12 - Ukulele Builders, Luthiers and Manufactures: G

George Banjos is located in historic, scenic Somerville, Tennessee, just a few blocks away from the court square and town center. It is located just shy of midway between Memphis and Jackson.

The home of Gibson electric guitars today is Gibson USA, built in 1974 in Nashville specifically for the production of Gibson's Les Paul guitars. Although the entire guitar industry went through a slump in the late '70s, the spirit of innovation remained strong at Gibson. In response to a growing demand for vintage stylings, Gibson tapped its rich history and reissued the dot-neck version of the ES-335 in 1981 and the flametop sunburst Les Paul in 1982. At the same time, two legendary guitarists joined Gibson- B.B. King in 1980 with the Lucille model and Chet Atkins in 1982 with his new concept of a solidbody acoustic guitar.

No matter how you travel, it's still you going.

A lifelong player and woodworker, Dave Means started building stringed instruments as an avocation in 1995.  He has been doing set-up and repairs for over 30 years!  Since retirement from his "day job" in February, lutherie is now his full-time retirement vocation.  Being a research engineer by formal training and well-grounded in acoustical theory and practice gives Dave the know-how to make your ukulele sound right.

I’ve worked with wood my entire life as a cabinet maker, finish carpenter and now a ukulele builder. My parents were both artists, making beautiful things runs deep. I strive to make the best ukuleles in both sound and sight. Goat Rock Ukulele is not a ukulele factory. I build few instruments at a time. Each ukulele is unique. I love building themed instruments that have connection to the eventual owner. I often build with recycled wood. Many woods harvested decades ago are of higher quality then is now available. I have recycled redwood from 75 year old cabernet wine tanks. It’s stained a beautiful purple from the wine. This wood will make an amazing top for a vintner themed Ukulele.

Made in Canada - Being able to say these words and truthfully mean it, is something we are very proud of in this day and age. All of our acoustic and Richmond guitars are made in Canada from start to finish. Canadian Made also applies to our Godin electric guitars, which originate from parts hand-crafted in Quebec Canada, with final assembly in Quebec and Berlin New Hampshire.

The Golden Gate Rhythm Machine (GGRM) plays trad jazz and popular music of the teens, '20s and '30s in a listenable and danceable style performed by professional musicians with more than 40 years experience each. We're ready to play your festival, party, wedding or any event you can think of.

"Gold Tone Instrument Company", located in Titusville, Florida was founded by Wayne and Robyn Rogers in 1993. Active folk musicians in the 70’s and 80’s, they opened Strings N’ Things Music Center in 1978. In 1993 Wayne designed the original TB-100 Travel Banjo and began manufacturing and distributing the “Traveler” mail order. After a wonderful review by Banjo Newsletter, the TB-100 became very much in demand. As the company grew, new innovations were combined with proven vintage designs. Dealers and customers continued to request quality banjos in a reasonable price range and soon Gold Tone’s collection included 5 strings, 6 strings, Banjitars, Mando Banjos, 4 strings, Weissenborns, metal bodies, resonator guitars and mandolins.

"Tony Graziano Ukuleles", Tony Graziano has been building musical instruments since 1969 and became interested in the Ukulele in 1978 , and then in 1995, after several years of building both guitars and Ukuleles, Tony began building Ukuleles almost exclusively. Tony likes to think of the ukulele as an instrument of the millennium. Its compact, easy to travel with, and brings joy to all who hear and play them. All Tony Graziano Ukes are built by Tony in his Santa Cruz shop using of the finest woods available.

Since 1883, when 27-year-old Friedrich Gretsch founded his little shop in Brooklyn, N.Y., making banjos, drums and tambourines, The Gretsch Company has grown to produce some of the world’s greatest drums and guitars over the span of four generations. With its emphasis on hand-craftsmanship and commitment to quality, Gretsch has pioneered new designs and manufacturing techniques, winning endorsements from some of the music industry’s most respected artists, including Chet Atkins, Bono, Charlie Watts, Neil Young and Phil Collins.

Steve Grimes has built Archtop and Double Sound hole Flatop guitars for some of the top players in the world. He specializes in custom tailoring his guitars to suit the tonal, aesthetic, and playability requirements of his customers.

Located in Halawa Valley, on the island of Oahu, GString Ukuleles continues to build instruments at a high degree of excellence at a competitive price. Our technicians take great pride in their work and endure intensive training in all aspects of the building process.