Over the past years we’ve seen individual countries forge associations, groups, or similar organizations to connect guitar builders with each other. Trade shows have come and gone, some were able to grow over the years and build a reputation, some have disappeared from the scene.

In several countries these associations have developed successfully, but mostly they have remained within their borders. The need to have something larger, something ‘European’ has been around for a while.

2012

Finally, in 2012, after intense discussions at the Montreal Guitar Show, several luthiers decided to get together and start the process. In October of 2012 luthiers Juha Ruokangas, Frédéric Pons, Ulrich Teuffel and Frank Deimel came to Vienna to meet with Michael Spalt and Andreas Neubauer with the goal of founding an association intended to become a European-wide organization. Together with the support of Tania Spalt, Jacques Carbonneaux and Kora Jünger they set down the parameters for the association and The European Guitar Builders Association is officially founded on October 6, 2012.