Robert Ruck’s need for a quality instrument for his classical guitar studies instigated a career that has spanned four decades, produced over 700 guitars, and established him as one of the world’s most respected luthiers. In the mid-’60s, after playing a series of low-end instruments, he had a guitar custom made by a fine woodworker in his hometown of Miami. The finished product was less than what Ruck had hoped for, but his regular visits to the shop while the instrument was under construction gave him much insight into the basics of guitar building. Ruck was learning metalwork at the time. “If you have fundamental woodworking and metalworking skills, a short tour in a guitar maker’s shop is all you need to gain a fundamental understanding of guitar construction,” he says, “although you don’t pick up the techniques and subtleties.” A few years later, at the age of 20, Ruck built his first guitar, which he sold to a friend, and worked exclusively as a luthier ever since.

Robert Ruck passed away in 2018.