Interview with Rey Ybarra about Matt Artinger Guitars!

Hey Rey, how are you?

Good!

Good to hear! I wanted to sit down with you to talk to you about your custom Artinger guitar being that Matt Artinger was just featured in Popular Mechanics in this months issue. What year did you receive your Artinger?

I received my Artinger in may of 2010, it was a long process, but in the end it's the only guitar i've played since.

How did you hear about Artinger guitars?

The gear page is a small community of players that always have good suggestions. When it came down to it, it was between Matt and David Myka, in the end, Matt won because I felt more connected to his stylings and vibe.

Can you tell me the first impressions of it during the first time you personally took it out of it's case?

It had been a few months, maybe 8 or 9, I got the guitar at school, so all my students got the share the moment with me, and there's actually a video of it happening, the students were just as excited because they had been hearing about it all year long. it was a great memory for sure.

What kind of music do you play, and what does this guitar inspire you to play?

I play in a rock band named Kinsmen. I think this guitar really inspires me to be careful and deliberate with every note I play. Every note is so even and harmonic, it's like having a grand piano in your hands.

What is your experience like working with Matt?

I had never worked with a luthier before, and after working with matt I have... I must say that Matt is an amazing guy to work with. It's kind of like having a conversation with someone that is just as deliberate and intentional as you are about your sound. Once you've worked with someone like Matt, its hard to ever buy anything again because you know what real customer service is!

If you had the chance to go back in time, would you do it all over again and would you end up with the same Artinger you play today?

I really believe so, I think if there was anything I would have or could have added, it'd be a trem of sorts, but that's in the works for the next Artinger!

That's awesome. Do you have anything you would like to add that the readers should know about matt or his guitars?

I'd just say, if anyone is on the fence about an Artinger, just go for it, there really isn't anything like having a guitar that reacts to you ever intention. I think a lot of people looking into an Artinger have played a million guitars and know what they are looking for, to them I'd say, be specific as you can, but trust Matt above yourself if you come to a fork in the road. Matt really is a master grade luthier, if he has reservations, there's a reason, trust him and enjoy the process.

Thanks Rey and all of you who read and enjoyed the short interview! When taking these images of Rey's personal Artinger next to the Popular Mechanics Issue, I decided it would be really cool to snag a 5 minute portrait session of Rey as an Artinger Guitar Artist. You can see more of Matt Artinger's work over on his site http://www.artingerguitar.com . But, to see the images from this portrait session, just scroll down and be sure to click on the image to see it full size!