Ric McCurdy has been designing and building guitars since 1983, specialising in archtops. McCurdy's appreciation of the acoustic potential of the archtop guitar comes from many years playing, studying, and repairing many D'Angelico and D'Aquisto guitars as well as time spent with Bob Benedetto, who shared a lifetime of his unique knowledge. In his own instruments McCurdy strives for consistency of each note on the neck, with the same volume, richness and tone in every position and in every key. Since setting up his shop in the heart of New York City, he has built and repaired guitars for many well known players -- like John Ambercrombie, Joe Beck, Sheryl Bailey, Jimmy Vivino, the Blue Man Group, John Fohl and Kenny Loggins.

Source: McCurdy Guitars website (16 February 2017)

Roy McAlister has been making guitars since the early 1980s. He worked for Santa Cruz until 1996, when he left to start his own business. McAlister specializes in acoustic guitars and his clients include: Jackson Browne, David Crosby and Graham Nash.

Source: McAlister Guitars website (2 March 2018)

The Martin Guitar Company has been producing fine acoustic instruments for over a century and a half. Established around 1830 by C. F. Martin, Sr. the first Martin guitars were Stauffer influenced creations. The Martin company has passed through six generations condinuosly adapting to changes in product design, distribution systems, and manufacturing methods. In spite of the many changes, C. F. Martin has never veered away from its initial commitment to quality. The concern for producing the finest instruments possible in 1833 is still evident today at Martin’s expanded facility in Nazareth, Pennsylvania.

Dimitru Manea, the founder of Manea Guitars, learned his woodworking skills as a child in Romania. Toys were not available so Dimitru had to carve his own. At age 6 he fixed up an old guitar and at age 16 he was accepted into music school. By age 17 he emigrated to the USA, where he now works as a luthier. Dumitru’s appreciation for the freedom he has found in America is reflected in Manea Guitars' logo: an eagle’s claw piercing a musical note.
Dumitru once built guitars under the brand name Manea Custom Guitars but this company no longer exists. His new company is simply called called Manea Guitars.
Manea produces almost every imaginable variation on the guitar: acoustic guitars, electric guitars, harp guitars, banjos, mandolins, resonators, as well as the violin family of instruments and special designed orchestra guitars.

Magnum Guitars was a brand name of Arndt Anderson. Anderson's company started out as "Magnesium Guitars" in 1983 making "the magnesium guitar", on a very limited production basis. As a private consultant and mechanical engineer for "Missing Persons", Arndt Anderson created some of the most state-of-the-art musical instruments of the time. Magnesium Guitars then took a detour and began producing "The Shark", a piezo-electric drum trigger pedal used mostly with synth drums, by drummers all over the world.  Concurrently, along with the musical projects, Arndt also was doing precision-prototype machining for the aerospace/defense industry. He worked on component parts for the space shuttle, the stinger missle project, and the patriot missle project to name a few. He also made advanced automation equipment used in factories producing electronic and sensor technology.

Lyric Custom electric guitars were designed and built in Tulsa by John Southern, a guitarist & photographer. Each instrument was hand made and custom designed.

Source: Lyric website (archived 2003)

Michael Lewis began making banjos and mandolins in 1981. He then introduced flat and archtop guitars into his repetoire. Since 2000 he has focused on archtop guitars and mandolins, making his own designs as well as D'Angelico models.