Luthiers

Ervin Somogyi began his career as a instrument repairman, which is how he learned the important elements of a guitar. He studied what went wrong with guitars, their weaknesses, and what he could do in designing and building his own guitars that would make them unique and stronger. He developed his own style and went on to teach his craft. Ervin has also written two books including “Making the Responsive Guitar: The Techniques, the Tools, and the Procedures” published in 2010.

Stuart Spector’s creation of the Spector Bass is recognized around the world.  As Stuart explained, little has changed in the design of the Spector guitar since it was first created in 1974.  Three years later Stuart hired a furniture builder named Ned Steinberger, who designed the famed NS headless bass.  When Kramer Musical Instruments purchased Spector, a series of Kramer-Spector instruments were produced between 1986 and 1990 including the NS-6 electric guitar.  Years later he formed Stuart Spector Designs and created a host

Ned Steinberger is known around the world for his innovative instrument designs. His guitars and basses created without the traditional headstock gained wide popularity in the 1980s rock era and have come to be known simply as Steinbergers. When he formed NS Designs in 1990, Ned focused on electric classical instruments such as the double bass, bass cello, cello, viola and violin. Ned’s passion for making musical instruments is clear in the sound of each of his products. He remains one of the great innovators of the music products industry. 

Stephen Stern was born a wood craftsman. In fact, growing up his two passions became building furniture and playing the guitar. When he had an opportunity to put both together in the early 1980s, he jumped at the chance and went to work for Charvel Guitars. After returning to cabinet making he saw an ad for a job at the newly created custom guitar division at Fender and applied for the job. John Page hired him back in 1993 and gave Stephen the task of over-seeing the building of the D’Aquisto arch top guitars at Fender.

Ola Strandberg is the luthier, founder and Chief Creative Officer for Strandberg Guitars located in Uppsala, Sweden. Ola actually played drums as a kid, but when the family moved and the kit did not fit in the truck, he took up the guitar. Early in his career Ola was working in a music store where he repaired and set up guitars and by the end of his teens he had made a few guitars of his own. After a 15 year career in the software industry, Ola needed a mental break, which brought him back to his passion for guitar building.

John Suhr began formulating ideas of designing and modifying the electric guitar while working as a repairman at Rudy's Guitar Shop in New York City.  After sharpening his skills as a master builder in Fender's Custom Shop in California, John established JS Technologies Inc. to produce his own line of guitars and amps.  Over the years the company has developed an innovative product line that includes their popular amplifier series. 

Bob Taylor enrolled in wood shop while a student in high school and made a guitar for his final grade. The idea of making his own guitars came easy to Bob and he set out to create his own style of guitars. Many of his friends told him he could not compete with long standing companies, but Bob focused on what he wanted to build and he built it. The Taylor Guitar Company has become one of the leaders in guitar innovation, especially as it relates to the neck assembly that Bob created over the years. Bob has been a strong advocate for music education and has offered many instrument d

Horst Teller was the son of Oskar Teller, who formed a small workshop in 1929 in Schonbach to make musical instruments. After World War II, the company was rebuilt in Bubenreuth in 1949 and soon Oskar was joined in his shop by his son Horst. Horst began expanding the product line to include dulcimers while continuing in the tradition of his father with a focus on guitars and zithers. The company was moved in 1980 when Horst’s son Wolfgang took over the business and changed the name but also followed the traditions of his father and grandfather.  

Wolfgang Teller joined the family musical instrument making business in 1980. His grandfather, Oskar, formed a small shop in 1928 and his father, Horst, joined him in 1949. When Wolfgang finished his apprenticeship it was decided to move the workshop from Bubenrueth, Germany to close by Neukirchen and the shop name was changed to Wolfgang Teller Gitarren & Zithern Company. Wolfgang’s dedication to the art of his craft led him to complete his master’s examinations and later becoming Zupfinstrumentenbaumeister. He also won several Bavarian State Prizes including the gold medal a

Rick Thacker is one of five kids in his family, all of which became multi instrumentalists. Rick pursued violin and viola beginning with the Suzuki Method when he was just three years old. The process of learning these instruments was not easy for him, however, when he began lessons with a new teacher when he was 13, a teacher who played along with Rick, something clicked. He learned all he could about his instruments and the learning process, becoming a teacher himself just three years later. He was giving private lessons and teaching at his church when he began thinking about th

Michael Tobias is well known as a gifted and knowledgeable guitar luthier. The Tobias bass, now made by Gibson, has often been praised for its playability and unique sound. Mike is also among the country’s leading authorities on American guitars, having been a guitar repairman since he was 23 years old. His NAMM Oral History interview was completed on July 23, 2005.  

Stefano Trabucchi’s father loved music and encouraged his son to play the violin when he was eight. Stefano was fascinated by the instrument and by thirteen wanted to build his own. The following year his supportive parents allowed him to travel to Cremona to study violin making in the same town as Stradivarius. He found himself immersed in the rich history of the luthiers of that region and after working in a local shop was able to open his own in 1992. Along with building instruments (over 500 violins, cellos and double basses at the time of this interview), Stefano focused on t

Marcellus Trach recalls with a smile the many rules a wood worker had to follow in the C.F. Martin & Company when he was first hired after World War II. He also expressed the pride so many of his co-workers felt over the years towards the world-class musical instruments they were making each day. Marcellus like so many others worked for the guitar builder his entire career and like many of his co-workers he found that his son took an interest and followed in his footsteps at the company.  

Rick Turner was well known for his innovative handcrafted guitars and for pioneering the resurgence of American luthiers in the 1960s and 70s. With an ear for quality sound and an eye for design, Rick created a new approach to the art of guitar making and in so doing promoted the fine art talents of in-lay design, and acoustic electronics among many facets of instrument building. His long career in music has strong ties to recording and amplification, which included a decade-long gig on the road with the Grateful Dead.  

Arturo Valdez was known around the world as the “guitar repairman to the stars.” With his shop located on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood, California, Arturo worked on thousands of guitars, many legendary in the history of rock and roll. He opened his shop in the early 1960s and soon had customers such as John Lennon, Eric Clapton and John Denver. Over the years Arturo also created his own brand of guitars and became a sought-after luthier as well. Beginning in the 1980s he designed his own line of classical and Flamenco guitars, which have been sold around the world. 

Willy Vassilopoulos joined the Ovation Guitar Company in New Hartford Connecticut to follow his love of woodworking. He soon took part in the production of the instrument, which was originally introduced by Charles Kaman in the 1960s. The Ovation Guitar was unique for its round back made out of a material close to fiberglass. The company grew over the decades and established a number of other innovative designs and products.

Joe Veillette took a luthier class, a class by Michael Gurian back in 1971 and never looked back!  He became so interested in guitar building that he teamed up with Harvey Citron and formed Veillette-Citron in 1976.  The two luthiers collaborated with John Sebastian to develop and market the first production baritone guitar. Veillette-Citron pioneered neck-thru-body construction, made innovations in instrument electronics, and set new trends in modern electric bass design. And that was only the beginning of a career that has redefined handcrafted guitar building!

Manuel Velazquez was one of the greatest guitar luthiers of the last one hundred years. He was born in Puerto Rico in 1917 and handcrafted his first classical guitar when he was still a teenager in 1929. He studied the art of guitar making from his older brother and the importance of woods from his father, who was a farmer. By 1941 Manuel moved to New York where he opened his first shop. Before long his instruments gained the attention of performers around the world. Among those who sought out and played Manuel’s guitars was Andre Segovia, the premier classical guitarist in the wo

Herbert Volkmann like so many of his generation saw the horrors of war while growing up in Germany before and during World War II. Herbert and other musical instrument makers moved to Bubenreuth after the war and focused on the craftsmanship that for Herbert was a family tradition. Amid the sorrow of the era arose beautiful musical instruments that provided the tools for musicians to help express the feelings of the land through music. Herbert focused on making guitars for the Hofner Company before focusing on zithers in his own workshop in Bubenreuth.  

Donnie Wade "borrowed" his parent’s car when he was 14 years old to drive to a bar so he could hear Freddie King play the guitar! That experience and an earlier encounter with Merle Travis marked the beginning of his passion for the guitar! That passion took him from his own retail shop in Texas to setting up factories in Asia and more recently to Fender, where he is the chief luthier for the Gretsch brand.  A career that all started with a car drive.

Lester Wagner began in the woodworking and sanding department of the C.F. Martin & Company before World War II. He moved from the North Street Plant in 1964 to the bigger manufacturing plant in the current location on Sycamore Street in Nazareth, PA. Lester was assigned to the ukulele department at the height of the instrument’s boom in the 1950s. He attributed the boom to the popularity of TV host Arthur Godfrey, who often played the ukulele on his show.  

Herbert Wanka is the master bow maker who established his own company in Baiersdorf, Germany in 1971. He began making bows in 1952 and worked as an apprentice to the renowned craftsman, Emanuel Schuster, in Bubenreuth Germany. After completing his master examinations in 1968, Herbert formed his own workshop in Bubenreuth before moving the shop to Baiersdorf in 1977. Over the years he has established himself as one of the master bow makers in the world and has shared his craft with many students and young builders over the years.  

WT Warmoth is currently an Industrial Design major at Savannah College of Art & Design and has dreams of becoming a guitar luthier.  As the son of William and Ellen Warmoth, the founders of Artisan Guitars outside of Nashville, WT has learned the art and craftsmanship of guitar builders from some of the country’s best known luthiers.  With a strong musical background, WT is also a great salesman for the store, which was presented a NAMM Top Dealers Award at the time of his interview in July 2012.

Claude Watson was a precise and revered luthier who perfected the fine art of handcrafted instrument building. He was known for his clever design and complex inlay work in country-style flat tops and a series of violins, cellos, and string basses. He most enjoyed building the guitar and was always willing to show off his current projects, or provide a tour of the large pile of wood he acquired and stored in his back yard. His guitar series was Emmanuel, which Claude took from the Bible as one of the names for Christ.  

Darren Webb has played a key role at Santa Cruz Guitar Company since joining the team in the 1990s.  With a focus on the service and repair of older Santa Cruz instruments, most importantly their lifetime warranty, he ensures quality and consistency in each instrument that is sent back to the shop for minor maintenance to major restorations. Darren was interviewed during the 40th anniversary of the company, which took place in September 2016.

Abraham Wechter grew up listening to Yiddish music and took piano and violin lessons as a kid. He used to sneak a transistor radio under his pillow at night and listen to underground rock radio stations. His passion for building guitars came about when he was in a music store, looked into the repair shop, and saw the guys working on his guitar. That moment stayed with him his whole life and his hard work landed him a spot in the Gibson factory making guitars. After Gibson moved to Nashville, Abraham decided to stick to what he knew and started building his own brand of guitars. To

Hagen Weise was born in Dresden. He shares his experience of his apprenticeship at Musima in a state run production in East Germany before 1989. Per day, four-hundred classical guitars were built until the material allotted for the day was used up. The guitar makers sometimes finished their work at 2 PM. After reunification Hagen Weise moved to Bubenreuth and started working at the Paesold workshop where he switched to making violins. In 2004 he received his master diploma. A colleague who worked at Höfner Klaus Clement and Hagen decided to open their own shop. Today Hagen Weise w

Paul Werkheiser often says he would never trade his memories of the years he worked for the C.F. Martin & Company. He expressed the family-like relationships he had and the pleasure it was for him to be a part of the growth of the guitar company. Pauly worked at nearly every level of assembly and production and made life-long friends along the way. He retired from the company in 2006. The following year he returned to the first factory for a tour and to convey some of his stories for the NAMM library collection.  

Lynn Wheelwright has always been fascinated with the guitar, especially the craft of building the instrument. After performing as a teenager, he developed many of his luthier skills from repairing guitars in his own shop. After befriending Alvino Rey in the 1980s and repairing several of Mr. Rey’s instruments, Lynn began studying the history of vintage guitars. In recent years he has provided lectures and written articles about vintage guitars all the while researching all he can about the history of the guitar.  

Art Wiggs has always admired the Gretsch brand of guitars.  He grew up in a musical family, as his parents played in church and on the radio together.  As a kid he played the guitar with a classmate and the duo even had a running gig at Disneyland.  He gave up playing to focus on his young family and to keep his day job.  He retired from Union Carbide in 1988 and started Wings Guitar Products.  He enjoyed buying and selling guitars.  Art expanded his business, with his son's help, to travel to guitar shows around the country.  He soon focused on Gretsch Guitars and has since worke

Roland Wilfer is a fourth generation master luthier of the Emanuel Wilfer Double Bass Master Workshop. The workshop was founded 1905 and is specialized in crafting fine double basses for classical music, jazz, rockabilly and blues. Owner Roland Wilfer visits three trade shows a year to meet his clients, many musicians and enthusiasts of the basses that he and eight employees of the fine workshop make. Marketing is done by word of mouth. The business has shifted from wholesalers to musicians contacting Roland Wilfer directly, and that’s just fine with him.

 Bob Willcutt still loves repairing guitars.  The nice view of downtown Lexington from his repair bench doesn't hurt.  Initially working as a social worker, Bob repaired and rebuilt vintage folk instruments as a hobby starting in the 1960's. After repairing and mentoring at a local music store, he went on to found his own guitar and repair shop.  Growing steadily for the last several decades, Bob has found continued success with expansion of the online retail portion of his business.  In addition,  the internet has helped promote his great and growing reputation as a repairman and