Arnie learned his first chord playing around
campfires with his dad. At Monterey Peninsula College in the 70’s
he studied classical guitar with Bryon Paul Tomingas. In 1972 Arnie
bought his first handmade flamenco guitar from Jose Oribe.
Arnie began building guitars in 1978, starting with five-string
vihuelas and parlor size steel strings. His wife, Erin O’Toole,
also began to design and inlay guitars. Today their diverse talents
come together in the musical instruments they build. After twenty
plus years of building everything from lutes to harps to resonator
guitars, they continue to explore the possibilities of acoustic
instruments.
Arnie is an active member of the Luthier’s Guild. String Letter
Publishing features his ten-string guitar in the recent book “Custom
Guitars”. Well known for his restoration and repair skills,
he has been an authorized repairman for Martin, Taylor, Fender and
Guild guitars for many years.
CD's Arnie playing the classical and steelstring
guitars.
Arnie is an accomplished guitarist and mandolin player, a familiar
face at local jams. As both a player and teacher himself, Arnie
is sympathetic to the particular needs of individual players and
their music. His guitars have satisfied many players both in the
classical and steel string world.
Erin O'Toole's books and illustrations can be seen at www.erinotoole.com
