Upcoming Builder: Joel Stehr

We are looking forward to working with builder Joel Stehr in 2012 on bringing you a custom acoustic guitar unlike many you will find on this site or others.  Joel's unique combination of woods, intricate detail work using those woods and quality craftsmanship give the world an instrument with unique and beautiful aesthetic and voice - but still gives the same familiar satisfaction of playing a more traditional guitar.  For more information, go to StehrGuitars.com or hear from Joel by reading below: 

Creativity. Design. Craftsmanship. When these skills are applied to some of Mother Nature's finest woods to shape an instrument, you have my definition of an acoustic guitar. Not coincidentally, creativity, design, craftsmanship, wood and making music define significant elements of my life and livelihood as well.

I began my journey into the lutherie world in 2000 because it afforded me the opportunity to shape the most amazing woods on the planet into art objects that display the wood's aesthetic and acoustic beauty. Even better, I now have the opportunity to share the joy of making custom guitars with my customers: together, we can handpick each piece of specialty wood that goes into crafting a truly one-of-a-kind instrument.

As a mostly a self-taught luthier, my basic theory of building acoustic guitars came from books, magazines, DVDs, the internet, and feedback from seasoned luthiers. Synthesizing those theories and learning the practical how-to of building acoustic guitars, however, took place in the workshop of trial and error.

To augment my guitar building knowledge and skills I attended the American School of Lutherie in Portland, Oregon, with Master Luthier Charles Fox. Learning from the "dean of educators in the field of guitar making"--a man whose innovative techniques and ideas have single-handedly changed the way many modern luthiers build--was an enlightening, unforgettable, and skill-enhancing experience.

Making a guitar requires technical expertise and intuition; it is never merely a mathematical or scientific process. I build what feels right to me, allowing my senses and instincts to guide me to a finished instrument. The result is a source of pride for both the owner and me, the culmination of a shared vision that incorporates some of the best things in life into a custom guitar.