Happy New Years From Motander Guitars
2023 Review
Everybody gets a little reflective around New Years, and since it also happened to be my 40th Birthday I’m feeling a double dose this year. I finished 16 instruments in 2023! You can look through the back catalog of these posts for a full reckoning. I’m privileged to be able to do this, and I appreciate everyone who has supported me (if you are reading this that means you).
Here are some things to watch out for in 2024.
Extremely stable one and two bolt neck joints
More collaborations with artists
Pickguards with patterns and graphics, especially on the Zorine Model
Some proper video demos
An effort to build community around handmade fretted instruments (the people who build them, play them, or want to do either) in San Diego and beyond
More Lefty Love!
In 2023 I continued to incorporate local timer into my builds. Its a privilege afforded to small builders to be able to work with small volume local mills to showcase the wood that’s around us in the urban canopy. It adds a sense of place to our builds, we inhale the oxygen these trees exhale. I built using a Eugenia tree from Balboa Park, planted in the 1930s (possibly by Kate Sessions herself). It’s beautiful, with a color and flame that may never be repeated on a guitar. I have more local timber build in the works for 2024.
In August I exhibited at Fretboard Summit in Chicago. It was great to meet some of you and share my instruments with a new audience. I absolutely loved spending time with guitar people, and I left profoundly inspired. The night after leaving I designed three guitars while trying to fall asleep! I hope you’ll be able to see them in August, you won’t want to miss it!
The Ardwierdo project with my Father continues. If you were at the Fretboard Summit Science Fair, you saw Dr Adwierdo (with a huge assist from Andy Pitcher) present Arwierdo 2. It has since been gutted and the electronics have been completely overhauled in anticipation of a third prototype next year. This has been a great family project, and a wonderful way to connect my father’s electronics background into my loothing.
In 2023 I’ve made an effort to be more active in the local scene. My primary entry point has been through the Monday Clockwork fusion jam (6-9pm OB Brewery). I debut all my spec builds there, come and hang out to start your week. You can also see a Sky Scorcher in the hands of Luke Glass (Exotic Fruit Tour, Brice Niemond). Nothing has a bigger impact on my builds than watching how people interact with them. I hope to see my local friends at even more shows in 2024.
I love to hear from you, please reach out here, the contact form on my website, or on Instagram. Happy New Year!
-Justin Jones