The Dude Who Makes the Guitars:

"Guitar building is my passion.   I love playing guitars, but I love building them even more.   It is my art.   If I'm not building guitars, I'm probably doing other fine woodworking, while thinking about building guitars, and about what new things I can do."

Snider Guitars is a one-man operation, headed by Mike Snider.   Mike's interest in guitar building began as an adolescent, shortly after he began playing.   Having always been one to take things apart, modify them, and put them back together, this naturally carried over to guitars.  

Mike soon found himself a job at a local music store, where he had the opportunity to get involved in repair work and expand his knowledge.   Later, Mike landed an apprenticeship with renowned electric builder Bruce Clay, of Rarebird Guitars.   The two worked closely until Clay moved, and Mike went on to apprentice with Brian Deckebach of Del Toro Guitars, and longtime repairman of Guitars on Broadway.  

Absorbing as much knowledge as he possibly could, and through any means possible, Mike took an introductory woodworking course and found a woodworking job at a furniture repair shop.   At about the same time, he also discovered Robert O'Brien's Steel String guitar building course at Red Rocks Community College, where he learned to build acoustic guitars.  

Mike was invited to be O'Brien's teaching assistant the following semester, and soon after was asked to start the Electric Guitar building program.   Mike continues to teach this popular class today, as well as an inlay class, and Fundamentals of Woodworking.   He also continues to study woodworking in the school's renowned fine woodworking department.

The Guitars:

Mike builds unique, one-of-a-kind guitars, one at a time, by hand, with the highest attention to detail.   As a perfectionist, he carefully considers every aspect of the sound, feel, and visual impact of each instrument, and uses only the finest materials available.  

Mike combines traditional and modern techniques to create impeccable electric and steel string acoustic guitars.   He uses hand tools as much as possible, using a minimum of jigs and templates.   Electric guitars are cut out and shaped freehand.   Carved tops are individually carved by hand.   His necks are also all hand carved and shaped.   Even the pearl signature in his headstocks are cut and inlayed by hand.   Mike's acoustic sides are generally bent on a bending iron, and his frets are installed with a fretting hammer.   Mike pays extra special attention to the woods he selects for each build, and carefully matches each piece to the next.   Each acoustic top is meticulously braced and voiced to yield the best tone possible.   The pickups for Snider guitars are hand wound by Mike as well.   Inlay is another specialty of Mr. Snider's.   This artwork graces the headstocks and fingerboards of many guitars, as well as his wooden belt buckles, which are also available for custom order.