Alan Carruth

Luthier

 

Since 1974 I have been building guitars with one objective in mind: the best possible sound in a playable, durable, and attractive instrument. My instruments combine the best of modern machine tooling with fine hand craftsmanship for consistent workmanship.

To fully realize its potential, each set of wood must be handled individually. Experience, training in traditional lutherie techniques, and a thorough knowledge of scientific principles enable me to obtain a full, rich, balanced sound from every instrument, using standard or non-traditional materials.

As a life-long New England resident, and an experienced repairman, I know the hazards our climate holds for a guitar. My instruments are built with features that enhance their stability and durability, such as a fully-domed top with A-braces tied to the neck block.

All of my classical and flat top guitars now feature a 3-part braid rosette design, in homage to the Moorish origins of the classical guitar, and my own Celtic heritage.

You've been perfecting your sound for a long time......So have I.

An experienced player knows that there is nothing quite like the sound of a great guitar. No other instrument has the broad palette of tone colors, subtlety, responsiveness, or dynamic range. You worked a long time to learn to hear it, and even longer to learn to use it.

I've worked for over 25 years as a builder to understand and control the tone of the guitars I make. I was a pioneer in the use of “plate tuning” on the guitar, and one of the first people to use it regularly on steel string flat top and archtop guitars. From the physiology of hearing to the characteristics of tone woods, and beyond, I’ve worked hard to find out “where the sound comes from”, and applied that knowledge to building over 350 instruments of all kinds.

So, if the time has come for you to “go for the tone”, maybe you owe it to yourself to come to me.

“I have had the opportunity to own and play some of the finest steel string guitars ever made; from a pre-war Martin to a custom Santa Cruz. None could hold a candle to a Carruth.” — Ken Bonfield

“I'm just in awe .... playing like I never could do before.” — Chuck Brodsky

“...tonally I would bet on a Carruth any day of the week.” — Larry Pattis

“...the crystalline timbre of his Alan Carruth steel string acoustic” — Mark Small reviewing Wolfgang Muthspiel's Timezones CD Guitar Player, July 1990

The New England Luthiers is an association of professionals and amateurs brought together by a common love of making stringed instruments