Gibson's Tribute to the Twentieth Century, Gibson 1939 Super 400, 2000, Curly maple, sitka spruce
Sophisticated Lady, Art Deco Series, Gibson 1939 Super 400, 2000, Curly maple, sitka spruce
A soft-spoken New Jersey native, Kunkle left careers in painting and furniture making behind when he moved to Nashville in 1992 to pursue songwriting and instrument building. He impressed Gibson executives with his custom-made instruments and was hired to build replicas of the company’s turn-of-the-century showpiece banjos for their centennial in 1994. At the time, there were only eight employees in their custom shop, and with Sr. Vice President/GM Rick Gembar, Kunkel helped spearhead Gibson Custom, the specialized division that creates the brand’s high-end, hand-finished instruments. A group of craftsmen has been assembled who are, in Gembar’s words, “devoted to building historically accurate guitars and art guitars.” While Gembar oversees production of limited-run, collectible versions of Gibson’s most iconic guitars (such as the popular Les Paul solidbodies from the late 1950s), Kunkel creates singular masterpieces that honor a broad range of subjects and styles and pay tribute to cultural icons and events. Some of Kunkel’s art guitars are commissioned by private collectors. Prices for these vary, according to the intricacy of the design, the materials used, and the time required to finish—typically from one to six months. But many of his pieces are not for sale. Instead, they stay carefully stored in the factory’s catacombs, occasionally displayed to visitors or showcased at industry events. There’s even one on display at the Smithsonian Institution.
Auburn, Art Deco Series, Gibson L-5, 2000, Curly maple, sitka spruce
“Bruce comes up with unbelievable art pieces,” says Gembar. “Hopefully, someday we’ll have a museum that they’ll go into. They should be on display.”
66 | March 2014 NashvilleArts.com