Michael McCarthy specializes in acoustic archtops that he builds using a CNC machine to carve
self-bracing tops. mccarthystringedinstruments.com
Prairiewood Guitars’ Midwesterner (left) features a butternut body, while the Hardtop (right)
has an Eastern maple body. prairiewoodguitars.com
Ken Bonfield demonstrates Alan Carruth’s latest creation, a harp guitar with a separate soundboard for the bass strings. Carruth built it as part of a competition in which luthiers create
instruments from materials that cost less than $100. alcarruthluthier.com
Tom Ribbecke’s fan-fret Halfling is so-named because it combines a bass side that’s flat like
a steel-string acoustic with a treble side that’s carved like an archtop. ribbecke.com
www.premierguitar.com
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