About Xaver Guitars
My name is Gerry Gruber and I have been building flat-top steel-string acoustic guitars since 1999. I have also been playing the guitar for the past 42 years, and during that time have come to realize that a guitar can be much more than what the big factories would have us believe. My vision is to build a guitar for you that meets every expectation you have for your once-in-a-lifetime guitar.
I am a member of the Guild of American Luthiers and of the Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans. I exhibited the 12-string guitar (depicted on the right) at the 2006 Guild of American Luthiers convention in Seattle.
My building methods have been largely influenced by William R. Cumpiano and Jonathan D. Natelson in their excellent book, Guitarmaking-Tradition and Technology. I have also gained invaluable insight into the process of guitarmaking from the Musical Instrument Makers Forum. My climate-controlled workshop is located in Ottawa, Ontario (Canada), where I have access to some of the best tone woods in the world.
Why the Name "Xaver"
A little about the name "Xaver" Guitars, pronounced x-offer, as in "an offer to help". My luthier practice is dedicated to my grandfather, Franz Xaver Gruber, who inspired me to begin to build guitars. My grandfather never built a guitar, but there was little else he did not make out of wood. He was a cabinet-maker by trade, before he emigrated to Canada from Germany in 1927. In Canada, he operated a grain and cattle farm, but continued with his wood-working when time allowed and necessity dictated. He built barns, one-room schools, cupboards, shuffle-board tables, and even coffins. He also did repair work on the odd violin.
In his retirement, my grandfather began to build miniature horse-drawn wagons, buggies, and sleighs. Each model was true to the original functionality of the wagon or farm implement. On the right, for example, this grain wagon can be removed from the chassis, and replaced with a hay wagon, just as the original would have been.
My grandfather did not make the horses in these pictures. However, he did make all of the harnesses, again true to the original designs.
He did not limit himself to wagons either, as can be seen from this plough on the right.
I always admired my grandfather's positive outlook on life. In his honour, each of my guitars carries his name - "Xaver".