Abraham Wechter
Encyclopedia
Abraham Wechter is an American
master luthier
, who has been making custom guitars since the 1970s. He is best-known for building 6- and 12-string acoustic guitar
s, but also builds acoustic bass guitar
s. He was a student of Richard Schneider, and worked for Gibson
for ten years. After leaving Gibson, he started his own company, Wechter Guitars, now based in Paw Paw, Michigan
.
Wechter builds custom guitars, many of them with his "Pathmaker" design (an acoustic guitar with double cutaway). Some of his custom-built guitars have such features as drone strings and scalloped fingerboards. His most noted collaboration is with guitar virtuoso John McLaughlin
, a collaboration which began in 1976 when Wechter build the "Shakti guitar," used in the recordings with Shakti
. The Shakti guitar is a customized Gibson J-200
with drone strings transversely across the soundhole. He also made him a guitar with scalloped fingerboards.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
master luthier
Luthier
A luthier is someone who makes or repairs lutes and other string instruments. In the United States, the term is used interchangeably with a term for the specialty of each maker, such as violinmaker, guitar maker, lute maker, etc...
, who has been making custom guitars since the 1970s. He is best-known for building 6- and 12-string acoustic guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, but also builds acoustic bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
s. He was a student of Richard Schneider, and worked for Gibson
Gibson Guitar Corporation
The Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...
for ten years. After leaving Gibson, he started his own company, Wechter Guitars, now based in Paw Paw, Michigan
Paw Paw, Michigan
Paw Paw is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 3,363. It is the county seat of Van Buren County.-Overview:...
.
Wechter builds custom guitars, many of them with his "Pathmaker" design (an acoustic guitar with double cutaway). Some of his custom-built guitars have such features as drone strings and scalloped fingerboards. His most noted collaboration is with guitar virtuoso John McLaughlin
John McLaughlin (musician)
John McLaughlin , also known as Mahavishnu John McLaughlin, is an English guitarist, bandleader and composer...
, a collaboration which began in 1976 when Wechter build the "Shakti guitar," used in the recordings with Shakti
Shakti (band)
Shakti was a group which played a novel acoustic fusion music which combined Indian music with elements of jazz; it was perhaps the earliest practitioner of the musical genre world fusion....
. The Shakti guitar is a customized Gibson J-200
Gibson J-200
Gibson J-200 is an acoustic guitar model produced by the Gibson Guitar Corporation.Gibson entered into production of this model in 1938 as its top-of-the-line flat top guitar, initially called the Super Jumbo, changing the name in 1939 to the Super Jumbo 200. It was made at the Gibson Factory in...
with drone strings transversely across the soundhole. He also made him a guitar with scalloped fingerboards.
Notable players
- Johnny HilandJohnny HilandJohnny Hiland is an American musician. He began as a bluegrass player, and then went on to play jazz, blues and heavy metal.- Early life :Hiland grew up in Woodland, Maine...
- Jonas HellborgJonas HellborgJonas Hellborg is a Swedish bass guitarist. He has collaborated with John McLaughlin, Ustad Sultan Khan, Fazal Qureshi, Bill Laswell, Shawn Lane, Jens Johansson, Michael Shrieve, V. Selvaganesh, Mattias IA Eklundh and Buckethead....
- John McLaughlinJohn McLaughlin (musician)John McLaughlin , also known as Mahavishnu John McLaughlin, is an English guitarist, bandleader and composer...