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Over the course of nearly 30 years, Guitar Salon International (GSI) has become the world's largest dealer of fine Classical and Flamenco guitars. By building relationships with both the makers and players of these guitars, and always guided by a profound respect for the instrument, GSI has been able to serve players, collectors and aficionados by promoting the best leading young luthiers as well as established masters. We have also acquired and sold the largest number of vintage instruments from the most desirable makers of history, and have subsequently assembled some of the most important private collections in the process.
We believe that the key to our success lies in our love of the guitar and in our conviction that we must only sell guitars that we believe in. And we do love guitars. All of our staff, every one of us, plays the guitar. And over the years some of us have become leading authorities on certain epochs and luthiers, contributing articles to such publications as "American Lutherie", "The Classical Guitar: A Complete History", and many other publications.
In our selection of the best contemporary luthiers, we have chosen to represent those who we believe build instruments that will last both in terms of musical quality and investment. We have chosen to eschew temporary fads, simply because we realize that for most of our clients, a guitar represents a substantial investment - emotional as well as financial - and the result is that many of the young luthiers we have picked as the best of their generation have become the world's most sought-after builders! |
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Tim Miklaucic, Owner/CEO | 310.586.1100
Tim Miklaucic began importing guitars from Spain in 1977 while a student at UCSD. He studied classical guitar with Celin Romero and the Romero family, who also introduced him to their collection of world-class instruments. In 1983, while working on a PhD in Philsophy at UCLA, Tim's love of the guitar led him to found GSI, with the goal of representing the best vintage and master-built contemporary nylon-string guitars in the world. By 1996 GSI was so well-established that they became the exclusive US importer for Jose Ramirez guitars. In 1997 the company saw a need for a more accessible line of high-quality guitars, and created Cordoba Guitars. The success of Cordoba led to the development of the higher-end Loriente line. Tim has since founded Cordoba Music Group as the wholesale division of of GS Inter, Inc. which imports and distributes all major and important guitar brands, strings, and accessories. Tim has contributed to several books on the Classical Guitar, including Russell Cleveland's 'Classical Guitar: A Complete History.' He currently serves as President and CEO of CMG, and in 2010 founded the GSI Foundation, to promote music education in the public school system. |
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David Collett, VP Sales | 310.857.1711
David Collett has been playing music most of his life - he began at the young age of 6 with the violin and eventually migrated to the guitar in his teens. He studied with 10-string virtuoso Vince Macaluso until entering UCSD where he double-majored in music and economics, completing his guitar studies under the tutelage of the great Celin Romero. Celin's instruction extended not just to focusing on repertoire and playing technique, but included an introduction to the world of the instrument itself. Celin shared the guitars in his collection (including the likes of Miguel Rodriguez, Hermann Hauser, Santos Hernandez, etc.), along with his great experience and knowledge of the great makers. It was here that David's knowledge of the great builders began, and the deep impression this made ultimately convinced him to pursue a career in dealing with fine instruments - it was also Celin who recommended that David contact GSI, the largest and most respected dealer in the industry. After studying and working in Europe for several years, David joined the GSI team in 2000. |
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Dave Tate, Associate | 310.857.1722
Dave Tate grew up all around the world, moving from country to country every few years since birth. He discovered his passion for music at the age of seven while living in Pakistan, and has kept a guitar by his side ever since. By the time he was a teenager, he was playing regularly with various local bands, primarily interested only in playing rock and metal on his electric guitars, although he eventually added acoustic guitar music to his repertoire after moving to New York. Years later, while living in Paraguay, he first heard the music of Agustin Barrios being played by a local musician (on a Paraguayan harp, oddly), and his discovery of classical guitar music was made. For several years, he focused entirely on his classical playing, occassionally performing locally in the Washington, DC area. He has since changed his primary focus to flamenco guitar, although he says he still plays and loves guitar music of all genres. He currently owns two flamenco guitars, two Martin steel-string guitars and two electric guitars. He has been living in Southern California and working with GSI since 2004. |
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JohnPaul Trotter, Associate | 310.857.1706
JohnPaul Trotter is a guiarist whose interests are consistently broadened by a range of genres. He began playing music at the age of 5 on the piano and remained dedicated to the instrument until he was 12. He then chose to focus on the guitar and studied under Peter Yates, majoring in Classical Guitar Performance at Cal Poly Pomona. He has performed as a solo artist, with singer/songwriters and as part of classical, blues, funk/soul, rock, and jazz ensembles. With his main group, Los Angeles Electric 8, JohnPaul tours the country and performs extensively in Southern California performing classical music with an electric guitar chamber ensemble. As a result of growing up on both American coasts and roaming Brazil for an extended time, JohnPaul's nomadic life experience has significantly informed his musical tastes and perceptions. Whether he performs in the street or on a stage, with nylon or electric strings, JohnPaul remains grateful for the opportunity to champion inspiration, reflection, and creativity. |
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Hugo Castaneda, Customer Service | 310.857.1715
Hugo Castaneda is the guy who makes sure you get your guitar on time, and in perfect condition. A native of Los Angeles and a graduate of UCLA, Hugo learned customer service basics in the banking industry, before joining GSI in 2004. Through contacts with UPS he has become a logistics expert, able to find a solution for any shipping needs a customer may have. All inbound/outbound guitars are insured to be delivered in a timely manner and in immaculate condition. In fact, each guitar is approved by Hugo before it ships, insuring that it has been professionally packed, insured, and labeled. Moreover, Hugo has become the liaison with the major European builders- Fleta, Reyes, Contreras, Berg, Sembdner, Trezzini, Vowinkel, etc.- and GSI. Hugo, who is also a fluent Spanish speaker, is available via e-mail and phone during business hours - no other guitar dealer in the classical/flamenco world can boast of having a full-time dedicated customer service expert on hand. |
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Kai Narezo, Media/Marketing | 310.857.1704
Kai Narezo is a Flamenco guitarist who after studying for four years in New York with Dennis Koster moved to Granada, Spain, where he studied with Juan Fernandez and Miguel Angel Cortes, and he has studied with Enrique Melchor, El Viejin and David Cerreduela in Madrid. He is a graduate of Berklee College of Music, where he received the BEST scholarship and graduated with honors. Kai has performed throughout the U.S. as well as in Spain, Japan, Canada, Mexico and Russia. He is an active performer and teacher in the Los Angeles area and is on the faculty at Pasadena City College. His debut solo CD Vueltas features some of Spain's top musicians and is available here. On his first trip to Spain Kai toured Andalucia with a young luthier, Stephen Hill, whose mission it was to meet every living guitar maker in Spain, and when he moved to Spain, Kai supported himself with a job that involved supplying Granada's luthiers with building materials. As a result, Kai has maintained relationships with many of Spain's top luthiers that have lasted over 20 years. |
Guitar Salon International
1455 19th Street
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Phone: (310) 586-1100
Fax: (310) 586-1142
email: info@guitarsalon.com
For questions or comments regarding this site, contact webmaster@guitarsalon.com.
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