David Myka
Custom Guitars When David Myka says he’s ready to take on any project, no matter how out-there or customized, you know he means it: He built his first guitars out of throwaway parts—including radio guts and nut-and-bolt tuning keys—and wound his first pickups out of reclaimed transformer wire and 6-penny nails.
ABOVE: This #047 Dragonfly Supreme features a bone nut and a headstock
veneer made of Amboyna burl, an exotic hardwood from southeast Asia. The
Supreme’s ebony-buttoned Waverly tuners also feature the Amboyna burl veneer.
LEFT: David Myka’s #025 guitar features a mahogany body with a drop-dead
gorgeous quilted-maple top, an ebony-topped cocobolo neck, curly koa
binding, a Stetsbar tremolo, two Lollar P-90s, a Rio Grande Babybucker,
and a mid-boost/cut circuit.
The term “custom guitar” means different things to different people. To some;it;means;slapping;cool;Duncan;pickups,;a;Hipshot;bridge,;and;
Sperzel;tuners;on;a;Warmoth;body;and;neck.;To;others;it;means;a;guitar;
put together by a name builder with a body shape, neck profile, compo-nents,;and;wood;chosen;from;a;menu;of;options.;However,;to;David;Myka;
of;Myka;Custom;Guitars,;custom;means;custom—
as;in,;you;can;com-mission;a;solid,;hollow,;or;semi-hollow;guitar;in;any;shape;you;want.;Or,;
if;you’re;so;inclined,;you;can;design;the;body;shape;and;the;Seattle-based;
luthier will bring your idea to life and fine-tune it to become the instrument
of;your;dreams.;Alternatively,;you;can;choose;one;of;Myka’s;existing;models;
as;a;starting;point;for;a;custom;guitar.;If;you’re;ultra-picky;and;have;primo;
access to a good stash, you can even supply your own woods.
Myka;is;driven;by;a;desire;to;push;the;envelope;with;guitar;design.;
A self-taught luthier, he started building guitars in his teens using old
6-strings;he;found;in;the;trash;and;gathering;what;he;could;from;bro-
ken radios for parts. He took wire from transformers and wrapped it
around;6-penny;nails;to;make;crude;pickups.;The;first;guitar;he;built;
had nuts and bolts for tuning keys.
Then,;Myka;purchased;Steel-String Guitar Construction by Irving
Sloane.;The;book’s;last;chapter;showed;James;D’Aquisto;building;an;
archtop;guitar,;and;that;image;got;Myka;hooked—as;you;can;tell;by;
the;homage-paying;contours;in;the;latter’s;single-cutaway;archtops.;
After;digesting;the;D’Aquisto;chapter,;Myka;started;making;carved-
top;guitars.;Many;years;later,;in;2001,;he;took;a;class;from;Harry;
Fleishman;to;learn;more;about;acoustic;guitars.;
Currently;Myka;guitars;have;a;waiting;period;of;six;to; 12;months;
(or;more,;depending;on;the;level;of;customization).;To;get;the;inside;
story;on;these;extraordinary;instruments,;we;asked;Myka;to;share;his;
perspective and philosophy of guitar making.
What type of players are drawn to Myka guitars?
I tend to attract people who are looking for something very specific
they;haven’t;been;able;to;find;elsewhere.;It;could;be;something;com-pletely custom or something that is inspired by a classic, but built to
the;highest;standards.;The;truth;is,;I;love;a;good;challenge,;and;when;
I;get;a;napkin;sketch;or;a;wild;concept,;I;won’t;hesitate;to;build;it.
Do you have standard offerings as well, or is everything custom?
The;core;of;my;work;is;custom;construction.;However,;I;do;have;
a standard set of about five body shapes to choose from, as well as
