Michael Colbert – talented luthier & travel guide extraordinaire
Jay met Michael Colbert at a workshop they were attending given by Ervin Somogyi. Two things happened very quickly – they both loved each other’s guitars and they instantly became friends. Fast forward to spring 2015 when Jay and I were exploring vacation options. One place that has been on our radar as a prime hiking/exploring spot is the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. As it so happens, Michael and his lovely wife Karen (a talent off-the-charts as well – take a look at Unpatterns) live in Port Townsend and invited us to come visit and to be our tour/hiking guides. Needless to say, we took them up on the offer and have just come back from a fabulous, in every way, trip. Our travels took us from the offices of Fretboard Journal magazine where Jay did an interview, to visits with several acclaimed luthiers, to stopping at Edensaw Woods (Michael’s dream lumber store) to Michael’s super decked-out luthier shop. And then, of course, on to lovely hikes and drives from the craggy coasts to the rain-forests to the visas high on Hurricane Ridge. Our heart-felt thanks go to our friends for making this journey such a great adventure. So so fun!
Now, regarding Michael’s guitars … we LOVE the designs and appointments of Michael’s instruments. They are stunning, carefully crafted and sound wonderful. That Jay had an opportunity to play Michael’s guitars during our entire trip was the highlight!
In Jay’s words … “Michael’s attention to detail is beyond compare and the sound and playability of his guitars is past fantastic. A great builder and now a great friend! “
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From Michael’s Website …
What makes a luthier? Decades of experience crafting with wood, interest in the physics of acoustics, and years designing and building loudspeakers. And, of course, a love for music and playing guitars – since the age of six, in Michael’s case.
Michael builds lightly bracing, highly-resonant stringed instruments, using techniques influenced by Ervin Somogyi’s approach to voicing. Our aim is to build guitars and ukuleles for the player – because we want you to respond to the voice of your instrument.
We invite you to learn more at MichaelColbertGuitars.com