Preston Thompson Guitars Learn More +

Our fine guitars are designed by master guitar luthier Preston Thompson. Discovered by bluegrass virtuosos Charles Sawtelle and Peter Rowan in the 1980s, Preston has built a reputation for handmade, original vintage guitars. He got his start building guitars under Charles Fox at the School of the Guitar Research and Design Center in Vermont, the first school for guitar makers in North America.During the 1970s, he honed his guitar-making skills at the legendary Randy Wood Old Time Pickin Parlor, the center of the Nashville bluegrass music jam scene. In the 1980s, his custom acoustic guitars attracted the attention of the top flatpicking and fingerstyle guitarists in the world. For three years in a row, his instruments were selected over other top brands as the choice of prize by the winner of the National Flatpicking Championships at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas.His collaboration with bluegrass great Charles Sawtelle of Hot Rize gave Preston access to his collection of rare and famous pre-war vintage instruments. The guitar Preston built for Sawtelle based on these studies became one of his most treasured instruments. And Preston uses his detailed measurements of those instruments to this day to create guitars that are coveted for their superlative sound, the beauty of their materials, and the precision of their construction.

Preston has a great sense of tone and aesthetic. These guitars have lots of headroom, and lots of punch. Absolutely phenomenal.

Sister, Oregon

Peter Rowan, Chris Luquette, Eric Bibb, Tim May, Jake Workman,