About the Owner
After graduating from the University of Arizona , Sven Gonstead decided to attend the Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery with the intent of building instruments during the summer break. Within four weeks of his education at Roberto-Venn, Sven was taken by the craft of building acoustic instruments. "I knew I had found my true passion in life". The school gave him an understanding of the fundamentals for instrument structure, design and building procedures.

Upon graduating from luthiery school Sven was hired by the highly respected Santa Cruz Guitar Company. Their focus was to build instruments of extremely high quality. During his time at Santa Cruz Guitar Company he enjoyed meeting other luthiers and making numerous contacts throughout the music industry.

In time, he moved home to the Midwest and started his own guitar studio. Sven now resides in Big Bay, Michigan where he specializes in producing acoustic and resophonic instruments of uncompromising quality.

Sven Gonstead, Proprietor		Rye Dog, Public Relations/Shop Security

The Musician
Gonstead started out his musical career on Trumpet, and then began a long exploration into blues music while playing professionally in the Southwestern US. He was a regular on the Tuscon and Phoenix music scene, and claims Albert Collins, Kelly Joe Phelps, Rob Ickes, and Ray Charles as his biggest musical influences. Active in the local music scene of his new home in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Sven plays old-time music with Big Bay’s “Lost Creek” and has most recently joined “Frostbitten Grass,” a progressive bluegrass - based quintet that is quickly gaining upper Midwest popularity.