While New England has become a destination for many reasons, luthiers and pedal builders are wrongfully excluded from the long list of regional highlights.
Since 2019 I have spent quite a bit of my free time writing, recording video, and thinking about guitar gear. Many of the highlights have included working with the big brands like Fender and Gibson, or having the chance to interview heroes of mine like Brian Baker. But those are relatively obvious whereas one unexpected joy has been my exposure to and interaction with so many incredible luthiers, pedal builders, amp builders, and gear-based businesses near my home in Rhode Island. I did not grow up as a guitar player thinking there was really much in the way of exciting gear to know about in the Northeast. LA, Nashville, Seattle, Portland, and New York all had much more obvious claims to gear fame, and certainly still do, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing worth knowing about in New England.
Over the last several years I’ve spent a lot more time trying to track down, meet, and document the amazing gear coming from the area. This is an ongoing effort, and more folks will always be added to the list and article – think of it like a living document. Admittedly most of the 100s of guitars and pedals I’ve reviewed and demo’d have been from bigger brands like Boss, Ibanez, Fender, EHX, Universal Audio, and many more. Or they have been more on the smaller end of mass production, think “mid-tier” brands like Harmony Guitars or ultra affordable import lines from Jet Guitars and Caline. Those are the things that get the clicks after all, so I see this focus on New England-based gear as a bit more of a passion project.
I’ve no doubt missed so many builders and brands, so if you think your name should be on here, simple reach out, introduce yourself, and I’ll get you into the list and expanded database I’m working on! No strings attached, simple as that. Ideally as I continue to refine this, it will morph into a more interactive and sortable dataset.
Remember this is a living document, it will continue to be updated and by no means is an exhaustive list (yet)!
Guitar Builders & Luthiers
| Builder/Brand | Website | State | Reviewed by Me? |
| Jade Works Instruments | No, hit him up on Instagram | RI | Yes, click here |
| Maguire Guitars | rickmaguireguitars.com | RI | Not yet! But I have played them – they rock |
| Lord Guitars | lordguitars.com | MA | Not yet! |
| RWM Guitars | rwmguitars.com | CT | Yes, click here |
| Gronlund Guitars | gronlundguitars.com | ME | Not yet! |
| Maghini Guitars | Maghiniguitars.com | CT | Not yet! |
| Karge Guitars | kargeguitars.com | MA | Not yet! |
| God City Instruments | godcityinstruments.com | MA | I wish, this is Kurt Ballou’s brand! |
Pedal Builders
| Builder/Brand | Website | State | Reviewed by Me? |
| CopperSound Pedals | coppersoundpedals.com | MA | I freakin wish! |
| Electronic Audio Experiments | electronicaudioexperiments.com | MA | I wish x2 |
| Analogman Custom Guitar Pedals | analogman.com | CT | Nahhh I’m still on that waiting list…but I have a Prince of Tone! |
| Farm Pedals | farmpedals.com | ME | No but my brother has one and it is sick |
| Klon LLC | No website, just Instagram | MA | I do have a KTR… |
| Source Audio | sourceaudio.net | MA | Not yet! |
| Nerd Knuckle | nerdknuckleeffects.com | MA | No but they’ve been on my to-do list since I met the guy! |
| Mid-Fi Electronics | midfielectronics.com | MA | No but my brother has one next to his Farm Pedal – it’s also sick |
| Black Mass Electronics | blackmasselectronics.com | MA | I own and love a 1312 distortion that I need to demo |
| Dual Stage Amplification | dualstageamps.com | CT | They’ve reached out but never pulled the trigger on a demo |
Gone But Not Forgotten
There seems to be some gear brands who I used to follow, work with, or admire from afar who are no longer in the gear-making business but were/are based in New England! These include:
- Thirty7fx – read my reviews here and here
- Stol Handmade Guitars – never had the chance to look into them too much but they were highly recommended
- XII Hour Devices – a great company that I used to follow closely,
Pickups, Amplifiers, Cabs, & Other Gear
| Builder/Brand | Speciality | State | Website |
| Black Mass Electronics | They also make a ton of pickups! | MA | blackmasselectronics.com |
| Nocturnal Amplification | Tube guitar amplifiers & related goods! | MA | nocturnalamplification.com |
| Dual Stage Amplification | They also make JM-style pickups! | CT | dualstageamps.com |
| Warlock Guitar Cabinets | Guitar cabinets for the discerning warlock! | MA | warlockguitarcabinets.com |
| Fishman Transducers Inc. | Yes, the big pickup and electronics brand is based in MA! | MA | fishman.com |
Non-Profits & Small Businesses To Support
| Category | Notes | |
| The Melody Maker | Coffee Shop/Guitar Store | Incredibly cool space with great coffee, food, and an excellent selection of used and independent gear based in Mass! |
| RIOT RI | Non-profit | Non-profit that focuses on using music to develop and nurture healthy development in young women, based in RI. |
| Empire Guitars | Guitar Store | My favorite boutique guitar store in RI! |
| Northern Lights Music | Guitar Store | Incredibly cool music store located in one of NH’s most beautiful little mountain towns. |
See someone or something missing? Reach out and let me know! Email mdunn@guitarsforidiots.com or hit me up on Instagram!
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