Links to Websites we Recommend

Guitar Companies, Makers/ Builders

Martin Guitars

Established in 1833, C. F. Martin & Co. is the oldest surviving maker of guitars in the world. Currently the largest producer of acoustic guitars in the United States, the company is highly regarded for creating some of the finest instruments and introducing innovations that have become industry standards in the music products industry.

Taylor Guitars

Taylor Guitars is an El Cajon, California‐based luthier, specializing in acoustic guitars, as well as semi-hollow and solidbody electric guitars. It was established in 1974 by Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug.

Larrivee Guitars

Jean Larrivée Guitars Ltd. is a family-owned and -operated Canadian company that manufacturers acoustic guitars. Founded in 1967 by Jean Larrivée, the company was moved from Toronto, Ontario to Victoria, British Columbia in 1977, and to Vancouver in 1982. A second plant opened in California in September 2001.

Lowden Guitars

George Lowden says, “The journey began in earnest in 1974 when I began the design and building of the first Lowden guitars in my workshop in Bangor County Down, Northern Ireland. From the very beginning I was determined to develop unique designs and not just copy well known makes.”

The Lowden guitar is the result of unique design, workmanship and assembly techniques along with our choice of woods.

Bourgeois Guitars

Pantheon Guitars was formed in October, 2000 when Dana Bourgeois, a well known master luthier, and a set of new business investors came together. Dana and Bourgeois Guitars had, up to that point, crafted over 1,000 of the finest acoustic instruments played by musicians around the world. At that time, having designed and built guitars for more than a quarter of a century, it was exciting for Dana to be part of Pantheon Guitars and combine strong business resources, marketing capability and great guitar building into the same organization. Together, everyone at Pantheon Guitars is working to be the best “small shop” acoustic guitar builder in the world, and Dana, now, part of Pantheon Guitars, has the opportunity to focus on designing and building instruments of the highest quality and making Bourgeois guitars the best they can be.

Northwood Guitars

John McQuarrie says, “I am incredibly fortunate to be able to work with some of the most beautiful species of wood in the world. By combining the finest of tonewoods, an intelligent design, and the most stringent attention to detail, inside and out, I can ensure that a Northwood guitar not only looks and sounds beautiful, but performs beautifully as well.”

Gallagher Guitar

Gallagher Guitars are built by hand in very limited numbers. From 1965 to 2005 only 3037 instruments were made, that’s around 75 a year. Limited numbers, unlimited care. There is no substitute for fine craftsmanship in a musical instrument. The workmanship on all Gallagher guitars is the same regardless of price or model.

Lakewood Guitars

What is the Sound of Magic? It’s when the song you are playing seems to play itself. It’s when you pick up a guitar and from the moment you play it you become inspired, and new ideas flow freely with every strum. It’s when your guitar becomes the vehicle of your inspiration, and an extension of your soul. It’s that elusive element that is the difference between a mass produced, machine-made guitar, and a hand-made instrument that takes on the soul of its creator, and eventually its owner.

National Guitars

To understand what a National is all about, you have to understand that the purpose of the Tricone and single resonator is to amplify sound.

Other Sites About Acoustic Guitars

Acoustic Guitar Magazine

Reviews, lessons and tips for beginning guitar players as well as the seasoned pro.

Banjo Companies, Makers/ Builders

Wildwood Banjos

Wildwood Banjos are hand made from the finest figured hardwoods available. From beautiful curly maples and curly black walnuts, to exotic species such as Ebony, Bubinga and Wenge. From the traditional simplicity of the MINSTREL to the ornate design of the SOLOIST, we offer a well balanced range of banjos in styles for the traditional frailing and clawhammer style players, and classic powerful bluegrass banjos for 3-finger pickers. The blend of old world craftsmanship and modern technology helps produce banjos of unequaled quality and design.

Deering Banjo Company

Makers of Deering, Vega, Tenbrooks & Goodtime banjos.

Stelling Banjo Works

In what was once a one room school house, built on the side of Heard’s Mountain in 1900, where sons and daughters of those who worked in the mountainside apple orchards learned their “3 Rs” and minded their “P’s and Q’s”, you will now find a myriad of woodworking equipment, handtools, and supplies suitable for creating the world’s finest banjos and other stringed instruments. The young students have long since been replaced by seasoned luthiers who are known around the world as the master craftsmen of Stelling Banjo Works.

Hammered Dulcimer Makers/Builders

Songbird Dulcimers

Home of hammered dulcimer makers Chris & Melanie Foss of Muscatine, Iowa.

Masterworks

While playing around on a hammer dulcimer made from a kit belonging to his brother-in-law, Russell Cook’s imagination was stirred. One day, while driving a school bus, he spotted an old junk piano sitting under a big oak tree. With permission from the owners, Russell took what he needed to build his first dulcimer in the spring of 1979. Teaching himself to play, he participated in several dulcimer festivals and competitions with his handmade instrument. Continuing to experiment, Russell even sold some of his dulcimers enabling him to buy tools and supplies for future instruments. Entering the Southern Regional Dulcimer Competition in 1981, Russell won first place. A few months later, he became National Champion.

Dusty Strings

Since we began building in 1978, we’ve continued to improve our instrument designs, exchanged ideas with other builders and players, and worked hard to make Dusty Strings instruments among the finest available.

Rick Thum

Ranked as the most influential dulcimer player of the last decade by readers of Dulcimer Player News, Rick Thum has made his mark on every aspect of the hammered dulcimer world. Rick is perhaps best known from his latest album, “Front Porch Waltz,” and his festival performances, which have regularly earned him the “most popular performer” title at the largest national dulcimer festival. He brings a combination of passion and friendly accessibility to his teaching that makes his workshops and master classes favorites at festivals across the country, and has tapped this teaching experience to produce the best-selling instructional CD series for hammered dulcimer, the “Original Song of the Month Club”. Rick is also the designer of the highly-regarded line of hammered dulcimers bearing his name. Yet for all his time in the studio, onstage, in the classroom, and in the luthier’s shop, Rick is most at home at a late-night jam session, where you might even find him playing an instrument other than the dulcimer from time to time.

Mountain Dulcimer Makers/Builders

Blue Lion Instruments

Builders of fine, hand-crafted, mountain dulcimers and acoustic guitars. Here’s a link to a wonderful article about Bob and Janita Baker, who make the fine dulcimers featured here at Wildwood Music.

McSpadden Dulcimers

McSpadden Dulcimers specialty is the mountain dulcimer; our five full-time craftsmen have 142 years of experience among them. The experience we have gained gives us the confidence to offer you a high-quality dulcimer at an affordable price, covered by a guarantee you can count on.

Noteworthy Woodworking

Jeff Gaynor of Ravenna, Ohio has been hand building musical instruments for over 20 years. He makes five sizes of harps, lap and hammered dulcimers, three sizes of bowed psalteries and an all wood banjo. All of his instruments feature solid wood construction, quality hardware and the best finishing materials available.

Folkcraft Dulcimers

Folkcraft Instruments—a family-owned business that has two generations of luthiers creating quality crafted instruments.

Timbre Hill Dulcimers

From the workbench of Paul Conrad, Timbre Hill Dulcimers are the end product of a process that imagines and creates a strong yet delicate voice that wants to live in a wooden box that is a pleasure to hold, touch, play and perceive.