Our hand-selected luthiers for the upcoming Summer 2025 High Desert Luthiery Invitational at Rio Bravo Brewing in Albuquerque
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Unga Guitars
Perry Vasquez
Albuquerque, New Mexico
I have been a luthier for 25 years and design and build guitars, basses, and other unique stringed instruments. I like to take the wants and needs of the player and use my experience as a luthier to create a tool that works specifically for them.
I have a preference for thin, almost bare-wood finishes. I feel this approach lets the player connect with the instrument with more grace and ease. I want to build an instrument the player doesn’t want to put down.
I also teach luthiery!
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Peter John Thomas Guitars
Pete
Albuquerque, New Mexico
As a life-long lover of music, guitars, and all “mechanical arts” I finally found my way home to the art and creative craft of guitar building.
As a new builder, I especially love the generosity and community of luthiers - a rare find in a harried world.
Focus and devotion represent the best of creative humans and instruments made with care become our heirlooms.
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Felix Violins
Julia Felix
Santa Fe, New Mexico
My interest in lutherie began in college when I began to make a connection between my love of music and my love of woodworking. After graduating with a degree in Studio Art, I attended North Bennet Street School's Violin Making and Repair program in Boston, Massachusetts, where I learned how to build violins and violas in the traditional Cremonese style.
In 2019, I returned to my hometown of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and now focus primarily on making new instruments out of my home workshop for violinists and violists around the country.
In addition to being a violin maker, I have a 5-year-old son, a 10-year-old pomeranian, play classical guitar, organize socials for the Women in Lutherie Facebook Group, and volunteer at my local makerspace, MAKE Santa Fe.
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LEF Custom Guitars
Luis
Corrales, New Mexico
All of my guitars are handmade with attention to detail, using the skills I’ve developed over the past 18 years. With over 200 guitars made, I feel I’ve reached the master-built level.
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Otto Guitars
Doug
Rio Rancho, New Mexico
I work in tech, but in my free time I’m a luthier. I made bespoke electric guitars and pickups in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.
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Monte
Albuquerque, New Mexico
I’ve been building for over 45 years. I specialize in electric guitars and have many satisfied customers.
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Longbow Guitars
John
Albuquerque, New Mexico
We specialize in arch-top, solid bodies and flat-top hollow body electrics and basses.
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Kauppila Lutherie
John Kauppila
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Kauppila Lutherie is a full-service stringed instrument repair shop, providing quality service to the musicians of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
John Kauppila, the owner and luthier, also handcrafts high-end acoustic and electric guitars and ukuleles.
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Gary Müller Guitars
Gary Müller
Hermosa, Colorado
Gary Müller was looking for a new challenge when he retired in 2021. He wanted to create something beautiful with his hands—something that would allow him to pursue both his love of music and his love of woodworking. He chose luthiery—the construction and repair of fine stringed instruments. Working in his 120-year-old barn in Hermosa, Colorado, armed with his chisels, saws and an old, hand-me-down apron, he began to learn and apply this ancient craft.
Gary now believes that hand-making these intricate instruments out of various tone woods is his calling. He fashions this precious material into acoustic guitars, ukuleles and cigar box guitars that are a pleasure to hold, play, and study. Thoughtfully designed and passionately crafted, no two instruments are exactly alike, but each is a functional work of art.
Gary has designed and built small body “parlor guitars”. His “Songwriter Series” are perfect for picking and writing on the couch or the porch.
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Copperhead Custom Guitars
London Holley
Carefree, Arizona
Music has always been central to my life. Prior to developing my craft as a maker, I played bass semi-professionally with a group that traveled and recorded across the American Southwest.
Dreaming up my own “ideal” instruments sparked a love of luthiery; as such, I’ve always approached my design-to-build process with the eyes of a player as well as an artist. Tradition has its place, certainly, but innovation is my focus.
Upon graduating from Roberto-Venn’s rigorous program (alongside a talented class of peers), I built up a shop in the desert of Carefree, Arizona, the landscape of which is inspirational in itself.
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Aberdeen Guitars
Emily & Patrick
Santa Cruz, California
We specialize in handbuilt, vintage-inspired American guitars, crafted from scratch in sunny Santa Cruz, California. Each guitar is carefully designed as a one-of-a-kind instrument, featuring a dovetail neck joint. Choose from our ever-changing lineup of completed guitars or work with us to realize your vision for a custom OM or dreadnought.
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Rustic Raven
Nathan Bennett
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Establish in 2017 in the Estancia Valley, Rustic Raven is a small custom wood shop that takes care and pride in all we do. We strive to bring you the best custom guitars and basses.
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Quantars
Quanah Lee
Santa Fe, New Mexico
A one-man-shop building custom, handmade electric guitars and basses in the little hills of New Mexico.
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Goateed Skull Guitars
Pat Hepburn
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Goateed Skull Guitars is my creative outlet to make instruments that I see in my head.
I have been an artist and musician all my life. I take all my learned knowledge plus my imagination to create one-of-a-kind instruments.
If I have an idea that hasn’t been tried, I go for it!
I hope you enjoy my craziness and have fun with my builds!
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Allred Guitars
Mark Allred
Phoenix, Arizona
I am a luthier and luthiery instructor at Roberto Venn School of Luthiery.
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New Grain Solutions
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Bellflower Strings
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Wilson Burnham Guitars
Wilson Burnham
Peñasco, New Mexico
I build classical guitars in a small studio near Taos, New Mexico.
I only use hand tools and high quality woods to make my guitars. This allows me to make a guitar that has a true singing voice with robust projection capable of producing a large range of tonal colors and nuances.
As a classical guitar player myself, I know the joy of playing a truly wonderful guitar—one that sings, is responsive to your playing style, with a voice that reaches the last row of seats in a recital or concert hall, and most of all, a guitar that you fall in love with so much you never want to stop playing it. That is the kind of guitar that I make.
I am an official sponsor of Twisted Spruce Music Foundation. This foundation brings together composers and classical guitarists to collaborate on creating a 21st century repertoire for the classical guitar.
Wilson Burnham Guitars Website
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Roberto Venn School of Luthiery
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Stay Gold Guitars
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Founded in 2019, Stay Gold Guitars offers new, vintage, and used acoustic guitars with a special emphasis on vintage flattop guitars.
In addition to our retail side, Stay Gold Guitars operates a workshop in Santa Fe where a team of luthiers rebuild, repair, and restore vintage acoustic guitars (including X-brace conversions).