Matt Artinger has been a professional
luthier for 13 years, but he’s been crafting
guitars much longer than that. His love
for luthiery was sparked back in the ’80s
from his obsession with MTV—when they
actually played music videos. “I remember
making more than my share of cardboard
air guitars and rocking in front of the TV to
just about any and every hair-metal band
I could find,” laughs Artinger. The self-described
tinkerer didn’t pick up a real-deal
guitar until his early teens, but from
the onset he was more fascinated with
how it was built than how it played.
“Soon after learning to play, I began buying
old, junker Kays and Harmonys with
my chore money,” remembers Artinger.
“For years, I tore apart and rebuilt those
guitars. I ended up building my first guitar
from scratch when I was 16. It was a Martin
from a dreadnought kit.”
But Artinger didn’t approach guitar building
as a hobby or something to fiddle with—he
knew this was going to be his life. To improve
his woodworking abilities, Artinger took a job
helping a local master cabinetmaker, and then
at age 19, he founded Artinger Custom Guitars.
The shop has had some up and down moments
over the years, but Artinger is still glad he made
the decision to be a luthier.
“As a 19-year-old entrepreneur stepping
into this business, I’d have never believed
that at age 33, I’d have built more than 500
instruments and still be going this strong,”
says Artinger. “I have no idea what may be
around the corner for me or Artinger Custom
Guitars, but I’m ready and willing to build it.”
Art Deco Archtop
The Art Deco Archtop has a carved German
spruce top, a carved figured bubinga back,
bubinga sides, and a Brazilian rosewood neck
matched with a 25"-scale ebony fretboard.
This particular model features a one-off, custom
headstock with a floating Artinger logo.
Other custom appointments include its hand-carved
ebony bridge and tailpiece.
Quilted Sapele Hollowbody
Featuring a one-piece sapele top and back
with matched sapele sides, the Quilted Sapele
Hollowbody has a 25"-scale ebony fretboard
with abalone and ivory inlays, a carved ebony
tailpiece and bridge, and Seymour Duncan
P-90s with custom sapele covers. The mahogany
neck is reinforced with carbon fiber. Unless
a customer requests otherwise, Artinger uses
carbon fiber in all his necks because he feels it
increases strength and stability without adding
significant weight.
10th Anniversary Florentine
Hollowbody
Although tin is the traditional gift for a 10th
wedding anniversary, the 10th Anniversary
Florentine Hollowbody could provide a
beautiful exception to the rule. This model
features a relief-carved chevron quilted
maple top, a relief-carved mahogany
back and sides, a dual carbon-fiber reinforced
mahogany neck, and a 25"-scale
ebony fretboard. To really set the guitar
off, Artinger applied flamed koa binding
and tiger-eye finish, Ken Parker-inspired
soundholes, 10th-anniversary inlays, and
a Brazilian rosewood headstock and pickguard.
This particular instrument features
Seymour Duncan ’59 pickups.
Kyngsland
This beauty boasts a carved flame-maple
top, mahogany back and sides, and a striking
oxblood finish. The Kyngsland model also
comes with a dual carbon-fiber reinforced
mahogany neck, a 25.5"-scale ebony fretboard
with custom parallelogram inlays, a Bigsby
tremolo tailpiece, Throback Electronics PAFs,
and NOS vintage pots, caps, and wiring.
Pricing and Availability
A fan of unique instruments, Matt Artinger
says if a customer can imagine a guitar,
he’ll try to build it. His base prices start
at $3600 for a chambered solidbody and
up to $5500 for hollowbody models. “I’ve
made some life-long friends through these
guitars,” says Artinger. “I couldn’t even
imagine building guitars on spec at this
point.” Currently, Artinger Custom Guitars
is a one-man shop, and the wait time on an
order is 9-12 months.
artingerguitars.com