Let’s Catch Up with Jeffrey R. Elliott

by Chris Sobel

Originally published in American Lutherie #127, 2016



The distinguished career of Jeffrey R. Elliott has spanned over fifty years, from his beginnings as an apprentice to Richard Schneider in Detroit, to his rise as one of the foremost 20th-century American luthiers. Among his credits are a long list of high-profile clientele and the selection of one of his guitars for exhibit at the Smithsonian. His careful stewardship of the traditional guitar design has both preserved the tradition and furthered its evolution, and to these ends, he has spent considerable time teaching and mentoring the next generation of luthiers. Indeed, his meticulous craft and strikingly beautiful aesthetics, combined with the allure of his characteristic sound, have fostered a formidable backlog of orders that has lasted his entire career.

A GAL Convention might not seem the same without Jeff, who has attended at least a dozen throughout the years as an exhibitor, a lecturer, and as a panelist and panel moderator on topics including workspace planning, the classical guitar, the flamenco guitar, the archtop guitar, and the mandolin.