Check here for updates, but please call... I occasionally have something special in stock that hasn't been posted.
Update Fall 2009: Listed below are guitars that are available now. I will post missing pictures soon, but please call if you are interested and it might happen sooner. I have several little parlor guitars nearly completed too. As always, nagging is probably the only way pictures are going to happen. 310-522-9596
Heard at the Montreal Guitar Festival: "Kathy, you're here? I heard you were building harp guitars." "Yes, I am building harp guitars." "Oh, I heard you were only building harp guitars." So here it is, right from the source: Of course I haven't abandoned guitars. I kinda love them. I do have a harp requinto on my bench though. And a Braz dread, but that doesn't mean I've abandoned fingerstyle guitars either!
I am pleased to announce the inclusion of Kathy Wingert Guitars at ProfessionalLuthier.com, a new tool to help guitar buyers. Initially, most of the Luthiers accepted on the site have previously been vetted by one of the 3 major North American Lutherie Festivals – Healdsburg, Montreal, or Miami. In addition to well focused search criteria, the list of luthiers stands out because of the unique backing of the sites creator, LMI (Luthiers Mercantile International, Inc.). To demonstrate its faith in the professionalism of the participants, LMI will cover the cost of repairs necessary due to defects in materials or workmanship should any of the Luthiers listed go out of business – retirement, medical issue, whatever and therefore not be in a position to back the instrument themselves. Admittedly a subjective decision, LMI uses its network of professional associations with luthiers, instructors, buyers and dealers, in addition to information from the luthier, to determine which luthiers will participate. A beta version of the website is currently available at ProfessionalLuthier.com.
click on any image for a closer view
(New)Klimt Model E
2009 Amazing German bearclaw spruce top African blackwood back and sides Cutaway Cocobolo binding with black and white top purfling Cocobolo bevel Klimt inspired inlay Calton Case Nut: 1 25/32" String Spacing: 2 1/4" Gold/Ebonoid Gotoh 510s
I kept looking at the sapwood on this piece of African blackwood and it kept nagging at me. It haunted me for many months. It's not really a special sapwood strip, I was just in that state of mind when I first picked it out, in the wee small hours when my muse shows up, so I patiently set it aside. One day as Jimmi and I were browsing through her library, I saw what had been haunting me, and the plan was born. Jimmi artfully captured what I wanted, the rich textile qualities of Klimt's designs, and she worked various elements into the back and the rosette. I opted for cocobolo to set off the African blackwood. I love the rich reds and oranges that make the whole design feel so warm.
Price: $19,900.
Click On Any Image. Click on image that opens up for really close views. It's worth the wait.
Harp Requinto (or Harp Guitar Mini? I'll decide later.)
22" scale length Italian spruce top Cocobolo back and sides Cutaway Six sub basses Ebony binding with black/white/black/red purfling Rounded wide comfort bindings for right arm, chest, and support leg
This is the first Kathy Wingert Harp Requinto. Gregg Miner put out the word that he was rounding up the "what's what" on current builders of smaller harp instruments. That gave me the shove I needed to use some too-small-for-harp guitar woods that I had saved for a special project. As he has in the past, Gregg kindly offered examples of historic instruments to examine.
The 22 inch scale length is like a normal guitar capoed at the third fret. It is lightly strung and happy with requinto tuning, which is A up to A, like a guitar capoed on the 5th fret. Because of the harp arm and some other tricks, the instrument has a tremendous capacity for it's lower registers. The trebles are happily smoothing out at an unexpected rate. Though my initial idea was to use it in requinto tuning, I have changed my mind about how I would personally use it, I believe I would like it in terz tuning, or perhaps tuned to F#, like a guitar capoed on the 2nd fret. In that tuning, the sub basses would play easily in concert D and A, common keys for a lot of traditional music. For solo? Who cares what key it's really playing in! This is shaping up to be a very versatile instrument. Gregg's commented that harp requinto's actually tuned to A were rare and something he had hoped for. He also commented that the tone and sustain of the notes north of the 12th fret were impossibly good. Thank God I apprenticed with a violin maker.
Price: $17,500 This is the only picture I have right now
Baritone Model F
2007 Sitka spruce top Drop dead gorgeous Brazilian back and sides Cutaway Ebony binding with black and white top purfling Ebony bevel Red heart abalone rosette Calton Case Nut: 1 25/32" String Spacing: 2 5/16" Gold/Ebonoid Gotoh 510s
I have hoarded this Brazilian rosewood baritone, but the party has to end. I have found all the string gauge combinations and learned how to adapt repertoire to the very different response of the baritone. I am now ready to let it go. I'm happy to say that festival goer response to the instrument at this year's Healdsburg Guitar Festival was beyond positive, and I believe a large part of that has been patience (and a good deal of bucking common wisdom) in finding the best set up and string gauges for what was already a rich and wonderful instrument. The Brazilian rosewood on this guitar is very rare in appearance, and I am pleased to say that it is a reclamation wood. What was once part of a building is now part of an amazing instrument. The sitka top is the right bit of punch and articulation needed for the baritone's register. The custom fit Calton case has weathered two festivals and some home enjoyment. There will be appropriate discounts for the case marks though the guitar has been here with me only and been only lightly played.
Price: $$$SOLD!!! (List price)
(New) Concert Muse Short Scale
2009 Birds in flight inlay Sitka spruce top Indian rosewood back and sides Cutaway Maple binding with black and white top purfling Simple paua abalone rosette Cedar Creek Case 25" scale length Nut: 1 3/42" String Spacing: 2 3/16" Gold/Ebonoid Gotoh 510s
This beautiful little guitar is almost complete. I will come back pictures and a tone report soon. The top and back are textbook woods, and the short scale will make this little baby very comfy to play.
Price: $Call
(Pre-owned)Model E 12 Fret
2004 German spruce top Cocobolo back and sides Cutaway Ebony binding with black/white and tasteful red top purfling Simple paua abalone rosette with a bit of red Calton Case Nut: 1 3/42" String Spacing: 2 3/8" Gold/Ebonoid Gotoh 510s
This preowned Model E has been meticulously cared for and the finely grained German top in this guitar has yielded an ever growing presence and beauty of tone. It was one of my favorites in the year I built it, and it has not disappointed, at least not to my ear. My friend and amazing demo artist, Pete Bradshaw was thrilled with the tone and even put down his harp guitars to enjoy and prepare for the Healdsburg Guitar Festival. This guitar is what I always strive for with a bit of age already added. Warning: probably not a flatpicker's guitar. I think it would run away on you.
Price: $SOLD
Harp Guitar
Italian spruce top Sycamore back and sides Cutaway Seven sub basses Ebony binding with black/white/black purfling Cool Mackintosh inspired design
This is the fourth Kathy Wingert Harp Guitar. I was greatly inspired by my experience building my first two instruments and wanted to try my hand at playing one. Stephen Bennett offered the best advice saying to just play and don't think too much about the subs. I'm still too unfamiliar to have much success just ignoring all those beautiful extra strings, but I'm having a lot of fun arranging very simple melodies with basses, simple exercises to get acquainted with the spacing, and finding ways to adapt what I already know to the beautiful instrument.
The amazing design (trust me, pictures don't do it justice) was a continuation of our fascination with the work of Margaret McDonald and Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Jimmi drew up the design and created the overlays for the harp head and headstock. I did the inlay in the spruce of the harp arm itself, and Jimmi created and cut the rose for the harp arm soundhole.Price: $SOLD
Click On Any Image
Harp Guitar
Italian spruce top Mahogany back and sides Cutaway Six sub basses Cocobolo binding with black/white/black purfling Side port
This is the first Kathy Wingert Harp Guitar. The project was inspired and guided by my client and friend, Frank Doucette.
With kind generosity, Gregg Miner provided me with examples of historic instruments to examine. Frank and Gregg brought to the project more experience than I would have been able to gather on my own. The assignment I was given was to bring the "Wingert sound" to this instrument. I think I saw Frank smile. Better pictures will be added to the main site at a later date.Price: $SOLD Click On Any Image
One of the great pleasures of being an independent luthier is to have the chance to make custom guitars for discriminating customers looking for the guitar of their dreams. I love the creative part of being a guitar maker. Helping a guitarist design a guitar to fit his or her body, hands, and style of play is what custom luthiers do, and that is only a small part of what sets the hand-made guitar apart from high-end factory guitars.
Custom hand-made, high-quality guitars, whether a steel-string guitar or classical guitar, should reflect the heart of the luthier and the desires of the player. Acoustic guitars are such a versatile and beautiful way to express musical ideas, that it is no wonder they are so popular, and it is the rare musical genre or soloist or group that does not include a guitar.
With so many beautiful guitars available, it is no wonder that we are in what has been referred to as the "Golden Age of Lutherie." It seems to me that it is really the "Golden Age of Information" where a player, with the desire to find just the right fit in a guitar, is able to find a guitar across the country or across the world; and the luthiers who build them are able to find parts, tools, and materials that were almost unobtainable to our independent guitar making pioneers.
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