It has been said…..
“He who works with his hands is a Laborer.
He who works with his hands and his head is a Craftsman.
He who works with his hands, his head and his heart
Is an Artist.”
From early childhood I began my journey to become a fine artist. I have taken the phrase, ”Music from the Heart”,to describe my work. In fact some of my instruments have Heart Shaped sound holes. Being a guitar maker requires me to be a craftsman, an inventor, an engineer, a businessman as well as an artist.
I’ve never been motivated to mass produce guitars, but rather to create the finest objects of art I am capable of. I think of them as musical sculpture; things of beauty that have a whole other purpose as musical instruments.
Everything about this trade appeals to me; the wood, the tools, the work,…after forty years I still find it exciting. To string up a new guitar for the first time is to experience a birth. That is when the voice of this object that I have poured my heart into comes to life. That is my reward.
My acoustic guitars fall into three levels of appointments, however, all of my guitars get the same attention to detail. They are: Heartland, Noble Heart and the top of the line is the Lion Heart. I also build arch top guitars such as my Jazz Deco.
I don’t adhere strictly to these categories but have them as a framework to begin a dialogue to determine what a player is looking for.
I also build one-of-a-kinds, speculative art pieces and experimental instruments which can be seen on my Nashville Custom Shop page.
Click here to watch Kunkel Guitars Video.
