Guild Guitar
Jay Pilzer is the founder of New Hope Guitars and has been very active in the vintage guitar market for several decades. While earning his doctorate and teaching history, Jay became fascinated with guitars. As a musician he enjoyed playing them and as a history professor he enjoyed learning about...
Ramon Portal moved from Cuba to the United States in 1962 and heard of an inventory job at Guild Guitar and, as he often has said, his American dream came true. Ramon worked his way up within the company until he was appointed Vice President. Ramon was connected with the company during many major...
Millie Detgen was one of the very few female manufacturers reps in the music products industry in the 1970’s and 80’s. She began working with her husband Gene Detgen after they were married in 1971. Gene was the Sales Manager at Pacific Music Supply in Los Angeles at that time. His main product...
Jerry Muenchow a veteran of the music industry worked in music retail for five years before joining the famed Chicago Musical Instrument Company (CMI) as a field sales representative in Michigan. Jerry held that position for 10 years before becoming a Regional Sales Manager for Fender Musical...
Duane Eddy has been a strong influence on generations of guitarists and played a key role in making instrumental songs viable as hit makers in popular music. Duane recorded several hit records beginning in the late 1950s, which continued into the 1960s including “Rebel Rouser” and “Boss Guitar.”...
Frank Untermyer studied woodworking and instrument building in Germany before returning to the United States to help form Hamer Guitars with college friends, Paul Hamer and Jol Dantzig. The company produced a series of innovative products and when it was sold to Kaman, both Frank and Jol moved to...
Willy Vassilopoulos joined the Ovation Guitar Company in New Hartford Connecticut to follow his love of woodworking. He soon took part in the production of the instrument, which was originally introduced by Charles Kaman in the 1960s. The Ovation Guitar was unique for its round back made out of a...
Robert Bromberg has had a long career in the music products industry, as did his father. In fact, his father designed the mirror piano, which helped keep the industry alive during World War II. Adding mirrors to used pianos helped to make them more sellable, as all-new pianos were not being made...
Neil Lilien has been a life long supporter of the arts, playing music since he was a child and growing up to own one of the finest names in stringed instruments. Neil worked for Guild Guitars for nearly 20 years before purchasing Meisel Stringed Instruments in 1984. The company, which had also been...
Larry Goldstein, currently a vice president at Westheimer Music, has a passion for the history of the music industry. Larry was able to provide a terrific perspective to our interview collection by recounting the early days of the Guild Guitar Company as well as the great wholesalers of our past...