Guitar Heroes Lone Star Luthiers
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Lone Star luthiers bring joy to the world, Guitar Heroes strings attached BY LORI MOFFATT PHOTOGRAPHS BY STAN WILLIAMS ou could argue that e Luthier: (loo’te r), n. one who without the guitar, makes or repairs stringed instru- ments. From French luth, lute. fiddle, banjo, or their many stringed cousins, Texas would have been an aw- Yfully somber place. Quiet, for sure: Think of a campfire without the guitar or a barn dance without the fiddle—the scenarios don’t seem possible. And while Texans didn’t invent the first stringed instrument, we’ve certainly made our mark on the craft. According to the Texas Governor’s Music Of- fice, more than 160 businesses statewide specialize in the repair or fabrica- tion of stringed instruments, though far fewer call themselves luthiers. Like many luthiers, Stephen Kinnaird believes that handcrafted instruments reflect the personalities of their makers. Here, Kinnaird (background) works on the fretboard of a customer’s steel-string guitar, while his assistant, Ryan Middlebrook, uses a spokeshave to carve walnut for a neck. Above, an inlaid headstock detail. 40 TEXAS HIGHWAYS January 2009 January 2009 TEXAS HIGHWAYS 41 CHUCK LEE STEPHEN MARCHIONE GLENN STEVENS CHRIS CARRINGTON hotographer and guitarist Stan Williams—whose images appear on these GLENN STEVENS Fredericksburg “You could give a roomful of luthiers the same pages—recalls the first notes he heard from an Austin-made Collings guitar. uthier Glenn Stevens plies his craft “Every note spoke with clarity of voice, a ringing sustain, and perfect intona- at Fredericksburg’s Hill Country pieces of beautiful wood, and our instruments Music, a retail store specializing in tion,” Williams says. “I was in love. I wondered, ‘How many other guitar- L sheet music and instruments of all types. would all sound different. Maybe the difference Pmakers are there in Texas that I don’t know about?’” He built a career making and repairing in- comes through our hands.” He found plenty. As Williams searched the Internet and followed leads from musician struments in Gatlinburg and Nashville be- friends, he arrived at six luthiers whose works, he says, “are a good fore returning to Texas to be close to fam- ily. “I like to jump back and forth between representation of the different types of stringed instruments in Texas.” webextra What strikes a chord building an instrument and restoration,” I make it play, first, and then I restore its comes rigid, just as it was when it was part Their backgrounds are as different as wildflowers and asphalt. One lu- *for photographer Stan says Stevens. “The thrill for me is when beauty and elegance. of a tree. Playing brings an instrument thier, for example, ended a 30-year career as a plumber to build banjos, Williams? See www. customers bring me something that’s close “People come in with an instrument back to life and gives it a soul.” texashighways.com. while another has a Master’s degree in classical-guitar performance and to their hearts, be it a $100,000 guitar or thinking they’re going to display it,” Ste- Grandpa’s fiddle. Maybe someone used vens continues. “But then they think, ‘May- STEPHEN MARCHIONE Houston toured with jazz guitarist Al Di Meola. But one thing they have in common is pride of crafts- it to tell stories, maybe it was played in be I can learn to play.’ That’s when it’s re- n the small workshop behind his manship—the difference, according to banjo-maker Chuck Lee of Ovilla, “between an instru- a honky-tonk. Or they’re bringing you a ally satisfying, because an instrument dies a home in Houston’s Montrose Dis- ment made in a small shop in Texas and an instrument made in a factory overseas.” memory of their father or grandfather. So slow death if it’s not played. The wood be- I trict, luthier Stephen Marchione 42 TEXAS HIGHWAYS January 2009 January 2009 TEXAS HIGHWAYS 43 crafts guitars for such players as Sting, tion. “We’ll take you from raw materials Mark Knopfler, Paul Simon, and jazz play- “An instrument dies a slow death if it’s not to finished product,” says longtime em- er Mark Whitfield. “My shop resembles ployee Angela Thomas. “People are always a high-end Italian violin-maker’s shop,” played. Playing brings an instrument back amazed, first, when they see these big logs says Marchione. “I use a lot of the same of mahogany, and then later, when we tools used 400 years ago in Italy— to life and gives it a soul.” show them how the inlays are done.” rasps and scrapers, “Oh, we love the tours,” says luthier-in- handplanes, and webextra chief Bill Collings. “The bigger, the better. even finer hand Stephen Marchione slipped tools, incorrect neck cuts—to re- Kinnaird believes, the wood’s personality It’s very satisfying to show people how *reveals how he makes mind me to be careful. After a few years, tools for detailed merges with the luthier’s to create each in- we work. After all, we make every guitar a guitar at www.texas woodworking.” the mistakes didn’t come as often. strument’s unique sound. “I don’t know the best we can. And,” he says modestly, highways.com. What is it about “A banjo is a happy instrument,” says what it is,” says Kinnaird, “but you could “we’re getting pretty good at it.” TH guitar-making that brings him such sat- Lee. “It’s really hard to play something give a roomful of luthiers the same pieces isfaction? Marchione pauses only a mo- sad on a banjo. But when I’ve made a of beautiful wood, and our instruments Staff Photographer (and singer-songwriter) STAN ment to think. “Two things,” he says. banjo, I can’t say I’ve accomplished what would all sound different. Maybe the dif- WILLIAMS plays everything from country to jazz on a flat-top steel-string Gibson guitar. “First, finishing a design I’ve worked on. I wanted until the musician plays it and ference comes through our hands.” Even more than that, though—having the brings joy to himself and to the listener.” Senior Editor LORI MOFFATT once played rhythm guitar in a garage-pop band in Austin. design go out into the world and make BILL COLLINGS Austin music. For an instrument is not serving its STEPHEN T. KINNAIRD y far the biggest shop in this purpose until it’s making music.” Nacogdoches bunch, the Collings Guitar Shop, essentials nother self-taught luthier, Ste- Bstarted by luthier Bill Collings CHRIS CARRINGTON Rockwall phen Kinnaird first visited with in 1989, employs more than 80 people IN TUNE WITH LUTHIERS “ relate to the guitar primarily as a A a guitar-maker in Atlanta in the and fashions a dozen or so mandolins player,” says luthier Chris Car- early 1970s. “Until then,” says Kinnaird, and guitars daily, shipping them to cus- I rington, who for seven years toured “I thought all guitars came out of a fac- tomers worldwide. Lyle Lovett and Jerry with Al Di Meola and now specializes in tory. It seemed fascinating and rewarding Jeff Walker (see page 14) are two of making classical guitars in his workshop to build one with my own hands.” Collings’ most famous Texas clients, and on the outskirts of Dallas. “I started Kinnaird “eased into” building guitars other big names like Keith Richards, Pete building gui tars for myself—guitars I by crafting dulcimers, an instrument he de- Townshend, and Joni Mitchell also play could amplify on stage, at large concert scribes as more rustic and more forgiving. Collings’ instruments. (You can, too: halls and venues like the Blue Note in But ultimately, he was drawn to building Basic guitars start at $3,000, with custom Japan,” he says. “I am a very high-level guitars. “I love working with woods like jobs exceeding $10,000.) FOR AN extensive list of music-related business- player, so I know that if my guitars meet tiger myrtle, bubinga, and bloodwood. Every Friday at 3:30, the shop opens to es in Texas, see the Web site of the Governor’s my own standards, they’ll be concert- I like the depth of the grain patterns, the visitors for a free two-hour tour, when you Music Office: http://governor.state.tx.us/music. grade instruments.” Carrington’s gui- luster, even the aroma,” he says. And, can observe nearly every step of produc- Glenn R. Stevens works in the front of Hill tars—like all handmade instruments— Country Music (151 E. Main in Fredericksburg), don’t come cheap: Traditional classical where he welcomes visitors. Hours: Mon-Thu 10- guitars start at $3,000. But players like 5, Fri-Sat 10-5:30. Call 830/997-0900; www. Andy Summers and Al Di Meola don’t hill-country-music.com. seem to mind. Stephen Marchione (www.marchione.com) makes instruments in a small workshop in central Hous- CHUCK LEE Ovilla ton. “I love it when people come visit,” he says, lumber-turned-luthier Chuck “though please call ahead.” Call 713/522-7221. Lee, whose banjos are now popu- Chris Carrington (www.chriscarrington.com) of lar with the likes of Bela Fleck Rockwall specializes in nylon-stringed, classical P guitars. His shop is not open to the public. and Texan Dan Gibson, describes how banjos struck a chord with him. “Af- Chuck Lee (www.leebanjos.com) welcomes visi- ter playing banjos for almost a decade,” tors by appointment to his home studio in Ovilla. he says, “I had a special one on order.