Master builder Roger Giffin takes title to one of the strongest artist lists in lutherie. His story begins in 1960's London, when many of the guitar gods we pray to were clients at Giffin Guitar Workshop on the River Thames. In 1988 Roger was recruited by Gibson to open and serve as Chief Master Builder at the Gibson West Coast Custom Shop in Los Angeles. His protégé there was Gene Baker, now the Chief Master Builder at Premier Builders Guild. Gene and his team build Giffin Valiant and Vikta models to Roger’s exact specifications at the PBG workshop in Arroyo Grande, California. They are in close touch with Roger, now based in Portland, Oregon, every step of the way.

Giffin Highlights:

On November 15, 2011, a black Telecaster style guitar built by Roger and used by Pete Townshend during The Who’s set at Live Aid in 1985 fetched £34,850/$55,412 at Christie’s auction house in London.

Roger built two custom "Giffin Strat" style guitars for Eric Clapton, played by Clapton during his 1985 World tour. Both were exact replicas of "Blackie" except for the color; one blue, the other green. The blue Giffin "Strat" was sold for $42,000 at the Clapton Guitar Auction in Los Angeles, July, 1999.

While at Gibson’s West Coast Custom Shop, Roger built for Jimmy Page the acclaimed replica Les Paul (#3) of Jimmy’s original 1958 Sunburst.

Roger was commissioned by the Live Aid organizers to build the official Live Aid Guitar as a one of a kind promotional item. It was later purchased by the Hard Rock Cafe.

Roger earlier designed the acclaimed Steinberger M-Series, in collaboration with Mike Rutherford (lead guitarist, Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics). The M-Series combined a Steinberger composite neck with a Strat style double cutaway maple body - the first "traditional" body style offered by Steinberger.

Roger has also built custom guitars for Jerry Cantrell, Malcolm Foster, Peter Frampton, David Gilmour, Simon Le Bon, Duff McKagan, Andy Summers, Neal Schon, Phil Soussan, Andy Taylor, Eddie Van Halen, Joe Walsh, Bill Wyman and Malcolm Young.

Valiant II & Vikta Models

The acclaimed Valiant II single cutaway is Roger’s beautifully playable response to the many artists who have asked him, "Roger, can you make me a Les Paul?" His new Vikta model delivers the essence of the Valiant II in a simplified, flat top, no binding design that’s an out- and-out rock and roll machine.