Lifelong friends Mathias Roux and Matthew Rice make visually stunning and beautifully executed Casimi Guitars out of their shop in South Africa. For episode 88 of the podcast, Mathias and Matthew discuss how they developed their visual style and the voice of their guitars. They also share their thoughts on the division of labor in the shop, their t…

Joe Zon of Zon Guitars has been pushing the limits of bass building with phenomenal results since the early 1980s. For episode 87 of the podcast, Joe explains his theory and the construction of all-composite necks and how they are used to enhance the sounds of the wood. Joe also discusses his collaboration with Bartolini pickups, active versus pass…

Aluminati Guitars offers innovative, environmentally friendly, and beautifully designed guitars built in Asheville, North Carolina. For episode 86 of the podcast, I sit down with the company's founder, James Little. James tells us about the aluminum, carbon fiber and Lucite components used to make their complete instruments, OEM necks, and off-the-…

Al Beardsell makes beautifully designed and crafted guitars in Winnipeg, Canada. Al started building as a musician because he could not find, or in some cases, afford the kind of guitars he wanted to play. For episode 85 of the podcast, Al shares with us his thoughts on engineered sides, electric acoustic hybrids, making pickups, and much more. Fin…

Cris Mirabella (Mirabella Guitars) makes stunning archtop and electric guitars from his workshop on Long Island. For episode 84 of the podcast, Cris gives us a mini masterclass on New York archtop guitar history. We hear about the origins of Jimmy D’Angelico, Jimmy D’Aquisto, and Vincent DiSerio and how they are all intertwined. Then, Cris shares w…

James Condino builds and repairs guitars, mandolins and standup basses in Asheville, NC. And he plays all of them! For episode 83, James shares with us some commonalities and differences of all the instruments he works on, his business philosophy and the importance of playing music to his craft. Links: https://condino.com/ https://kaybassrepair.com…

Richard Hoover is the founder of the Santa Cruz Guitar Company, which has been a leader in the world of boutique acoustic guitars since 1976. For episode 82 of the podcast, recorded live at the 2023 Fretboard Summit, Richard shares his guiding principles, thoughts on running a company, selecting materials, and much more. Links: https://santacruzgui…

Island Instruments' Nic Delisle makes a wide variety of incredible and innovative guitars out of his Montreal workshop. For episode 81 of the podcast, Nic tells us all about the construction and origins of his new archtop double-top model. We also talk about the guitar co-op he operates out of, his milk paint finishes, his aluminum-neck basses, and…

Larry Fitzgerald is considered one of the world’s top guitar repairmen. As a teenager, Larry was often hanging around NYC’s famous guitar shops on 48th Street. After a year at the Berklee College of Music, he worked at Rudy’s doing repairs and eventually assisted John Suhr in making the renowned Pensa/Suhr guitars. Larry then worked at Mandolin Bro…

Support Luthier on Luthier with our new Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/luthieronluthier You may not know the name Mitsuhiro Uchida, but you should. Mitsuhiro is a national treasure of Japan and has influenced makers like Michi Matsuda and Isaac Jang, who join me for today's podcast. Uchida-san started his international lutherie journey worki…

This month's podcast features one of my favorite builders, Keisuke Nishi of Keystone Guitars. Keisuke went to luthier school in both Japan and the US, worked for First Act, and then did an apprenticeship with acclaimed guitarmaker Mario Beauregard. For episode 78 of the podcast, Keisuke compares his educational experiences and discusses how he was …

Joshia de Jonge builds world-renowned classical guitars out of her one-person shop in Western Quebec. Joshia grew up in a famed guitar-building family and was helping her dad, Sergei, build and teach guitarmaking while she was still a teenager. For episode 77 of the podcast, Joshia tells us when she decided to make lutherie her full-time profession…

Dick Boak started as a draftsman at Martin guitars and stayed for 42 years taking on numerous roles at the company, including Director of the Martin Museum and Archives; Director of Advertising and Artist Models; Guitar Designer, Founder of the 1833 Shop; and more. For episode 76 of the podcast, Dick tells us about his first attempt at guitarmaking…

From a young age, Tim Frick knew that he wanted to make instruments. As a teenager, he began building basses for himself. He'd eventually take a class with famed archtop guitarmaker Tom Ribbecke, work at Gary Brawer's repair shop in San Francisco, and then spend years alongside lutherie legend Frank Ford at Gryphon Guitars in Palo Alto, California.…

Legendary inlay artist Larry Robinson has been adorning guitars with jaw-dropping inlays for over 40 years. For episode 74 of the podcast, Larry discusses the creative and the technical side of inlay work and working with directly with guitar builders and players. Larry also shares his experience working on the Millionth Martin guitar, as well as o…

Guitarist Michael Watts is back for episode 73 of the podcast. Michael recounts the history of Scott Chinery’s famous Blue guitar collection and how it led to his new gig working for the Archtop Foundation. Michael also shares with us his views on flattop vs. archtop guitars, his experience with online gigs during Covid lockdowns, previews all his …

Bryan Galloup started out as a tool and die maker and now runs one of the largest lutherie schools in the US, in addition to making his own line of highly-coveted acoustic guitars. For episode 72 of the podcast, Bryan tells us about his background before making musical instruments, the path that led to the development of his wood grading system, an…

For his entire life, Max Krimmel has dedicated himself to two paths: Making and music. Though Max stopped building guitars in 1983, he went on to craft dulcimers and marimbas and create turned alabaster pieces, some of which are on display in the Smithsonian. For episode 71 of the podcast, I sit down with Max in his Nederland, Colorado studio to he…

Dionguitars.ca Liggettguitars.comBy Ben Liggett

Michael Gurian started building guitars in the early 1960s and then founded the Gurian Guitar Company. He’d go on to create one of the first successful boutique steel string guitar companies of the modern era, with clients ranging from Paul Simon and Jackson Browne to Pierre Bensusan. Michael has also consulted with major guitar companies and event…

San Antonio’s James Roadman is not only a top-notch repair person but also the maker behind some incredible tooling for luthiers. For Episode 69 of the podcast, James tells us how he went from making his own drum set to repairing guitars. He also covers all his machine shop tools and how he uses them in both repair and machining. http://www.jroadma…

Musician, vintage instrument expert, and guitar dealer Eric Schoenberg is largely responsible for the resurgence of OM-size guitars. In the early 1970s, Eric worked with the Martin guitar company to start making OM guitars based on their own late 1920s and early 1930s designs. The project at times also included names we all know such as Dana Bourge…

Today we speak to Scott Heatley, from Heatley Guitars. Scott's instruments have clean lines, and a classic look. Check out his work on IG @heatleyguitars, or visit his website, Heatleyguitars.com.You can see/hear my work on IG @liggettguitars, or visit liggettguitars.com.Please rate, review & subscribe if you enjoy the show! I truly appreciate it.…

Les Godfrey makes world-class electric guitars and basses known for their unique style out of his one-person shop in Kingston, Canada. For episode 67 of the podcast, Les dives deep into his thoughts on design and the role of instrument making in his life. We also hear about his time working in Carl Thompson’s shop, his time as a touring musician, a…

Dusty Gregg spent years as a professional touring guitarist and road tech before starting his own line of guitars. For episode 66 of the podcast, Dusty tells us about how his time on the road serving professional musicians influenced his guitar designs. He also shares his thoughts on winding pickups, pickup magnets, carbon fiber, and much more. htt…

whalehazard.com Liggettguitars.comBy Ben Liggett

Doug and Sharon Proper own and operate Guitar Specialist, one of the top repair shops in the country. Doug started out with ambitions of becoming a professional jazz guitarist and began repairing guitars to help pay for his music studies in college. For our 65th episode of the podcast, Doug tells us about approaching lutherie as a sound financial b…