Michael Thames
Guitar Luthier
Guitars
Classical Guitars
My passion for the classical guitar has occupied me for most of my life. I took guitar lessons in 3rd grade, and built my first guitar when I was fifteen years old, and never stopped. To date I’ve made over 800 guitars, over a period of 40 years. The guitar has been good to me, and hopefully I have contributed something meaningful to our world as well.
Over the years, trends and tastes change, and at times is hard to stay focused and not get distracted with every new thing. My feeling is a good guitar is a good guitar, whether it is traditional design or not.
It is difficult to put into words my feelings about guitars because I think every guitar has something to offer. I do however feel the most important quality to a concert guitar is response and playability, if that is present everything else seems to fall into place. Learn more…
The Dresden 13-String Guitar
The Dresden was conceived for the guitarists, who while wanting to play baroque lute repertoire, finds he/she faces too many hurdles when actually attempting the Baroque lute.
Recognizing the failure of much of this unique literature when transcribed for the conventional guitar, many guitarists have forsaken the repertoire altogether. The Dresden was designed to fill this gap. It is important to note that the Dresden is in no way intended to replace the lute or to imply that the lute is an obsolete instrument. There is really no exception to the beauty and delicacy of the true Baroque lute. I, myself, am a dedicated life-long lutenist. The Dresden instead is an extraordinary enabler for guitarists with a love of Baroque music: this instrument makes it available like it has never been before. Learn more…
