During his senior year of high school, Sean built his first guitar and later discovered that was a defining moment in his life. After graduating, Sean started an apprenticeship studying under master luthier Carl Barney. Given Carl’s level of expertise, Sean was fortunate enough to learn the trade in the truly traditional fashion.  Sean credits an accumulation of trade secrets and much of his forward thinking to his traditional training. However, Sean’s designs are also fueled by a passion for innovation that parallels his love to build.  He has spent the last decade honing his trade to produce stronger, better sounding, and more beautiful instruments.

Sean takes great pride in his work, and he believes that there are few limits for anyone who truly loves their profession.

The path forward was like so many other luthiers.  He went on to building solid body electric guitars for himself and friends until one night at a local jazz concert he was smitten by the sight and sound of the archtop guitar in the band.  He made the decision that this is what he wanted to do.  As time went on, Bill and brother George formed a business partnership located in Patras, Greece.  At Fremediti Guitars, they believe that an instrument should be an extension of the musician’s mind, hands and soul.  To create such exceptional and unique guitars, they use the same key elements.  Their minds use all the knowledge they have collected over the last 25 years of guitar making.  Their hands use the best selection of tone woods together with the optimal materials for their custom pickups, and with the right tools, technology and tradition, they can give life to the guitar of your dreams.

While working at Sadowsky Guitars on Long Island, he has done repair and maintenance for such acclaimed musicians as Steve Miller, Russell Malone, Chico Pinheiro, Tal Yahalom, Frank Vignola, Jimmy Bruno, David Blake, Luis Salcedo and more, all the while gaining the fortunate knowledge required to pursue his real goal of crafting archtop guitars.

D’Arcy’s designs are rooted in the traditions of the great 20th century guitar builders.  He strives to build instruments with complex, rich voices using the finest woods available. Each instrument is hand-carved in his one-man Brooklyn, New York workshop, and is tuned to develop the unique sonic characteristics and optimal voice of each individual top and back.

The aesthetic and tonal choices made in each D’Arcy instrument is made with love and joy. He is pleased to work closely with you to build your dream guitar in any variation of his current models with the ability to go beyond in order to realize your vision.  His skills will amaze you.

Click on Visit Website button on the left and you will go directly to the D’Arcy Guitars website.

However, Kuun couldn’t settle for replicating existing designs. As a visionary designer, he sought to go beyond the norm. Fueled by a deep understanding of the principles of stringed instruments, Kuun began creating his own unique violins, and later expanded his repertoire to include guitars, basses, mandolins, mandocellos, ukuleles, violins, cellos and even a renaissance-type lute.  In fact, we challenge anyone to name a type of stringed instrument that Murray has not built.

The few instrument photographs below merely scratch the surface. With a relentless pursuit of innovation, he has reshaped the landscape of musical instrument design, blending tradition with groundbreaking contemporary aesthetics. Kuun’s instruments are a testament to his unwavering commitment to pushing boundaries and breathing new life into the world of music.  Sound quality, playability and aesthetics (in this order) are his design priorities.

Click on a photo to see the full image.  Click on VISIT WEBSITE to access Murray Kuun Guitars.

Fine Archtops is the sole representative of Scharpach Master Guitars in the U.S. There is a time differential of six to ten hours making communication difficult.   We would love to discuss the possibility of ordering a truly one-of-a-kind instrument hand-made for you by Theo Scharpach. He offers a wide range of prices and options for the player as well as the collector. We will attempt to answer all questions in a timely manner.  Just complete the form below and click the “Submit” button.

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Ed studied classical guitar at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon, and at Tarrant County College in Fort Worth, Texas, where he was taught by James Eddy, a disciple of the renowned Spanish guitarist Andrés Segovia. He performed at master’s classes at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth with José Tomás and later worked at the Rhythm Band Instrument company where he began to develop his lutherie skills.

Click on a photo to enlarge.  Click on VISIT WEBSITE to access Schaefer Guitars.

John is unique among today’s guitar builders in that he apprenticed with not one but two master luthiers. The first was Augustine LoPrinzi, from whom John learned the finer points of building classical guitars.  John later worked with famed archtop builder Robert Benedetto, spending years perfecting the woodworking skills that today make him a master luthier in his own right.

John has created hundreds of exquisite guitars using proven methods passed down over generations. He constantly refines these time-tested techniques, taking each to new levels of perfection in mastering the art of lutherie.  His artist list includes George Benson, Russell Malone, Ron Affif, Gene Bertoncini, Corey Christiansen and many more, all keeping Buscarino’s handmade instruments in considerable demand.  To the collector, Buscarino guitars are sound  investments.

A guitar’s primary function is usually measured in musical terms: its ability to produce precise notes, chords and passages on demand. Consistency is the ultimate test of its perfection.  But to Master Luthier and craftsman John Buscarino, this is only a beginning.  With a custom instrument you get to choose the things that are most important to you. With his wide array of options and models to choose from he makes it easy for you to design the guitar that is just right for you.

Click on a photo to enlarge.  Click on VISIT WEBSITE to access Buscarino Guitars.

His designs are visually breathtaking and unique but it is the quest for the perfect sound and feel that are most important to him.  While he is keenly in tune with how the player hears the guitar his deepest motivation is how it sounds to the audience.  His choice of materials is also crucial in order to satisfy that achievement.  

You can expect only the very best when you commission an archtop or any guitar created by Woody Phifer.  With customers and close friends like George Benson, Ronnie Jordan, Bobby Broom, Richie Hart and David Gilmore, to name a few, what else would you expect?  Woody will work closely with you to ensure every detail and objective is met. We have displayed just a few of his works below. 

Click on a photo to enlarge.  Click on VISIT WEBSITE to access Phifer Guitars.

Hand-crafting custom musical instruments is his major passion while caring for your guitar and bass is always an exciting challenge as well.”

Guillaume was raised in a creative environment with his father and grandfather who were artisan craftsmen as well. It’s around the age of 13 that he made his first guitar, which fueled an instant attraction for the art and passion for building musical instruments.

Many years later, Guillaume’s passion is still burning and he has elevated his art to new levels. He is always looking to expand his knowledge of both past and modern techniques that help his creations resonate even more intensely with players.

With many custom projects always on his bench and an increasing number of artists using his instruments, Rancourt Guitars is enjoying a growing presence on the international level with even brighter hopes for the future.

Click on a photo to enlarge.  Click on VISIT WEBSITE to access Rancourt Guitars.