~ Bruton String Works ~

Ben Bruton is an extremely talented and gifted builder who is driven by a passion and dedication that is inspiring to see. His skill set and experience place him on a level along side many of today's top solid, semi and full hollowbody builders. His apprenticeship and later collaborations with veteran luthier Bernie Lehmann have provided Ben with an education and experience that is priceless. It's incredibly exciting for us at Destroy All Guitars to have the opportunity to team up and work with Ben from today, the outset of his professional career, through to what will hopefully prove to be a very long and prosperous relationship with lots of growth, learning, hard work, and some fun along the way. Below is a bit of Ben's story for those interested to read:

In Ben's words:
"In 1998, My Band Eleven Foot Seven were gearing up for what would be nearly four years of continuous on the road performances. During those pre-touring years, as an aspiring guitar player (for which I still consider myself), I was unable to find a guitar on the market that fit the specific criteria I needed for the right tone, responsiveness and ergonomic function, so I ventured into building my own, taking with me on the road what would be the inspiration for a future career as a luthier."

"In 1996 I received a degree in fine arts where I continued to develop a discriminating eye for design and composition, increasing my already existing love for art and it's process. I have had 10 years experience in woodworking of all types including several years of furniture making. Woodworking has been an integral part of my life. The discipline and lessons it teaches remain invaluable to me."

"Having played guitar for 14 yrs and being in a professional band for almost 11yrs, I was able to chalk up nearly 1000 live performances and had multiple studio experiences including 5 recorded bodies of work to date. I felt I had a solid indication of how a guitar should perform for any given application."

"In October of 2002 I began an apprenticeship under seasoned guitar builder, Bernie Lehmann. A veteran in stringed instrument building for 25 years, Bernie has built 300 plus stringed instruments. I had the opportunity to build again, another guitar of my own design, now under Bernie's instruction. Since then Bernie and I have collaborated on ideas and constructed several guitars together. During that time, I learned in greater depths the details of the custom guitar building business. With my experience in woodworking and passion for building guitars, I wanted to create an instrument superior in aesthetics, tone and playability- an instrument that would be the very signature of my ideals. With this in mind, Bruton String Works was conceived and has now come to fruition."