Testimonials

Jerry Katzenberger:
I've been playing guitar since I was about 9 nine years old. And from then until now I have owned some very nice guitars (and still do). I recently had the good fortune of becoming the owner of a Pilkington Archtop guitar. The guitar is breathtaking! (see the Gallery page) The unique beauty of the instrument is matched only by the tonal qualites when played. The craftmanship, in my estimation, is better than that of a high end factory made guitar. Rod not only fulfilled my eyes and heart with this guitar, but also my soul. I've played Rod's earlier models and discovered the consistent quality in all of them. I have to say that my new personalized Pilkington is my favorite guitar of all time.

Aldon Baker:
I had been looking for a great sounding and playing archtop jazz guitar for some time. There are lots of models out there, and I've played all of them I have found. When I picked up a Pilkington archtop for the first time, I actually couldn't believe a guitar could feel this smooth. It was a pleasure to play, and the tonal range was really just amazing—so rich and warm and expressive.

My parents bought me this guitar for graduation. We got the Exclusive model, so that I could have my own f-hole design, initials inlaid in the tail piece, and a special flourish inlaid in the 12th fret. It not only looks cool and plays well, it is the only one like it in the world. I am attending Berklee College of Music in Boston, and when I was auditioning for placement, the guitar department assistant head came in to find out what I was playing, saying he couldn't believe the projection it has. See my video...

Mark Snodgrass—Basshowse Tunes:
In this age of "cookie-cutter" manufacturing of guitars and basses, where all the instruments are made with exact tolerences, and each is exactly the same as the next because of these refinements... it is refreshing to encounter a builder that creates each instrument individually, and creates each with it's own personality.

Rod Pilkington of Pilkington Archtops has created a refreshing array of beautifully designed and individually crafted archtop guitars that sound just as good as they look, and play like a dream. I have used them in my studio multiple times, and find that they record effortlessly. Rod....my hat is off to you!