Guitars
Jean Larrivee fell in love with the guitar as a young boy growing up in Canada during the folk craze of the 1960s. He imagined a unique sound for an acoustic guitar and set out to create a handcrafted instrument that would produce that sound. The more guitars Jean created, the more demand he seemed...
Glenn Derringer is one of the icons of the music products industry. As a small child, Glenn gained national fame as a whiz on the piano and organ. In fact, Elvis Presley opened for Glenn when the soon-to-be crowned King of Rock made his TV debut on the Dorsey Brothers Stage Show in 1955. With great...
Richard Hoover is the founder of Santa Cruz Guitars and a noted luthier known for his methods that demonstrate traditional guitar building is possible even in the modern era of technology. Richard’s vision of his brand of guitars focused on the instrument’s sound and look as well as its playability...
Skip Maggiora has revolutionized retailing within the music products industry. With his Weekend Warriors program a whole new segment of the population was being targeted to become music makers–that of the middle aged. The success of the program and his willingness to share his ideas with other...
Kimberly Lewis grew up in the industry, first with her father’s ShoBud retail store in Nashville and later with his cable and accessories business known the world over as George L’s. Kimberly enjoyed her childhood being surrounded by country legends such as Roy Acuff, whom she also referred to as...
Bob Seidman was born a salesman! Bob knew he loved selling before he was a teenager. One of his early jobs was selling women’s undergarments, but soon his attention turned to musical instruments in the early days of rock and roll. He worked for the jobber Lipsky before opening his own wholesale...
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...
Harvey Leach has an eye for art and skilled craftsman hands, which together has come to define a new era in guitar luthiery and in-lay artistry. Harvey’s work in guitar design has developed hand-in-hand with his passion of in-lay designs. Creative cowboy and western themed scenes have graced his...
Grit Laskin grew up in Toronto and as a teen had his mind set on playing the guitar during the folk boom of the 1960s. He performed, recorded and wrote music, some of which was recorded by the likes of Pete Seeger. Along the way he found a few ways to adjust the guitar to suit him better and thus...
Rick Turner was well known for his innovative handcrafted guitars and for pioneering the resurgence of American luthiers in the 1960s and 70s. With an ear for quality sound and an eye for design, Rick created a new approach to the art of guitar making and in so doing promoted the fine art talents...