FREEDOM OF CHOICE: Born Custom Guitars MG Drop LTD These days, sustainability and environmentalism are buzzwords in many industries, not least of all the wood-centric world of guitar building. And there is perhaps no current builder as keenly eco-conscious as Born Custom Guitars. The company's commitment in this realm extends to every facet of its operation. Located in Broomfield, Colorado, in the shadow of the Rocky Mountain foothills, Born sources tonewoods exclusively from suppliers that practice sustainable harvesting and uses using reclaimed and salvaged lumber whenever possible. The company also donates a percentage of profits to reforestation efforts, purchases carbon offsets, and even plants a tree for each instrument it builds. "It's a big component of the backbone of our company," says Born cofounder Jonathan Miller. "But we're also not focused on environmentalism to the detriment of the guitar. Even if someone doesn't care about these issues, they should still absolutely love our guitars, because we put a lot of passion into each one." Indeed, Born's guitars are stunningand in most cases one-of-a-kindinstruments. The foundation of the company is its Fully Custom line. Born offers two body designsthe single cutaway OG and the double-cut MGin either flat- or carved-top versions. From there, the sky, or a player's imagination, is the limit. Read more» |