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| | ~ Klepper Guitars ~  Howard Klepper began working on guitars in 1968, by buying old guitars in pawnshops and fixing them up. In 1970, he moved to Berkeley, and had the good fortune to meet and work with Larry Jameson and Mike Stevens at the original Guitar Resurrection shop. He learned much of what he knows about guitar repair from them. A few years later, Larry moved the shop to Austin, Texas, and Mike went to Texas to be a cowboy and build guitars. Stevens later was the first head of the Fender Custom Shop. When they left Berkeley, Howard began his own repair business.
The 70's were a great time to be working on guitars in Berkeley. Among the many guitar people Howard met in those days were Jon Lundberg, Mario Martello, Richard Johnston, Steve Klein, Stewart Port, Ralph Novak, and Ervin Somogyi. Berkeley in the 70's was teeming with guitar people. Too many, in fact, for all of them to make a living at it. By 1978, economic reality set in. Klepper closed his shop and went back to school. He had the good sense to put all his tools and materials in storage. For the next 19 years he pursued an academic career in law and philosophy.
Fast forward to 1997. Klepper was teaching at Stanford, on leave from his permanent faculty position in Chicago. He was so happy to be back in the Bay Area, renewing old friendships with his Berkeley buddies. He also was dying to work with his hands again after so many years of mental work. If he was going to get back to doing fine craft, this seemed to be the time to make his move. Howard resigned his academic job, returned to Berkeley, and rented a warehouse that became his woodworking shop. For a few years his focus was not guitars, but woodturning. He had become fascinated with it. His turned vessels have been in several galleries, as well as group and solo shows. But he knew that he would come back to guitar making, and so he did.
Since 2001 Howard Klepper has been a guitarmaker. He found that there is enormous satisfaction in returning to an old passion, bringing to it greater experience and ability than one had originally. Thanks to the internet, Klepper has many new guitar friends around the world. He meets with them daily to learn, and to share his knowledge. He has built classical, carved archtop, and electric solid body guitars, but most of his guitars are steel-string flattops. Klepper's designs are all original. He uses contemporary materials and methods, while usually keeping a traditional overall look. He likes to take risks and try new ideas.
 | Every guitar Klepper builds is a one-of-a-kind instrument. He works slowly; his output is about 10 guitars each year. He builds as much as possible from raw materials, including making parts that many builders buy ready-made, such as liner blocks, fretboards, bridges, strap buttons, and purflings. He designs and makes his own marquetry purflings (the well-known "herringbone" is one example of marquetry). Your Klepper guitar will be truly handmade, by one set of hands: Klepper's. | | |
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Klepper Single Cut
Model: Klepper Single Cut basic model specs
single cutaway with chambered mahogany body, hand-carved solid AAA curly or quilted maple top, top binding with black/white purfling, nitrocellulose lacquer finish with honey toned top, 5-piece neck with bound ebony fretboard, jumbo frets, brass, bone, or graphite nut, dot pearl position inlays, side dot markers, pearl “Klepper” logo, black front and rear headstock veneers.. |  |
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Klepper
