FROM THE EDITOR
Welcome
Dear Readers,
Some instruments become classics because they resist change. Others endure because they absorb it. The truly great ones somehow manage both. That tension— between preservation and progress, between honoring tradition and extending it— runs through every page of this Summer edition.
We begin with one of the most enduring designs in modern music as Fender celebrates the Telecaster’ s 75th anniversary. In“ 75 Years on the Wire,” we explore how Leo Fender’ s remarkably practical vision evolved over decades of experimentation without ever losing the qualities that made the instrument revolutionary in the first place. Few guitars have inspired more passionate debate or survived more attempted improvements while remaining so unmistakably themselves.
That same conversation continues in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, where Martin Guitar’ s archives preserve nearly two centuries of institutional memory. Through archivist Jason Ahner, we discover that the company’ s history lives not only in extraordinary instruments, but in correspondence, ledgers, sketches, shop orders, and countless documents that reveal how generations of Martin craftsmen continually adapted to the changing needs of musicians while remaining faithful to a singular philosophy of building.
Innovation, of course, has never belonged solely to history. Our feature on GoAcoustic follows two remarkably different journeys— master luthier Paul McGill and audio engineer Ben Shaw— as they confront one of the acoustic guitar’ s oldest challenges: how to amplify its voice without sacrificing its soul. Their collaboration reminds us that meaningful innovation often comes from returning to first principles rather than accepting longstanding compromises.
History itself also finds new life in unexpected places. We trace the remarkable story behind Geib, one of America’ s great
case makers, whose legacy has been thoughtfully revived through Tom Dougherty’ s work at TKL and Cedar Creek Cases. What first appears to be a story about guitar cases becomes something much larger: a meditation on craftsmanship, forgotten industries, and the importance of protecting the objects that carry our musical heritage.
Elsewhere, Andy Logan’ s Grateful Guitars Foundation offers an entirely different vision of stewardship. Rather than allowing legendary instruments to disappear into vaults and private collections, Logan has built a nonprofit around the conviction that guitars achieve their highest purpose in the hands of musicians. It is a philosophy that treats history as something to be played rather than merely preserved.
Finally, we spend some quality time with one of Nashville’ s great musical craftsmen, Gordon Kennedy. Whether writing Grammy-winning songs, touring alongside legendary artists, or reflecting on a lifetime shaped by his father Jerry Kennedy and Nashville’ s golden era, Gordon reminds us that musical traditions are ultimately passed from person to person. Great instruments matter because great people breathe life into them.
Across these stories, a common thread emerges. Every generation inherits something worth preserving, yet each generation also bears the responsibility of carrying it forward. The finest guitars, the finest builders, and the finest musicians all share this remarkable quality: they honor the past without becoming captive to it.
Thank you for joining us for another issue of Collectible Guitar. We remain grateful to the builders, players, collectors, historians, innovators, and readers who understand that these instruments are far more than wood, wire, and hardware. They are living expressions of human ingenuity, artistry, and memory, continually renewed each time they find their way into another pair of hands.
With appreciation,
John Schroeter Editor & Co-Publisher, Collectible Guitar
4 | SUMMER 2026