Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Swisher.
Hi Michael, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for sharing your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I’ve been a guitar player since the age of 10. I’ve always modified and changed the guitars I owned to fit my needs, and I even purchased many guitars to make changes. About 10 years ago, I thought, what if I started from scratch? I researched and began making templates, creating designs, buying tools, and crafting as much as possible from raw materials. I made about 15 guitars. Each one got better and better, and eventually I thought, there may be a market of guitar enthusiasts and musicians interested in owning them. I love making guitars, and I put a lot of effort into ensuring I have everything perfect on the instrument so that it plays beautifully.
It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Because I enjoy what I do, being a luthier has been a great experience, but there have been great times and challenging times. Along the way, I’ve encountered numerous struggles that have tested my determination. Ruining a good piece of wood can be heartbreaking, and designing your tools can test your patience. Sometimes, standard tools might not be better for the delicate and intricate work involved in guitar building, so you have to make your own. Picking out lumber for your work is fun, but properly storing it can be challenging. Understanding and managing client expectations is important. I believe in lots of communication, so I’m constantly updating clients on their instruments progress. But I also have to adapt to changes, as clients may provide feedback for last-minute adjustments.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I start each guitar with a few wood blocks and hand-craft everything into a final product. I make some common shapes in the marketplace, but I have also created some designs on my own. I like symmetry in design, so I like making and designing shapes that are pleasing to the eye. I am excited about my super strat, which is called the Machine. It’s very symmetrical and a very well-balanced instrument. I’d call that my flagship product. I don’t make hardware, but I use quality products in every build. I’ve spent 10 years perfecting this craft, so when you purchase one of my instruments, you get years of trial and error, lots of process changes, and experimentation to get things just right. I make my instruments one at a time, so I spend a ton of time on the setup and finish work, ensuring it’s perfect before it’s shipped out.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I’ve had no formal training to build guitars; I didn’t go to school or learn with a mentor. I learned everything by drawing inspiration from online forums and YouTube videos. Being a guitar player and understanding what I liked in an instrument was also a big help. These online forums and videos have provided a virtual classroom where I could interact with experienced luthiers, share ideas, troubleshoot challenges, and soak in a wealth of practical knowledge. If I had an idea for a new way to handle a process, I studied videos, tried to find forum posts that may be on topic, and applied my ideas to improve what I learned. There’s so much information out there; you must search it out.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.swisherguitars.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/swisherguitars/
- Facebook: http://facebook.com/swisherguitars
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/swisherguitars
