The arch top guitars of Ted Megas are acknowledged as among the finest made today, owned by players and collectors worldwide.  What distinguishes Megas instruments from those of other luthiers and inspires such fervent loyalty from his customers?

          To understand, go back beyond Ted's twenty-plus years of serious guitar making, back to the origins of his passion for fine music making.  There was first his father's basement workshop, where Ted had unlimited access to woodworking tools and developed his knack for being able to build just about anything he set his mind to, musical and otherwise.  Close upon this was the teenage discovery that guitars and guitar music were way beyond cool.  It being the sixties, a rebellious spirit illuminated his path, beginning with Hendrix, segueing into McLaughlin, Montgomery and a stint exploring jazz-rock fusion in his own band in Buffalo, New York.

         Ted's iconoclastic nature brought him to San Francisco in the early 70's, where for years he led a double life of custom furniture builder by day, jazz player by night; one put food on the table, the other fed his soul.  But even then his craftsmanship was beginning to take the turn that would lead to the most rewarding exploration, coupled with a musician's sense of what a guitar really needs to work and the critical eye of a perfectionist, led the way.  He experimented with designs and concepts that were way ahead of the 80's mindset, finally coming to focus his energies on that most demanding, aesthetically beautiful and musically pleasing of instruments:  the arch top guitar.  He mined the lutherie tradition for its relevant lessons, then added his own distinctive touches.  There he resides today, taking on every last aspect in the construction of 12 genuinely handcrafted instruments each year from the finest tonewoods and building materials available on the planet.

          What will you find in a Megas guitar?  A craftsman's fanatical attention to detail.  An understanding and commitment to superlative materials.  A genius for the nuances of arch top guitar design and construction.  The knowledge that a great guitar is much more than the simple sum of its parts.  The vision to put it all together.

          The proof is in the playing.  Pick up a Megas guitar:  play it, inspect it for all the qualities you expect in a fine instrument.  Read what his customers have to say.  Ask him what he has to say.  It could open up a whole new world of appreciation for what an arch top guitar can be.