contact us

Use the form on the right to contact us.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions regarding your instrument, repairs, any instruments we have for sale, ordering an instrument, or any instrument you wish to sell.

1000 North Rand Road No. 224
Wauconda, IL, 60084
United States

847-864-7730

I began making guitars in 1966 in Dayton Ohio, where I worked out of my house. From 1968-1970 I lived in Mexico City, returning during the summers to build instruments at the Dayton location. 

During this time I was studying Anthropology and playing flamenco guitar professionally in various troupes in Mexico and around the U.S. In 1972 I moved to Chicago and worked briefly out of the back of a music store before moving to my present location in 1973. 

At that point I gave up any pretensions of being a professional guitarist and dedicated myself full time to lutherie.

 


My 800 Greenwood Street shop has undergone several renovations and changes over the years, the most recent being the 1995 massive renovation I did of the outside and inside of the building. 

As a result, my building is now climate controlled throughout the entire 4,000 square feet, and it has now acquired a nicer facade, with more interior showroom space than was previously available. 

Consequently, we are better able to serve those who prefer to visit the shop to select an instrument from our extensive inventory, which is housed in glass fronted rosewood cabinets. Being able to play many instruments side by side is very helpful in making a final selection, and we have full repair/restoration facilities on the premises for minor action adjustments to major restorations of valuable collector instruments.

Purchase on Approval

Connecting the right instrument with the right player

We are happy to send out instruments on approval with no obligation on your side to purchase the instrument.  Upon payment in full for the price listed, we will ship the instrument to you (within the continental United States only, other destinations at your expense) for you to try and examine for the weekend.  Typically we will ship on Monday, and you would receive the instrument before the weekend, which would give you the rest of the week and the weekend to try the instrument in the comfort and privacy of your home or business.  Should you decide for any reason to return it, all we ask is that you ship it back to us at your expense using the same packing materials, shipper and method we used to ship it to you.  Once we have received the instrument in the same condition as we sent it to you, we will refund the full purchase price immediately.  We request that any returns be sent on Monday so they are not in transit over the weekend.  Instruments must be to a street address (no P.O.. boxes), and the delivery address should be the same as the billing address of the credit card used for the purchase.  We realize that even the most informed descriptions, detailed photos and high fidelity sound clips are meaningless compared to the experience of having the actual instrument in YOUR hands to try and hear personally.