Roberts Luthiery history
I started working on guitars in 1974 when I met Jim Beach of the legendary Wooden Music in Chicago. Jim was more than a master craftsman, he was a mentor and a close friend. I learned guitar repair and construction from Jim which became invaluable when I started to build my own guitars in 1978. I learned how to fix broken necks, make replacements, neck resets, entire top replacements, body construction and repair, and so much more under his watchful eye. Sadly Jim passed away in 2012. I’ve also studied with Charles Fox, Grit Laskin, Tim Teel, Dale Unger, and Roger Siminoff.
I originally made my guitars under the brand “Midnight Guitar Works”. After a full day at a job that paid the bills, I built custom electric guitars based on Strat, LP, and Explorer designs with hardware and electronics not available on factory guitars of the day. I changed the name to “Roberts Luthiery” in the 1990’s when I added mandolins and ukuleles to guitar building. I’ve had the pleasure of making instruments for famous guitarists and some less famous that have become cherished friends. I’d love to make a guitar for you as well.
I have no association with Daniel Roberts Stringworks. If you’re looking for information on Daniel’s guitars visit: www.DanielRobertsStringWorks.com.
My approach to building
While guitar building has been my passion, I made a living as a engineer for over forty years. I worked on everything from parts for the Hubble telescope to fuel system components for cars and trucks, medical devices, outdoor products and a lot more. I learned that quality doesn’t happen by accident and precision methods make better products. That lesson carries over to my guitar building. I use a lot of specialty-built tools and fixtures that insure that things go together right. I use CNC where I need precision to a few thousandths of an inch or to remove material quickly. Hand craftsmanship is present in every instrument I build. The playability of a guitar starts with the right neck profile. I use hand tools to remove small amounts of material at a time until the neck feels perfect. I spray traditional nitrocellulose lacquer as well as more environmentally friendly water-based finishes that are beautiful and durable. Lastly, I wind my own humbucker, P-90, Strat and Tele style pickups. Visit RobertsGuitarPickups.com for more information.