John Calkin's Review of StewMac's Acoustic Guitar Kit

Luthier John Calkin built and reviewed our rosewood acoustic guitar kit for American Lutherie, the journal of the Guild of American Luthiers, Winter 2000. Here are some highlights:

"Anyone wanting to begin a guitarmaking career this way won't be disappointed... The materials are of excellent quality... All the components in the Stew-Mac kit, whether wood, ivoroid, or hardware, are high grade and meant to last a lifetime."

"The guitar is punchy and loud, just about all one could wish from a dreadnought."

"Without embellishing the kit you should end up with a guitar comparable to any in the $2,000 range. The components are top notch, and the high quality of Stew-Mac's work will give you something to shoot for. And though much of the tricky work is done, completing this guitar should certainly fill you with a sense of accomplishment."

John also sent us this note:
"I'll be using some of the tips in the construction video for a long time to come. Building this guitar was a real pleasure, not unlike building from scratch. The sense of satisfaction in a job well done is much the same either way, and people who saw the finished instrument were astonished that it came from a kit."