Kochel Guitars

Goal: Kochel Guitars focuses on reusing and repurposing materials into something tangible. Owner Sean Kochel takes great pride in his goal of preserving American folk tradition in the guitars he makes.

History: Potomac resident Kochel is a luthier. He specializes in making stringed instruments like Roots Blues guitars. He has made guitars for the last 10 years.

Kochel began making cigar box guitars. With encouragement from his mother Arlene he persevered and soon built a customer base as his business evolved. He designed his own box style and now makes a traditional style guitar.

"I kept moving forward and kept succeeding and [the business] got bigger and better," said Kochel. He made guitars from materials he had available on his property that made his guitars unique. He said. "People liked what I did."

He incorporates Montana into each instrument by using barn wood, homestead wood or other reclaimed wood found in Montana. Each guitar has elk bone for the nut, spent bullet casings for fret markers and metal farm findings for the other guitar hardware.

Kochel said, "My materials are different than most people's." He enjoys blending Montana history into each piece he creates.

He keeps busy in his sawdust-filled shop making instruments and filling orders for guitars as well as ukuleles, violins and banjoes. Kochel is a one-man show running his business as the sole proprietor, guitar maker and designer.

Products & Services: In addition to guitars, Kochel makes and sells stomp boxes, microphones and other stringed instruments. The stomp boxes add another element to the sound of a guitar. It brings the sound of a foot stomping on wood, said Kochel.

The microphones are made out of crystal and early century beer cans to attain a vintage sound similar to recordings from the 1920's or 1930's, he said.

For more Information: Contact Kochel at sean@kochelguitars.com or visit his website at KochelGuitars.com. Kochel is in his shop Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and can be visited by appointment.