My infatuation with music began early on, and at age seven I was given guitar instruction at a local folk music studio. Here I was introduced to a regiment that included "Down In The Valley", " Michael Row The Boat Ashore", and exercises from a very popular “sight reading for beginners” type book. Despite these initial efforts to sabotage my enthusiasm , I continued to study guitar throughout high school and eventually into college. By the early eighties I was a student at Temple University majoring in “Jazz Guitar Performance” . To make ends meet, I was playing in wedding bands and teaching private lessons (where I successfully repeated the cycle of discouraging students with the same popular sight reading book). While my dedication to study and practice enabled me to become a competent musician, by the late eighties my interest in pursuing music as a full time profession would begin to fade as I became more and more curious about the art of Luthiery.

Attempting to leave no stone unturned, I sought out a wealth of information regarding stringed instrument construction and restoration. What started as a dabbling in repair work soon became a part time business as my reputation grew. At the time I was sharing a small apartment so my shop space was about 50 sq’ and doubled as my bedroom. These lavish surroundings would also help impress a young lady named Jill who eventually became my wife.

Anxious to retire the out-dated, poorly fitting, well worn tuxedo, I began to phase out of playing music professionally as Jill and I started our family. I did however remain committed to pursuing luthiery with an even greater urgency. I took a job in a violin shop where I worked for several years, learning much about this fundamental family of instruments. I also maintained my own repair business and by the early ‘90’s had built several instruments of my own. In my eagerness to obtain greater understanding of the craft, I sought out master luthier Robert Benedetto and in 1992 built my first archtop guitar with him. Soon after, with his tutelage and encouragement, I had developed my own archtop guitar model, the Chester Avenue, named after the street where my then new shop (650 sq’) resided.

By 1994 Comins Guitars was a full time operation, and the success of the Chester Avenue lead to the creation of other models. Then, in 1996, I was asked by renowned collector Scott Chinery to build one of 22 blue archtop guitars. This collection was an intended tribute to the contemporary state of archtop guitar building and in 1998 was featured at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. It was indeed an honor to participate in a project that included numerous legendary and well established artisans, and it helped my work achieve a higher level of visibility.

My ideas about instrument construction were evolving conceptually as well as procedurally, and I again began to feel confined by the limitations of my working space. In 2002 I moved the shop to a wooded setting just outside of Philadelphia. Here, surrounded by tall Oak, Maple, Poplar, and Birch trees, I found a tranquil backdrop that not only facilitates a deeper clarity of practice and purpose, it makes for an excellent meeting spot for late night poker games. My production averages to about 15 guitars per year, and to date, I have created close to 200 custom instruments for international clientele consisting of players, educators, and collectors. By maintaining a one on one association with each client, I remain committed to approaching each project with reverence.

Over the years I have continued to bring my training as a musician to the process of building instruments. Guided by the works of great makers past and present, I have spent a good deal of time considering elements such as sound hole styling and placement, variables in geometric relationships, modeling and graduation of the arched plates, etc. This progression of refinement has lead to my deeper understanding of how components function individually and in concert, and how they can be manipulated toward a desired result. This knowledge also informs my intuitive process, and for this reason, there are commonalities found in all of my instruments. What is learned from each newly created piece is brought to the next.

The perpetual elaboration of design is a natural part of any artisans journey, and these web pages reflect the current specifications of my work. Repeatedly, I am challenged by clients who’s appreciation of the craft inspires me toward new discovery. I see this combined enthusiasm as fertile ground for the creation of extraordinary instruments - instruments that transcend the utilitarian and enliven our humanity. I look forward to these collaborations.

William B. Comins
Luthier