WELCOME

"L. Mills, Luthier” is me, Larry Mills, a builder of high-end acoustic steel string guitars since 1992.

I am pleased to announce that THE LUTHERIE SHOP HAS RE-OPENED, AS OF 2023. I have created my new shop outside of Waterbury, Vermont. Thank you for your patience. I'm thrilled to have returned to doing what I love.

I have studied and shared ideas with some fine luthiers, including Ervin Somogyi, Chris Jenkins, and Dana Bourgeois.

There’s never been a better time to find a high-quality guitar. The Golden Age of Guitarmaking is now. I’m the first to say that there are some great guitar factories in production today. So why should you choose an individual builder?

First, even the best factories don’t change their models to suit the particular woods they’re using. I test every soundboard for weight, stiffness, and density, and I thin and shape it accordingly to optimize its responsiveness. Second, if you custom-order, you have a range of options included in the base price, like neck width, choice of woods, and a limited set of ornamental designs. Third, you can also select custom ornamentation and exotic hardwoods; many of my customers choose to have their initials, in their own handwriting, inlaid on the fingerboard. But the variations are endless.

Finally, there’s no substitute for having one craftsman in charge of every facet of making your instrument. It’s just human nature to care more when you’re completely responsible.

You’re not a cookie-cutter guitar player. Why settle for a cookie-cutter guitar? Browse the pages on this site, and see for yourself the hand-crafted difference.

Site updated June 2, 2023. Global date change 22:24 EDT