Handmade guitars come in all shapes and specifications. They can elevate your abilities and give you a chance to have a more personal experience every time you pick up your instrument for a jam session, a show or to create new music.
The Best Places To Buy Handmade Guitars Online
We chose these award winners based on the following criteria:
- Craftsmanship of guitars
- Uniqueness and variety of guitars
- The ease of using the website
- Uniqueness and story behind brand
- Timely response of customer support
[su_note note_color=”#D4DFF8″ text_color=”#111111″ radius=”1″]THERE ARE LITERALLY HUNDREDS of places to buy handmade guitars online. This made it very difficult for us to narrow this down to the top 15. After visiting and analyzing hundreds of places to buy handmade guitars, HERE ARE THE TOP 15 PLACES TO BUY HANDMADE GUITARS ONLINE:[/su_note]
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1) Collings Guitars
In the mid-1970s, Bill Collings left his home in Ohio to attend college in Houston, Texas. He was in a pre-med program but found that he was far more interested in engineering and guitars. With a few hand tools, he got his start by creating these instruments on his kitchen table.
He eventually headed to southern California after increasing his skills building guitars. In 1989, he rented space to start turning guitar building into a full time business. His guitars utilize a strong level of craftsmanship. In 2005, he incorporated CNC machining into his building process. In addition to guitars, he also designs and builds mandolins and ukuleles.
Bill’s Waterloo Guitar line is inspired by vintage guitars that were available during the Depression era. He also created handmade cases for various string instruments.
[su_note note_color=”#D4DFF8″ text_color=”#111111″ radius=”1″]URL: Collingsguitars.com[/su_note]
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2) Seagull Guitars
In 1982, Robert Godin started Seagull Guitars. His vision was to take beautiful finishes, solid tops and other essential guitar components and use them to create handmade guitars that were still affordable for the average person. He ensures that the wood used is sustainable, and that all elements of the building process and the materials are based in Canada.
The guitars come in a variety of sound options, such as warm, lively and balanced. Every guitar that is produced is tested to ensure that they meet the standards set forth by Seagull guitars. Robert creates guitars that are targeted at certain types of musicians, such as guitars for those who play live gigs and recording artists.
[su_note note_color=”#D4DFF8″ text_color=”#111111″ radius=”1″]URL: Seagullguitars.com[/su_note]
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3) Taylor Guitars
Taylor Guitars sells their handmade guitars to musicians all over the world. In 1974, Kurt Listug and Bob Taylor founded the company. While they offer an array of guitars, they specialize in acoustic guitars. They are known for seamlessly combining innovative manufacturing techniques, modern techniques and a strong attention to detail.
One of their most recognized innovations is the patented Taylor Neck. In the last 100 years, the guitar world considers it the most major innovation for acoustic guitars. This company also was a pioneer for using lasers, computer mills and a variety of other high-tech tools in the guitar creation process.
Their Expression System 2 pickup has won awards. It is considered a groundbreaking approach to supplying an acoustic guitar with amplification. The T5 is another innovation that Taylor Guitars is known for. This is a hybrid electric and acoustic guitar. It can produce full-crunch electric and amplified acoustic tones by simply flipping a five-way switch.
[su_note note_color=”#D4DFF8″ text_color=”#111111″ radius=”1″]URL: Taylorguitars.com[/su_note]
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4) Greenfield Guitars
Greenfield Guitars specializes in handcrafted instruments for people who want the most responsive guitar. This company has been in business for more than 20 years. During this time, they have created over 250 guitars using an expansive collection of tonewood.
The goal is to create handmade guitars that become heirlooms and can be passed down in families. They use a variety of string types, such as nylon and steel. This allows people to get the sound that they are looking for.
Greenfield Guitars offers a variety of guitar lines for people to choose from. There is an instrument for every type of music, from metal to the blues. This company has created guitars for a variety of famous artists, such as Keith Richards and Pipo Romero.
[su_note note_color=”#D4DFF8″ text_color=”#111111″ radius=”1″]URL: Greenfieldguitars.com[/su_note]
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5) Mayones Guitars and Basses
Mayones Guitars and Basses started in 1982. Since then they have worked with dozens of artists who wanted a handmade guitar for studio recording and live shows. They have nine current lines for guitars and many that are discontinued.
This company uses a variety of tonewoods to create the body of their instruments. The other elements of their guitars are high in quality and using the latest technology. This ensures a clear and pure sound.
Musicians who want a guitar that is made specifically for their style and preferences can work with Mayones Guitars and Basses to have a custom guitar made especially for them.
[su_note note_color=”#D4DFF8″ text_color=”#111111″ radius=”1″]URL: Mayones.com[/su_note]
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6) Breedlove Guitars
Breedlove Guitars has a mission to help people to play better, sound better and enjoy playing more. They create an array of guitars focused on a variety of different playing styles. Besides this, they make it easy to find the guitar that is going to produce the tones and sounds that you are looking for.
This company works with a variety of artists, such as Jay Fleming and Matthew Pinder. They allow you to order custom handmade guitars that are designed and built exactly to your specifications. You choose the tonewoods, body style and aesthetics used to build your custom instrument. This allows musicians to find a guitar that has the exact sound that they are looking for.
The custom guitars are part of their Breedlove Masterclass series of guitars. All custom guitars come with an Ameritage Deluxe Hardshell case.
[su_note note_color=”#D4DFF8″ text_color=”#111111″ radius=”1″]URL: Breedlovemusic.com[/su_note]
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7) Bourgeois Guitars
Bourgeois Guitars has been in business for more than 40 years. Dana Bourgeois is the founder of this company. He is known throughout the world for being an authority on guitars and for his excellent craftsmanship.
This company has created handmade guitars for several famous artists, such as Sawyer Fredericks, Luke Bryan and Ricky Scaggs. They offer a variety of wood options to ensure the right tone for your music style, such as various rosewoods, walnut, maple and mahogany types.
You can choose the different elements of your guitar. This ensures that whether you play rock n’ roll or blues, you are getting the right sound from your instrument.
[su_note note_color=”#D4DFF8″ text_color=”#111111″ radius=”1″]URL: Bourgeoisguitars.net[/su_note]
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8) Eastwood Guitars
Eastwood Guitars offers a variety of handmade guitars and accessories. They are a global company, providing guitars to musicians all over the world. This company started more than 15 years ago. Initially, the founder, Michael Robinson, made guitars as a hobby.
Guitars are the instrument that Eastwood Guitars specializes in. This includes traditional guitars and bass guitars. Their traditional guitars come in the standard six-string build for right handed musicians, but they also offer 12-string guitars and guitars for left handed people.
The electric guitars offered by this company come in a variety of shapes and sizes. This allows you to find the one that best fits your playing style. This also ensures that you can find that instrument that is easy for you to handle. Besides guitars, Eastwood Guitars also offer mandolins.
[su_note note_color=”#D4DFF8″ text_color=”#111111″ radius=”1″]URL: Eastwoodguitars.com[/su_note]
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9) Lowden Guitars
Lowden Guitars focuses on workmanship, unique design, a variety of wood choices and proven assembly techniques. Their handmade guitars are the result of re-grading soundboard wood and the right body shape to produce a pure sound.
When this company builds a guitar, they use hand tools to make sure that every joint of the instrument is perfect. Combined with their other assembly techniques, this prevents a deadening of the sound when you’re playing your instrument.
Lowden Guitars offers a variety of special models and signature series instruments. This allows you to browse the options so that you can find the guitar that will allow you to play the style of music that you prefer.
[su_note note_color=”#D4DFF8″ text_color=”#111111″ radius=”1″]URL: Lowdenguitars.com[/su_note]
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10) Alhambra Guitars
Alhambra Guitars is known for their nylon strings. People from all over the world contact them for these strings. In the early 1960s, Ricardo Llorens, Francisco Martinez Clavel and Jose Maria Vilaplana ran a carpentry shop together. They decided to create a classical Spanish guitar prototype. Local music teachers helped them to refine and perfect their design.
This company was officially founded in 1965. Since their beginning, they have used a traditional Spanish heel to create their classical guitars. They also focus on using the best wood types available for this style of guitar.
Alhambra Guitars puts a strong emphasis on the craftsmanship of their handmade guitars. They look at every detail before sending a guitar to one of their customers. This ensures the perfect style and sound for every guitar.
[su_note note_color=”#D4DFF8″ text_color=”#111111″ radius=”1″]URL: Alhambrasl.com[/su_note]
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11) Ruokangas Guitars
Ruokangas Guitars specializes in building Finnish guitars. It was the year 2000 when this company’s guitars were first displayed for the public to see. A variety of musicians from all over the world come to this company to achieve the unique tone of a Finnish guitar.
There are numerous style options to choose from. They use various tonewoods to make sure that the sound that the guitar produces is pure and unique. There are currently seven different models to choose from. All of these have their own unique specifications. This company specializes in electric guitars. They also offer bass guitars.
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12) Lichty Guitars
Jay Lichty started Lichty Guitars. This is a small business that puts emphasis on the craftsmanship of their handmade guitars. They specialize in acoustic guitars, but they also design and build fiddles, ukuleles and violas. Lichty started out as a home builder and pursued this career for 35 years. He started building ukuleles as a hobby before delving into acoustic guitars and other string instruments.
Lichty has made more than 250 instruments by hand. His guitars have been shipped to customers all over the world, from Nashville, Tennessee to Kazakhstan. Lichty focuses on the details of each instrument. Each instrument goes through a rigorous process to ensure that they meet his high standards before he considers them finished.
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13) Petros Guitars
Matt and Bruce Petros are the founders of Petros Guitars. They specialize in handmade acoustic guitars for collectors and musicians who have very high standards regarding the instruments that they use. The two established this company in 1972.
This company meticulously constructs every instrument. They use a variety of innovative techniques and master-grade woods to ensure a pure sound. On top of this they are constantly looking at the instruments to find areas where they can improve their technique.
Petros Guitars has recently redesigned their FS guitar. It now has a freer, looser top and bracing system. They also made it a little bigger and rounder to ensure a sound that is clearer.
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14) Benedetto Guitars
Benedetto Guitars has been producing handmade guitars since 1968. They specialize in archtop jazz guitars and take pride in the fact that all of their instruments are produced in the USA. Robert Benedetto founded this company. They are known throughout the world for the unique sound that their guitars produce. Both musicians and collectors come to them for custom instruments.
Their guitars fall into one of two categories, including their flagship series and their professional series. In addition to these options, they also create custom guitars built exactly to their client’s specifications. This company also designs and builds handmade violins.
[su_note note_color=”#D4DFF8″ text_color=”#111111″ radius=”1″]URL: Benedettoguitars.com[/su_note]
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15) Tom Bills Custom Handmade Guitars
Tom Bills Custom Guitars believes that the craft of making handmade guitars is more important than putting his instruments into the hands of famous people. He views every guitar as a work of art that has the potential to convey a message.
This company has a few different guitar models to choose from. All of them have unique specifications. These specifications determine the style of music the guitar is best for. For example, some of the models are best for classic rock while a different model is ideal for people who want to play the blues.
Tom Bills Custom Guitars looks at every detail of a guitar before a customer can buy it. They are known for their intense attention to detail with every instrument.
[su_note note_color=”#D4DFF8″ text_color=”#111111″ radius=”1″]URL: Tbguitars.com[/su_note]
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2 Responses
Good day! This is my first comment here so I just
wanted to give a quick shout out and say I truly enjoy reading through your posts.
Many thanks!
I am interested to get information on different types of guitar. Guitar playing is my hobby and I have so far purchased a Gibson guitar, Epiphone guitar and ruokangas guitar. I also repair wraparound bridge part for Epiphone guitar. After reading this article I am interested in handmade guitar and I am interested to purchase Collings guitar.