For over thirty years, luthier Michael Stevens has been performing his high quality guitar building and stringed instrument repairs in California and Texas. Stevens, along with John Page, was hired by Fender in 1986 to open their Custom Shop and construct individually-ordered, custom-built instruments.
In 1967, Stevens headed for Berkeley, California to study bronze casting with Peter Voucas, and also to "intercept a woman I was chasing," notes Stevens. Neither of the two happened at the time, but he did run into a great music scene and his life took a turn. While in Berkeley, Stevens met Larry Jameson through a mutual friend - it turned out that they were dating the same woman. Jameson was just starting a guitar repair shop in Oakland near Leo´s Music (up above an amp shop called Magic Music Machines). In the long and short of it, Jameson got the girl, but Stevens got a job. Six months later the two moved to the corner of Rose and Grove in Berkeley and opened the Guitar Resurrection. Stevens credits Jameson for teaching him "what a guitar really was" and how to repair guitars by hand. Stevens and Jameson ran the Guitar Resurrection from 1969 to 1974. Stevens recalled a few notable memories during this time period, such as perhaps the first vintage guitar show circa 1970/1971 at Prune Music in Mill Valley, California; and getting vinyl plastic laminated from Hughs Plastic (a chore in itself) being the first to offer routed after market pickguards. After 1974, Stevens left to train Arabian horses for a number of years.
In 1978, Stevens moved to Austin, Texas. One of his early associates was Bill Collings. Stevens continued to make a name for himself performing repairs and building custom guitars for Christopher Cross (a double neck), Paul Glasse (a mandolin model), and Junior Brown´s "Guit-Steel" hybrid. Stevens was hired by Fender in 1986 as Senior design engineer for their new Custom shop. While at Fender, Stevens designed the first set-neck Fender model, the LJ (named in honor of Larry Jameson). Perhaps only thirty-five to forty of these instruments were constructed. Stevens was the first Master builder at Fender to have his logo on his instruments, (Biograhy courtesy Michael Stevens).
Currently, Michael Stevens is back in Alpine, Texas. In 2006, Stevens completed construction on his new shop and is currently producing guitars. Mark Pollock is the business manager. For more information, contact Stevens directly or refer to his website.
Mandolins currently built in Alpine TX.
