BRUNO (& SONS)

An instrument importer and dealer, Charles Bruno immigrated from Germany to Macon, Georgia in 1832. In 1834, Bruno moved to New York where he probably worked as a clerk or salesman for several years before being listed as a book seller in 1837. In 1838 Bruno formed a partnership with Christian F. Martin. His book shop on Fulton Street most likely served as a retail outlet for Martin's guitars. When Bruno & Martin dissolved their partnership in 1839, Bruno left New York for several years.

On his return to New York Bruno established the partnership Bruno & Cargill from 1851 to 1853, and then Bruno, Weissenborn and Company with Herman W. Weissenborn (this was not  the designer of the Weissenborn lap steel guitar - that was Hermann C. Weissenborn) 1854 to 1857.

Trump

Trump electric, bass and acoustic guitars were made from the 1960s onwards (in Japan and later in Korea) for musical instrument distributor Bruno & Sons.

Source: Jedistar - Trump brand

YAMAHA RBX 300

Yamaha RBX 300 bass guitar

The Yamaha RBX-300 bass was made in the late 1980s to early 1990s. The RBX-300 was very similar to the RBX-200, except the 300 model had a satin finished neck - with a two-toned peg head.

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CORT M500

Cort M500 electric guitar

The Cort M500 was a Mirage Series electric guitar (made 2000-2001) with mahogany body & bolt-on mahogany neck. Pickups were two Mighty Mite humbuckers

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Solar

The Solar guitar brand was launched in 2017 by Swedish death metal guitarist & YouTuber Ola Englund. Solar guitar designs would suit death metal styles and include 7 string and baritone models.

Fender bolt-on neck acoustics (1963-1971)

Fender's line of bolt-on neck acoustics was introduced in 1963 and production lasted until around 1970. These guitars were Fender's first attempt at making their own acoustics and had Stratocaster style necks attached by bolts through the body with a neck plate - just like Fender's electric guitars. They also had a one inch aluminum internal support rod through the body - which earned them the nickname "broomstick". The designer was Roger Rossmeisl (1927 - 1979) - son of German luthier Wenzel Rossmeisl.

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ODE

ODE banjos was founded by Chuck Ogsbury who started making banjos while still at University in Denver, Colorado in 1959. In 1961 he opened his first proper workshop in North Boulder and employed a friend, Dave Walden, to help with production. 1962 saw a move to a larger workshop and an expanded line of banjos. Creston Stewart (later of StewMac) joined ODE around 1963 and contributed to designs of new models.ODE sold their banjos direct to customers but also had a brand Muse which was distributed via music stores.

EPIPHONE S-900

Epiphone S-900 electric guitar

The Epiphone S-900 was a superstrat, like the S-600 & S-800, but the S-900 was the top of the range S-model and had a bound, neck-through body which was cambered on the top.

Source: Epiphone catalog 1986

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PEAVEY REACTOR

Peavey Reactor (1994) electric guitar

The Peavey Reactor was a poplar bodied telecaster style electric guitar, discontinued in 1999. There was also a Reactor AX model (made 1995 to 1999) with a rosewood fingerboard, humbucker at the bridge & swamp ash body.

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Myers (Chris)

Chirs Myers started building guitars in the early 1980s. He made own version of a Gibson Les Paul using a power drill and a saber saw and it turned out well enough to sell. He then moved onto making an archtop in 1983 while working with a cello maker in South Boston. Myers started the archtop in 1983 but didn't have a chance to finish it until 2001. At this stage in his life he became more serious about guitar making and developed a friendship with Mark Campellone who was a valuable source of advice, wood, tools and contacts for Myers. Myers currently build archtops in Norton, MA and offers 2 standard models: the Orpheum and the SC.

Source: Myers guitars website (11 July 2018)

StoryWood

StoryWood Music designs and builds pro-quality custom electric guitars and basses using
100% reclaimed or salvaged wood that has a history - a story.

Mountain (MTN)

Mountain (MTN) amplifiers were 9V practice amps with a 6.5" speaker. MTN amps were billed as the worlds best 9V amp and were available from the 1990s until around 2008.

Source: Moutain Amps website (Archived 2007)

Source: MTN catalog 1990s

M-Tone

M-Tone guitars are made in Portland, Oregon by Matt Proctor who started the M-Tone brand name in 2009. Matt makes solid body electric guitars by hand - his creative use of shape, texture, finish and materials mean that each one is a unique work of art. Its no surprise that before he made guitars Matt was an artist creating abstract sculptures and he uses these skills in the designs of his guitars as well as the hand crafting of metal parts. Matt also works part time at Koll.

Source: M-Tone guitars website (5 July 2018)

Murph

Murph Guitars was founded by Thomas Patrick ‘Pat’ Murphy. Murphy was born in 1920 in Illinois and was an air force mechanic in the US Navy during World War II. By 1960 he had moved to California and had a family of 5 musically talented kids - they had a family singing and dancing group called The Murphys. The oldest two boys played the guitar. It was their guitar teacher who convinced Pat Murphy to try his hand at making a line of electric guitars. Murphy Music Industries began in 1965 in San Fernando in 1200 square foot building at 1817 First Street. By 1966 Murphy had a range of solid body guitars and amplifiers and had 22 workers. At this point Murphy Music Industries received a ‘cease and desist’ letter from CBS -Fender  which claimed that the body shape of the Murph Squire guitar was too much like the Fender Jazzmaster & Jaguar.

Prieger

Prieger Custom Guitars are made by Prieger Tamás in Hungary.

Stone Wolf

Stone Wolf Guitars is run by a 2 man team: luthier Mike Payne & Martin Pape dealing with the business side of things. Stone Wolf provide hand built custom guitars and basses and are based in Northamptonshire, UK.

Source: Stone Wolf Guitars website (4 July 2018)

Pulcinella (MPG)

Matt Pulcinella was an active bass and guitar player in the early 1990s Philadelphia and Delaware live music scene who worked as a graphic designer by day. In the mid 1990s he started restoring and hot rodding an old Fender Jazz bass, and then made his own version of a Ken Smith neck-through bass. By 1997 he started to make basses for sale and officially launched Matt Pulcinella Guitars (MPG) in 1998. He advertised in Bass Player magazine and the orders started to roll in. He had to contract out some jobs (like roughing out the necks and finishing) to keep pace with demand. Outsourcing came at too high a price, however and in 2003 Pulcinella was forced to bring everything back in house and drastically scale back production. By 2005 he was back to making a handful of basses per year. For a while he concentrated on playing live again and spending time with his young family, but in 2006 he revitalised his workshop, improved his building procedures and in-house spray booth.

Farfisa

Farfisa is an Italian electronics company established in 1946. Farfisa is best known for its organs made from the 1960s until the 1980s but they also produced guitar amplifiers and effects. Farfisa also sold acoustic and classical guitars under the Fuerstenberg and  L. Mozzani brand names. The musical division of Farfisa was bought by Bontempi.

CFOX

CFOX was a brand name used by luthier Charles Fox in the 1990s  and 2000s for preimuim grade handmade acoustic guitars. Between 1997 and 2001 CFox was a corporate subsidiary of a major musical instrument manufacturer, but from 2001 onwards they  became a wholly independent workshop again.

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