Not being able to afford his own electric guitars, Jeff Sigurdson built a few of his own in 1985. By the late 1980s, he completed a 2-year course at Douglas College on traditional, Spanish guitar building techniques. His journey had begun!
Jeff studied with Michael Dunn (now retired), who studied with Casa Ferrer. Casa Ferrer's history of lutherie goes back to 1875 in Granada, Spain. After seeing a Dunn-made copy of a 1939 Hauser guitar, he fell in love with the shape and focused strictly on classical guitar building for four years. At that time, he was asked to build a flamenco guitar and has built both flamenco and classical guitars steadily ever since.
From 1992 to 2000, he worked with Jean Larrivée bracing guitar tops and hand-fitting neck-to-body dovetail joints. Jean studied with Edgar Mönch, who learned his craft from Marcelo Barbero, the great apprentice of Manuel Ramírez. Jeff is unique in the world of Spanish guitar in that his heritage is the result of two prominent lineages of the Spanish guitar-building tradition.
While working in Larrivée’s small, custom shop in Vancouver, BC, he met Yusuke Kawakami, who introduced him to hot hide glues, which he now strictly uses in his entire guitar production. He had the excellent opportunity to consult with Géza Burghardt many, many times on how to produce a fine, French polished finish, having asked him hundreds of questions on the topic. Géza is a master of the French polishing technique.
In 1998, Jeff co-founded the Legend Guitar Company, which made limited productions of handmade, high-end steel string guitars. Although this business arrangement was short-lived, Legend guitars have earned a reputation of excellence that has lasted to this very day.
Due to its effect on guitar tone, and its health effects, as of 2011 Jeff has abandoned the use of spray lacquers on all guitars and now French polishes every instrument that he builds. Currently, his focus is on building steel-string guitars that are inspired by the most sought after pre-war Martins; solid top classical guitars in the styles of Hermann Hauser, José Romanillos, and Daniel Friederich; composite-top guitars in the style of Matthias Dammann and Gernot Wagner; flamenco guitars that are heavily inspired by the work of Manuel Reyes; Dyer-style harp guitars; and student models of various guitars.
To date, Jeff has built several hundred guitars in his career, and feels that his current instruments are by far his best creations to date. Jeff would like to thank all of his family, friends, and customers for their continued support, he could not have achieved any of this were it not for them.
Jeff studied with Michael Dunn (now retired), who studied with Casa Ferrer. Casa Ferrer's history of lutherie goes back to 1875 in Granada, Spain. After seeing a Dunn-made copy of a 1939 Hauser guitar, he fell in love with the shape and focused strictly on classical guitar building for four years. At that time, he was asked to build a flamenco guitar and has built both flamenco and classical guitars steadily ever since.
From 1992 to 2000, he worked with Jean Larrivée bracing guitar tops and hand-fitting neck-to-body dovetail joints. Jean studied with Edgar Mönch, who learned his craft from Marcelo Barbero, the great apprentice of Manuel Ramírez. Jeff is unique in the world of Spanish guitar in that his heritage is the result of two prominent lineages of the Spanish guitar-building tradition.
While working in Larrivée’s small, custom shop in Vancouver, BC, he met Yusuke Kawakami, who introduced him to hot hide glues, which he now strictly uses in his entire guitar production. He had the excellent opportunity to consult with Géza Burghardt many, many times on how to produce a fine, French polished finish, having asked him hundreds of questions on the topic. Géza is a master of the French polishing technique.
In 1998, Jeff co-founded the Legend Guitar Company, which made limited productions of handmade, high-end steel string guitars. Although this business arrangement was short-lived, Legend guitars have earned a reputation of excellence that has lasted to this very day.
Due to its effect on guitar tone, and its health effects, as of 2011 Jeff has abandoned the use of spray lacquers on all guitars and now French polishes every instrument that he builds. Currently, his focus is on building steel-string guitars that are inspired by the most sought after pre-war Martins; solid top classical guitars in the styles of Hermann Hauser, José Romanillos, and Daniel Friederich; composite-top guitars in the style of Matthias Dammann and Gernot Wagner; flamenco guitars that are heavily inspired by the work of Manuel Reyes; Dyer-style harp guitars; and student models of various guitars.
To date, Jeff has built several hundred guitars in his career, and feels that his current instruments are by far his best creations to date. Jeff would like to thank all of his family, friends, and customers for their continued support, he could not have achieved any of this were it not for them.
