Skipper Custom Instruments - Overview

Excellence without Pretense

The first Skipper guitar was born in the 1960s, when Roger Skipper was in high school. Hobby became vocation and swelled to encompass all the bluegrass instruments: mandolin, fiddle, banjo, acoustic and upright bass, and, most recently, resophonic guitar. Roger even builds tenor ukuleles on occasion. He now produces 12-20 instruments per year, with his greatest enthusiasm being for acoustic guitars.

Skipper instruments are built by hand, normally one at a time, and to custom specifications. Roger’s tastes lean to the traditional, but he’s always willing to accommodate those with an instrument in mind that is truly unique in form or appearance.

Take a look at a sampling of Skipper instruments in the gallery section. You will notice that beauty and craftsmanship are combined in Roger’s instruments. Roger will build an instrument that you will be proud to look at every day when you play it. These are seductive instruments that call you back for another tune time after time. But their great beauty lies not in their appearance alone. These instruments are built first for sound. Their voices are just as intoxicating as their physical forms are. Go here to the Pricing and Options page and listen to some unedited clips made with a hand-held recorder in Roger’s living room in Garrett County, Maryland. You will agree that sight and sound complement each other. Whether your goal is to cut through a bluegrass jam or to perform solo in a concert setting, your Skipper instrument will be your best friend.

So if your only goal in acquiring a custom-built instrument is to entomb it within a glass case, or to hang it over the mantle as a trophy, you may want to shop around.

If, on the other hand, you’re searching for a quality instrument with excellent sound and playability, handcrafted from top-shelf materials to your specifications at a realistic price, delivered within a reasonable period of time, you’ve arrived at your destination.

To discuss your custom instrument, contact me, Gerry Snelson, at (301) 687-4316 (workdays) or at gsnelson@skipperstrings.com (any time). I will be glad to hear from you.