An article on Wicklund Guitars was recently published in the Montpelier Times Argus.
Vermont guitar makers increase by one
Photo by Art Edelstein
By ART EDELSTEIN Arts Correspondent - Published: May 28, 2010
The popularity of the acoustic guitar has grown consistently since the folk boom began in the early 1960s. Fifty years ago a player would have found just a few makers of quality instruments, among them Martin, Guild and Gibson. There were almost no imported guitars of quality.
Today there are many guitar choices so it was with interest that this writer, himself a part-time professional guitarist, set up an interview with central Vermont's newest acoustic guitar company, Wicklund Guitars.
Peter Wicklund of Northfield has entered the fairly crowded field of small shop guitar builders with his own take on the venerable "dreadnought" guitars, a large-bodied instrument, and "OM" guitars, a smaller model favored by finger-style players. From a workshop on a hill that has a fantastic view of Scragg Mountain, and Norwich University far below in the valley, Wicklund is building instruments that any acoustic guitarist would be proud to own.
His is a story of a recreational musician who couldn't afford an expensive guitar but had experience in woodworking and the ability to build his own instrument. This 60-year-old former market research consultant, who holds a doctorate in chemistry, said his guitar-building career "started on a whim in 1985 when I wanted to upgrade an old Guild guitar to a Martin D28. That was the guitar to have – I felt I needed that guitar."
Without the cash for a $1,500 guitar, Wicklund found a book on guitar building and built his own. That guitar plays well and sounds quite good. Over the ensuing years he built several other instruments, gave a few away, while guitar building remained a hobby.
However, in 2007, Wicklund built four guitars at one time and received his first commission. By 2008, as he approached 60, he started thinking about becoming a full-time builder.
"I didn't want to get to the age where I couldn't build guitars, so I put it on my 'bucket list' to do," he reflected.
In January, Wicklund Guitars became a full fledged, albeit very small, guitar-building business with its own website and marketing plan. And, for Wicklund, being a guitar builder satisfies several artistic outlets.
"For me, it's being able to create a musical instrument and I really enjoy the challenge, the creative outlet, and I love music," he explained.
By building regularly he has developed the techniques a professional builder needs.
"You have to practice putting in the frets on a guitar," he said. "I've learned many of the pitfalls. I have now a process and do things the same way."
With so many people building acoustic guitars Wicklund said he has had to find his space in the crowded field.
"There has got to be a way to offer some of the same advantages of a hand-built guitar to those who aren't in the high end market," he explained. "Some of those guitars are very expensive, in the $4,000 to $5,000 and up range. My price of $2,500 is more the price of the large mass-produced makers like Martin, Taylor, Gibson."
The Wicklund guitar customer is the person who might go to the Montreal Guitar Show, (held early July, where as many 100 small shop builders display their instruments) "where they ogle but can't afford to buy," says Wicklund.
Wicklund says he is trying to reach a price point below what other small builders might charge.
"I don't have to support myself as a builder; this is a supplemental retirement income," he explained. He also likes "the challenge of growing a brand name and to having my logo recognized."
With four guitars available to sample, I tried the two OM-style guitars, playing some Irish melodies in alternative tunings. Each guitar had excellent intonation and action. The sound was clear and complex. The dreadnought guitars also had excellent action and tone when played with a flatpick. He gets high marks for his work.
The builder said he has his own style of bracing the instruments. He chooses his woods carefully, but perhaps most importantly, he said, he does not spray on a finish. Instead he uses an approach that resembles a "French polish" finish, where he hand-coats the instrument with a thin layer of glossy oil varnish.
"The wood provides the resonance, I don't want to have anything dampening that sound," he explained.
The varnish provides protection, a glossy appearance without a thick lacquer "show car" finish.
"My finish is very thin, you can see the wood texture, the finish is known to be acoustically transparent," he explained.
To retain some of the Vermont mystique for his instruments Wicklund uses crushed granite embedded in a resin for the rosettes that encircle the sound hole. He also hand-carves the neck of each guitar instead of using machines.
Because his instruments are largely unknown to guitarists, Wicklund said he is using a variety of social networking media to get the word out. One can no longer rely on traditional advertising media like a brochure or DVD or photos, he said.
"You have to do a more viral type marketing."
Wicklund Guitars are now found in YouTube videos and on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Acoustic Guitar Community networking sites.
Now in the early stages of his business, Wicklund has modest goals. He wants to remain a one-man operation but hopes to build 24 instruments a year.
"I'm going after a very thin slice of the mass produced guitar pie. I want to catch those owners of Chinese made guitars when they are ready to upgrade."