Stump Preacher

product types: 

  • electric guitars

Information: 

Stump Preacher Guitars were travel instruments designed by John DeVitry in the mid 1990s. He described the history of Stump Preacher as follows:

"In the early 1980's I traveled extensively throughout Australia as a full-time circuit guitarist with a band called the "Turncoats" playing lead and rhythm guitar. After receiving my Engineering Degree from BYU in 1990 I worked with Intergraph Corporation, a Hunstville Alabama based software company as a Mechanical Applications Engineer. My job entailed site visits and consulting on improving the engineering process from design through to manufacturing. I also benchmarked Intergraph's mechanical software resolving critical customer issues. For example, projects have consisted of drawing new shoe designs for Nike in 3D, generating tool path on wingspans for Boeing planes, and resolving problems with the design of submarine missiles at the naval base. By visiting such a wide variety of manufacturing plants I have been exposed to many different manufacturing processes and privy to how different companies manufacture different products.

About 5 years ago I started looking at guitar design from an engineering perspective with no preconceived ideas on how it should look. What is it that a guitarist really wants in a guitar? I talked to numerous guitarist and wrote down a "wish list" of requirements. I was able to run these requirements through very advanced design,analysis, and manufacturing software, looking at hundreds of potential design variations. Because the software is variational, modifications and enhancements are relatively simple. I was finally able to visualize a model for a practical, logical,and fun to play, professional guitar. It just happened to be something that had not been seen before. This was, in essence the birth of the Stump Preacher Guitar.

I feel that the guitar I have developed, while looking nothing like a conventional guitar, is in fact, the most common sense design possible. The guitar is full scale (24.75" scale length, 24 frets) yet the shortest ever made. I carried my first Stump Preacher Guitar in a soft tennis racket case.We, of course, have since manufactured a custom soft case. The idea was to develop a professional stage guitar that is easy to carry and easy to travel with. No silly gimmicks, extra buttons or useless frills.

I realize it is a departure from the standards set by the huge manufacturers in the last fifty years, however, given time to find the feel of a Stump Preacher Guitar I know that guitar players of any proficiency will fall in love with this instrument."

Source: Stump Preacher website (archived 1999)

tags: 

Location

Stump Preacher Guitars
12604 N.E. 178th Street
12604 Woodinville , WA
United States
Washington US