Builders

Buendia Guitars

Boutique

USA · est. 2015

I’m a one-man operation shop with a deep-rooted belief in the value of music and craftsmanship. With the perspective and experience of a performing musician, I began my career as a luthier in my hometown of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Years later, I moved to Oakland, California to specialize in the construction of high-end steel string acoustic guitars in a 40 month apprenticeship to the renowned Ervin Somogyi. Upon completion, I founded Buendia Guitars. I build one-of-a-kind custom guitars with the depth of sound and immediate response desired by professional musicians and guitar players around the world. The process of discovering together with my clients exactly what they want or need in a guitar fills my work with a sense of meaning. I come from a culture that places great value on connectivity and conversation. Admittedly I find great joy in working alone in a very focused and detail-oriented way; but it is working with people, and not just wood, that makes this my true calling. While my teacher’s lineage is apparent in every guitar I build, my goal is to maintain a beginner’s mind so that every guitar can be as truly unique as its player.

Luthier: Leo Buendia

Casimi Guitars

South Africa

Casimi Guitars are bespoke acoustic instruments created by a two man team from their workshop in Cape Town South Africa. Each Casimi guitar is a one-off piece made from the finest woods to the highest possible standards. Prized by musicians and collectors alike Casimi guitars are known for their powerful, sophisticated voice and immediate response.

Luthiers: MATTHIAS ROUX, MATTHEW RICE

Cetus Guitars

China · est. 2016

Cetus Guitars is an independent luthier workshop founded by Abigail and Tan, with Hanson contributing as a fellow luthier. The atelier is dedicated to designing and handcrafting modern-style acoustic guitars.

Luthiers: Abigail, Tan, Hanson Cai

Gaffney Guitars

Boutique

USA · est. 2016

Gaffney Guitars is the independent atelier of Julian Gaffney, whose lineage runs through three of American lutherie's most distinguished names: formal training at the Galloup School of Lutherie, seven and a half years alongside Roger Sadowsky in New York — during which he helped revive the Sadowsky acoustic line, dormant for more than twenty years — and an apprenticeship with Ervin Somogyi in California, widely regarded as the pinnacle of modern steel-string craft. From a small shop in Beacon, New York, the instruments that leave the bench today carry that inheritance forward: Sadowsky's precision in setup and playability, Somogyi's uncompromising pursuit of acoustic voice, refined over years of independent work into a sensibility distinctly Julian's own. A modest number of hand-built steel-strings emerge each year, each shaped with unhurried devotion to workmanship, tone, and design.

Luthier: Julian Gaffney

Halland Guitars

Boutique

USA

Based in Livingston, Montana, Halland Guitars is a boutique brand dedicated to the art of bespoke, master-grade acoustic instruments. Founded by luthier Gage Halland, the brand was born from a lifelong devotion to the guitar. Halland Guitars is defined by an obsessive, "always make it better" approach to craftsmanship. Rather than simply reproducing traditional designs, the brand applies original theories on acoustic sound production to address the inherent limitations found in standard acoustic guitars. Every Halland instrument is meticulously handcrafted to balance perfectionist construction with innovative design. The result is a guitar that is not only built to the highest possible standard but also possesses a voice, aesthetic, and responsiveness that are instantly and unmistakably recognized as a Halland.

Luthier: Gage Halland

Hiramitsu Guitars

Boutique

Japan · est. 1998

Hiramitsu Guitars is a Japanese boutique atelier devoted to the quiet refinement of handcrafted acoustic instruments. Drawing from Yasunori Hiramitsu’s classical guitar background, each guitar is built with an emphasis on balance, resonance, and understated elegance. The result is a deeply musical instrument: precise in construction, graceful in voice, and created for players who value nuance over ornament.

Luthier: Yasunori Hiramitsu

Isaac Jang Guitars

Boutique

USA · est. 2016

Luthier: Isaac Jang

Jeff Traugott Guitars

Boutique

USA · est. 1991

Jeff Traugott Guitars is an atelier of fine handmade guitars based in Santa Cruz, California. Founded and solely operated by luthier Jeff Traugott, the workshop is devoted to instruments of exceptional tonal character, effortless playability, and uncompromising craftsmanship, each built personally by Jeff from start to finish.

Luthier: Jeff Traugott

Matsuda Guitars

Boutique

USA · est. 2002

Matsuda Guitars embodies the art of modern handmade lutherie: intimate, architectural, and uncompromising. Each guitar is crafted as a singular object of sound and form, designed for discerning musicians who value rarity, nuance, and quiet innovation.

Luthier: Michihiro Matsuda

My building is informed by almost 40 years as a guitar player, with half of that as a professional with the Grammy and Juno Award winning band The Duhks. My years of touring and constant playing have resulted in a broad experience as a musician and have also led me to an intimate understanding of the various aspects of a guitar's function and playability. From sound production to set up, I have been involved in a love affair with the guitar for most of my life. I built my first guitar in September of 1999 with David Freeman in Saskatchewan, Canada. It was really just an interesting way to get a (hopefully) better acoustic guitar than I could afford at the time, but I was consumed and I never looked back. I returned to Winnipeg, quit my job, took over my father's small workshop and began building guitars full time. In 2001 I traveled to Spain for a masterclass with Spanish Luthier José Luis Romanillos. This marked a significant turning point in my building and ignited a deep passion and respect for the craft and for those who came before. I build mostly by hand, and use a minimum of jigs and fixtures. While this results in a limited number of instruments each year, it gives me the freedom to meet specific requests for customizing, and also allows me to work each piece of timber to bring out the best it has to offer, both sonically and aesthetically.

Luthier: Jordan McConnell

Qin Guitars

Boutique

China · est. 2019

Luthier: Zhicheng Qin

Riviere Guitars

Boutique

USA · est. 2022

Riviere Guitars was established in 2022 by luthier Judson Riviere as an expression of his personal philosophy of acoustic guitar making. Each instrument is conceived and crafted individually, with an emphasis on tonal sophistication, exceptional responsiveness, effortless playability, and enduring elegance. Drawing upon a foundation of traditional lutherie and years of intimate experience with the construction and repair of fine instruments, Riviere approaches every guitar as a singular musical object. Rather than adhering rigidly to a prescribed formula, he carefully considers the relationship between materials, architecture, voicing, and the individual character of each instrument. The result is a distinctly personal interpretation of the acoustic guitar—one that balances clarity and complexity, power and nuance, projection and intimacy. Built in limited numbers with meticulous attention to detail, Riviere guitars are intended not simply as instruments, but as refined expressions of the luthier’s craft, created to be played, admired, and cherished across generations.

Luthier: Judson Riviere

Taran Guitars

UK · est. 2007

Taran Guitars meticulously build unique, world-class instruments from the finest materials which offer music lovers across the globe exceptional sound and design. Guided by our core principles - pursuing excellence in process and product, fostering innovation, sourcing responsibly, and embracing collaboration - we aim to shape the future of music and craftsmanship. From its inception in 2007, Taran Guitars has collaborated with some of the world’s finest musicians and players, and alongside bespoke customer orders, we are also proudly represented by dealers across the globe.

Luthier: Rory Dowling

Uchida Guitars

Boutique

Japan · est. 1991

Uchida Guitars is a boutique atelier dedicated to the art of handcrafted acoustic instruments. Quietly luxurious and uncompromising in detail, each guitar is shaped as an individual work of tone, balance, and timeless craftsmanship.

Luthier: Mitsuhiro Uchida

Z Guitars

Boutique

China · est. 2016

Through Z Guitars, Pengcheng Zhang explores how a modern instrument can carry the temperament of ancient civilization without becoming nostalgic. His full biography provides a more comprehensive portrait of the intellectual trajectory, cross-disciplinary influences, and aesthetic principles that underpin his craft.

Luthier: Pengcheng Zhang