What is the Premier Builders Guild? As far as we're aware, the PBG is a unique concept.
Instead of creating just one brand, PBG makes guitars from b3, Koll and Johan Gustavsson, along with designs from Roger Giffin and Dennis Fano's artfully distressed instruments. Until early 2012, Jason Schroeder was a part of the programme too, but his company has now decided to go solo.
"For those builders, it frees them up to work on their custom business, to develop new designs, and they're getting a great master builder in Gene Baker who executes their designs in close contact with each maker," explains PBG's Peter DePasqaule. "So they're on the phone, sending emails and pictures back and forth. They come to the workshop to check on production and meet up with Gene.
"Denis Fano is a PBG builder, like Gene Baker, but the other guitar builders license particular lines to PBG, we don't own them." To clarify, Baker's b3 and the Fano brand are owned by PBG along with the Two-Rock and Tone King amplifier companies; the other guitar builders maintain their independence but allow PBG to build versions of some designs.
"It's a more accessible way to order a custom guitar," continues DePasqaule, "it's not a year-and-a-half wait for the guitar from the maker. You're not worried if the builder will still be in business in a year-and-a-half. So the idea is to get a builder-associated guitar in a much more reasonable time frame and it'll usually be a little cheaper than if you order it custom, sometimes significantly cheaper."
Guitarist magazine recently reviewed a trio of beautiful PBG instruments:
Read the Johan Gustavsson Bluesmaster Special review.
Read the Koll Duo Glide review.
Read the b3 Fire review.
