BIOGRAPHY
A
San Francisco native, Allan Fontanilla is a self-taught luthier
who currently builds classical guitars. He built his first
instrument in his spare time in 1987 while earning his B.A.
in music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
With the majority of his time now devoted to lutherie along
with repairing as a side, his custom built classical guitars
range from conservative and traditional to nontraditional
with modern features and modern building techniques. He believes
that as long as the luthier makes and does everything, that
only then can one can consider a guitar truly handmade. Everything
must be done himself- from rosettes and bridges to neck shaping
and finish work.
Past exhibitions of his guitars include several Healdsburg
Guitar Festivals, the Guitar Foundation of America (GFA) in
La Jolla, California, Charleston SC, and Montreal Quebec Canada.
Allan's guitars have been featured in Acoustic Guitar Magazine
and Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine. He has also been featured
on several San Francisco television cable programs.