For two decades, The Fretboard Journal has celebrated great guitar players and makers in its pages. We love visiting the workshops of luthiers and factories of our favorite guitar brands. Even as non-builders, we find the whole process of making instruments fascinating.
So, when contributor Jamie Etherington started asking famed luthiers, repair people, and gear company founders about the one tool that meant the most to them, our interest was piqued. What started out as a Fretboard Journal magazine feature quickly snowballed into a full-blown book nearly two years in the making.
Etherington’s The Luthier’s Toolbox compiles the favorite tools owned by some of today’s most famous, influential and up-and-coming guitar builders. Included are dozens of former Fretboard Journal subjects.
Among the nearly 100 contributors included: Andy Powers, Linda Manzer, Joe Yanuziello, Michael Bashkin, Chris Benson, Michael Greenfield, Colleen Fazio, Jason Lollar, Dick Boak, Doug Kauer, Kevin Ryan, Joshia De Jonge, and John Monteleone.
Best of all, it’s definitely not just for luthiers. We tried to make it enjoyable for anyone who appreciates the craft of guitars (or just a sawdust-filled workbench).
This is the Fretboard Journal’s first hardcover book project. There are full-color photographs throughout and a cloth hardcover. We’re printing it in the United States and it will start mailing the first week of February 2025. This is a limited edition book. If you’d like to reserve your copy today, simply go here.