![GD Armstrong Archtop](guitar/archtop/ar1-1.jpg)
GD
Armstrong: Luthier
GD Armstrong was born and raised in Ohio, USA. He made his first instrument, a cigar box banjo, at age 10 and was an instrument maker and musician throughout his life. GD worked in a wide variety of trades including farming, construction, US Forest Service, sheetmetal working, ship building and bee keeping! He spent the majority of his years living outside of Yamhill, Oregon on 100 acres of woodland where he built his stringed instruments.
He enjoyed both the challenges and rewards of instrument building
because it requires satisfying several senses at the same time.
Acoustically the instrument must be able to create the sounds
associated with that family of instruments. Visually it has to be
aesthetically pleasing. The instrument must also be comfortable to
hold and play and be structurally sound. George David likens making
a traditional instrument such as a violin to "writing a sonnet
or haiku," because there are certain constraints placed on
your work by the traditional form, but much freedom is allowed
within that structure.
George Davids instruments have been used in performances by members of the Portland Baroque Orchestra, Rendezvous String Band, and Joe McMurrian of Woodbrain. His work has been shown in many galleries and owners of his instruments also are proud members of a small group.
Some of the instruments are made with wood that he harvests on his property. He was also a partner in 'Newberg Music Center' located in Newberg, Oregon. Most of the instruments that he made were under his own name, GD Armstrong, but some have been produced in collaberation with Mark Fitzsimon under the Green Man Humming label. These were all solid body electric bouzoukis. He is currently also producing a line of custom solid body electric guitars under the name of Bluenote which were available only from Newberg Music Center.
GD passed in 2022. He is greatly missed by his family, friends, and the handmade music community. In June of 2024 a park bench was dedicated in his memory. Thank you to all that donated, participated, and shared memories of GD, his life and his instruments.