Kentucky Guitar Works

Every piece of music tells a story — and Bluegrass is no exception. In Owensboro, the Bluegrass Capital of the World, a new chapter is being written with the opening of Kentucky Guitar Works. Just a short walk from the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum, also designed by Hafer, this new destination is dedicated to all things lutherie — the art of crafting wooden, stringed instruments.

Celebrating the city’s deep Bluegrass history, the downtown attraction is home to the workshop of expert luthier Rick Faris. Traditionally, the creation of custom instruments takes years, and can be made more challenging in a space that isn’t designed efficiently. The updated workshop was designed with functionality in mind, streamlining production to help reduce wait times. It also serves as an educational hub, offering hands-on sessions and workshops in instrument making.

The exterior’s rich, green façade draws you into the lobby, where exposed brick and lofty ceilings create a resonant, acoustically sound environment to witness some live pickin’. A display of handcrafted instruments is mounted on reclaimed barrel wood from a local distillery, a nod to the community the space calls home. A wall with expansive glass windows separates the workshop from the visitor area, offering guests a front-row seat to the masterful creation of stringed instruments like guitars, banjos, fiddles and mandolins. The interior design honors the building’s historic character while accommodating the needs of artisans and visitors.
Now open, Kentucky Guitar Works is a living, breathing tribute to the region’s musical tradition and invites everyone to be a part of Bluegrass music’s evolving story.