There is something special about the guitar. No other instrument has taken so many forms or generated so many manifestations. Over the years much of this wild tapestry of inventions has been overshadowed by the dominance of a few models and types in the pantheon of the public mind. A single moment in the approximate middle of the last century has become the point of reference of guitar-historical orthodoxy, with Leo and Ted as both its prophets and saints. But lurking beneath this veneer of a few, mostly American-made models which have come to signify the final embodiment of the guitar, there is a parallel universe full of color, full of wonderful diversity. A world well worth exploring and discovering.
The EGB Historical Project shines a light on guitar makers of the past who have contributed to the development of the guitar, who have excelled at their craft and who should be remembered. As an EGB project, the focus also lies on reclaiming the history of the guitar in Europe.
Each year, the Historical Project Table at The Holy Grail Guitar Show will display examples of one such guitar builders’ work.
In 2018 the subject of the Historical Project was “The Kalamazoo Gals”. In 2016 the works of Johann Georg Stauffer (1778 – 1853) were presented, in 2015 it was Antonio Wandrè Pioli (1926-2004). Click here to view the Historical Project page on the EGB Website.