John Bogdanovich

My guitar building career began on the northern coast of California in Fort Bragg almost 20 years ago. The town of Fort Bragg is the host of the Fine Woodworking Program at the College of the Redwoods. In my second year at the woodworking program under the direction of James Krenov, I became the first student to build a musical instrument at the school. Upon completing the program I began making guitars full time, and J.S. Bogdanovich Guitars was launched.

In 2003 Sterling Publishing asked me to write a book. The following year the shop was moved to Asheville, NC and the book was written in the new shop. "Classical Guitar Making: A Modern Approach to a Traditional Design" was released in early 2006. The book's popularity surprised everyone including me.

Soon requests for some of the products I had created and demonstrated in the book flooded in. A line of guitar building products gradually developed (one of those is demonstrated in the above video) and a few years later a 10-DVD series on how to build a concert classical guitar followed and guitar building classes were offered in the shop.

Luckily guitars have been in great demand and the waiting list has grown. But with all that has happened one thing remains, it is all about producing quality instruments for musicians.

There is a saying that you know you are in the right business if you like the people you are doing business with, for me this rings true. The guitarists that I have come to know through guitar making have been wonderful. Most remain in contact, some have become friends. Being a guitarist, or a luthier, in today's world is not easy. These are things I understand first hand, but at heart, I guess I am still a guitarist myself.