Dogwood Guitars

  • Home
  • About
  • Guitars
    • Dogwood Models
    • Guitar Galleries
    • Ordering your Dogwood Guitar
    • FAQ’s
  • Services
  • Lutherie Classes
  • Pictorials
    • Repairs
    • How to Correctly String a Guitar
    • Building A Monarch
    • Making a Spalted Maple Rosette
    • Pearl and Abalone Inlay
  • Articles
    • Technical
    • Viewpoint
  • Testimonials
  • YouTube
  • Contact
You are here: Home / About Dogwood Guitars / About Our Name

About Our Name

Many people ask about our name. One of my wife’s friends even asked her if I made guitars from any other wood besides Dogwood!

For those familiar with the Dogwood tree, this brings a chuckle since this flowering beauty attains only a small size… not a species suited to yielding timber of a sufficient dimensions for guitar making. My guitars are made from Rosewood, Mahogany, Maple, etc., all traditional instrument woods.

Dogwood Guitars was started in rural Knox County, Ohio on property that contained a large number of wild Dogwood trees. The Dogwood is notoriously difficult to transplant, but I was fortunate to have them growing as original occupants on the farm.

 

 

The Dogwoods are beautiful year round with bright green leaves that turn a lovely maroon in late summer, accompanied by clusters of red berries that attract birds of several species. But the trees are at their most glorious in late April and early May when they burst forth with white flowers. We knew it really was spring when the Dogwoods began to bloom.

There is an old legend about the Dogwood that claims that this tree used to grow to a large, stately size until wood from it was used to make the cross that Christ was crucified on. The old story goes that the tree was shamed by this use, and to prevent its wood from ever being used again in this manner, God blessed the Dogwood with small size. Further, He gave it cross-shaped flowers that bear the blood stains of the crucifixion on each petal.

 

Of course this story has no factual basis, but it is a beautiful legend none the less. I consider guitar making to be a spiritual endeavor and one that brings me a great deal of personal joy. The natural beauty of my wild Dogwoods and the legend behind them influenced me to choose this name for my guitars.

When we made the decision to relocate Dogwood Guitars to Kansas City, MO in 2012, I wondered if the name would be as appropriate in our new location as it had been in Ohio. Imagine my pleasure when I discovered that the Dogwood is the state tree of Missouri!

Now that Dogwood Guitars is back in Mount Vernon, Ohio, things have come full circle. Our new property is only a few minutes from our former location and I am looking forward to seeing those flowering Dogwood trees each May.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • YouTube

Customer Testimonials: Morgan Monroe

Greg... Thanks again for the top notch work you performed on my Morgan Monroe. Although this guitar is an expendable "gigging" tool you made it sound and play like a much more expensive instrument. It sure is comforting to know someone with your … [Read More...]

New! Online Setup, Repair, and Restoration Course

Purchase the course (or select individual classes) at obrienguitars.com … [Read More...]

Baking Tops

A number of guitar builders (including a couple of well-known factory-made brands) follow the practice of baking the Spruce tops in an oven at low heat prior to using them in the construction of an instrument. This practice has caused a lot of … [Read More...]

Customer Testimonial:

"In thirty years of playing and actively gigging in and around Ohio, I’ve had my fair share of guitar maintenance issues. Greg is by far the most customer-service oriented luthier I’ve dealt with.  Not to mention the top notch quality of his work.  … [Read More...]

Fender Strat Tuneup

Fender Strat Tuneup and Setup The Fender Strat is a classic electric guitar that is justly famous for its role in the history of blues and rock music. The quality of individual Strats can vary from excellent to dismal depending on model, year, and … [Read More...]

Epiphone Sheraton Tuneup

Epiphone Sheraton Tuneup and Setup One of my good customers brought me this Sheraton for some upgrades, including new pickups and a bone nut. During my initial evaluation I discovered many loose fret ends and a high tongue, which were causing … [Read More...]

Visit us on YouTube…

Follow Dogwood Guitars

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Technical Articles

Voicing and Tap Tuning of Acoustic Guitars

Voicing and tuning are important elements of great tone. A great guitar has great tone, great playability, and great appearance, in that order. Fancy wood, a high gloss finish, and lots of Abalone inlay are visually beautiful but have … [Read More...]

More Technical Articles

Viewpoint Articles

The Three Elements of a Great Guitar

Guitar players and collectors have so many choices available to them. New, used, factory brands, custom hand built...how do you narrow down the choices to the best option for you? In my opinion, any guitar should be measured by three … [Read More...]

More Viewpoint Articles

Copyright © 2025 Dogwood Guitars