About Luthier Ted Megas

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Necessity is . . .

...an unusual concept to associate with the creation of a custom-made, handcrafted arch top guitar. We’re far more likely to notice the more visible aspects of the instrument: the fine woods, the meticulous construction, the striking aesthetic appeal, the unique voice, the silky feel of the neck and the curve of the body. It’s the highly personal integration of these elements in an instrument that compels us to say, “That’s what I want!” Necessity seems far away from what has become a luxurious means of individual expression.
Until you take into consideration the fine arch top guitars designed and built by luthier Ted Megas.
Megas arch top guitars are acknowledged as among the finest made today, an extraordinary statement to make in this “golden age” of lutherie. Working solo from his shop, Ted produces 12 custom instruments each year, handling every aspect of design and production from beginning to end. Megas arch top guitars are owned by collectors and players worldwide, and Ted was one of the original 23 luthiers commissioned to create an instrument for the Blue Guitar Project, an homage to legendary arch top guitar maker Jimmy D’Aquisto. The Blue Guitars reside in the permanent collection of Scott Chinery.
Megas guitars are immediately recognizable for qualities that reflect Ted's attention to detail and his commitment to the luthier’s craft. They reflect the sure hand of an artisan with the vision to bring raw materials to life and the inventiveness to master every skill necessary to creating a fine guitar: woodworking, metalworking, finishing...whatever is necessary.

“My customers are both players and people who know something about woodworking...or they have a friend who does...and can appreciate the details and nuances of the work. I do it all myself; the only thing I send out is the mother-of-pearl inlay on the headstock to inlay artist Larry Robinson. Even then, I select the inlay pieces that have figures or colorburst to them. I’m constantly working at making my production better and more efficient, but I don’t think there will ever be a time when I’m not doing virtually every aspect of every instrument with my name on it.”

“I recently completed a custom guitar for a client: he already has two other of my standard models. It was his first custom and he told me, ‘Ted, I can tell you really gave extra effort to this guitar’. Well, I can appreciate that he was more involved in the design process and felt that way, but the truth is I give 100% effort on every guitar I make. A customer can give me all the specs and input they want or, like many do, just give me the latitude to create along the lines of my traditional models: the Apollo, the Athena and the Spartan”.
The distinctive character of Megas instruments comes out of the necessity of fulfilling the almost unlimited potential the arch top guitar has as a source of musical expression.
“Arch top guitars have so much variety in the sound and what the sound can be.” Ted says. “I’ve done a lot of experimenting with different variables to obtain different sounds...the arching, the bracing, the woods...things like that. I’ve got a good sense of how to create a wide range of tonalities, depending on what’s wanted. It’s the challenge of building each guitar and the fun, too.”
“I think we’re still discovering what the range of an arch top guitar is. Depending on how its built, an arch top can move more toward the open, sustained sound of a flat top guitar, or retain more of the traditional soft, warm quality, which flat tops can’t do. It’s important to understand, though, that it’s a question of balance: the more you strive for one quality, the more likely it is you’ll lose something of the others.”
“People put a lot of emphasis on the top...and no question, the quality of the top is very important...but it’s the interrelationship of the parts that’s most important. I once built a machine just to test the sound qualities of individual tops. It was helpful for a time, but it led me right back to understanding the importance of how the different elements of the instrument come together in the right way.”
“For me the most important thing has been to develop my own style. I’m really sort of a neo-traditionalist: I love to try out new concepts and ideas, but ultimately they have to work toward making the arch top guitar the best instrument it can be.”
Today, Megas guitars bear the imprint of his experience and singular vision for the elements of design and construction which comprise a modern arch top guitar.

On materials:

“I hand select all my woods. It seems to me that if I’m going to put all this effort into a guitar, I might as well put the extra time and trouble into selecting truly exceptional tone woods that go into it: beautifully figured, nicely cut, great sound quality. And the only way to do that is to pick through bins and pallets of wood piece by piece, discarding everything but the best pieces. Each year I make a trip to the Northwest to supplement my stockpile of aging woods. I’ve been lucky enough to make some friends in the business and they let me get in there and make my own selections. Plus, whenever I travel I check out the local exotic hardwood dealers to see what’s available.”


	“I try to lay in a good collection. Fiddleback maple is the most traditional choice for the back and sides. I also have a supply of quilted maple, mahogany and bird’s eye maple, plus woods like curly koa, curly walnut, cocobolo, rosewood, satinwood and others for bindings and fittings.”


	“My customers get the benefit of all this. People might expect to pay more for premium woods, but I use the same quality wood for all my guitars, whether it’s a super custom design or my economy model, the Spartan. The Spartan may have less adornments, less binding, a different tailpiece, but it has the same playability and sound. And, of course, the wood.”

On electronics:

“I use Kent Armstrong pickups. I like the way they look and how they mount. He’s very custom-oriented, too, and can produce pickups that can match almost anything out there, PAF, DeArmond, whatever. If a customer is interested in a pickup I can give them quite a range of options. I put a micro jack on the bottom of the pickguard that connects to the output jack on the tailpiece, which enables a quick changeover to a different pickguard with a different type pickup or one without.”
“Most of my customers are electrified jazz guitarists, but I can tell the acoustic sound of the instrument is very important to them, also, and that’s where my main focus is.”

On the Blue Guitar:

“Creating the Blue Guitar gave me the chance to experiment with several different aspects of design and construction, though not all of them show up in the finished instrument. One that did was the use of cocobolo wood wherever ebony is normally used, as well as for the binding and tuning knobs. When it’s quartersawn, cocobolo has a beautiful, cinnamon-hued, striped appearance that contrasts nicely with the blue color.”

On the names of his models:

“Obviously they are a reference to my own ethnic heritage and my last name, which is Greek. Actually, my father was Greek and my mother Italian, so I like to think I embody the two ethnic backgrounds that have been most influential in arch top guitar making. Of course there are the Italians, D’Angelico and D’Aquisto, but there was also Epi Stathopoulos, whose Epiphone arch tops in the 30’s and 40’s functioned as highly utilitarian instruments for musicians.”

Megas’ remarkable skill at creating arch top guitars is the confluence of two guiding passions in his life: music and fine craftsmanship in wood, metal and other materials.
“In high school a buddy and I had a band that played Beatles, Chuck Berry and pop music. Later on I got interested in more Yardbirds, guitar-oriented stuff. When Hendrix broke it was a revelation, then John McLaughlin and at the same time Wes Montgomery. After I discovered that college wasn’t for me, I started a group that played jazz-rock fusion. We were fairly accomplished musicians, certainly enough to fool some people, but we couldn’t make a living in Buffalo. The only way to way to make a go of it with that kind of jazz was to be in New York and be really good, and we weren’t that focused. We knew what was cool music, though, and we were always trying new things.”
The woodworking and artisan aspects of Ted’s life began much earlier, in his Dad’s basement woodshop.
“My Dad was a metallurgical engineer, but he knew his way around woodworking tools and he had a good selection. He didn’t formally teach me, but I always had access to the shop and was pretty quick at picking things up. I never had any money, so I just naturally started building things I wanted, like speaker cabinets. Some of those first guitars I had were pretty rough, too, so I was constantly tinkering with them.”
But Megas didn’t even try making a guitar himself until he moved to San Francisco in the early 1970’s. At first he remained focused on being a musician, supporting himself with woodworking jobs and projects. Gradually he built up his own shop and became well-known for his work in custom cabinetry and furniture, though his “heart wasn’t in it.” The dream of making a go as professional musician began to fade. Then one day the dream took an unexpected twist.

“Around the corner from where I lived was Panjandrum Press. They had a book on display, ‘The Electric Guitar-It’s History and Construction’ by Donald Brosnac. I looked at it, I bought it, I still have it. The guitar it showed was something less than spectacular, but it did show how to do it. So I thought: he can do it, I can do it. I’m going to make a guitar.”

His first effort, a lefty Fender-style bass for a friend, got impressive reviews. The light went on. Ted Megas was going to make guitars.
“Of course right after my first original effort–an arch top Les Paul style solid body--I went right into the extreme: weird shapes, exotic woods, on-board electronics. At the time it was a purely artistic pursuit, I wanted to make the nicest thing in my mind that I could and I’d try anything. I made a solid ebony flying V; I put all kinds of active tone controls on, things that are common today but confused people then.”
“I suppose you would call some of those guitars failures, but I learned something from almost everything I did, things that still guide me in the guitars I make today. I made about a dozen solid body electrics and they sold OK, though one of the best things about them was that they enabled me to get better woodworking commissions. Designers would see the instruments, appreciate the workmanship and want me to do projects like custom conference tables, desks, and other furniture.”
Guitar making continued as an interesting creative outlet for Megas until 1989, when its siren call grew stronger and he began to make the craft his profession. His father’s passing in 1992 provided the motivation to focus solely on establishing himself as a luthier.
“When my father died, I don’t know, it sounds a little hokey, but it really made me aware of my own mortality. If I was going to make my mark, I decided, it was going to have to happen right now. I also decided that I would build arch tops because they were the guitars I had played most, enjoyed most and that offered the greatest challenge.”
With renewed purpose, Megas plunged into learning everything he could about the sophisticated nuances of arch top guitar construction, applying lessons he’d learned from his woodworking, his earlier guitar efforts and his years of playing jazz. A distinctive style slowly emerged.
“I’m very fussy and critical, probably my own toughest critic, and I didn’t want to show anybody anything until I was proud of it. I made maybe a dozen guitars, taking them apart, modifying them, trying different approaches, until I reached the point where I was satisfied enough to offer them for sale.”

On Megas guitar customers and endorsements:

“I’m not big on ‘hyping’ my guitars because I think the quality speaks for itself. I know there are plenty of discriminating players out there who trust their own eyes and ears when it comes to guitars, and who appreciate the superlative qualities of craftsmanship, materials, and design in my guitars. I know it because my customers tell me in letters, conversations, e-mail, and they’re very specific about what they have to say. Those are the endorsements that mean something to me and, I hope, to other players.”
“The whole business of making and selling fine instruments can be very difficult for an individual luthier unless he or she has absolute faith in the integrity of their instrument. There is so much pressure to create a ‘buzz’ in the marketplace around name recognition, or to trade instruments for endorsements, things that have nothing to do with making great guitars.
“To someone who is considering the purchase of a fine arch top and asks, ‘Why Megas?’, I would say, ‘Pick up one of my guitars, hold it up to the light, play it, go over it with a fine-tooth comb. Read what my customers have to say about my guitars, pepper me with questions about them.’ I think people who know guitars, really know them, will understand the integrity and unique value of a Megas guitar.”

Customer Endorsements:

Ted, I hope that you have other dreams than building the finest guitars in the world because it is over. You did it. No one can build more beautiful looking and elegantly sounding guitars. Not even you. You may be able to equal this guitar but it will never be surpassed. You build the finest guitars man or the gods can build. I am deeply grateful . . .

Ted, thank you for your beautiful work, you are a true artist. I also enjoyed getting to know you during this process and think of you as a man of deep passion and integrity.
William Perry

“A perfectly balanced, rich, complex tone; easy to play, impeccable workmanship. What more can you ask for? I love my Ted Megas guitar!
   David Roos, Jazz guitarist
   guitar salesperson, The Podium, Minneapolis

“When I first met Ted, I had already owned 20 guitars some vintage and some new. I had worked with other builders but Ted was different. He was more serious about producing exceptional acoustic arch top guitars. I felt his goals went beyond what other builders had discussed with me.
Ted is his toughest critic, and due to this, he makes exceptional guitars. He cares more about the details than anyone should, but that is why his guitars are so individualized and great. I play his guitar exclusively on my gigs and people are always asking me about it. It’s the best!”
   Mr. Rick, band leader (The Martini Brothers), collector, and bon vivant,
   San Francisco

“Having recently received (10/98) my new non-cut Athena I felt compelled to write and share my reaction. Although I did not think you would be able to match the quality of the first guitar I bought from you (a cut-away Athena) you did, and in different woods no less.
“The workmanship in both guitars is exquisite as is your choice of materials. Your attention to detail is reflected in all of the materials that you choose to use as well as in your finish. I have never seen better wood in any guitar regardless of age or price. Your design while traditional is both elegant and balanced. The head stock shape is well proportioned, in fact, all of the appointments on my guitars are tasteful. I particularly liked your toning. Both guitars are unique in color and appearance. The toning does not mask in any way, the grain of the wood. Given the quality of wood that you use in all of your guitars this is a very positive quality. I could not find a physical flaw in either guitar. I noted that even the inside of the box was finished sanded.
“None of this would be of interest, however, if the guitar didn't work as an instrument. Yours do. The sound is even across the strings. The guitar is neither booming in the bass register nor tinney or thin in the treble range. The sound is rich and full as it should be in an acoustic guitar. The neck is fast with action low enough for comfort. Curiously neither guitar has required any neck adjustments. This might well be because of your inclusion of graphite in the neck. I seldom use my amplifier unless playing out.
“In short, I am delighted with my guitars. Thanks for your dedication to your product. All in all I think your guitars are sensational.”
   Jack H. Hedblom, Ph.D., guitar player

“My first encounter with a Ted Megas guitar was at a guitar show. The Megas booth was surrounded by scores of rock guitar dealers, whose wares were being sampled at maximum volume levels — what a terrible din! Nonetheless, the beautiful acoustic tone of Ted’s blond Apollo cut through the non-musical ambiance around me with crystalline, bell-like purity. And what extraordinary, loving workmanship I held in my hands!
“I lacked the funds to buy that guitar that day, but the sound and light-as-a-feather feel of it stuck in my mind. The next year, at the same show, same booth, I learned that, alas, ‘he who hesitates is lost’ — the Apollo was sold! But there was a beautiful, full-bodied Athena for sale — and it’s sound also majestically surmounted the grotesque sonic chaos around me.
“This time I knew what to do — I bought it on the spot! And it has inspired me time and again with its superb tone, sustain, projection, and resonance. If you haven’t guessed by now, I’m enthusiastically recommending Ted’s work to all that seek the highest possible quality arch top guitar . . .”
   Bill McCormick, composer/publisher, M-Pub Corp.

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