Electric Luthier Ricky Harrison 2023 Interview

October 25, 2024

Ricky Harrison is an eclectic guitar luthier and the founder of RH Custom Guitars, located in Southern California. His love and respect for the guitar goes all the way back to his childhood and a Sears Silver Tone with an amplifier built right in the case. He formed a band with his friends in 1968 called The Persuasions, which toured around the East Coast. By then, Ricky was a devoted Gretsch player and after the band broke up could be found at coffee houses backing up singers. He later formed a trio called Absent Minds, a nod to getting older! His day job was carpentry so when he had the idea to build his own guitars, the craft came easy to him. With an art background as well, Ricky enjoyed the process of creating an instrument other people would use to express themselves by making music. He has often said that a big part of the reward for him is seeing the look on the faces of his customers when they play their own unique guitar! Recorded on August 9, 2023 as part of NAMM's Oral History.