Crafting an identity for an exceptional artisan

A good friend of mine chucked everything in not so long ago to focus his whole life around earning a crust from his first love – the guitar.

He is an extremely talented tutor, composer, performer and luthier. He is self-taught in the art of making handcarved jazz archtop guitars, a legacy and skill passed down from his late father who was a renowned violin luthier.

I helped him out with a bit of branding to help earn him credibility. He wanted something that would put him in the same camp as Gibson or Benedetto.

He sources most of his materials from offshore; the finest maples and spruces. It was important therefore, that his identity reflected the level of quality he built to, and the level of personalisation that goes into all his work; the time that goes into building something so beautiful from scratch.

The mark is like a signature, with a generous flourish. The logo is laser–etched using an inlay of mother of pearl into the head of the guitar.

He is slowing building his reputation and some highly acclaimed players are now starting to follow him. Vince Lewis, a highly acclaimed American Jazz player has endorsed his guitars; Richard made him a signature version, which he continues to play in prominent settings.