2024 Erlewine Lucy Flying V

Dan Erlewine just might be the most famous guitar repairperson on earth. His books—including Guitar Player’s Repair Guide, How to Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great, Guitar Finishing Step by Step, Fret Work Step by Step, and Trade Secrets—are definitive reference works that have stood the test of time. His classic columns for Guitar Player and Bass Player magazines have helped introduce the vocabulary of guitar setup to the masses, and his instruments have found their way into the hands of icons such as Jerry Garcia, Albert King, and Otis Rush. But it’s Erlewine’s pioneering instructional content—a slew of VHS tapes, DVDs, and YouTube videos, mostly for guitar-tool juggernaut StewMac—that have made the Athens, Ohio, resident a mentor to three generations of guitar maintenance and repair geeks. Today the Erlewine Workshop is building replica models of the Albert King Flying V Lucy (custom-built for Albert King in 1971) and the "Jerrycaster" strat custom-built for Jerry Garcia in early 1970s.

Today, at nearly 80 years of age, Erlewine remains the most recognizable personality in the Lutherie industry, and he still gets animated talking about necks, nuts, frets, and other crucial components of a great guitar setup. In his videos, he’s surrounded by tools of his own invention and his calm demeanor imparts a sense of methodical zen. He’s unflappable and no-nonsense but warm, grandfatherly, and often funny without intention. When he picks up a guitar, however, it’s clear that he’s more than just a very good repairman. This man's band has opened for Cream, The Grateful Dead and his legend Michael Bloomfield.

Very simple, use the best materials available and make the best sounding instrument possible. Be open minded enough to try something that makes me uncomfortable given my ideas of what makes a great guitar. Be patient enough to try and change only one parameter at a time. Patience and in depth observation are the hallmarks of an evolving luthier.

The Erlewine Workshop in Athens, Ohio is fabricating precision replicas of two historic guitars models from the early 1970s. Dan Erlewine approached Blues legend Albert King and custom-built the "Lucy Flying V" solid-body electric that Albert King played throughout the 1970s. In the mid 1970s, Dan also approached Jerry Garcia and custom-built the "Jerrycaster" strat played in numerous Grateful Dead shows. Both models are from Amish-cut Black Walnut wood and there have been less than 20 Lucy Flying V's and less than 10 Jerrycasters made in the last half-century.

No matter how you make contact, Dan and his team will personally guide you through the many decisions and choices you’ll make to arrive at the design of your Build Request guitar. While a personal shop visit is the easiest and most fun way, Dan can help you specify your guitar through any other method of communication. Pictures, text messages and/or zoom calls can all be used to provide the design of your guitar and can also be used to communicate progress during your instrument’s construction.

During the pre-build discussions directly with Dan - there will be a number of customized options available on your guitar. Configurations such as pickups and bridge type can be specified in the final build plan. You will have the opportunity to present other build ideas during your conversation with the Erlewine Workshop team.