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ABOUT US
William B. Comins –Luthier:
Philadelphia-based luthier Bill Comins began playing guitar at an early age, eventually going on to study jazz guitar at Temple University. His initial career as a working guitarist and private instructor led to a lifelong pursuit of exploring the intricacies of designing and building guitars with a special interest in archtop guitars.
Guided by the works of great guitar makers past and present, Bill has devoted much time and attention to key elements of the process such as wood selection, the modeling and graduation of the arched plates, the mass of individual components, sound-hole styling and placement, variables in geometric relationships, and the interaction with electronic amplification. By fine-tuning his techniques to meet the objectives of each custom-build, Bill has gained a deep understanding of how individual components function in concert with each other and how they can be manipulated to craft instruments of distinction.
Attributing the success of his career in luthiery to sensibilities acquired through his years of playing guitar, Bill always remains mindful of the intended use of each musical instrument he creates, the demands of the player, and how the two together express a unique identity. Over the past quarter century plus, Bill has built hundreds of custom instruments for clients worldwide, including professional musicians, educators, and collectors. Bill's work is renowned and has been featured in magazines, books, and formal exhibitions.
Comins Guitar Craft Series:
In 2010, Bill had the good fortune to consult closely with a prominent guitar manufacturer in South Korea. He was impressed by their capabilities, decades of experience in guitar building, and eagerness to team up to create some truly special instruments. Focused on the facility's strengths and with a desire to bring a professional level yet affordable semi-hollow guitar to market, Bill initiated the first Guitar Craft Series design, the aptly named GCS-1.
Working in close collaboration, critical specifications were hammered out and components were selected that could consistently meet high standards. Aiming to please even the most discriminating of players, these instruments are crafted in small batches with the final touch being that every instrument receives a full precision setup in Bill's workshop before going to its final destination. Since 2012, the GCS-1 has been offered alongside Bill's handcrafted models, building a reputation for performance and value and continually receiving words of high praise. The GCS-1 Bigsby and GCS-1ES models soon followed.
As the semi-hollows were quickly finding their way into the hands of musicians, it became apparent that an archtop guitar was the next logical model to complement the line. Work began on designs for a 16" archtop in one- and two-pickup configurations, the GCS-16-1 and GCS-16-2. Custom tooling was needed to keep the body shape and appointment aesthetics in line with Bill's custom-built archtops and renowned pickup maker Kent Armstrong was consulted to zero in on the pickup specifications. In 2018, the GCS-16 models made their debut and soon garnered the same critical acclaim as the GCS-1 models. Treated with the same first class setup in Bill’s shop, the GCS-16s have been received with great fanfare by the guitar community for performing comparably to instruments at much higher price points.
Comins has a great passion for putting guitars into the hands of players. We invite you to visit one of our dealers to see, hear, and feel why Comins Guitar Craft Series instruments have been wowing musicians at every level.
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