Dean Story, luthier and owner of MountainHeart Guitars, spent more than a decade working as a scientist after earning degrees in both Physics and Mechanical Engineering. Then, after his father's death in 2003, he discovered a beautiful 1943 archtop guitar among his father’s possessions that he had never even seen before! It was in desperate need of repair, and he dove wholeheartedly into research
mode in order to understand how to fix it. The internal structures of the guitar are surprisingly complex and the non-linear relationship of its components are enough to fascinate any good mechanical engineer, and the acoustics involved within such a bizarrely shaped cavity would challenge any talented physicist. After much research and calculation, he soon had his own ideas on how to modify various design elements in order to improve both playability and acoustic resonances. In order to implement those ideas he needed to learn the craft of guitar construction and the finer points of shaping wood, and so he went to study under a Master Luthier and created his first guitar from his own unique design. Since that time, Dean Story has constructed his own shop and begun business as MountainHeart Guitars. Each guitar is designed and constructed in collaboration with the prospective owner in order to produce custom dimensions and tone. Please feel free to e-mail Dean if you have any questions or would like to discuss the creation of your own custom guitar.
