SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT
Dragonfly Guitars
By Andrew King
Dan Richter started Dragonfly Guitars with a specific vision in mind : to stand on the shoulders of giants by building guitars based on proven principles of design and performance while doing his part to elevate the art with new approaches and innovations . Over the course of his nearly two-decade career crafting instruments in British Columbia , he ’ s gained a reputation with players , collectors , and dealers of high-end guitars around the world by doing just that .
Richter began his career at Jean Larrivee Guitars ’ now-closed Vancouver manufacturing facility in the ‘ 90s . Though he wasn ’ t a builder at the time , he found himself increasingly inspired by the highly regarded instruments being produced at the factory and the personal projects of some of his colleagues . He came to learn that many of those coworkers had studied with Michael Dunn , who Richter calls “ another west coast icon of guitar making .”
Unfortunately , when Richter formally decided to pursue guitar making as a career , Dunn was no longer teaching , though he was able to register for a different course . “ It took me a few years to put a decent shop together and hone my skills ,” Richter explains , “ but after a few commissions from friends , I felt ready to really hang out my shingle as a professional guitar maker .”
With Dragonfly acoustic and electric instruments , Richter is striving to marry balance , proportion , and function in terms of both sonic responsiveness and ease of playability with a modern and unique aesthetic that ’ s also grounded in tradition . “ To me , craft is really about taking a tradition and putting one ’ s own stamp on it ,” he offers .
Richter says that , although many principles of modern acoustic design are well over 100 years old , there are some “ new and exciting ” features that he incorporates into his instruments if desired by his customer : an arm bevel , side soundport , wedge body , and fanned fretting , which is actually hundreds of years old but has seen a recent resurgence in popularity .
The ideal Dragonfly dealer , according to Richter , is one specializing in custom high-end acoustic and electric guitars for a discerning clientele . “ Their familiarity with the nuances of the modern guitar allow them to guide prospective customers to the right instrument ,” he says .
While dealer partnerships are a crucial component of Dragonfly ’ s sales , Richter also enjoys producing custom guitars in collaboration with his customers . A couple of years ago , he had the opportunity to craft an instrument for Bill Henderson of Canadian rock outfit Chilliwack . “ He ’ s an awesome player and it was a real challenge getting everything right , but really rewarding when it was done ,” he recalls . Conversely , he also enjoys getting to throw some of his favourite bells and whistles into an instrument , as he recently did for a collector in Tennessee . That guitar was a deluxe acoustic with cut-away , arm bevel , fanned frets , side port , wedge body , and personalized inlay . “ We had many long conversations about all aspects of the build ,” he shares , “ and basically ended up as friends after the process although we ’ ve never met in person .”
Being a boutique custom builder , Dragonfly doesn ’ t have much in the way of an artist endorsement program , but Richter does enjoy the opportunity to put one of his instruments into the hands of an accomplished guitarist . “ More often than not , they ’ re sorted for instruments with either endorsement deals or an already overloaded collection ,” he says , “ but at the very least you can get good feedback
about your instruments . Everybody plays a little differently and it can be great to get another perspective – especially from a professional .”
A challenge inherent in high-end guitar making is that it ’ s particularly susceptible to economic downturn . That fact has led Richter to diversify his business model by offering repairs and acoustic and electric guitar making courses from his workshop in Gibsons , BC , on the province ’ s Sunshine Coast .
“ I had taught guitar lessons and capoeira , a Brazilian martial art , and enjoyed the process of teaching ,” Richter shares . “ It ’ s a great way to pass on knowledge to the next generation of builders .” The course involves everything from design and layout to wood selection and decoration so that each student is creating a one-of-a-kind instrument .
Richter is currently looking to expand the Dragonfly product line with a third electric body shape and an electric bass , which will be a first for the company . “ I have all the templates made ; I just have to choose the woods and find the time ,” he says .
He ’ s also looking forward to the second annual Vancouver International Guitar Festival in the summer of 2018 . “ The first one was amazing and I ’ ll be working on a few new instruments to display there ,” he shares . Moving forward , the festival will alternate years with the Santa Barbara Acoustic Instrument Celebration in California , which Richter sees as a positive indicator of the health of his industry .
“ Things are looking good in the guitar-making world ,” he enthuses , and as one of Canada ’ s leading builders , repair people , and teachers , he ’ s uniquely qualified to say so .
Andrew King is the Editor-in-Chief of Canadian Music Trade .
DRAGONFLY GUITARS ’ DAN RICHTER
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CANADIAN MUSIC TRADE