Joe Veillette

Last updated
Joe Veillette
Born (1946-03-13) March 13, 1946 (age 78)
Brooklyn, New York
NationalityAmerican
OccupationLuthier
Website http://www.veilletteguitars.com/

Joe Veillette (born March 13, 1946), is a luthier and the owner of Veillette Guitars. He specializes in the crafting of unusual and innovative handmade guitars, basses, and other stringed instruments. Veillette's diverse client list includes John Sebastian, James Taylor, Ani DiFranco, Dave Mathews, John Mayer, Jorma Kaukonen, Steve Miller, Todd Rundgren, Tina Weymouth, Chris Martin, Jimmy Vivino, Tim Pierce, Colin Hay, David Torn, Brian May, Kaki King, Neal Schon, Mike McCready, Eddie Van Halen and other notable players.

Contents

Early life

Veillette is originally from Brooklyn, New York. He earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree at City College of New York, and was subsequently employed as an architectural designer on Park Avenue.

"Woodstock Music Products" and "Veillette Guitars"

He took a class in guitar-making, taught by luthier Michael Gurian in 1971, to learn how to repair the broken headstock on his Gibson J-45. He became interested in guitar building and teamed up with fellow architectural student Harvey Citron, and formed Veillette-Citron in 1976. [1] [2] Veillette-Citron collaborated with John Sebastian to develop and market the first production baritone guitar. Veillette-Citron pioneered neck-thru-body construction, made innovations in instrument electronics, and set new trends in modern electric bass design. Early Veillete-Citron instruments are rare and highly sought-after as a result of their excellence in craftsmanship and innovative designs. The company moved from Brooklyn to Kingston NY in 1976. The partnership lasted until 1983. [3]

Veillette formed Woodstock Music Products in 1991, in partnership with bass-maker Stuart Spector. One of Veillette's innovations developed during the partnership was the Deep-6 neck, which allowed a baritone conversion for Fender-style instruments. [4] Veillette, in conjunction with bass-maker Michael Tobias, developed the Avante line of instruments for Alvarez. The Veillette/Spector partnership ended in 1994.

Veillette then established Veillette Guitars, in Woodstock NY. He has focused on making unusual instruments, rather than trying to compete in a saturated market of OEM clone-makers. One of his most notable guitars is the Gryphon - a short (18.5.1”) scale 12 string guitar tuned D-D in unison courses, almost a full octave above standard tuning. This instrument can be played to sound like a mandolin, bouzouki, cuatro, and other traditional folk instruments. Veillette licensed production of his acoustic Gryphon model as a high quality import from Korea, and revived the Avante name to market this instrument as well as versions of the acoustic baritone 6 and 12 string he is also known for. [5] [6]

Veillette is an accomplished musician, and has worked as a session guitarist and singer. He appeared on Krishna Das' 2005 album All One, featuring Walter Becker on bass, drummer Rick Allen, tabla player Ty Burhoe, and guitarist/composer David Nichtern. He had also performed on albums by John Sebastian, Jorma Kaukonen, and Manowar.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hot Tuna</span> American blues rock band

Hot Tuna is an American blues rock band formed in 1969 by former Jefferson Airplane members Jorma Kaukonen (guitarist/vocals) and Jack Casady (bassist). Although it has always been a fluid aggregation, with musicians coming and going over the years, the band's center has always been Kaukonen and Casady's ongoing collaboration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luthier</span> Craftsman of stringed musical instruments

A luthier is a craftsperson who builds or repairs string instruments that have a neck and a sound box.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seven-string guitar</span> Fretted string instrument

The seven-string guitar adds one additional string to the more common six-string guitar, commonly used to extend the bass range or also to extend the treble range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baritone guitar</span> Variation on the standard guitar

The baritone guitar is a guitar with a longer scale length, typically a larger body, and heavier internal bracing, so it can be tuned to a lower pitch. Gretsch, Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, ESP Guitars, PRS Guitars, Music Man, Danelectro, Schecter, Jerry Jones Guitars, Burns London and many other companies have produced electric baritone guitars since the 1960s, although always in small numbers due to low popularity. Tacoma, Santa Cruz, Taylor, Martin, Alvarez Guitars and others have made acoustic baritone guitars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jorma Kaukonen</span> American guitarist (born 1940)

Jorma Ludwik Kaukonen, Jr. is an American blues, folk, and rock guitarist. Kaukonen performed with Jefferson Airplane and still performs regularly on tour with Hot Tuna, which started as a side project with bassist Jack Casady, and as of early 2019 has continued for 50 years. Rolling Stone magazine ranked him No. 54 on its list of 100 Greatest Guitarists. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 as a member of Jefferson Airplane.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Casady</span> American bass guitarist

John William Casady is an American bass guitarist, best known as a member of Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna. Jefferson Airplane became the first successful exponent of the San Francisco Sound. Singles including "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit" charted in 1967 and 1968. Casady, along with the other members of Jefferson Airplane, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Violin octet</span> String instrument family

The violin octet is a family of stringed instruments developed in the 20th century primarily under the direction of the American luthier Carleen Hutchins. Each instrument is based directly on the traditional violin and shares its acoustical properties, with the goal of a richer and more homogeneous sound. Unlike the standard modern stringed instruments, the main resonance of the body of the violin octet instrument is at a pitch near the two middle open strings, giving the instruments a more balanced, clearer sound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portuguese guitar</span> Plucked string instrument with twelve steel strings

The Portuguese guitar or Portuguese guitarra is a plucked string instrument with twelve steel strings, strung in six courses of two strings. It is one of the few musical instruments that still uses watch-key or Preston tuners. It is iconically associated with the musical genre known as Fado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keller Williams</span> American musician

Keller Williams is an American singer, songwriter and musician who combines elements of bluegrass, folk, alternative rock, reggae, electronica/dance, jazz, funk, along with other assorted genres. He is often described as a 'one-man jam-band' due to his frequent use of live phrase looping with multiple instruments. Keller Williams was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia on February 4, 1970, and began playing the guitar in his early teens. He later matriculated at Virginia Wesleyan College in Virginia Beach where he received his degree in theater. After college, he moved to Colorado to advance his music career and expand his repertoire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tenor guitar</span> Four-stringed guitar

The tenor guitar or four-string guitar is a slightly smaller, four-string relative of the steel-string acoustic guitar or electric guitar. The instrument was initially developed in its acoustic form by Gibson and C.F. Martin so that players of the four-string tenor banjo could double on guitar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of guitars</span> Overview of and topical guide to guitars

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to guitars:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Multi-neck guitar</span> Guitar that has multiple fingerboard necks

A multi-neck guitar is a guitar that has multiple fingerboard necks. They exist in both electric and acoustic versions. Examples of multi-neck guitars and lutes go back at least to the Renaissance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piccolo bass</span> Bass tuned to a higher frequency

A piccolo bass is either an electric bass or acoustic double bass which has been tuned to a higher frequency, usually one octave higher than conventional bass tuning. This allows bass players to use higher registers during soloing while retaining a familiar scale length and string spacing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Preston Reed</span> American guitarist

Preston Reed is an American fingerstyle guitarist. He is noted for a two-handed playing style and compositional approach that uses the guitar's body as a percussion instrument.

<i>Pair a Dice Found</i> 1990 studio album by Hot Tuna

Pair a Dice Found is an album by the American blues rock band Hot Tuna. Released in 1990, it was their first studio album since Hoppkorv in 1976.

<i>Stars in My Crown</i> (album) 2007 studio album by Jorma Kaukonen

Stars in My Crown is a Jorma Kaukonen studio album released in 2007 on Red House Records. Kaukonen returned to songwriting with this album, and again incorporated the work of several contributing musicians including Barry Mitterhoff, who had been playing mandolin with Hot Tuna since 2002. The album made it to the Billboard charts for "Top Heatseekers" peaking at #37.

<i>River of Time</i> (Jorma Kaukonen album) 2009 studio album by Jorma Kaukonen

River of Time is a Jorma Kaukonen studio album released in 2009 and his 2nd on Red House Records. The album reached #21 on the Billboard "Top Heatseekers" chart, and has received generally favorable reviews. All new recordings make up the album with a combination of songs that had been previously recorded by Hot Tuna, covers, and new compositions. The album was recorded at Levon Helm's studio, and Helm plays drums on some of the tracks. The title song "River of Time" won the Folk Song of the Year Award.

<i>Steady as She Goes</i> (Hot Tuna album) 2011 studio album by Hot Tuna

Steady as She Goes is a 2011 album by Hot Tuna, the band's first studio album since 1990. After Jorma Kaukonen recorded his solo album in 2009 at Levon Helm's studio in NY, he asked his new record company Red House if they would be interested in a Tuna album. The band started recording new tracks in November 2010 with the same producer and studio that Kaukonen used for River of Time and features the latest lineup of the band that formed in 2009 when Skoota Warner joined on drums. On March 11, 2011, Red House released "Angel of Darkness" as a free single. The album was released on CD and on iTunes April 5, 2011 and was released on vinyl in May. The album first charted on the Tastemaker and Independent album lists compiled by Billboard for the week of April 23.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lichty Guitars</span>

Lichty Guitars is an American company based in Tryon, North Carolina, that has been making custom acoustic guitars and ukuleles since 2009. It was founded by musician Jay Lichty.

Michael Gurian is an American-born guitarist and luthier of Armenian descent. He had some initial furniture making experience when he became a guitar teacher at the Guitar Workshop, Roslyn, New York in 1961.

References

  1. Eck, Michael (Winter 2010). "Alchemy; Joe Veillette unleashed the magical energy of wood". The Fretboard Journal. 20: 78.
  2. Kotapish, Paul (November 2007). "Veillette Acoustic Gryphon High 12 Review, A striking, high-tuned 12-string that stakes out new tone territory". Acoustic Guitar.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. Rorick, Baker (November 1997). "Sculptured Beauties, The Age Of Veillette-Citron Guitars". Guitar Shop: 84.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. Thomas, Bob (April 2009). "Veillette Gryphon High 12, Acoustic 12-string". Performing Musician Magazine.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. Gore, Joe (March 2015). "Veillette Avante Gryphon Review". Premier Guitar. p. 78.
  6. Brown, Pete (March 2015). "Avante Gryphon, Game Changer?". Vintage Guitar Magazine.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)