News/Newsletter July 2009
Branching Out
This past month I made my first foray into the world of guitar shops, and what better way to be introduced than by being invited by one of the best in the business. The Music Emporium in Lexington, Massachusetts invited me to their on-going “Meet Your Maker” series. Essentially it’s a mini-seminar where the guitar maker gets the opportunity to indulge themselves and those who may be interested in hearing about the guitar maker’s work, in addition to presenting some of their instruments.
Normally I don’t have the luxury of participating in these events, but I have been promising Stu Cohen for the past two years that I would show up with some guitars. I like to think of myself as a man of my word so there I went. The folks at The Music Emporium are indeed some of the finest people I have ever met inside and outside of this business. They made me and my guitars feel right at home and thankfully were very pleased with the two guitars that are currently on display at their shop. Please have a look for yourself:
http://www.themusicemporium.com/product-detail/asetid/23/product/montuoro-om.html
http://www.themusicemporium.com/product-detail/asetid/23/product/montuoro-style-7-special-jumbo.html
(Please note: these two instruments will be my July & August 2009 featured guitars )
The two guitars presented here are, of course, based on the Larson family of guitars. The first is an Indian Rosewood OM and the second is a Honduran Rosewood 16” that is based on a mid 1930s Euphonon. I am very proud of these guitars, as they not only represent the truly unique building style of the Larson’s but they also display my strengths as a guitar maker. The instruments have received a lot of superb feedback, and, in fact, only five days after the guitars began their tenure at the shop I received another order for a custom build from the very superb player and teacher Mr. Mark Dziuba of New York University. It is always a pleasure when you have such esteemed musicians enamored with your guitars, and it truly means the world to me. I know the guitar will be played often, and as a guitar maker that is the most important thing to me.
There are many fine instrument makers out there today. I truly pride myself on being a hard core traditionalist when it comes to my methods of building. I have stated time and time again that I am not a maker that tries to elaborate too much on the building practices of the past. Instead I embrace the methods of the past that were used to create some of the finest guitars ever built. I am proud to carry on these traditions, and I hope you get a chance to see and hear for yourself the difference my guitars truly make. If you are in the Lexington, Massachusetts area please stop and by and play some tunes on my creations. While they last……….
Thanks for the continued support!
Frankie Montuoro
July 2009 |
