Traditional Lutherie

Luthier (loo-tee-er) noun : a maker of stringed musical instruments such as violins or guitars.

Compared to most guitarists, I started learning late – near the end of high school – which would partially explain my limited prowess for as many years as I’ve played. After a brief and difficult stint with a $50 parlor guitar, I bought a friend’s modest starter Yamaha to really lean into strumming those first chords. I mostly dodged the guitar-buying bug after purchasing the Taylor I still own today. All of these guitars, in fact, have been acoustic guitars. Acoustic is almost exclusively the only format I’ve needed or wanted to play for years.

During undergrad, I spent a spring break 1,200 miles away from home in Montgomery, AL. A mentor of mine put me in touch with an old friend – a gentleman who builds guitars and teaches young men how. His name is Hank, and the first I’d ever met him was at the front door of his shop called Baruch Guitars. Hank’s workshop is in an old train station now housing the handiwork of a humble master craftsman and servant of Christ. While a week wasn’t enough time to learn everything, I got my hands dirty in varying stages of a few of his acoustic guitar projects – and took away a lot more than woodworking skills.

On top of sounding wonderful and being highly accessible to aspiring musicians, the guitar is a beautiful instrument. Its iconic curves mimic many of its stringed counterparts like the violin, mandolin, cello, upright bass, etc. It also serves as a marvelous backdrop for meticulous inlays, vibrant woods and grain patterns, and nuanced designs pioneered by craftsmen worldwide. I want to break into the electric guitar world, and I want to do it by building a beautiful instrument myself.

I come at this with next to zero knowledge of electric guitars, having spent the entirety of my time in the acoustic world. What I’m finding, however, is that the electric guitar forms I regard as most beautiful are those mimicking the traditional, sound-driven shape of an acoustic.

The first electric guitar – the Telecaster (3, left) – first appeared in 1951, touting a reimagined shape and new approach to music entirely. Shortly thereafter, in 1952, artist and luthier Les Paul released his own electric guitar with his now household name decorating the headstock.

Apart from the acoustic-electric hybrid archtop, the Les Paul guitar body style (4, right) is the most attractive of any for its unmistakable nod to the beauty of much older guitars. A rounded lower bout, narrow waist, and cutaway breaking the otherwise symmetrical upper region fit seamlessly into the traditional history of lutherie. For these reasons, I aim to make a guitar closely resembling the traditional aesthetic of an acoustic guitar that, if possible, incorporates other traditional elements common on similar stringed instruments.

The depth and extensiveness of this project prompted me to start early. I’ve purchased blanks of mahogany and flamed walnut to build the guitar’s body and have started making cuts. I also purchased a bolt-on neck so as not to risk poor playability on this detailed part of the instrument. The design’s shape closely resembles the Les Paul with a few substantial changes to the contours. I’ve also removed the curved top element to simplify the build, making its construction much more like a Telecaster or Stratocaster flat top design. Finally, I’ve opted for a semi-hollow body design that contributes a slight acoustic element to the guitar and gives opportunity to integrate a traditional F-hole into the face of the guitar.

You wouldn’t believe the fun I’m already having.

Citations:

1. Yahoo Entertainment. “Gibson Honors Jeff Beck with a Recreation of His 1959 ‘YardBurst’ Les Paul – before He Gave It a Radical Makeover,” June 24, 2024. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/gibson-honors-jeff-beck-recreation-124112135.html.