ABOUT

 

I made my first electric guitar in 1997, I was 19 years old.  I used an old sailboat rudder as the top, comprised of light and dark laminated wood, and the whole design was inspired by Alembic/Irwin and Rick Turner’s work.  For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to make Jerry Guitars. During this time I was deep in a book that has forever changed my life, “Steel String Guitar Construction” by Irving Sloane.  In the back of the book was a piece on Jimmy D’Aquisto and a brief look into his process and his amazing guitars.  In me it planted a seed that being a luthier is something you could actually do.  For the first time I really believed I could make this my life and relate to guitars as a high form of art.  I was also in art school and graduated with a BA in Sculpture. 

Fast forward to 2005, I set out to discover how guitars really work in the acoustic sense, and because I was loving Django at the time, the first several instruments I made were Selmer/Macaferri Acoustic Guitars.  I played in a Hot Club, I lived and breathed Django.  A few years later however, I returned to my roots. Inspired by the work of Doug Irwin, I started making Garcia style guitars again. I also developed by own unique acoustics like the Troubadour and the Lemurian Archtop.  I served an apprenticeship where I had the privilege of working with revered artists such as Stanley Clark, Melvin Seals, the Garcia Family and countless others. When I made my first Dorado model I officially launched DeLuis Guitars. I always carry with me the concepts that I lived by during years of building and learning which are: Bulletproof construction, Enhanced sustain and Critical consistency for all of my guitars. 

DeLuis Guitars is a one man shop.  Every single process is done by hand, by me.  I never sacrifice quality and seek out the most superbly constructed chisels and things of the like I can find. I hand cut all my inlay, and hand carve all my guitars. 

I’ve set out to make functional art in the form of guitars.  It has required years and years of dedication and education and I would do it all again.  I love making guitars.  These years have helped me create a process and a product that I’m proud of and confident in. It didn’t happen overnight, not even in a decade.  Luckily, I have an amazing wife and kids who have put up with all the dust (figuratively and literally) that comes along with being a Luthier. The sky is the limit, I want to know what else is out there in the aether, you tell me.

Best,

Greg DeLuis