Bills

Tom Bills Biography

Some of the main elements that are believed to determine the quality and outcome of guitar design are bracing, wood selection, bridge design, neck construction, tap tuning, action, and playability. However, I believe these elements, as important as they may be, do not fully determine the overall sound and feel of the guitar. For example, let's take two equally skilled luthiers. They will build a guitar each from the same blueprint. They will use wood cut from the same tree. They can attempt to build the guitars the same in every way and the outcomes will be very different. Two guitars with different feels and tones will be produced. With this in mind we can conclude that the elements of design that usually get the most attention are not the only important aspects of shaping the sound and feel of an instrument. This intangible aspect is the intriguing mystery that keeps us drawn to and inspired by the enigma of the guitar and its design. I believe it's in understanding this secret that we can cross the fine line between good and great, and that the cause of this phenomenon is a fundamental truth that can bring us to new levels of accomplishment, in whatever we apply it to. I've found that the answer to why the guitars, though identical in design and materials, do not have the same outcome, is due to the attitude of the builder's heart.
Tom Bills

Artists who play Bills: Vic Juris, Lionel Loueke