It all began with a love for music and art….
I had always tinkered about with my guitars, trying to get the most out of them. I was very intrigued by what helped or hindered the tone and the playability of the instruments.
I finaly decided it was time to build one from scratch… So I enrolled in a stringed instrument building class and began to learn the ins and outs of hand crafting an acoustic guitar.
My very first build was a dreadnought, it took longer than I anticipated and I quickly realised the time and effort that goes into this art. Right from the start I was already planning what I would do differently on the next guitar, I knew it definitely wouldn’t be my last.
With a head full of ideas I continued to build… There were so many variables to consider and endless possibilities. I took the opportunity to test out these ideas with each guitar I built and after some time I was fortunate enough to begin selling the guitars and eventually took on commissions.
I was renting an art studio in Belfast when it all started… It slowly but surely turned into a workshop, my time and effort shifted to building guitars and everything else went on the back burner… Montgomery Guitars was born.
My aim is to get the most out of the materials used, making guitars that exhibit the woods natural beauty and resonate both literally and with the player. Each guitar is lovingly crafted from start to finish with a clear idea of what is expected of tone, volume, sustain and aesthetics.
Now based in Carrickfergus, I continue to take on a limited number of commissions each year, but always give time to self intiated builds which allow for experimentation and development…
Andreas Montgomery
