DON MUSSER ACOUSTICS

He’s built guitars for some of the very biggest names in the business and yet Don Musser remains a known unknown. We track him down to fill in the blanks

- Huw Price

Within guitar culture, some individuals achieve legendary status but somehow remain under the radar. Examples may include the elusive pickup maker and guitar builder ‘Over The Pond Guy’, renowned restorer Clive Brown, the late Les Paul replica builder known as Terry Morgan, and amplifier designer Howard Dumble. These aren’t the type of people who engage with social media or even have websites, and a common phrase used in relation to them is ‘if you know, you know’. Most don’t – and a low profile combined with a high reputation and a shortage of solid information tends to foment fable and intrigue.

Over in the US, there’s a renowned acoustic guitar maker who fits this profile and his name is Don Musser. He doesn’t have a website and never advertises, but since the mid-1970s he has been quietly building guitars played by the likes of Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Neil Young and even Eddie Van Halen. When the idea of a feature article was first mooted, we hadn’t even anticipated being able to talk to Don in person.

More in hope than expectation, we contacted Dream Guitars in North Carolina to ask if they could put us in touch and shortly afterwards we received an email from Don himself including his phone number and an invitation to call any time. Needless to say, we took Don up on his offer and found him to be friendly, forthcoming and fascinating.

The Backstory