[Julian J. Ludwig]

David Daily

http://www.dailyguitars.com

I have been in the guitar building business for thirty years. The thing that has sustained me through all those years is my love for building guitars. There is a high when you are completing a guitar--carving the neck, hammering the frets, putting on the polish, anticipating a new instrument.There is really nothing like it. I have a lot of my own collections—camera equipment, stereo equipment, lps, boots. And I love holding a new piece in my hands. The beauty of these things can be just stunning. And a guitar is whatever any of that is squared.

[Julian J. Ludwig]

Allan Fontanilla

http://www.fontanilla.com













A San Francisco native, Allan Fontanilla is a self-taught luthier who currently builds classical guitars. He built his first instrument in his spare time in 1987 while earning his B.A. in music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. With the majority of his time now devoted to lutherie along with repairing as a side, his custom built classical guitars range from conservative and traditional to nontraditional with modern features and modern building techniques. He believes that as long as the luthier makes and does everything, that only then can one can consider a guitar truly handmade. Everything must be done himself- from rosettes and bridges to neck shaping and finish work.

Past exhibitions of his guitars include several Healdsburg Guitar Festivals, the Guitar Foundation of America (GFA) in La Jolla, California, Charleston SC, and Montreal Quebec Canada. Allan's guitars have been featured in Acoustic Guitar Magazine and Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine. He has also been featured on several San Francisco television cable programs.

[Julian J. Ludwig]

Arnie Gamble

http://www.arniegamble.com






Arnie learned his first chord playing around campfires with his dad. At Monterey Peninsula College in the 70’s he studied classical guitar with Bryon Paul Tomingas. In 1972 Arnie bought his first handmade flamenco guitar from Jose Oribe.

Arnie began building guitars in 1978, starting with five-string vihuelas and parlor size steel strings. His wife, Erin O’Toole, also began to design and inlay guitars. Today their diverse talents come together in the musical instruments they build. After twenty plus years of building everything from lutes to harps to resonator guitars, they continue to explore the possibilities of acoustic instruments.

Arnie is an active member of the Luthier’s Guild. String Letter Publishing features his ten-string guitar in the recent book “Custom Guitars”. Well known for his restoration and repair skills, he has been an authorized repairman for Martin, Taylor, Fender and Guild guitars for many years.

Arnie is an accomplished guitarist and mandolin player, a familiar face at local jams. As both a player and teacher himself, Arnie is sympathetic to the particular needs of individual players and their music. His guitars have satisfied many players both in the classical and steel string world.

[Julian J. Ludwig]

Dake Traphagen

http://www.traphagenguitars.com







Becoming a luthier was a very pleasant surprise in life. As a young boy my parents and I purchased a viola from a violin maker and repairman who told me "you have workman's hands". An interesting thing to say to a budding musician, but in the end, it was true. As it came to pass, nearly twelve years later in 1972 , I began my studies as a violin maker/ repairman with this very man, Mr. Ed Hunnington, in California.

My mother, of course, had her hand in this "surprise". In 1970, desperately searching for a Christmas present for a son who was interested in everything, she, for some reason, bought me a Dulcimer kit. I so enjoyed building that instrument on the dining room table of my apartment, using a couple of hand tools and books for clamps, I had to try building another which eventually led to other types of folk instruments.

Another craftsmen friend encouraged me to build a guitar. With some trepidation I did, and then I built another and another and so on. Two whirlwind years later, I was studying violin making and repair while serving a two year apprenticeship with the above mentioned luthier.

In this age of digital relationships, digital sound, and immediate gratification, we often lose sight of the hands-on nature of the arts. To me, guitar making is more than technique or science, more than just the finished product. It is an experiential, hands-on relationship one develops over years of trial and error, and comes to life when one develops a deeper insight into the medium with which one is involved.

These days, many builders feel it is imperative to maximize one's time; time is money. By designing a better jig or router combination, luthiers hope to make each part of the instrument more precise, more quickly. While I understand the need for efficiency, my experience tells me the more one physically removes the hands from the wood, the less one understands what that particular piece of wood needs.

A truly great guitar needs the human touch, intuition, and insight; therefore, I still primarily use hand tools so that I may feel the wood as I work with it. Moreover, I still use traditional glues and finishes, for I believe this helps the instrument maximize its potential. I try to build each section of the guitar in such a way that all its parts work together, and the instrument becomes a unified expression. This, to me, is the art of luthiery. When a guitar becomes a "product", it ceases to be a true expression of musicality.

[Julian J. Ludwig]

Jens Towet

http://www.towet-gitarren.com


















I started playing the guitar when I was a young boy and have been filled with an enthusiasm for playing ever since. A few years ago this enthusiasm for the guitar extended to attempts at actually making guitars.

During my apprenticeship as a joiner I built my first solid electric guitars and bass guitars and then graduated to steel string acoustic guitars. The ultimate challenge to me though was in the making of classical guitars.

In order to progress this desire I realised that professional help would be a step forward and was accepted as a student at the prestigious 'Newark School of Classical Guitar Making' in England. I studied and learned the
craft from the two world wide recognized makers Roy Courtnall (author of the book "Making Master Guitars") and Tony Johnson who did inspire me and still is!
In a further step to extend my skills as a luthier I did a professional course in making and repairing violins, violas and cellos.

I now have a collection of classical guitars, steel string acoustic guitars and violins that can be viewed on this web site. If you have any special wishes and would like a guitar customized to your individual needs please feel free to discuss them with me.

[Julian J. Ludwig]

Michael Thames

http://www.thamesclassicalguitars.com

















I have been building guitars for more than 30 years now, and have constructed over 500 thus far. This has given me a vast amount of experience and contributes to my present day approach to building. Throughout the years my taste has changed, and what I thought was good at one point has been replaced with a new approach to design and the philosophy of sound while constantly evolving.

All rosettes and purflings are hand-dyed, and made by myself. Each time I make a new batch of rosettes, they will differ slightly. A few examples can be found on the website. I like a more understated rosette, rather than what I call “butterfly rosettes”, and feel the beauty of the classical guitar lies more in the balance and proportions rather than a lot of gaudy colors and inlay. I use the finest Italian and European spruce Soundboards, as well as the best Western Red Cedar available. The Soundboard is really the heart of the guitar and I spare no expense in locating the best quality I can.

The sides are laminated with 2 woods, rosewood and mahogany in most cases. The sides are 4mm thick which contributes greatly to the sustain of my guitars. This process is much more time consuming, but these days I find I would not make a guitar without using this process. However, in making guitars such as a Torres or Hauser style, I will use a single rosewood side if desired to keep its historical perspective.

I use hot hide glue on all critical composites of the guitar, all top bracing and back bracing and use it for attaching both top and back to the sides, as well as the fingerboard. Hide glue is unsurpassed in transmitting higher partial harmonics. It dries to a crystalline state unlike tite-bond, which forms a plastic bond and actually inhibits the higher overtones. The guitars, as a result, have a much crisper attack and greater sustain.

Working with hide glue is again more difficult, time consuming, and takes much more experience than other glues, but well worth it. On lutes and early instruments, I use it on every part. It’s said that the Egyptians used it on their furniture and it is still holding together after 5000 years.

In the early years, I sought volume. While this is important, I now try to combine balance and warmth along with volume. I believe the single most important quality in the sound of a great guitar, is the attack and ease of response. My guitars have always been known for this. For those who prefer to focus more on volume, I make a model featuring different composite tops, which makes for a very loud guitar. This type of guitar can be heard on Jamey Bellizzi’s excellent recording

[Julian J. Ludwig]

Mikhail Robert

http://www.robertguitars.com







Mikhail Robert began studying violin and classical guitar at the age of 8, this was the beginning of a passionate love affair with the classical guitar that has lasted his entire life. Being a luthier requires more than the ability to assemble classical guitars. It requires the ability to be an historian, to possess passion for the purest sound, to love music and above all, to yearn to share it.

A great classical guitar resonates as much within the audience as within the player. It becomes the bond between them, a feeling that is shared, where the music flows from artist to listener. An intimate gift, a mingling of souls.

It is our goal at Robert Guitars, that each finely crafted instrument carry the capacity for such magic.




Robert Guitars are makers of fine classical guitars and short scale custom fitted concert guitars.

A regular choice of many uncompromising concert and recording artists, Robert classicals are enjoying ever increasing international recognition and demand.

Mikhail Robert is a purist. Robert guitars are all about excellence.

Because there is precious little quality left, we are committed to restoring ones faith in all things good and true.

Over the last 20 years our focus has been to create artist-quality instruments that provide the best possible sound while maintaining a subtle yet uncompromising aesthetic.

[Julian J. Ludwig]

Luigi Mariotti

http://web.tiscali.it/luigi_mariotti/


Gravação/ Recording :















Luigi Mariotti, was born in Rovereto, in the Italian province of Trento, in 1929. He has been living in Switzerland, near Zurich, since 1958. Already early in his life, Luigi Mariotti decided to follow his passion for the guitar and to deepen his understanding of this splendid instrument from various angles: by playing the guitar, studying teaching methods, constructing guitars and composing.
After concluding his school education Luigi Mariotti learned the profession of a violin maker at the school of Luigi Mozzani. There, he also gained basic skills in playing the violin and the guitar. He extended his skills under the guidance of his teacher, Camen Lenzi Mozzani, and obtained his teaching diploma in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1954, where he was taught by Andres Gavino, Roberto Lara and Manuel Lopez Ramos. During the same period Luigi Mariotti learned the art of making guitars, finding that the guitar maker's skills he had acquired in his youth were a valuable support. It is thus no great surprise that he was eventually successful on the international level, his instruments being played by well-known guitarists such as Alfonso Moreno, Minerva Garibay Moreno, Manuel Lopez Ramos, the Duo Zarate, but also by his daughter, Deborah Mariotti.
While teaching at various high schools in Zurich for almost 30 years, Luigi Mariotti could apply and extend his knowledge in the didactic field.
For Luigi Mariotti, the compositis for solo guitar he created in later years constitute the musical expression of his experience of life on the instrument which accompanied him since his early youth: the guitar. His instruments were been utilized for performances with important orchesters, such the London Simphony Orchestra, Mexico City Orchestra and others, with great results.

[Julian J. Ludwig]

Earl S. Marsh

http://www.earlsmarsh-guitars.co.uk

[Julian J. Ludwig]

Pascal Quinson

http://www.chez.com/quinsonluthier/