Memphis Acoustic Guitar Festival - 2015
 

Just a note about our festival coming up in one year. Shortly after there was an announcement regarding the Montreal Festival ceasing it's operations and then a note from Chris Herrod that Healdsburg was going to take a year off, I felt there was/is a window of opportunity...that we need another venue for luthiers to showcase their work. After a considerable amount of time, I decided that Memphis was the perfect place for a guitar festival. We already have festivals on both coasts, but nothing towards the center of the country. There are a LOT of custom, luthier built guitars that are sold outside of California and New York.

With mentoring from Chris and six months of work already on this (and we are still a year away), we have put together what we believe will be a fabulous festival. There will be 60 plus luthiers in one exhibit area, 20 workshops (guitar/mandolin/uke), live demo room, concert room and 3 large 'quite rooms' for attendees to play these instruments to hear them under ideal conditions. We will be using almost 15,000 square feet and everything is located just rooms away from each other; for example, the 'quite rooms' are immediately adjacent to the exhibit hall; the workshops are about 15 yards away in one direction and the demo and concert rooms are about 15 yards away in a different direction (separated by a large food concession).

In addition to the food, there will be plenty free water available for everyone in the exhibit hall, transportation to and from Beale Street Friday evening and an optional evening at Graceland (with catered dinner from the famous Corkeys); even free transportation from the airport to the hotel (and back), so no need to rent a car.

We have fantastic reserved pricing for the event ($119.00 plus Memphis taxes for those who guarantee early - this will be on our site by mid July...the earliest that Hilton can get all of the online links working between our website and theirs). We are planning on having this event bi-annually in the odd years (with Healdsburg in the even years). We have gotten tremendous support from the city of Memphis, Graceland and the Hilton. We are looking for a truly spectacular festival!

While we are very close to being sold out (with luthiers). If you have any interest in exhibiting guitars (acoustic only) or being a vendor for guitar accessories, please email me ASAP. If you are interested in a giving a workshop, we still have two slots to fill. The website is www.MemphisGuitarFest.com and my email address is [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you. Please ask any questions you like either here or to me directly. The table fee is $795.00 payable in two payments.

Thanks for making this happen, Bob!
Already a fantastic amount of work has been done, and I'm sure the show will be a reflection of your foresight.

Steve

Thanks Steve, I look forward to seeing you at the show...my big question, do I have to bring that beautiful black & white ebony guitar with or not...decisions!!!

You'd better do so!

Steve

Thanks guys...will spread the word around here..

Thanks Frank!

Thanks for putting on the show, Bob! I sent you an email with table interests.

Brad

This should be a great show -- I'm definitely interested in a table as well!

Mike

Thanks guys, I'll try to get back with you Sunday. I normally try to NOT work on Sundays, but the buzz around this festival is much greater (and earlier) than I predicted! I've been getting about 25 luthier requests per day since I got back from Memphis. I promise you I'll answer this weekend (individually) before everything gets crazy again on Monday.

I can't wait!!! Great work, Bob!!

Joel

Man, I'm getting excited already. Memphis is only a two hour drive for me, and I can hardly wait!

I'm really looking forward to this festival. Most of my friends for some reason live in Tenn. as well as quite a few of my family. Of all the shows I've ever done only one have any family members been able to attend. Most of my friends there are guitar players... just have to figure out which one to ask to do my demo :)

Harv

I'm really looking forward to this! Bob seems to be pulling out all the stops. The location is totally logical .... what a concept. I love that it's in the middle of the country too. Of course I can't complain being in the middle myself. I can imagine having to fly from coast to coast is a burden. But Memphis? How perfect! Come and find "Your Perfect Guitar!"
Bruce & Matt Petros

Very Excited!
 

RC Tonewoods is very excited and honored to be attending the show as a wood vendor! We have been doing business with Bob for some years now, and there couldn't be a better person to make this a great show. My father and I have never been to Memphis and we are excited for the "extra" activities as well. We will be stockpiling the best of the best for this show! Thanks again Bob!
:D
Peter Cefalu
RC Tonewoods & Sons

Bob,

Thanks for taking the time to put this show together. I can imagine how difficult and time consuming it can be to create and run something of this magnitude, and I think that I speak for everyone when I say thank you for giving us another venue to share our work and reconnect with some of the incredible people out there that value what we do. I am really excited to be a part of this show, and cannot wait to spend some time in Memphis with everyone involved. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help.

Jason Kostal