 Paul Hostetter, luthier bowed instruments plectrum and other instruments professional background art plastic! The rest of
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There are a lot of smart, capable folks in the
world of
lutherie. We are in the Golden Age, there's no doubt about it. Here are
a few of my most esteemed colleagues in the world of fretted
instruments
- who are at least accessible through the internet.
Now, Sobell guitars had always seemed to be in the hands of effete, cultist "celtic" players and didn't grab my attention until one day, after refretting one for someone, I sat strumming it, checking for buzzes and sharp spots. Suddenly, an hour later I was still playing it and I realized what a truly extraordinary guitar it was. Sustain and overtones in abundance. No American guitar made sounds like it did. Never mind the looks, it's simply not engineered like any other guitar - nor does it sound like any other. I admire luthiers who can do something really different, and Stefan certainly has succeeded here. I own a bunch of guitars, but only really play a few of them. My Sobell Sicilian is a mainstay, a deeply satisfying guitar. Recording engineers can't get over it either. Stefan Sobell lives in a little town out in the country, way
up almost
to Scotland, so you'll probably never get there. Instead, you can visit
his website. Fretboard Journal, a very fine periodical, did a
really nice article about him awhile back.  Gryphon
Stringed Instruments
Co-owners Richard Johnston and Frank Ford have had this shop in Palo Alto, just south of San Francisco, since dinosaurs roamed the Stanford campus, and it's a good thing. They're the Bay Area's premier shop, and they do it all: every kind of string instrument, new and used, books, a great repair department, concerts, lessons - you name it, they do it, and do it exceedingly well. Gryphon Stringed InstrumentsTheir homepage is at www.GryphonStrings.com Not only that, Frank Ford is a wonderful repairman, a most
ingenious
guy and long an inspiration to me. He has his own related website,
dealing
with instruments and so forth, at www.frets.com
That Frank can keep his repair department rolling while also doing his
website is a testament to something. Please drop by, and tell him
Groucho
sent you.  Flip Van Domberg Scipio Flip is generally found in Brooklyn these days (no longer on
Staten Island). He is a graduate of the musical instrument
technology course at the London College of Furniture & Interior
Design.
Flip was the former head of repair at the Guild guitar factory and
Mandolin
Brothers before starting his own shop. His work is stunning. They don't
make people like him any more. If he can't fit it in, which is entirely
posible, he'll hopefully at least be able to
recommend someone. You may visit his website at www.flipscipio.com and may even try calling him on the phone: 516-426-5624.
Phone them at 517-372-7890 Monday - Saturday from 9am to 5pm EST Check their website at http://www.elderly.com/ Email them at information@elderly.com  Marc Silber has been dealing in second hand instruments like guitars, Hawaiian guitars, mandolins, ukuleles, banjos and so forth, for the past forty years. He has also instigated new acoustic instruments such as guitars, ukuleles, and Hawaiian guitars, under the name Marc Silber Guitars (formerly K & S Guitars).
Marc knows a whole lot. He's a person to just talk to, for
historical
information and for his unique perspectives on a wide variety of
things.
 Among other things, he teaches lessons in roots of American guitar styles in Berkeley. Sometimes he goes out in the woods to do it. His website is at http://www.marcsilbermusic.com/ Contact Marc Silber by email at marc@marcsilbermusic.com His phone & fax are (510) 843-2883 Send him a letter at Marc Silber
www.pantheonguitars.com is the online home of Dana Bourgeois Guitars, where you'll find online specials and progress reports on how this operation is doing these days. For an explanation of who Pantheon is and what's the latest, check Pantheon Guitar news here. Dana Bourgeois honed his skills as a custom builder (think of the original Schoenberg Soloists), restorer of vintage guitars, teacher of other luthiers, critical thinker, and consultant to the industry. Since 1974 he has specialized in building traditionally styled flattop guitars, and has built fine archtop guitars since 1982. I have admired his work and his knowledge for many years.  And then there's John Monteleone. 
Back in 1978, I instigated both their F and H models. The H-13 was reissued as a 25th Anniversary special model to my original specs at the 2002 NAMM show in Anaheim, California. I was thrilled about seeing the model coming back "to origins," and seeing how successful that relaunch has been. The #4 prototype I kept from the original batch remains my steady favorite guitar. This is but one of many fine models these folks build. Please visit them at http://www.santacruzguitar.com or contact them somehow at 151 Harvey West Boulevard, Suite C, Santa Cruz, California 95060 USA. Phone remains (831) 425-0999, and email them at: scgc@santacruzguitar.com
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Elderly
Instruments
is a music store and mail-order service featuring a huge stock of new
and
used guitars, basses, amplifiers, effects, banjos, mandolins, fiddles,
dulcimers, harmonicas, accordions, bodhrans, and many other
instruments,
plus an extensive selection of instructional books and videos, plus
1000's
of hard-to-find CD's & cassettes. They are to the midwest as
Gryphon
is to the Pacific edge. Wonderful people.
He
says: "Repairs are considered."
Last
but certainly not least of course, there are my old friends, Santa Cruz
Guitar. I knew the original trio of partners before they had met one
another
and started the company in a garage on Santa Cruz's west side, and have
worked closely with them off and on ever since. The one remaining
partner,
Richard Hoover, is still cheerfully and enthusiastically leading the
effort,
and this is a good thing.