About Don Sharp
Nazareth, PA. Home of the most famous guitar builder in the world: Martin Guitars.
Don Sharp began building handmade guitars in 1988, living near the Martin Guitar factory. Don visited the factory many times. The more he visited, the more he wanted to learn to build a guitar with its own unique sound. The more he played, the more he wanted a guitar that suited his own playing style.
In 1988, Don built his first guitar from scratch. No kits.
Since this great milestone, Don began building more and more guitars, constantly refining his craft with every new guitar he makes. He learned from other luthiers, including learning directly under respected luthier Frank Finocchio, and through correspondence with James Olson.
Constantly the student, he continues to learn and draws inspiration from respected luthiers such as Ervin Somogyi, James Goodall, Kevin Ryan and Marc Maingard. Through their influence, Don has created his own "signature sound" which he describes as "refined and well-balanced with extra sparkle."
Don has built up a great collection of tonewoods and topwoods over the years that he has been seasoning. "I receive the majority of my tonewoods in log or billet form. From there it is resawn, stickered, dried, and seasoned for a minimum of six years before I will use it. All of this is done in a climate controlled environment to ensure maximum stability and yield."
On a personal note, Don is a strong Christian and continues to serve the Body of Christ through mission work. He loves animals, and his home has become a home for many dogs in need.
Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone! Therefore, you shall love The LORD, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
Deuteronomy 6: 4-5