* Post Update July 2023
Jay has decided to retire from custom instrument builds and to pursue his passion of building whatever he dreams up, day by day. This new round of Lichty instruments are guaranteed to be one-of-a-kinds!
We expect to have a handful of instruments available each year for purchase and will post them on the site as soon as they are ready to ship. If you would like to be notified by Jay when a new instrument is coming up please send him an email (lichtyguitars (@) gmail.com). He will keep you in the loop!
Ways to Give a Lichty Guitar, Ukulele, Fiddle or Viola
We may be bias, it’s true, but we believe that few gifts can top a custom handmade acoustic guitar, ukulele or fiddle for the holidays, for a birthday, for graduation, for a retirement, for an engagement or wedding gift, or to celebrate any milestone. Talk about the gift that keeps on giving! There is the awe that comes when your loved-one finds out they have just received a certificate for a custom handmade instrument. There is pure joy of helping with the design of their custom instrument. There is that breath-taking moment when the first note is strummed. And, last but not least, there is the lifetime of playing and enjoyment that follows.
I just picked up my Custom acoustic guitar from Lichty Guitars and I’m speechless – the guitar is beyond my expectations. It’s the perfect guitar and a joy to play! Thank you so much to my grandparents for the anticipatory graduation gift! – Greg Hendler
Jay, thank you so much for getting the guitar to us so quickly. Daniel has been enjoying it and thinks it’s the coolest thing. Thank you again for providing such a beautiful, unique and useful gift. I know we will enjoy it for many years to come. – Adair Bard who purchased a guitar for her husband Daniel.
Two Ways to Give a Custom Guitar, Ukulele, Fiddle or Viola
- Give a gift certificate
- Give an instrument that we have in stock. Look to the instruments we have available for immediate purchase. If you see something that would make the perfect gift simply contact Jay.
Custom Guitar, Ukulele, Fiddle or Viola Gift Certificate
If you’d like to give a gift certificate here is how it works:
- Contact Jay via email or phone to discuss this special purchase. You’ll choose a gift certificate based on any amount you would like to spend and the options you would like to have available. Please look to our Custom Guitar, Custom Ukulele , and Custom Fiddle pages to learn more. You can get an approximate cost via our Price Estimator.
- We will send you a Gift Certificate via mail or email made out to your loved one, along with an order form with available options (based upon the amount of your gift) to choose from.
- The recipient contacts Jay to begin the design process.
- Upon completion, the recipient receives a Lichty Custom Instrument designed for them and signed by the luthier along with a photographic journal on a zip drive of their instrument being built.
Custom Guitar Example
Features included in a base priced model:
- Selection of the following types of wood for back and sides: Honduran or African Mahogany, Sapele, Indian Rosewood
- Engelmann or Sitka Spruce top
- Wood binding (up-charges on some exotic woods apply)
- Herringbone, wood or Mother-of-Pearl rosette (up-charges on some exotic woods apply)
- Ebony fretboard with binding and bridge
- Grover Sta-tite or Gotoh 510 tuners
- Hardshell case
Custom Ukulele Example
Features included in a base priced model:
- Choice of Mahogany, Indian Rosewood or Maple back and sides
- Engelmann or Cedar top
- Side sound port
- Wood binding (up-charges on some exotic woods apply)
- Mother-of-Pearl, Paua Abalone or wooden rosette
- Ebony Fretboard with binding and bridge
- Grover Sta-tite or Gotoh tuners