Even as a youngster, Bruce Kunkel showed an interest in fine arts and was prolific as a painter and woodcarver. His dad, Wallace Kunkel was a fine woodworker and his shop was the center of activity for his brood of six sons, five of whom are in the woodworking trade to this day.

As a teenager, Bruce taught himself to play 5-string banjo and later guitar and, with his woodworking background, it was natural for him to build his own instruments. Bruce and his dad later operated a woodworking school where they taught others the fine points of joinery and wood carving.

Bruce operated his own woodworking business for many years where he built one-of-a-kind furniture and musical instruments. He relocated to Nashville, TN in 1993 where he became Master Luthier/Designer and Creator of Art Instruments for the Gibson Custom Division, a post he occupied for ten years. During this time he was responsible for producing tribute guitars acknowledging many of Gibson's endorsers as well as unique art pieces, such as the 20th Century Tribute and the Chet Atkins Tribute. These pieces are displayed in a Gibson collection that tours the world. His Old Hickory Les Paul is on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D. C. All of these works can be seen on Gibson's website: www.gibsoncustom.com.

In January 2003, Bruce left Gibson to make his own guitars under the "Kunkel" name. Now, almost two years later, the line consists of three models: a 15"-wide flattop, a 16"-wide flattop, and a 17"-wide archtop jazz guitar. Each of these is available in cutaway and non-cutaway body designs with many wood and trim options. The Kunkel 15" guitar is about the size of an OM with a unique body shape and a shallow rim. Because of its size, it has strong, clear mids and highs. It's excellent for lead and fingerstyle playing in stage situations where feedback might be a problem.

The Kunkel 16" could be classed as a mini-jumbo. It has a unique body shape and a deeper rim which produces a bigger bass response. Both flattops have a heart-shaped soundhole which is the Kunkel trademark, hence the company logo, "Kunkel- Music from the Heart". Bruce has been doing one-of-a-kind pieces for his customers in what he calls the "Heart of" series. The first of these guitars was the "Heart of the Pacific", a 15" in Hawaiian Koa which was created for D. R. Auten of San Diego, California. Bruce and D. R. met while both were working at Gibson and soon became friends and collaborators. An amazing guitarist, D. R. is a recording artist and can be heard on the Kunkel Guitar website, www.kunkelguitars.com. D. R.'s music is available through his own website, www.drauten.com.

Bruce also constructed "The Heart of New York", "The Heart of Minnesota", and "My Aiken Heart", a tribute to Aiken, South Carolina. These guitars feature intricate engraved scenes in mother of pearl inlays and elaborate heel carvings. Such artwork can more than double the time it takes to produce a guitar, and therefore the price. The "Diamond Jubilee" is Kunkel's top-of-the-line art piece. The inlays consist of gold and white mother of pearl engraved in a Victorian flower and leaf motif with a matching heel carving.

Whether you order a non-cutaway, unbound mahogany model, or a one-of-a-kind art piece- the workmanship, quality of tone and playability are the same in all Kunkel guitars; this overall consistency is due to the fact that these instruments are all made by the same person, totally responsible for that instrument from start to finish.

All inlays are hand-cut with a jeweler's saw and set by hand. Engraving is done with a steel-edge tool under magnification. Bruce uses no CNC technology in the production of his guitars.

Kunkel flattop models have a 28-ft. radius built into the top which creates a suspension bridge effect that counters the guitar's tendency to implode. It also relieves the "belly" that typically develops below the bridge. This radius also allows for a greater neck pitch which increases saddle height for better string down-pressure which enhances tone and volume. The back is built with a 12-ft. radius and the body has a 1-inch taper from butt to head block. The neck is fastened by mechanical means, creating a compression joint, which is superior to traditional glued-in joints for sound transmission. The neck can be disassembled from the body in minutes for reset or replacement with no finish repair required.

The headstock is a unique design with a straight string pull making tuning more accurate. Bruce likes to carve a volute where the headstock meets the neck shaft. This is a comfort feature found on violins and some 5-string banjos. Necks are made of one-piece quarter-sawn mahogany and have a dual-action truss rod. Nut width is 1 ¾" and the neck "feel" is hand shaped to a profile Bruce has refined over the years that he believes is optimal for comfort and playability. He uses a 16" fingerboard radius and a scale length of 25.4". Kunkel guitars are known for accurate intonation and balanced tone and volume on all strings in any position on the fingerboard.

The latest model in the Kunkel line is the Jazz Deco 17" Convertible Acoustic/Electric Archtop. As the name implies, the guitar comes with two ebony pick guards that allow the guitar to be either an electric or an acoustic guitar with no modifications to the guitar. Power is supplied through the endpin which doubles as a strap button and tailpiece support. The dual passive EMG humbuckers are mounted directly on the ebony pick guards and "float" above the body. There is a volume control and three-way selector switch discretely secured under the edge of the pick guard. This modular unit simply plugs in by means of a 1/8" mini-jack inside the "f" hole, and attaches to the guitar by means of threaded fasteners in the neck extension and thumb screw at the edge of the guitar body. Conversion from electric to acoustic takes a few minutes and a screw driver. With this system, there are no extra holes in the instrument to detract from its beauty.

The wooden tailpiece consists of alternating, radiating bands of ebony and curly maple in an Art Deco motif. The "Jazz Deco" inlay pattern on the fingerboard is an original Kunkel design. All appointments are solid ebony including the pick guards, tailpiece, bridge and sculpted arm rest.

The five-piece curly rock maple neck is fastened to the body by means of a large dovetail joint. The neck is not glued in, but secured through the head block with Allen machine screws into threaded fasteners in the end of the dovetail; these screws are accessed through the endpin hole with a long extension tool. The neck can be removed in a few minutes for resetting, repair or replacement with no damage to the guitar.

The top and back are hand carved from 1"-thick, quartersawn, book-matched stock. They are graduated and tuned, much like a violin in the old-world manner with scrapers and small finger planes.

The Jazz Deco is the top of the Kunkel line in the archtop category. Less ornate models will be available without the convertible feature and ebony appointments. These instruments will be of the same high quality but at a lower cost to the customer.

Bruce plans on continuing to expand his line of instruments to include a nylon-string electric/acoustic hybrid, a solid-body electric guitar, a mandolin and a 5-string banjo as time and demand permit. Inquires about ordering instruments can be made through email: bruce@kunkelguitars.com or by phone: 615-429-1486.

For additional information regarding Kunkel guitars, please visit the Kunkel Guitars website at: www.kunkelguitars.com