Bill Comins Salutation

Bill Comins has a reputation for building some of the finest archtop guitars in this current "Golden Age" of lutherie. I’ve known Bill for many years and have always had a tremendous respect for his artistry and talent. Being a player himself, he understands deeply that a fine guitar not only has to be made to the highest level of craftsmanship but most importantly, and in my opinion as well, has to inspire the guitarist to make music. I want a guitar that beckons to me - one that I dream about, one that I can’t wait to crack open the case and play. I want my custom guitar offerings to be built with the enlightened player in mind, an elegant tool that helps ease out one’s musical ideas; a guitar that is a complete joy to play whether sitting on the couch or plugged in up on stage.

Introducing a new archtop model is not easy for a builder; a strong point of view is needed to make the sum greater than the parts. I worked with Bill on this model, the Salutation, over the last year and a half and I couldn’t be more pleased. The genesis for the Salutation was the desire to have an archtop built with a tip of the hat to the great masters Jimmy D’Aquisto and John D’Angelico. This guitar needed to be crafted with touches of the masters that I have always appreciated - the S shaped sound holes, the impeccably hand carved arched top and back, the hinged ebony tailpiece, the most exquisite and beautifully finished woods, a wonderfully shaped neck and a tremendous playability. It was very important to me that the acoustic tone was sweet and syrupy, with that D’Angelico "bark," but also that the guitar would just kill plugged in. And it does! Though designed for jazz, the Salutation can pretty much handle any genre that doesn’t call for a bridge pickup.

Bottom line here is that the Salutation is one of the finest archtops I’ve played, built by one of the finest luthiers around. This is just about as good as it gets.

If you'd like to find out more about this item, just call or e-mail me. It would be my pleasure to talk to you about it.

ABOUT BILL COMINS GUITARS
Philadelphia, PA based luthier Bill Comins began playing guitar at an early age, eventually going on to study jazz guitar at Temple University. His initial career as a working musician and private instructor, however, would inevitably give way to a lifelong pursuit of the art of Luthiery. Over the last 20 plus years, Bill has been dedicated to refining a line of instruments with a main focus on archtop jazz guitars. Hallmarks of Comins guitars include precise setup work, comfortable feeling necks, a clear and round high end, punchy mids, and a broken in or "old wood" sound. Guided by the works of great makers past and present, Comins has devoted much attention to considering elements such as modeling and graduation of the arched plates, mass of individual components, sound-hole styling and placement, variables in geometric relationships, etc. This progression of fine-tuning has led to deep understanding of how components function in concert, and how they can be manipulated toward a desired result. Producing a limited number of pieces per year, Bill remains mindful of each instrument’s intended use, and approaches every project with reverence.