Category Archives: Guitar History

Articles about the history of guitars

An Interview with Vintage Guitar Restorer and Historian Richard Johnston

Published February 2010 in Collectors Weekly | Topics: Guitar History

As the cofounder of Gryphon Stringed Instruments, Richard Johnston has spent a good part of his life around guitars, mandolins, and other stringed instruments. An appraiser on “Antiques Roadshow,” Johnston is also an author, whose most recent title traces the … Continue reading →

The 14-Fret Bet

Published July 2007 in The Fretboard Journal | Topics: Guitar History, Musicians

The true story of Perry Bechtel and the Orchestra Model guitar by Richard Johnston and Peter Kohman additional research provided by John Woodland Almost everyone familiar with the history of C.F. Martin & Co. knows the story of how in … Continue reading →

“You Can Call Me Fred” – The Legend of C.F. Martin III (1894-1986)

Published June 2006 in The Fretboard Journal | Topics: Guitar History

The Martin Guitar Company has had a lot of Christian Fredericks in its long history. The first, founder C.F. Martin Sr., was born in 1796, while the most recent, current CEO C.F. IV, recently turned 50. Smack dab in the … Continue reading →