About Scott MacDonald
I’ve been earning a living at building, repairing and restoring guitars, basses, ukuleles, banjos and other fretted instruments for over 30 years. I feel blessed to be able to earn a living doing what I love. My instruments have been featured in newspapers, magazines, books, news and television shows, and a short film made by TIME for Lincoln Motors, where my work was showcased in a series of pieces featuring innovative designers from various fields.
My shop has been a factory-authorized service/warranty center for Martin, Taylor, and Gibson guitars for over 30 years. Of course I work on instruments made by all manufacturers, as well. My repair and restoration ranges from modern instruments to vintage and historic ones. I enjoy taking on projects that others may see as hopeless, and love saving the life of these instruments for my customers. I have written feature columns in several guitar magazines, but decided to stop writing columns because I realized I’d already talked enough for a lifetime, and just wanted to live and work more quietly.
Scott featured in a series of short films about designers, by Lincoln Motors
Customers send me work from around the world, ranging from recording artists with rare and valuable instruments to beginners with inexpensive guitars. Everybody’s instrument is equally important when it's on my workbench.
From 1991 until the fall of 2016 my shop was located on Long Island, New York. I never felt particularly at home there, and life there simply got too noisy and crowded for me as I found my way in life. In early 2017 I returned to my New England roots, purchasing a large, wooded property in Chester, Vermont, opening my new workshop there. The lifestyle I want is here, where I can breathe clean air, enjoy a better quality of life, grow food, make maple syrup, and help people out in a quiet way. My 875-square-foot guitar making and repair studio is nestled in the middle of a forest, and is the workshop of my dreams. A modern post and beam building, it features flawless climate-control and a diverse range of interesting tools and fixtures. I’ve worked hard to make it among the best-equipped independent guitar building and repair shops in the world.
Your instruments are an important part of your life, and that matters to me. I treat every guitar repair and restoration project as if the instrument were my own. Many customers send me instruments that have been passed down from family members; these have so much sentimental value, and are precious to you for obvious reasons. This is not lost on me, and I consider it an honor to be part of such an important process for people.
Thanks for taking the time to visit. -Scott
To read more about my journey to Vermont, please read this blog post.
My shop has been a factory-authorized service/warranty center for Martin, Taylor, and Gibson guitars for over 30 years. Of course I work on instruments made by all manufacturers, as well. My repair and restoration ranges from modern instruments to vintage and historic ones. I enjoy taking on projects that others may see as hopeless, and love saving the life of these instruments for my customers. I have written feature columns in several guitar magazines, but decided to stop writing columns because I realized I’d already talked enough for a lifetime, and just wanted to live and work more quietly.
Scott featured in a series of short films about designers, by Lincoln Motors
Customers send me work from around the world, ranging from recording artists with rare and valuable instruments to beginners with inexpensive guitars. Everybody’s instrument is equally important when it's on my workbench.
From 1991 until the fall of 2016 my shop was located on Long Island, New York. I never felt particularly at home there, and life there simply got too noisy and crowded for me as I found my way in life. In early 2017 I returned to my New England roots, purchasing a large, wooded property in Chester, Vermont, opening my new workshop there. The lifestyle I want is here, where I can breathe clean air, enjoy a better quality of life, grow food, make maple syrup, and help people out in a quiet way. My 875-square-foot guitar making and repair studio is nestled in the middle of a forest, and is the workshop of my dreams. A modern post and beam building, it features flawless climate-control and a diverse range of interesting tools and fixtures. I’ve worked hard to make it among the best-equipped independent guitar building and repair shops in the world.
Your instruments are an important part of your life, and that matters to me. I treat every guitar repair and restoration project as if the instrument were my own. Many customers send me instruments that have been passed down from family members; these have so much sentimental value, and are precious to you for obvious reasons. This is not lost on me, and I consider it an honor to be part of such an important process for people.
Thanks for taking the time to visit. -Scott
To read more about my journey to Vermont, please read this blog post.