Bass electric-guitar player Jim Normandy once shopped around for an archtop guitar — an acoustic guitar with a full body and distinctive arched top. But the $3,000 price stopped him short.

For 170 years, C.F. Martin & Co. has built its reputation on guitars made of rosewood, mahogany and other desirable woods. In the next 170, it may become just as famous for using Stratabond, Micarta ...

After a facing a string of frustrating issues with wooden guitars, Drew Emory decided to create his own guitar out of aluminum. Emory's family owns a custom tooling and machine shop, so using the ...