Tonewood Masters: The Past-Forward Essays
The Tonewood Masters project showcases the harmonious interplay between the artisans who craft exquisite acoustic guitars and the virtuosos who bring them to life. It acknowledges that mastery of tonewoods transcends the skilled hands of luthiers, finding its ultimate expression in the creative minds and nimble fingers of the musicians who play them. Just as the makers challenge the conventions of traditional guitar building by blending time-honored techniques with groundbreaking innovations, the players push the boundaries of the instrument's expressive potential through their forays into uncharted musical landscapes. United in their passion, these Tonewood Masters—the makers and the players—are the vanguards of a new era in acoustic guitar artistry, one that honors the instrument's storied past while sculpting its future. Through this symbiotic relationship, they elevate the acoustic guitar to new heights of craftsmanship, creativity, and musical expression, leaving an indelible mark on the ever-evolving world of music.
Acoustic Alchemy: New Sonic Horizons in the Future of Guitar Makinging
A new era of guitar making has dawned, where the intersection of tradition and innovation, art and craft, is giving rise to acoustic instruments of unprecedented efficiency, dynamic range, and tonal versatility, shaping the future of the guitar and the music it inspires.
The acoustic guitar is undergoing a renaissance, with luthiers pushing the boundaries of tradition to create instruments that are more responsive, ergonomic, and sonically versatile than ever before. Drawing from a diverse range of backgrounds, from aerospace engineering to fine woodworking, today's guitar makers are melding time-honored techniques with cutting-edge materials and design innovations. The result is a new generation of guitars that honor the instrument's rich heritage while expanding its expressive potential.
One of the primary goals driving this evolution is acoustic efficiency—maximizing the amount of string energy that is converted into sound rather than being lost as heat. Guitar makers are employing a variety of strategies to boost this efficiency, such as using asymmetrical bridge designs, incorporating carbon fiber for stability and reflectiveness, and experimenting with bracing patterns that are lighter yet stronger. Double tops, featuring an advanced honeycomb material sandwiched between thin spruce plates, are also becoming more prevalent as a means to create a more responsive soundboard.
Another major trend is the blending of features from different guitar styles to create hybrids that combine the best qualities of each. For example, some luthiers are building "crossover" models that mate the deep bass response of a flattop steel-string with the clarity and note separation of an archtop jazz box. Fanned fret systems, enabling different scale lengths for the bass and treble strings, are facilitating the creation of multi-string guitars with extended range.
Tradition is yielding ground in body shapes as well, with many makers eschewing the typical dreadnoughts and OM patterns for designs of their own creation. We are witnessing a veritable Cambrian explosion of new forms. Unfettered by adherence to the conventional molds, these luthiers are letting their own aesthetic and sound preferences guide them to instruments that are distinctive in both look and tone.
Even in the world of tonewoods, makers are seeking out spectacular sets with uncommon figure and coloring, often letting the natural beauty of these materials serve as the primary decoration. Exotic alternatives are supplementing the conventional spruce, rosewood, and mahogany palette. And for those builders who do choose to adorn their creations, the level of artistry in inlay and finish work has reached stunning new heights.
Luthiers are also paying keen attention to ergonomics and playability, crafting instruments that are a joy to hold and play. Features like beveled edges, wedge-shaped bodies, elevated fingerboards, shorter scale lengths and side sound ports are becoming increasingly common. The aim is to create guitars that are optimally balanced, easy on the hands and arms, and rewarding to the player's ear.
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this new golden age of guitar making is its sheer diversity and the spirit of open-minded experimentation that infuses it. From visually radical reinventions of the instrument to subtle refinements of its centuries-old form, it seems no avenue is out of bounds. Unencumbered by dogma and driven by a restless curiosity, today's luthiers are ensuring the guitar's continued vitality as a musical and cultural force. Through their impassioned explorations and innovations, they are delivering ever more inspiring tools into the hands of the musicians who will chart the future of the guitar's voice.
One of the primary goals driving this evolution is acoustic efficiency—maximizing the amount of string energy that is converted into sound rather than being lost as heat. Guitar makers are employing a variety of strategies to boost this efficiency, such as using asymmetrical bridge designs, incorporating carbon fiber for stability and reflectiveness, and experimenting with bracing patterns that are lighter yet stronger. Double tops, featuring an advanced honeycomb material sandwiched between thin spruce plates, are also becoming more prevalent as a means to create a more responsive soundboard.
Another major trend is the blending of features from different guitar styles to create hybrids that combine the best qualities of each. For example, some luthiers are building "crossover" models that mate the deep bass response of a flattop steel-string with the clarity and note separation of an archtop jazz box. Fanned fret systems, enabling different scale lengths for the bass and treble strings, are facilitating the creation of multi-string guitars with extended range.
Tradition is yielding ground in body shapes as well, with many makers eschewing the typical dreadnoughts and OM patterns for designs of their own creation. We are witnessing a veritable Cambrian explosion of new forms. Unfettered by adherence to the conventional molds, these luthiers are letting their own aesthetic and sound preferences guide them to instruments that are distinctive in both look and tone.
Even in the world of tonewoods, makers are seeking out spectacular sets with uncommon figure and coloring, often letting the natural beauty of these materials serve as the primary decoration. Exotic alternatives are supplementing the conventional spruce, rosewood, and mahogany palette. And for those builders who do choose to adorn their creations, the level of artistry in inlay and finish work has reached stunning new heights.
Luthiers are also paying keen attention to ergonomics and playability, crafting instruments that are a joy to hold and play. Features like beveled edges, wedge-shaped bodies, elevated fingerboards, shorter scale lengths and side sound ports are becoming increasingly common. The aim is to create guitars that are optimally balanced, easy on the hands and arms, and rewarding to the player's ear.
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this new golden age of guitar making is its sheer diversity and the spirit of open-minded experimentation that infuses it. From visually radical reinventions of the instrument to subtle refinements of its centuries-old form, it seems no avenue is out of bounds. Unencumbered by dogma and driven by a restless curiosity, today's luthiers are ensuring the guitar's continued vitality as a musical and cultural force. Through their impassioned explorations and innovations, they are delivering ever more inspiring tools into the hands of the musicians who will chart the future of the guitar's voice.
The Fingerstyle Frontier: Redefining the American Acoustic Guitar
From the humble beginnings of blues, ragtime, and country to the bold and innovative sounds of today's masters, the fingerstyle technique has revolutionized the acoustic guitar, transforming it into a portable polyphonic powerhouse that continues to shape the landscape of American music.
The guitar has become an undeniable American icon, finding its way into every corner of American culture. Just as the modern classical guitar was refined in the inspired hands of the Spanish, the modern acoustic steel-string guitar is a distinctly American contribution. Indeed, many of the great innovations of the past century were wrought in the shops of C.F. Martin, Orville Gibson and many others. The instrument continues to be molded and refined, in response to the demands of today's master players as they push the limits of what their instruments can do.
Perhaps no single approach to playing the instrument has pushed those limits more than fingerstyle—a technique that uses, to great advantage, the fingers of the right hand to individually pluck the strings, rather than a flatpick to strum or pick them. It is here that the greatest potential of the guitar is realized: melody, independently moving bass lines, and inner voices combine to create a complete, almost "orchestral" sound.
In the disciplined hands of the fingerstylist, the guitar takes on many attributes of the piano—but can be held in the player's lap! What other instrument can boast such portable polyphony? Fingerstyle guitarists are unique among musicians in their ability to simultaneously and independently express every musical thought with all the dynamics of a symphony (strong words but try to get a vibrato on a piano).
It's no surprise then, that the guitar figures so prominently in the history of American music. It was through guitar—and fingerstyle guitar in particular—that blues, ragtime, country, gospel, jazz, and other forms melded with regional music traditions extending from the Mississippi Delta to the Memphis barrelhouses to the back porches of Muhlenburg County, KY. Scratchy 78 sides cut in the '20s and '30s testify to these roots of American fingerstyle music. In the forties, struggling guitarists would listen to their radios, mesmerized by Chet Atkins' magical sounds, concluding that there must be at least two guitarists playing. There weren't.
Today, the genre has proliferated and flourished as at no other time in history. In the inexhaustible quest to discover new sounds and make new and daring musical statements, players slap, tap, and pop their strings. Rapping the body of the guitar, they extract percussive accents as though it were a drum. They reach over and fret notes with the right hand. Their ventures into the realm of altered tunings effectively extend the harmonic range of the instrument, creating deep, resonating basses, new and wonderful chord voices, and sonic textures never before realized. Combined now with the spirits of South American, African, Middle Eastern, Oriental and European music, the resulting contemporary American fingerstyle repertoire is exciting, challenging, inspiring, stirring.
The select group of fingerstyle players presented in the Tonewood Masters project exemplify all that is excellent in the field. They are the new trailblazers—the bold ones who will take guitar into the next century. They will inspire current and future generations of players, just as they have taken the baton from America’s rich heritage of guitarists of years past. All of us, the guitar players and guitar listeners, are the beneficiaries of this rich and continuing legacy.
Perhaps no single approach to playing the instrument has pushed those limits more than fingerstyle—a technique that uses, to great advantage, the fingers of the right hand to individually pluck the strings, rather than a flatpick to strum or pick them. It is here that the greatest potential of the guitar is realized: melody, independently moving bass lines, and inner voices combine to create a complete, almost "orchestral" sound.
In the disciplined hands of the fingerstylist, the guitar takes on many attributes of the piano—but can be held in the player's lap! What other instrument can boast such portable polyphony? Fingerstyle guitarists are unique among musicians in their ability to simultaneously and independently express every musical thought with all the dynamics of a symphony (strong words but try to get a vibrato on a piano).
It's no surprise then, that the guitar figures so prominently in the history of American music. It was through guitar—and fingerstyle guitar in particular—that blues, ragtime, country, gospel, jazz, and other forms melded with regional music traditions extending from the Mississippi Delta to the Memphis barrelhouses to the back porches of Muhlenburg County, KY. Scratchy 78 sides cut in the '20s and '30s testify to these roots of American fingerstyle music. In the forties, struggling guitarists would listen to their radios, mesmerized by Chet Atkins' magical sounds, concluding that there must be at least two guitarists playing. There weren't.
Today, the genre has proliferated and flourished as at no other time in history. In the inexhaustible quest to discover new sounds and make new and daring musical statements, players slap, tap, and pop their strings. Rapping the body of the guitar, they extract percussive accents as though it were a drum. They reach over and fret notes with the right hand. Their ventures into the realm of altered tunings effectively extend the harmonic range of the instrument, creating deep, resonating basses, new and wonderful chord voices, and sonic textures never before realized. Combined now with the spirits of South American, African, Middle Eastern, Oriental and European music, the resulting contemporary American fingerstyle repertoire is exciting, challenging, inspiring, stirring.
The select group of fingerstyle players presented in the Tonewood Masters project exemplify all that is excellent in the field. They are the new trailblazers—the bold ones who will take guitar into the next century. They will inspire current and future generations of players, just as they have taken the baton from America’s rich heritage of guitarists of years past. All of us, the guitar players and guitar listeners, are the beneficiaries of this rich and continuing legacy.
The Good, the True, and the Beautiful
"Tis God gives skill, but not without men's hands: He could not make Antonio Stradivari's violins without Antonio."
— George Eliot
In the quiet depths of a forest, where sunlight filters through a cathedral of leaves, lies the genesis of a guitar. Here, nature begins its timeless work, nurturing trees that will one day sing with human hands. The journey of tonewood, from seedling to symphony, is a celebration of the wonder and uniqueness that nature bestows upon its creations.
Each species—spruce, maple, mahogany, rosewood—carries within its fibers the promise of a distinct voice, waiting to be awakened. As decades pass, these trees grow strong and tall. The wood ages, yielding to the formative elements of the seasons, forging the raw potential that will, one day, meet the skilled hands of the luthier.
The transformation from tree to tonewood is a quasi-sacred process, echoing the words inscribed on an Elizabethan lute:
Each species—spruce, maple, mahogany, rosewood—carries within its fibers the promise of a distinct voice, waiting to be awakened. As decades pass, these trees grow strong and tall. The wood ages, yielding to the formative elements of the seasons, forging the raw potential that will, one day, meet the skilled hands of the luthier.
The transformation from tree to tonewood is a quasi-sacred process, echoing the words inscribed on an Elizabethan lute:
VIVA FUI IN SILVISSUM DURA OCCISASECURI DUM VIXI TACUIMORTUA DULCE CANO
I was alive in the forestI was cut by the cruel axeIn life I was silentIn death I sweetly sing
I was alive in the forestI was cut by the cruel axeIn life I was silentIn death I sweetly sing
These words encapsulate the essence of a tree's journey and its metamorphosis into a musical instrument. Implied here is a relationship, intimate and reciprocal, between nature and the hands that shape its yield.
Enter the luthier, a master craftsman whose hands are guided by an innate understanding of the wood's latent musical nature. More than mere wood, the luthier perceives the story it carries, the songs it has yet to sing, and the beauty it can reveal. With not only skill, but heart, mind, and spirit, the luthier selects each piece, assessing its grain, density, and resonance. In the process, the luthier becomes an alchemist, transforming the raw material into a vessel of sonic wonder. He grades, shapes, and sands the wood, coaxing out its hidden beauty. Curved sides and a graceful neck emerge, while the soundboard and its braces are carefully carved to optimize the desired response, each step a meditation.
As the final coat of finish dries, the guitar is born, yet its true destiny remains unfulfilled until it finds its way into the hands of its player. With skilled fingers, the player coaxes forth the guitar's voice, releasing the melodies and harmonies that lay dormant within the grain. The musician, too, develops a reciprocal relationship with the instrument, amplifying the strengths that are unique in its own personality and purpose.
In this communal trinity—wood, luthier, and musician—something transcendent occurs. The good, the true, and the beautiful intertwine, yielding moments of magic that resonate through the air and into the hearts of all who listen. The guitar becomes a conduit, a bridge across the natural world, human ingenuity, and artistic expression. The trees' songs, once whispered in the forest, now resonate through the instruments crafted from their woods.
From the forest to the stage, the journey of a guitar reminds us that beauty is all around us, waiting to be discovered, nurtured, and shared. In a world often beset by discord, the music born from this partnership serves as a balm, uniting people across boundaries and reminding us of our shared humanity.
Yet, this symphony is not exclusive to those who play or craft. Even as listeners, we are participants in this enchanted process. We become part of the story, resonating with the music and connecting with all that it conveys. In listening, we honor the journey of the wood, the skill of the luthier, and the expression of the musician.
This is why we celebrate the tonewoods, the luthiers, and the musicians, for they are the alchemists of our age. Through their dedication and passion, they create not just instruments, but portals to joy, solace, and connection. It is through this collaboration that the world is graced with music that moves, heals, and inspires. Together, we can harness the power of music to make our world a better place, one note at a time. And in this shared experience, we find a reflection of the best of ourselves—an ode to the good, the true, and the beautiful.
Enter the luthier, a master craftsman whose hands are guided by an innate understanding of the wood's latent musical nature. More than mere wood, the luthier perceives the story it carries, the songs it has yet to sing, and the beauty it can reveal. With not only skill, but heart, mind, and spirit, the luthier selects each piece, assessing its grain, density, and resonance. In the process, the luthier becomes an alchemist, transforming the raw material into a vessel of sonic wonder. He grades, shapes, and sands the wood, coaxing out its hidden beauty. Curved sides and a graceful neck emerge, while the soundboard and its braces are carefully carved to optimize the desired response, each step a meditation.
As the final coat of finish dries, the guitar is born, yet its true destiny remains unfulfilled until it finds its way into the hands of its player. With skilled fingers, the player coaxes forth the guitar's voice, releasing the melodies and harmonies that lay dormant within the grain. The musician, too, develops a reciprocal relationship with the instrument, amplifying the strengths that are unique in its own personality and purpose.
In this communal trinity—wood, luthier, and musician—something transcendent occurs. The good, the true, and the beautiful intertwine, yielding moments of magic that resonate through the air and into the hearts of all who listen. The guitar becomes a conduit, a bridge across the natural world, human ingenuity, and artistic expression. The trees' songs, once whispered in the forest, now resonate through the instruments crafted from their woods.
From the forest to the stage, the journey of a guitar reminds us that beauty is all around us, waiting to be discovered, nurtured, and shared. In a world often beset by discord, the music born from this partnership serves as a balm, uniting people across boundaries and reminding us of our shared humanity.
Yet, this symphony is not exclusive to those who play or craft. Even as listeners, we are participants in this enchanted process. We become part of the story, resonating with the music and connecting with all that it conveys. In listening, we honor the journey of the wood, the skill of the luthier, and the expression of the musician.
This is why we celebrate the tonewoods, the luthiers, and the musicians, for they are the alchemists of our age. Through their dedication and passion, they create not just instruments, but portals to joy, solace, and connection. It is through this collaboration that the world is graced with music that moves, heals, and inspires. Together, we can harness the power of music to make our world a better place, one note at a time. And in this shared experience, we find a reflection of the best of ourselves—an ode to the good, the true, and the beautiful.
The Backstory
By John Schroeter
I suppose it all began the same way it did for many late Boomers who grew up to become musicians (is that an oxymoron?): my mother's voice, equal parts excitement and urgency, calling me into the den to witness a moment that would change my life forever. There, on our small black and white television, The Beatles were making their historic appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. It was February of 1964, and though I was not even five years old, the memory of that electrifying performance is indelibly etched into my neocortex, as vivid now as it was then. Later that evening, I gathered up the trash baskets from around the house and, with wooden clothes hangers serving as makeshift sticks, unleashed my newfound passion on an impromptu drum set. In that moment, I knew with absolute clarity what I wanted to do with my life.
Sixty years later, that passion still burns unabated, though the path has been anything but straight. As Balzer's Law would have it, life is what happens while you’re making other plans. And yet, through all the twists, turns, and detours, music has remained my constant companion.
In those early years, playing the drums became an all-consuming obsession. Our neighbors, bless their tolerant souls, negotiated a 9:00 PM curfew on my enthusiastic practicing. Post-curfew, I would sit cross-legged on the floor of my bedroom, headphones blaring, playing along with Nigel Olsson on Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album, my sticks tapping out rhythms on the carpet. My beloved late '60s red sparkle Ludwig kit (oh, how I wish I had held onto that beauty!) eventually gave way to a gleaming white Pearl set and shimmering Paiste cymbals, which saw me through countless college jazz band performances and gigs.
It was during my time studying music at Cal State Long Beach that I had the privilege of learning from the legendary John Prince, a frequent arranger for The Tonight Show Band. Our student group's bass player, a prodigious talent known around the department as the Italian Stallion, was none other than John Patitucci. I was, admittedly, the least skilled in that rarified company, but my proudest moment came when our rhythm section received an honorary mention at the prestigious Berkeley Jazz Festival. Patitucci would go on to win best soloist the following year at that same festival—on upright bass, no less.
As jazz consumed my waking hours, my heroes evolved from Ringo to the likes of Buddy Rich, John Guerin, Danny Seraphine, and Steve Gadd. And yet, Ringo's influence never truly waned; in fact, with time and perspective, I have come to appreciate anew his groundbreaking genius and technique.
Buddy Rich, in particular, holds a special place in my heart. My first date with my high school sweetheart, (the remarkable woman who, through the grace of God, would become my wife—and thankfully followed my cue by ordering the cheapest item on the menu), was to see Buddy and his band perform at a small upscale restaurant in Visalia, CA. During the intermission, I made my way backstage to shake the legend's hand, a moment of graciousness from Buddy that I will never forget. Years later, when I launched Stick It, a drum magazine named after one of Buddy's albums, I had the opportunity to share this story with his daughter, Cathy. Her invaluable assistance in producing a feature on her father, complete with unreleased recordings for the magazine's companion CD, brought my journey with Buddy full circle.
And yet, for all my love of drums and drumming, there remained an unfulfilled yearning within me—a hunger for harmony that percussion alone could not satisfy. It was this craving for a broader musical horizon that led me, in my late high school years, to pick up my sister's cheap six-string guitar. Armed with a Mel Bay chord book and the hefty black 1976 Beatles Complete songbook, I embarked on a new phase of my musical odyssey. I played until my fingers bled, determined to master every song. (As the old adage goes, if you can survive your first guitar, you're destined to become a player.)
My jazz sensibilities soon drew me toward more sophisticated forms, a fascination that blossomed during my college years as I immersed myself in the study of music theory. I became the quintessential theory geek, poring over Ted Greene's Chord Chemistry and devouring folios by the likes of Lee Ritenour, George Benson, Al de Meola, and Larry Carlton.
The 1980s, alas, were largely lost to the demands of career and young family, my instruments relegated to the closet, gathering dust. It wasn't until 1989 that they would see the light of day again, coinciding with a musical rebirth channeled through Will Ackerman, Alex de Grassi, Pierre Bensusan, John Renbourn, and other luminaries of the acoustic guitar's golden age. I couldn't get enough of their complex, soulful fingerstyle compositions, and spent countless hours at Tower Records in Bellevue, WA, scouring the bins for every vinyl treasure I could find—and then needle-dropping my way through the records as I tried to figure out the fingerings (let alone the tunings).
A pivotal moment in my rekindled passion came with Stefan Grossman's move to Shanachie Records, where he produced a groundbreaking series of CD releases complete with tablature. Martin Simpson's Leave of Life, a standout in the collection, again transformed my musical worldview.
It was shortly thereafter that serendipity led me to Guitar Gallerie, a small shop in Spokane, WA, whose owner was looking to sell. On a whim, I made the drive to explore this opportunity, little knowing that it would prove to be another turning point in my journey. The shop's proprietor, “Jack,” was an interesting character (I’ll leave it at that). While I quickly decided against the acquisition, I credit him with introducing me to the world of boutique luthiers. The gorgeous shop's walls were adorned with exquisite instruments from the likes of Lowden, Olson, and Schoenberg, and Jack, being the top Larrivée dealer at the time, even arranged a spontaneous phone conversation for me with Jean Larrivée right there in the store.
That fateful visit also exposed me to a constellation of acoustic guitar-driven singer-songwriters and instrumentalists I had yet to encounter—David Wilcox, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Patty Larkin, Tony Rice, Shawn Colvin, Bela Fleck—their music spinning late into the night as Jack opened my ears and my mind to thrilling new possibilities.
Upon my return home, a vision began to crystallize: a magazine dedicated to fingerstyle guitar, complete with a companion CD that would allow readers to hear, learn, and play the music featured within its pages. Though Guitar Player magazine had occasionally experimented with vinyl sound sheets, I envisioned a publication that would take this concept further, offering a comprehensive multimedia experience for the fingerstyle enthusiast. In a sea of spandex, big hair, and pointy headstocks splashed across every guitar magazine cover—Frets, which had recently (sadly) folded, and Acoustic Guitar being the exceptions—it seemed there was a niche waiting to be filled.
And so, in 1992, Fingerstyle Guitar magazine was born, its tagline embodying its value proposition: "Read it. Hear it. Play it." In time, a series of trascription folios, published in partnership with Mel Bay, flourished. The magazine was a deeply satisfying success, fulfilling a need I had long sensed in the guitar community, until I made the difficult decision to sell it in 2000. The advent of the Internet and MP3 technology severely undermined the financial viability of the magazine, leading to its sale to another publisher, which ultimately could not sustain it. This occurred during a period when digital disruptions caused the closure of many esteemed publications. Fingerstyle Guitar was just one of its many casualties.
However, along the way, a burgeoning collection of exquisite guitars began to emerge, each instrument representing a special relationship between myself, its builder, and the artist who linked us. In Tonewood Masters, I celebrate these amazing instruments, as well as their signature players, and the music that rises from this magical partnership between maker and player. It’s not just a collection of guitars but a symphony of stories, each chapter offering profound insights and unforgettable moments shared with some of the most influential guitarists and makers of our time. From intimate conversations with legends like Michael Hedges, Paul Simon, Phil Keaggy, Laurence Juber, Chris Parkening, John Renbourn, Pierre Bensusan, Alex de Grassi, Earl Klugh—not to mention the many makers—to reflections on myriad other guitar virtuosos, Tonewood Masters provides a backstage pass to the world of music's greatest minds and talents.
But Tonewood Masters is more than just a narrative; it's an immersive multimedia experience. The stunning photography by Kevin Veatch, also a truly gifted guitar aficionado, captures the essence of the collection—one of the world’s most fascinating assemblages of these beloved instruments. Each guitar tells its own story, reflected in both its craftsmanship and the history it holds. These images are accompanied by detailed accounts of my interactions with their makers—all among the world’s greatest—offering readers a rare glimpse into the artistry and dedication that goes into creating these musical marvels. Additionally, a video series is in development with world class producers and videographers who will bring an exciting dimension to the endeavor.
Finally, throughout the book, my own journey as a musician, producer, publisher, and author weaves a narrative thread. My personal experiences in the music industry—from working with artists to publishing magazines and books to producing award-winning records to time on the road—provide a unique backdrop to the stories and insights shared here. As a passionate musician, I sought to bring a deep understanding and appreciation of the guitar to every page. To these ends, this book—together with all the other components of the Tonewood Masters project—amplifies the spirit of the guitar and its place in our cultural heritage, ensuring its legacy for generations to come. To be published in 2025, I hope you will enjoy the experience.
Sixty years later, that passion still burns unabated, though the path has been anything but straight. As Balzer's Law would have it, life is what happens while you’re making other plans. And yet, through all the twists, turns, and detours, music has remained my constant companion.
In those early years, playing the drums became an all-consuming obsession. Our neighbors, bless their tolerant souls, negotiated a 9:00 PM curfew on my enthusiastic practicing. Post-curfew, I would sit cross-legged on the floor of my bedroom, headphones blaring, playing along with Nigel Olsson on Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album, my sticks tapping out rhythms on the carpet. My beloved late '60s red sparkle Ludwig kit (oh, how I wish I had held onto that beauty!) eventually gave way to a gleaming white Pearl set and shimmering Paiste cymbals, which saw me through countless college jazz band performances and gigs.
It was during my time studying music at Cal State Long Beach that I had the privilege of learning from the legendary John Prince, a frequent arranger for The Tonight Show Band. Our student group's bass player, a prodigious talent known around the department as the Italian Stallion, was none other than John Patitucci. I was, admittedly, the least skilled in that rarified company, but my proudest moment came when our rhythm section received an honorary mention at the prestigious Berkeley Jazz Festival. Patitucci would go on to win best soloist the following year at that same festival—on upright bass, no less.
As jazz consumed my waking hours, my heroes evolved from Ringo to the likes of Buddy Rich, John Guerin, Danny Seraphine, and Steve Gadd. And yet, Ringo's influence never truly waned; in fact, with time and perspective, I have come to appreciate anew his groundbreaking genius and technique.
Buddy Rich, in particular, holds a special place in my heart. My first date with my high school sweetheart, (the remarkable woman who, through the grace of God, would become my wife—and thankfully followed my cue by ordering the cheapest item on the menu), was to see Buddy and his band perform at a small upscale restaurant in Visalia, CA. During the intermission, I made my way backstage to shake the legend's hand, a moment of graciousness from Buddy that I will never forget. Years later, when I launched Stick It, a drum magazine named after one of Buddy's albums, I had the opportunity to share this story with his daughter, Cathy. Her invaluable assistance in producing a feature on her father, complete with unreleased recordings for the magazine's companion CD, brought my journey with Buddy full circle.
And yet, for all my love of drums and drumming, there remained an unfulfilled yearning within me—a hunger for harmony that percussion alone could not satisfy. It was this craving for a broader musical horizon that led me, in my late high school years, to pick up my sister's cheap six-string guitar. Armed with a Mel Bay chord book and the hefty black 1976 Beatles Complete songbook, I embarked on a new phase of my musical odyssey. I played until my fingers bled, determined to master every song. (As the old adage goes, if you can survive your first guitar, you're destined to become a player.)
My jazz sensibilities soon drew me toward more sophisticated forms, a fascination that blossomed during my college years as I immersed myself in the study of music theory. I became the quintessential theory geek, poring over Ted Greene's Chord Chemistry and devouring folios by the likes of Lee Ritenour, George Benson, Al de Meola, and Larry Carlton.
The 1980s, alas, were largely lost to the demands of career and young family, my instruments relegated to the closet, gathering dust. It wasn't until 1989 that they would see the light of day again, coinciding with a musical rebirth channeled through Will Ackerman, Alex de Grassi, Pierre Bensusan, John Renbourn, and other luminaries of the acoustic guitar's golden age. I couldn't get enough of their complex, soulful fingerstyle compositions, and spent countless hours at Tower Records in Bellevue, WA, scouring the bins for every vinyl treasure I could find—and then needle-dropping my way through the records as I tried to figure out the fingerings (let alone the tunings).
A pivotal moment in my rekindled passion came with Stefan Grossman's move to Shanachie Records, where he produced a groundbreaking series of CD releases complete with tablature. Martin Simpson's Leave of Life, a standout in the collection, again transformed my musical worldview.
It was shortly thereafter that serendipity led me to Guitar Gallerie, a small shop in Spokane, WA, whose owner was looking to sell. On a whim, I made the drive to explore this opportunity, little knowing that it would prove to be another turning point in my journey. The shop's proprietor, “Jack,” was an interesting character (I’ll leave it at that). While I quickly decided against the acquisition, I credit him with introducing me to the world of boutique luthiers. The gorgeous shop's walls were adorned with exquisite instruments from the likes of Lowden, Olson, and Schoenberg, and Jack, being the top Larrivée dealer at the time, even arranged a spontaneous phone conversation for me with Jean Larrivée right there in the store.
That fateful visit also exposed me to a constellation of acoustic guitar-driven singer-songwriters and instrumentalists I had yet to encounter—David Wilcox, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Patty Larkin, Tony Rice, Shawn Colvin, Bela Fleck—their music spinning late into the night as Jack opened my ears and my mind to thrilling new possibilities.
Upon my return home, a vision began to crystallize: a magazine dedicated to fingerstyle guitar, complete with a companion CD that would allow readers to hear, learn, and play the music featured within its pages. Though Guitar Player magazine had occasionally experimented with vinyl sound sheets, I envisioned a publication that would take this concept further, offering a comprehensive multimedia experience for the fingerstyle enthusiast. In a sea of spandex, big hair, and pointy headstocks splashed across every guitar magazine cover—Frets, which had recently (sadly) folded, and Acoustic Guitar being the exceptions—it seemed there was a niche waiting to be filled.
And so, in 1992, Fingerstyle Guitar magazine was born, its tagline embodying its value proposition: "Read it. Hear it. Play it." In time, a series of trascription folios, published in partnership with Mel Bay, flourished. The magazine was a deeply satisfying success, fulfilling a need I had long sensed in the guitar community, until I made the difficult decision to sell it in 2000. The advent of the Internet and MP3 technology severely undermined the financial viability of the magazine, leading to its sale to another publisher, which ultimately could not sustain it. This occurred during a period when digital disruptions caused the closure of many esteemed publications. Fingerstyle Guitar was just one of its many casualties.
However, along the way, a burgeoning collection of exquisite guitars began to emerge, each instrument representing a special relationship between myself, its builder, and the artist who linked us. In Tonewood Masters, I celebrate these amazing instruments, as well as their signature players, and the music that rises from this magical partnership between maker and player. It’s not just a collection of guitars but a symphony of stories, each chapter offering profound insights and unforgettable moments shared with some of the most influential guitarists and makers of our time. From intimate conversations with legends like Michael Hedges, Paul Simon, Phil Keaggy, Laurence Juber, Chris Parkening, John Renbourn, Pierre Bensusan, Alex de Grassi, Earl Klugh—not to mention the many makers—to reflections on myriad other guitar virtuosos, Tonewood Masters provides a backstage pass to the world of music's greatest minds and talents.
But Tonewood Masters is more than just a narrative; it's an immersive multimedia experience. The stunning photography by Kevin Veatch, also a truly gifted guitar aficionado, captures the essence of the collection—one of the world’s most fascinating assemblages of these beloved instruments. Each guitar tells its own story, reflected in both its craftsmanship and the history it holds. These images are accompanied by detailed accounts of my interactions with their makers—all among the world’s greatest—offering readers a rare glimpse into the artistry and dedication that goes into creating these musical marvels. Additionally, a video series is in development with world class producers and videographers who will bring an exciting dimension to the endeavor.
Finally, throughout the book, my own journey as a musician, producer, publisher, and author weaves a narrative thread. My personal experiences in the music industry—from working with artists to publishing magazines and books to producing award-winning records to time on the road—provide a unique backdrop to the stories and insights shared here. As a passionate musician, I sought to bring a deep understanding and appreciation of the guitar to every page. To these ends, this book—together with all the other components of the Tonewood Masters project—amplifies the spirit of the guitar and its place in our cultural heritage, ensuring its legacy for generations to come. To be published in 2025, I hope you will enjoy the experience.