The history of rock music will forever be highlighted by a select few who managed to achieve far greater heights than their contemporaries. Jimi Hendrix is one with the sheer brilliance and expertise par excellence had no boundaries or restrictions to limit his potential and the magic he was capable of with the guitar. With […]
By Steve Rider The guitar is an instrument with many faces and names. It’s possible that no other instrument can claim the numerous facets of the indomitable six-string. Whether it’s a sleek modern instrument made for the agile shredder or the roughed-up old acoustic in the weathered hands of a Delta Bluesman, the guitar has […]
By Jesse Ian Hopkins When I was a young(er) luthier, I worked for a guy who used to say, “With guitar making, you have to sneak your innovations in quietly.” This echoed something that I read in Bob Benedetto’s book that where he wrote, “Evolution is a slow process with the prolific makers at the […]
By Howard Paul In 48 years of Benedetto Guitars, three things remain constant: • Adhering to tradition for unfailing techniques and designs.• Innovating for the sake of improvement only when tradition fails to produce sonic and structural consistency.• Listening to the professional players while providing uncompromising quality and playability. In my ten years working alongside […]
By Steve Rider Dake Traphagen is an amazingly accomplished luthier with style firmly rooted in the traditional. At first glance, his instruments may seem very conservative in style, but upon closer inspection, the attention to tiny details jumps out at you. Dake pays tribute to the long history of luthiery with his unassuming style yet […]
Words and Photographs by Rory Anson LUTHIER ROGER GIFFIN CELEBRATES 50-YEARS OF BUILDING GUITARS FOR ROCK & ROLL’S ELITE In 2019 I visited The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and had an opportunity to check out Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock & Roll. This exhibit offers visitors a rare glimpse at […]
By Steve Rider “Empty your mind; be formless, shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle, and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot; it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow, or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”― […]
There are some years and models in the guitar Parthenon that need no introduction. As players and gear lovers, we have instinctually been brought up to know these years are “the special years.” Today’s topic will be one of those legendary models, the 1957 Stratocaster. This Stratocaster often needs no introduction on its importance, but […]
There’s not much that hasn’t already been written about Steve Morse. A storied career, Steve has done remarkable things in bands like the Dixie Dregs to playing with shredders Steve Vai and Joe Satriani. Morse’s career took off slowly, often culminating in abrupt junctures where most musicians would give up. However, Morse was adamant about […]
By Steve Rider Aaron Green is one of those rare and lucky people who discover their passion in life at a young age. He began building guitars before leaving high school, and that passion has led him to the pinnacle of the guitar world. Humorous, insightful, and dedicated to music and luthiery, Aarons’s patrons are […]
