Testimonials

What customers are saying:

“I own three Tom Bill’s guitars, and they are the best handcrafted instruments I have ever played. For comparison, I also own a 1973 D’Aquisto New Yorker, 1946 D’Angelico New Yorker, Benedetto Cremona, Benedetto Pregio (both handcrafted by Bob Benedetto), Gibson L5 and a Gibson Super 5. If you are thinking about buying a custom handmade guitar, you will be thrilled working with Tom to create an instrument of unsurpassed quality.”

- S.O. St.Louis, MO

“…it has the best sound of any guitar i’ve ever played, it plays great, it looks great, it makes you want to play it all the time, and the sound hole on the upper bout in my opinion is the only way to go. Everyone who’s touched it has loved it, from Vic Juris to Lionel Loueke
and a bunch of other people. Those two specifically asked how to get one, how much they cost and why they haven’t heard of Tom Bills before. Oh, and Greg Trampe said it has the best pickups on a flattop that he’s ever heard. he showed me the sound files in ProTools, putting the pickup track next to the mic track, and they were almost identical.”

- C.B. New York, NY

“Dear Tom- I just wanted to follow up in writing my observations about the stunning guitar I received this morning. After we spoke I actually took it home to play in my music room. I was amazed. Pure, piano-like tone. Warm and rich. Nuanced. Wow. A collector of beautiful things would be thrilled to have this. As a player and a collector of beautiful things I am doubly lucky. Thanks again for creating this guitar.”

- M.L. Los Angeles, CA

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About Me

I have been on my personal journey through the art of guitar making for over 10 years now. During this time I’ve grown through the various stages, from novice to intermediate, and on to whatever this stage is I am in now. In my experience, the early stages of lutherie are based on the honing and improvement of skill and the acquiring of knowledge. This type of growth can only take you to a certain point. At that level it has reached its limit, because the aforementioned facets of this craft are focused on my ability. Therefore they are limited to what I can do and what I can know, which might be pretty good by some standards but is certainly only a microscopic glimpse of what can be possible. As I’ve continued to grow as a luthier I’ve begun to understand that the leap from very good to mastery is not a leap of skill or knowledge as it is moving from stage to stage in the earlier developmental plateaus of this craft. It is the attitude of the heart. It’s the jump from the confines of the self to the limitlessness of the Creator.
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Each piece of wood already has a voice within. A resonance and a life of its own placed there by Gods own hand. It’s my job to listen for it, and to hear and see its unique potential. Like a seed, this voice lies dormant, waiting for the nurturing touch of a sincere heart. It must be watered and cultivated even in its infancy were to the natural eye it doesn’t look like much. I am able to embark on this creative journey because I have the vision of its potential. I’ve heard the dream of its song in my heart.

You have a seed, a hope, an idea that you want to express through your music and your instrument. My job is to help you communicate that vision and to create an instrument that is as unique as you and the music that only you can create
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Testimonials

About Me

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