Aerie Guitars - About The Builder

I read the other day when Eben posted that he uses his intuition a lot. Me too and when I started building I had it on my mind that the master Luthiers of the past did not have micrometers, deflection testing rigs, etc. They felt things and processed what they thought based on their experience and intuition. And THAT was the kind of luthier that I always wanted to be and hope to one day be...

Hi, I'm Eben Atwater, the builder here at Aerie Guitars. I live in west Fort Worth, Texas, with Monica Lynn Atwater, my best friend, wife and partner, and our 17 year old son, Casey; there's also two rotten cats who think they own the joint.

So, first things first; what's the difference between a guitar maker and a luthier? About $1,500 in base price, I'd say right off hand: Seriously though, it can take a lifetime to truly learn this art, and I'm just tryin' to stay humble...

I grew up in the 60s, the youngest of four kids. My mom is an artist and gardener by avocation and profession. My dad most of his working life teaching economics. Mom played guitar back when I was really young - I remember sitting on her bed, listening to her strum cowboy folk songs, (She's a Montana ranch girl). We talked about this recently, and she recalled the she had an early 60's Gibson that disappeared somewhere along the line - At 83, she says, "I wonder what I did with that guitar..." (Sigh)... My dad, while definitely an economist by profession also had a serious artistic bent - He carved well, liked to build things, and always believed he could do what needed to be done, even if he'd never done it before. He was a serious weekend warrior when it came to woodworking and the tools associated with such. I inherited a lot of what makes me who I am from my wonderful folks - they gave me skills, smarts, education, common sense, and an appreciation for other people and places, good music, good food, and good friends. I've been working with wood my whole life, from framing and finish carpentry, to furniture, arts, crafts, and of course guitars. I started taking guitar lessons and playing at 10 years old, after a brief stint with a trumpet, (I wanted to be Buck Clayton...). I've been playing ever since, in more bands than I can remember, (And a few I'd like to forget...). I am a working guitar player and singer here in Fort Worth, Texas.

My involvement in repairing, customizing, and building guitars began about eight years ago. In all honesty, I first started working on my own guitars because I didn't want to pay what 'real' repair places charged, (What can I say, I'm Scots). This led to doing for others' as I had done for myself, followed by building a neck from scratch for a friend to replace a really awful one. Next thing I knew, I was asked if I'd build a brand-new custom guitar, and the rest is history... I am largely a self-taught builder, but I certainly owe a big thank you and a huge debt of gratitude to Master Luthier Steve Stevens of Breckenridge, Texas. Steve is my mentor and guitar-building touchstone: You will see certainly see his influence in my guitars. Make sure you check out his stuff, (Especially his incredible arch tops!)

As far as guitar building philosophy goes, I have to say that my approach is first and foremost as a player. As a band leader playing acoustic, or a composer working on my own stuff, I want a guitar with a well-tempered voice, good balance across its range, and the ability to articulate well at both low and high volume; so that's what I build. Some very fine professionals have played and own Aeries, and generally described them as full voiced, well balanced, and easy to play: That is what I strive to make: The characteristic sound of a handmade guitar depends as much on the builder’s touch as it does the materials used. My guitars sound and look the way they do because I build them by hand, one at a time. Hand building ain't fast; it also means that each instrument is a bit different than the last, and they all have the subtle signs of being a handmade instrument, (AKA, they ain't perfect like a shiny ol' production guitar). Working by hand is what makes guitar building fun for me: If it was all automated and whatnot, I doubt I'd like doing it, to be honest! In any case, these differences are important to understand if and when you're thinking about getting your own handmade guitar - It's a one of a kind, living breathing thing, and that's why they're beautiful.

From a design standpoint, my primary influence comes from guitars made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Before the Dreadnaught took over the flat top world, there were a bunch of shapes and sizes of guitars that were amazing, wonderful instruments. It's the essence of those wonderful old guitars that I have and will continue to draw inspiration from for my designs.