Matt Artinger: A Maker's Maker

I've admired Matt Artinger's work for a long time. He's one of those rare builders who pairs real engineering curiosity with genuine artistry, and it shows in every instrument that leaves his bench. What sets Matt apart is his range. He builds across the whole spectrum, acoustic and electric, solidbody and archtop, and does it all at a high level. His archtops with their unique designs, f-holes, and aesthetics are something special, and his use of rare woods and custom inlay turns each guitar into a work of art. He's forward-thinking, always pushing the design, but he stays rooted in the organic, earthy feel of the classics. When people ask me who's doing serious work in the custom world, Matt's name comes up fast.

In Matt's own words:
I started my journey with guitars at a fairly young age. Although neither of my parents were musical in the traditional sense, I grew up during the heyday of MTV, so from even my earliest days I was obsessed with guitars. My journey started at the age of 11 with my first guitar, and crazily, I was immediately drawn to what made it "tick" from the inside, even beyond playing it. I never looked back from there, and with a stint in high school repairing my friends' guitars, I went on to form Artinger Custom Guitars in 1997 at age 19.

It's been a beautiful whirlwind of a ride, and I still can't believe I'm approaching 30 years and 1,000 guitars in 2027. I've never shied away from a project that could grow my understanding as a maker, and it's given me a pretty broad design palette and approach. To this day my focus is broadening my overall scope, and as always, the learning process never ends.

You can view our current array of Artinger's guitars here:
- Artinger electrics
- Artinger acoustics