Artisan Guitar Show, Harrisburg, PA April 8-10

**iim7V7IM7** · 04-16-2022, 09:37 AM

Tyler Wells

Roger Sadowsky

Bernie Lehmann

**Bluedawg** · 04-16-2022, 10:38 AM

**Woody Sound** · 04-18-2022, 11:59 AM

Great pics, thanks! The middle Sadowsky looks like a Jimmy Bruno model, which I thought they discontinued several years ago.

**2bornot2bop** · 04-18-2022, 01:23 PM

Those Monteleone guitars sure make their rounds. I observed the same guitars years ago at a similar show.

In Seattle I went to a show in 2010. Nothing but rocker’s with one Jazz Guitar related booth. I bought a Guild X500. But the show was a waste of time.

**Gitfiddler** · 04-18-2022, 02:10 PM

@iim7V7IM7...As always, beautiful photos of a great show!

**Woody Sound** · 04-19-2022, 06:57 AM

Fabulous pic, definitely GAS compelling.

**Woody Sound** · 04-19-2022, 06:59 AM

Originally Posted by Woody Sound

Great pics, thanks! The middle Sadowsky looks like the Jimmy Bruno model, which I thought they discontinued several years ago.

Is Roger (and JB) bringing back the Bruno model? I don't see it on their web site.

Archtops - Sadowsky Guitars

**iim7V7IM7** · 04-19-2022, 07:08 AM

I believe it is in the works...

**Jabberwocky** · 04-19-2022, 07:14 AM

Is Woody Phifer the only black person at the show or is it time to replace my monitor?

I don't see no colours...all I see is a field of white.

C'mon, people...How about reaching out to...The Others.

Edit: I misspelt Mr. Phifer's surname. That was disrespectful. That has now been corrected.

**Woody Sound** · 04-19-2022, 08:12 AM

I've been getting gas for one of those little 19th century style nylon romantic parlor guitars. Play some Giuiani, Sor, Carcassi, etc on one, but geeze, the prices...

**iim7V7IM7** · 04-19-2022, 11:11 AM

Funny, I just saw a sea of folks who were passionate about guitars and music. There was a typical mixture people, races and genders in attendance.

No, there were definitely other people of color there besides Woody (aka Sherwood). David Gilmore the jazz guitarist for one who had a great performance. I think what you are seeing in the photos is likely reflective of 1) combination of African Americans being only 13% of the US population with about 18% with a $100K+ annual income according to Pew Research (~2.3% of US population). These instruments are expensive and if there were 1,000 people there across the weekend 20-30 is honestly all that I would expect at the show.

Originally Posted by Jabberwocky

Is Woody Phifer the only black person at the show or is it time to replace my monitor?

I don't see no colours...all I see is a field of white.

C'mon, people...How about reaching out to...The Others.

Edit: I misspelt Mr. Phifer's surname. That was disrespectful. That has now been corrected.

**itsmyname** · 04-20-2022, 01:59 PM

great guitars here.

those tyler wells guitar are really different I think and I like it, I imagine those guitars sound amazing, the one on the right looks like a strange neck and fretboard (I'm curious about this neck and fretboard )

**2bornot2bop** · 04-20-2022, 02:11 PM

Originally Posted by Jabberwocky

Is Woody Phifer the only black person at the show or is it time to replace my monitor?

I don't see no colours...all I see is a field of white.

C'mon, people...How about reaching out to...The Others.

Edit: I misspelt Mr. Phifer's surname. That was disrespectful. That has now been corrected.

Ha! It was the same thing in Seattle. A field of old white guys, and no one else.

**2bornot2bop** · 04-20-2022, 02:17 PM

Originally Posted by iim7V7IM7

Funny, I just saw a sea of folks who were passionate about guitars and music. There was a typical mixture people, races and genders in attendance.

No, there were definitely other people of color there besides Woody (aka Sherwood). David Gilmore the jazz guitarist for one who had a great performance. I think what you are seeing in the photos is likely reflective of 1) combination of African Americans being only 13% of the US population with about 18% with a $100K+ annual income according to Pew Research (~2.3% of US population). These instruments are expensive and if there were 1,000 people there across the weekend 20-30 is honestly all that I would expect at the show.

So, after reconstruction and Jim Crow only 18% of African Americans earn north of $100k. How pathetic is that?! We were good enough to pick cotton to create the largest incomes throughout the entire country, but not good enough to get a decent education to earn a decent living, and to create generational wealth. But many whites have. America, love it or leave it!

Empire of Cotton - The Atlantic

**2bornot2bop** · 04-20-2022, 03:27 PM

Another interesting note about Phifer. He’s never been able to get a business loan for supplies and to expand his business.

Woody Phifer's Quest to Build the Perfect Guitar - Rolling Stone

**Gitfiddler** · 04-20-2022, 04:35 PM

Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop

Another interesting note about Phifer. He’s never been able to get a business loan for supplies and to expand his business.

Woody Phifer's Quest to Build the Perfect Guitar - Rolling Stone

Wow, interesting and troubling issue about Woody Phifer's business loan challenges. I wonder if he attempted to generate capital via 'angel investors' or the SBA or Urban League? Standard financing via banks aren't for every business type, especially if they don't see it as a viable or profitable one.

I'm familiar with another Black luthier, Mark Singleton, who designs and builds some wild, yet beautiful guitars. Mark has built jazz boxes for Norman Brown and Ronnie Jordan (RIP) as well as a number of solid body and semi-hollow body guitars and basses for many pro players. Somehow Singleton is making a living, but his designs are not traditional, and unlikely to please many jazz players. He's a class act also.

Custom Hand Crafted line of Guitars and Basses

**jads57** · 04-22-2022, 01:24 PM

So just a question for those of you attended or have played some of these beauties? Aside from visual aesthetics do any of these guitars sound radically different from say similar sized traditional Archtops?

I just wonder as much as the external looks are different, are the internal designs also way different?

**Gitterbug** · 04-22-2022, 02:31 PM

Gorgeous pics of gorgeous guitars. But is luthiery becoming a fashion industry, i.e. do you have to make wild designs just to stand out (until next catwalk)? Electrified, these designs work no doubt. Yet, how much have violins, cellos, flattop guitars and other acoustic instruments changed recently? You can get a Europan handmade archtop from 4K upwards. Do these US, five digit creations stand a chance to retain their value?

**ccroft** · 04-22-2022, 08:16 PM

Originally Posted by Woody Sound

I've been getting gas for one of those little 19th century style nylon romantic parlor guitars. Play some Giuiani, Sor, Carcassi, etc on one, but geeze, the prices...

I hear you Woody, but Bernie is an excellent craftsman. Check out the pierced work on his lutes for EG. I don't think these are over-priced.

**iim7V7IM7** · 04-23-2022, 08:11 AM

Yes, of course I played some of them.

That is why one attends a show. John Buscarino, Bill Comins, Bernie Lehmann, Cris Mirabella, Otto D’Ambrosio, Ryan Thorell, Dale Unger, Maegen Wells,Tyler Wells and Gary Zimnicki. I did not play any of John Monteleone's or Ken Parker’s (although I have in the past). Yes, they all sound a bit different. I played most of them acoustically and a few plugged in. Some booths had amps and others had you go with the guitar to an amp room.

Sound wise, acoustically my favorite was the small oval hole by Ryan Thorell. It was X-braced. It had some build execution challenges, but it sounded and played well. These are all either x-braced or parallel braced BUT, that really does not tell you much. Subtle differences in the wood, arch profiling, brace positioning/profiling, sound board holes or sound ports all alter their timbre. Some were made with more electric guitar goals and others with acoustic play in mind.

Originally Posted by jads57

So just a question for those of you attended or have played some of these beauties? Aside from visual aesthetics do any of these guitars sound radically different from say similar sized traditional Archtops?

I just wonder as much as the external looks are different, are the internal designs also way different?

**iim7V7IM7** · 04-23-2022, 08:25 AM

NEVER buy a luthier made instrument with the idea that it will retain its value.

It is a musical instrument and not an investment. You are paying for materials, the time value of money for aging them, their years at the bench leading up to your time, the time to make yours, capital overhead and whatever the current market deems their value proposition to be. I know many successful luthiers and none of them are rich. They are passionate artisans doing what they love, most with spouses with a good job.

Disparity in pricing is based on a variety of factors and is a good thing for the market. Appreciation is possible, but it is the exception and is best left to large ubiquitous factory brands and even with them there are significant risks.

Originally Posted by Gitterbug

Gorgeous pics of gorgeous guitars. But is luthiery becoming a fashion industry, i.e. do you have to make wild designs just to stand out (until next catwalk)? Electrified, these designs work no doubt. Yet, how much have violins, cellos, flattop guitars and other acoustic instruments changed recently? You can get a Europan handmade archtop from 4K upwards. Do these US, five digit creations stand a chance to retain their value?