Bozidar (Bozo) Podunavac was born in Serbia in Eastern Europe and was raised in Belgrade. Bozo was originally apprenticed to luthier Milutin Mladenovicin. Bozo came to the USA in the late 1950s and settled in Chicago, Illinois. In the early 1960s he set up shop as a luthier and began building his own instruments. Bozo moved to Escondido (near San Diego), California in 1972, and to San Diego in 1975. In 1978, Bozo opened a school of lutherie, which he ran for a number of years. Bozo has also called Linderhurst, Illinois and East Englewood, Florida home.
His instruments are unique for a variety of reasons. The most notable feature is his "Bell Western" design. This style features an upper bout of a Martin Dreadnought combined with the lower bout of a Gibson J-200. His guitars are typically very ornate with complex and unusal rosettes and wide purfling. The high-quality of craftsmanship is evident in his guitars as well. Many guitars are constructed out of Brazilian rosewood, koa, and Indian rosewood. The sound of his guitars are also unique as they have an original fullness to the notes and sustain that rings for a long time without losing the roundness of the note. His twelve-string guitars are particularly special as Leo Kottke and Peter Lang (among others), used them early in their careers and recorded several songs with them.
In the mid-1970s, Bozo licensed his designs to a Japanese firm, Morris, that manufactured the instruments under the Bozo name. A majority of Bozo guitars consist of the Japanese-made models. Bozo was one of the luthiers contacted by esteemed collector Scott Chinery for a model in the Blue Guitars Collection. Bozo still builds guitars on a limited basis. For more information or to talk to Bozo, contact him directly. Source: Matt Hayden.
Instruments currently built in East Englewood and Port Charlotte, FL since 2005. Previously produced in Lindenhurst, IL.

BOZO Acoustic Guitars Models

BOZO B3 Image

BOZO B3

- classical style, solid cedar top, laminated rosewood back and sides, round soundhole with rosette, multi-ply body binding, cedro or mahogany neck, 12/19-fret unbound rosewood fingerboard, Bozo open-style unbound headstock with three-per-s...

BOZO B5 Image

BOZO B5

- classical style, solid cedar top, laminated rosewood back and sides, round soundhole with rosette, multi-ply body binding, cedro neck, 12/19-fret unbound ebony fingerboard, Bozo open-style unbound headstock with three-per-side open-style...

BOZO B10 Image

BOZO B10

- classical style, solid cedar top, solid Indian rosewood back and sides, round soundhole with rosette, multi-ply body binding, cedro neck with Spanish foot construction, 12/19-fret unbound ebony fingerboard, Bozo open-style unbound headsto...

BOZO B15 Image

BOZO B15

- classical style, solid German spruce top, solid Indian rosewood back and sides, round soundhole with rosette with matching top, back, and back strip binding, cedro neck with Spanish foot construction, 12/19-fret unbound ebony fingerboard,...

BOZO B20 Image

BOZO B20

- grand concert style, solid spruce top, laminated mahogany back and sides, round soundhole with herringbone rosette, multi-ply body binding, 14/20-fret unbound rosewood fingerboard with dot inlay, Bozo unbound headstock with three-per-side...

BOZO B25 Image

BOZO B25

- grand concert style, solid spruce top, laminated rosewood back and sides, round soundhole with herringbone rosette, multi-ply body binding, 14/20-fret bound rosewood fingerboard with dot inlay, Bozo unbound headstock with three-per-side S...

BOZO B30 Image

BOZO B30

- grand concert style, solid spruce top, solid rosewood back and sides, round soundhole with pearl rosette, pearl body purfling, white body binding, 14/20-fret bound rosewood fingerboard with pearl hexagon inlays, Bozo unbound headstock wit...

BOZO B35 Image

BOZO B35

- dreadnought style, solid spruce top, laminated rosewood back and sides, round soundhole with pearloid rosette, pearloid purfling, white body binding, checkerboard back strip, 14/20-fret bound rosewood fingerboard with dot inlay, brown Boz...

BOZO B60 Image

BOZO B60

- Bell Western body style, solid spruce top, laminated rosewood back and sides, round soundhole with herringbone rosette, multi-ply body purfling and white body binding, 14/20-fret unbound rosewood fingerboard with dot inlay, black Bozo unb...

BOZO B80 Image

BOZO B80

- Bell Western body style, solid spruce top, laminated rosewood back and sides, round soundhole with herringbone rosette, herringbone body binding and backstrip, 14/20-fret bound rosewood fingerboard with snowflake inlay, black Bozo headsto...

BOZO B80S Image

BOZO B80S

- similar to the B80, except has solid Indian rosewood back and sides, distinctive black and pearl rosette, ebony fingerboard, more elaborate headstock inlay, and an ebony bridge, mfg. mid-1970s.

BOZO B100 Image

BOZO B100

- Bell Western body style, solid spruce top, solid Indian rosewood back and sides, round soundhole with pearl and herringbone rosette, herringbone body and side purfling, maple body binding, herringbone backstrip, 14/20-fret bound ebony fin...