Dudley Kathryn Marie Dudley Guitar Makers

Annotation

It whispers, it sings, it rocks, and it howls. It expresses the voice of the folk-the open road, freedom, protest and rebellion, youth and love. It is the acoustic guitar. And over the last five decades it has become a quintessential American icon. Because this musical instrument is significant to so many-in ways that are emotional, cultural, and economic-guitar making has experienced a renaissance in North America, both as a popular hobby and, for some, a way of life.In Guitar Makers, Kathryn Marie Dudley introduces us to builders of artisanal guitars, their place in the art world, and the specialized knowledge they've developed. Drawing on in-depth interviews with members of the lutherie community, she finds that guitar making is a social movement with political implications.  Guitars are not simply made-they are born.  Artisans listen to their wood, respond to its liveliness, and strive to endow each instrument with an unforgettable tone. Although professional luthiers work within a market society, Dudley observes that their overriding sentiment is passion and love of the craft. Guitar makers are not aiming for quick turnover or the low-cost reproduction of commodities but the creation of singular instruments with unique qualities, and face-to-face transactions between makers, buyers, and dealers are commonplace.In an era when technological change has pushed skilled artisanship to the margins of the global economy, and in the midst of a capitalist system that places a premium on ever faster and more efficient modes of commerce, Dudley shows us how artisanal guitar makers have carved out a unique world that operates on alternative, more humane, and ecologically sustainable terms.