has enjoyed a great following among players and fans alike. Not being satisfied with just one model, Emmett has designed several products over his career including the team effort with Ned Steinberger to create the NS Stick, which was introduced in 2000.

Michael Compernass is the president of the Hoyer Guitar Company in Germany. Michael focuses on the history of the company’s innovative products, particularly those created by Arthur Hoyer in the late 1940s until his passing in 1967 and Arnold’s son, Walter, who ran the company for a decade. Michael has become a historian on the models and the materials used in making these important and coveted instruments. The company was established back in 1874 by Franz Hoyer who began making acoustic guitars and selling them in and around Germany.

Tomcat Courtney was raised in a cotton field outside of Marlin, Texas. When he was ten years old he saw Bill Bojangles dance in a traveling minstrel show and tomcat was hooked.. He left home at the age of 14 to dance in the circus where he also sang and learned to play the guitar. His style of playing was based on roots music and the blues that he not only heard, but he loved. As a songwriter Tomcat penned “Cook My Breakfast,” “Disaster Blues” and “Railroad Avenue,” which was inspired by an ex-girlfriend named Ruby. Now that’s the blues.

Rosemary D’Andrea has always been interested in art and in fact had a series of galleries in and around Long Island, New York. So when her husband, the president of the D’Andrea Guitar Pick Company asked for her help in designing products and marketing materials, she was hooked! Rosemary had the idea to add colorful picks to the line of products, which was a welcome innovation. She also designed glow-in-the-dark picks and the company’s catalogs over the years.

Tony D’Andrea is the grandson of Luigi D’Andrea, the innovative founder of the famed pick company. After college, Tony joined the company and worked long and hard to expand the business over the years. Among his contributions to the guitar pick are the PRO-GRIP products he created to reduce the problem players were having holding on to their picks. He developed imprinting processes that revolutionized the way and speed picks were printed.