Gerald Sheppard

Gerald has been repairing, refinishing, and building guitars for twenty-five years. He has been building guitars exclusively since 1993. Gerald attributes his success and expertise to extensive research, hands-on experience, association with instrument guilds, and feedback from professional musicians and his customers.  

His instruments have been used for professional studio work and on stage by today's top guitarists. Since 2003 Gerald has accepted the invitation of Al Petteway to be the staff instrument builder/luthier for Guitar Week at the world renowned Swannanoa Gathering (www.swangathering.org). There, attending guitarists can view Gerald's work in progress, learn about guitar woods, and learn how matching their playing style to a personal guitar design.

Tone related design features include concentricity of the lower bouts and tuned chamber frequencies. An interesting optional tone related feature is the thirteen fret to the neck design which moves the soundhole, bracing, and bridge to the "sweet spot" closer to the center of the lower bout. 

Gerald holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Technology. After spending most of his professional life in the engineering division of a large manufacturing company where he incorporated Quality Management methodology into industrial and management processes, he now builds 14 to 18 guitars per year as a full time occupation.  

Gerald understands the subject of quality. He has applied it to his guitar making processes and it shows. But he also knows that time honored craftsmanship cannot be automated. That's why Sheppard guitars are as beautiful to behold as they are to hear, and are made of best quality materials available.

Owning and playing fine guitars since he was a boy, Gerald understands how to match the design of an instrument to meet the needs of the guitarist.  Now that he supplies instruments to other serious musicians, his philosophy is simple:

"What I build must first satisfy me, but the biggest test is that it must satisfy the musician. I must assume that the guitarist has an excellent ear for fine tone based upon years of experience; why else would he/she even be interested in a high quality instrument? My intention is to help the guitarist present a piece of music to the best of his/her ability, and for it to sound the way it was intended to sound."