Testimonials
Matt Brooker, StewMac
“As a young luthier, I have benefited enormously from being a part of ASIA and the GAL. I see a lot of other folks my age building and doing repair work online, but our generation is sorely underrepresented at [the biennial symposia]. I encourage all of you out there to take that step and join us at the next gathering; there are friendships and connections to be made, knowledge to be shared, and great times to be had. Hope to see you there!”
Frank Ford, frets.com
“[Until I joined ASIA], I’d been working locally, but hadn’t realized the value of meeting, interacting and keeping up with the other professionals in the business.”
John Hall, Blues Creek Guitars
“In the beginning you don’t know what you don’t know so you ask those that do. It is about information, both sharing and acquiring it. Frank Ford helped me in so many ways at my symposium in 2003. I can honestly say that had it not been for ASIA , I know I would not be where I am today.”
Greg Voros, Repair Dept. Manager, Gruhn Guitars
“ASIA plays an important role in the lives of all in the making and repairing of stringed instruments. The members make up a wonderful community of folks that are all wired in a similar fashion; they share a true passion for their craft, and that’s what unites us all within this league.”
Michael Dickinson, Martin Guitars
“ASIA is an organization where you not only grow your skills, but grow your extended family. I have met so many wonderful, knowledgeable people through this organization.”
Jamie Aulson, Aulson Inlay
“As a new company (three years old), ASIA has given us the opportunity to spend an amazing amount of quality time with those builders who have been in the business for years. At the ASIA Symposium this year we had dinner with three men with combined experience of over 100 years. The bonds we have established with many of the ASIA members have been invaluable in allowing us to grow and learn, oftentimes in learning how not to do things! It is rare in an organization to find genuine willingness and desire of it’s members to share their wealth of information with newcomers. We do not hesitate to call on any of the ASIA members that we have met to ask a question. They never fail to find the time to help us. The key is that ASIA encourages new blood into the industry and its members share their knowledge to anyone willing to learn.”
George Gruhn, Gruhn Guitars
“While luthiers producing limited production handmade instruments make only a very small percentage of the total number of guitars and other fretted instruments produced annually in the USA, their impact on the industry is profound. ASIA is a profoundly important organization in promoting the art of hand craftsmanship and as a forum for exchanging innovative new ideas.”
Evan Gluck, famed New York repairman
“The best part about ASIA is the fostering of a sense of community. The type of work we do is often solitary and it has been so useful to meet folks and see that we are all in the same boat. I have learned so much from simply attending and participating in the Symposiums and have made lifelong friends. I really could not ask for anything more.”
Chris Herrod, LMI
“At the ASIA Symposia, LMI gets a rare and valuable opportunity to meet our customers face to face. They can handle tools and go through woods first hand, we can learn about when their needs are, and inevitably, we can establish a relationship that really works for both of us. We’ve also met valuable suppliers and learned so much about lutherie in general. Our ASIA membership is essential to our way of doing business!”