KOSTAL GUITARS
Kostal Guitars builds one of a kind, hand crafted instruments. Choosing a handmade instrument is an exciting endeavor that few have the opportunity to experience. The choices are limited only by the vision and creativity of the luthier, and the possibilities are driven by the dreams and wishes of each client.
As a luthier, I take pride in creating guitars that will last a lifetime and play incredible music for generations to come. Kostal Guitars is a boutique operation which allows me to meticulously design and construct each instrument on an individual basis. The models currently offered are but starting points from which a client’s unique and individual instrument is built upon. The process is truly collaborative, from the selection of wood all the way through to delivery of the finished guitar. I enjoy working closely with each client to learn what they desire in an acoustic guitar so that I can handcraft the instrument of their dreams. As each guitar evolves from concept to completion, I focus on extremely specific variables and control them to complement the finished product and meet the highest standards for tonality and responsiveness. As most truly meaningful things are, the process is time intensive results in a truly one of a kind instrument.
It is my sincere desire to provide every client with not only a beautiful guitar, but to give them an instrument that will allow them to fully explore their own musical expressions and ideas, breaking boundaries and experiencing sound and music on a completely new level. The relationships I’ve developed with my clients are as unique and rewarding as each guitar that comes out of the shop, and it pleases me to no end to see the life these guitars lead once they reach the hands of the person who dreamt of them for so long. I invite you to discuss your own desires for a guitar with me, and I look forward to a beginning a new and exciting journey as we work together to create your very own Kostal Guitar.
Respectfully,
Jason Kostal
JASON KOSTAL
I was first introduced to the world of guitar building by Kent Everett of Everett Guitars in Atlanta, GA while finishing my MBA at Emory University. Serving as a military officer in the United States Army at the time, my interest in guitar building was more to help appreciate a collection of guitars that I had amassed over years of playing and collecting more than it was about a career change. Kent’s instruction and experience were paramount in planting the seed that would not reach maturity until years later. After leaving the military, I pursued a career with a Fortune 500 company in Salt Lake City, UT where I continued to refine my management skills learned in the military while also learning about retail based systems and sales models, logistics and business acumen. During this time I continued to build upon the lessons that Kent taught me as I pushed my own boundaries and ideas about building and creating musical instruments.
Along the way, my fellow instructors continued to teach me and educate me while personal experience began to meld with my formal education to mold and create the way that I approached the design and construction of the guitar as an instrument and a tool. During this time I opened my own shop and begin building Kostal Guitars full time when I was not working at Roberto-Venn.
I remained a part of the staff at Roberto-Venn for three and a half years, teaching acoustic guitar construction, repair, and business development.
When my apprenticeship was finished, I relocated back to the Phoenix area. I opened up shop in Queen Creek, AZ, where I build a small number of custom instruments each year.
The guitars that I build today are a culmination of over 30 years of playing and performing experience as a fingerstyle guitarist, coupled with a desire to make the best possible guitar that I am capable of. I pair this with the knowledge and teachings imparted to me by three distinctly different mentors, some amazing luthiers that helped me along the way, my own teaching experience, and my own ideas.
I am very proud of the guitars that I am creating today, and value them as a player as well as a builder, and I look forward to the opportunity to share my guitars with the world.