What's A Luthier? Jon Kammerer At The Chicago Guitar Show
Luthier John Kammerer gets detailed about what he looks for in the tone of an acoustic - he can get detailed because he also plays guitar. We learn why he designs his bodies specifically to be plugged in, and what he aims for when designing a bass. He's one of those people who asks players what they want, and we like that. Perhaps you will meet your first luthier in the Gearwire video.
ROB WARMOWSKI: We’re from the Internet. It’s okay. Hey everybody. Welcome to Gearwire.Com. I’m Rob Warmowski at the Chicago Guitar Show which is held in DuPage County, Illinois. For some reason, not in Chicago but that’s okay. We can live with that. I’m here with Jon Kammerer from Jon Kammerer Guitars of Keokuk, Iowa. How are you doing, Jon?
JON KAMMERER: Doing fine. Thank you.
ROB WARMOWSKI: We stopped by this particular booth because well these guitars and basses have an extremely unique body shape to them, and Jon is a luthier and designer. Jon, tell us what went into the creation of these bodies.
JON KAMMERER: I was in design school, and we had to do a thesis project to graduate and pick an area of industry to I’d like to get into. I decided to get into guitars. So, basically I did research on acoustic and electric guitars and decided that a parabolic shape would help focus the sound waves of the guitar and also help reduce feedback.
ROB WARMOWSKI: Very interesting, and I was just curious. Did you use computer-aided design?
JON KAMMERER: Not at that point in time. That was all hand drafted, and actually those original guitars were made out of alternative materials such as ceramics and fiberglass. And then, as I got into making them, trying to make them full time, I got into computer-controlled milling machines and also CAD systems.
ROB WARMOWSKI: Interesting, interesting. So, when you -- and I assume you -- Well actually, I shouldn’t assume. Do you play?
JON KAMMERER: Yes I do.
ROB WARMOWSKI: Terrific. And what -- To your -- Everybody has a different opinion. To you, what is -- What are you going after with tone for an acoustic guitar?
JON KAMMERER: With acoustic guitar of mine, I’m going for a plugged in -- a good plugged-in tone, because they’re designed to be stage acoustics. They’re smaller body guitars which eliminates the feedback, so all my guitars unplugged they tend to be a little bit mid rangey to trebly, but the pickup systems pickup the whole sound spectrum, so when they’re plugged in they sound huge but you’re less prone to feedback on them.
ROB WARMOWSKI: And are you winding your own pickups?
JON KAMMERER: No I’m not. I’m using L. R. Baggs, Seymour Duncan, Golden Age, and Razor pickups.
ROB WARMOWSKI: Terrific, terrific. And I noticed that you also have you’ve called a parabolic design.
JON KAMMERER: Yes.
ROB WARMOWSKI: And this applies also to basses. What are you after in a bass tone?
JON KAMMERER: Bass tone, same thing. You’re looking for a nice, warm rich tone, and you also go with a lot of advice from a lot of bass players. I’m not a bass player so I actually ask them, you know, do a lot of the surveys and research on that, and more of trying to find what bass players are looking for rather than telling them here’s what you’re going to get and making that for them.
ROB WARMOWSKI: Well, we’re going to take a closer look at a bunch of Kammerer guitars right about now. Check a different Gearwire video for that. I’m Rob Warmowski for Gearwire. Thank you, John.
JON KAMMERER: Thank you.
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