PHOTO STORY
Lutherie in Athens
These craftspeople demonstrate the lesser known art of lutherie — repairing instruments that have neck and sound boxes.
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STORY & PHOTOS BY DYLAN BENEDICT | DESIGN BY RACHEL RECTOR
usic can be a cathartic and personal experience for people everywhere, and this is especially true in Athens. Music is engrained in the city’s culture. Athens is home to Stewart-Macdonald, a massive distributer of luthier tools, do it yourself guitar kits and almost anything else you would need when it comes to working with stringed instruments. Over the years, this business has hired luthiers from all over the country and has created a community of people who are more passionate about music and lutherie than anything else. Some of the worlds most renowned luthiers live and work here, creating instruments for people all over the world and supporting the music scene around them through their life’s passion.
Dan Erlewine solders together a bridge adjuster screw to a threaded piece of metal to make custom screw capsfor guitar capos in Athens, Ohio, on Monday, Sept. 27, 2021
Erlewine is a luthier in Athens where he has made a name for himself by building and repairing guitars and making an extremely successful video series sharing his knowledge of lutherie. Erlewine moved to Athens in 1986 to work for Stewart-Macdonald (StewMac), a banjo manufacturer and seller. He was hired to bring them into the world of guitars. “Moving to StewMac was big,” he says, “StewMac wouldn’t be where they are today without me. I’d be somewhere different [too], I wouldn’t be where I am without them.” Before working for StewMac, Erlewine had made guitars for music legends Jerry Garcia and Albert King, but it wasn’t until his work with StewMac that he was able to cement his place in lutherie history. Now, he runs his own shop called Dan Erlewine’s Guitar Shop.
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backdrop | Spring 2022
