Northern California luthier Bruce Sexauer is well known to connoisseurs of high-end guitars. Since building his first guitar in 1967, Sexauer has explored virtually every guitar type, including electric solid-bodies, archtops, and classicals (fingerstyle virtuoso Duck Baker plays the only classical Sexauer has built to date), but he’s best known for his flattop steel-strings. Sexauer’s tonal inspiration comes from American prewar guitars, and his partnership with vintage guitar dealer Eric Schoenberg has allowed him access to some of the very best vintage instruments. (Besides building guitars under his own name, Bruce also builds for Schoenberg Guitars). But Sexauer doesn’t work strictly in the vintage tradition. Many of his guitars include contemporary features such as multi-scale fingerboards, wedge-shaped bodies, unusual woods, etc.

For this video, Sexauer brought two recent guitars to the Peghead Nation studio: an FT-15 built with Brazilian rosewood back and sides and an Italian spruce top and an FT-000-C built with European pearwood back and sides and a German spruce top. He discusses his approach to lutherie with Peghead Nation’s Teja Gerken, who also plays each instrument. sexauerluthier.com

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Bruce Sexauer Shop Visit Acclaimed Northern California luthier discusses his career, instrument designs, and current projects. Read More

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2019 Bourgeois Slope D – Style 35 A vintage-style slope-shoulder built for the 2019 NAMM show. Read More

Preston Thompson 00-12 SMA A great mahogany-and-spruce 12-fret guitar with custom inlay. Read More

2013 Mario DeSio Baritone Peghead Nation’s Teja Gerken demonstrates his personal baritone guitar. Read More

Huss and Dalton CM Cutaway Standard A mid-size flattop that’s perfect for fingerstyle. Read More

2015 Santa Cruz 1929 000 Custom A great all-mahogany 12-fret with custom upgrades. Read More