Bruce Sexauer is a Northern California luthier who has been building stringed instruments for nearly 50 years. Bruce is best known for his flattop steel-string guitars, but he has also built electric and archtop guitars, violins, dulcimers, and mandolins, and most recently, flamenco guitars. In addition to building under his own name, Bruce has also built instruments for Schoenberg Guitars, and he operates TheStringBass.com, a retail business that specializes in the sale of upright basses.

In this video set in his workshop in Petaluma, California, Bruce talks about his formative years working alongside luthier Michael Dunn in Vancouver, Canada, his approach to building one-off custom instruments, choosing suitable woods, working with multi-scale fingerboards, and his new passion for flamenco guitars. Bruce also demos several guitars, including an all-walnut steel-string, an archtop, and a pair of flamencos.

For more on Bruce Sexauer, please check out our studio interview and demo of his FT-15 and FT-000-C guitars here. sexauerluthier.com

Sexauer FT-00-CN Luthier Bruce Sexauer shows his “Couch Noodler” flattop. Read More

Bruce Sexauer FT-00-WRX SBAIC A walnut and spruce flattop built to be given away at the 2017 Santa Barbara Acoustic Instrument Celebration. Read More

Maegen Wells A-Style Mandolin and 15-Inch Archtop Guitar Luthier Maegen Wells discusses two of her instruments in the Peghead Nation video studio. Read More

Bruce Sexauer Dreadnoughts A trio of custom flattops based on Martin’s classic blueprint. Read More

Bruce Sexauer Interview and Demo Luthier Bruce Sexauer in the Peghead Nation studio with two of his steel-string flattops, an FT-15 and an FT-000-C. Read More

Preston Thompson D-EIA A great rosewood dreadnought with a few custom touches. Read More

Preston Thompson D-GA An understated dreadnought built with granadillo and Adirondack spruce. Read More

Preston Thompson 0000-SBA A custom guitar built with “shipwreck” Brazilian rosewood. Read More

Preston Thompson D-EIA A great style-28 dreadnought made with Indian rosewood and Adirondack spruce. Read More

Huss and Dalton Custom FS An elegant fingerstyle machine built with an Italian spruce top and sapele back and sides. Read More