Father & son guitar makers
Meet the Team:
The whole staff consists of myself (Phil Nadeau) and my dad (Eugene Nadeau).
We started building guitars in 2000.
This is not a high-volume automated-assembly-line-factory.
Each is made by hand - one at a time - from quality hardwoods.
Here's a look at some of our guitars in various stages of construction.
The whole staff consists of myself (Phil Nadeau) and my dad (Eugene Nadeau).
We started building guitars in 2000.
This is not a high-volume automated-assembly-line-factory.
Each is made by hand - one at a time - from quality hardwoods.
Here's a look at some of our guitars in various stages of construction.
Dad runs our "northern facility"
in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
Putting my nephews to work. Good help is hard to find.
When I'm not building guitars, I
spend my time teaching guitar
lessons
spend my time teaching guitar
lessons
Our "western facility" (my workshop) is located in Aurora, Co.
Neck Building
Bodies
Wood blanks are planed and glued together. Then the guitar shape is cut out on a bandsaw.
Precision routing of the neck, pickup and control cavities is done by hand using a router and special templates.
Here's a beautiful koa body
before and after routing of
the neck and pickup cavities.
This piece of wood spent the
last 27 years as a china
cabinet- until we took it apart
and made it into something
useful!
before and after routing of
the neck and pickup cavities.
This piece of wood spent the
last 27 years as a china
cabinet- until we took it apart
and made it into something
useful!
| We use nitro-cellulose lacquer on our guitars. This is the traditional finish used by the top guitar makers for over 80 years. |
Finishing
Guitars hanging around while the lacquer dries. Lacquer needs
to cure for many days before final sanding and polishing.
to cure for many days before final sanding and polishing.
Checking the fit and layout of neck and hardware.
Here is a Van Halen style paint job.
We use this buffing wheel to put the
final glossy shine on the lacquer.
final glossy shine on the lacquer.
The finished product!
This one was shipped off to a happy
customer in Louisiana.
This one was shipped off to a happy
customer in Louisiana.
Ready to wire volume and tone controls
Indian owned and operated.
We are proud members of the
Little Traverse Bay Bands of
Odawa Indians.
We are proud members of the
Little Traverse Bay Bands of
Odawa Indians.
Here's dad playing the
strat we built in 2004.
Thanks for visiting the
workshop!
strat we built in 2004.
Thanks for visiting the
workshop!
(c) copyright 2003-2005 Nadeau Guitars
All rights reserved
All rights reserved
THE WORKSHOP
THE WORKSHOP
NADEAU GUITARS
"If you build it, they will strum."
"If you build it, they will strum."
NADEAU GUITARS
PHOTO GALLERY
GUITAR LESSONS
BUILDING A GUITAR
ORDERING INFO
See what's
On the Workbench
right now!!
On the Workbench
right now!!
Building a guitar:
step-by-step photos
click here
step-by-step photos
click here