American Toolbox

Gallagher Guitar

Posted on January 29, 2017

Wartrace, Tennessee  Stephen Gallagher’s 2002 GMC Duramax ignored the horse trailer behind it.  368,000 miles, and just getting started.  Another customer delivery for Mr Gallagher.  Grandson of J.W. Gallagher and heir to a guitar-making dynasty, Stephen splits his time between family, horses, pushing livestock with Waylon, and building some of this country’s finest guitars.

J.W. Gallagher, with only a 7th grade education, was the smartest man in the country.  When the Army gave him an intelligence test in the 1930s his result was so high the Army gave it to him again.  J.W. scored perfect the second time.  He went on to spend his military hitch learning everything he could about everything.  Engines, construction, woodworking, machinery, everything.

Slingerland, the percussion company, asked J.W. to set up a guitar production line in 1963.  J.W. had a history of reproducing any bit of woodwork necessary;  he promptly cut a dreadnought in half to figure it out.  J.W. soon applied a second element, that of physics – sound and vibration.  He went on to build his own line of acoustic guitars.

J.W. Gallagher never intended to own a large guitar-making concern.  Family lore has it that 1,000 units was his goal;  he had so many other interests, he once plainly told a customer a special order guitar was not done because there was a river full of fish nearby just waiting to get caught.

But continue and prosper it did!  The famous Doc Watson received a Gallagher early on;  in 1974, Doc made a request for a different shaped neck.  The result is a guitar named after him, and a Gallagher best seller.

What brought on my new fascination with Gallagher guitars?  After spying an image of James King on the D’Addario twitter feed, I ask the bluegrass circle of his attractive guitar.  Turns out, Gallagher guitars have been nearby all my life, as close as my turntable and stack of Doc Watson records!  I had to find one of these guitars …

We visit the finest music store west of our Atlantic seaboard, the inimitable Acoustic Vibes Music.   Jeff Looker has two Gallagher guitars in stock, including a Doc Watson model.  Over several visits I become acquainted.  First impressions?  Very solid.  Durable.  Not a dainty boutique guitar;  rather, built for tone, year after year.  Decades of on-the-road touring?  This is the guitar you want.  Reminded me of an old Gibson I played years ago … 

A guitar of persuasive warmth, the Gallagher is a picker’s delight.  A clear, mellow bass, uncluttered of unpure tone, accompanying a punchy upper end.  As J.W. Gallagher’s website puts it, you get a deep bottom end perfect for playing those hard G runs.  Which I love  ❤  to do!  From Tyler Grant, flat picker extraordinaire, the Gallagher is a perfect country guitar … not pop country, but an old country blues.

I begin with a typical bluegrass rhythm, an alternating bass in front of a strum.  With clear full  tone, the room disappears, I’m on stage, the Gallagher is doing all the talking.

“Gallagher is a builder in the great tradition of independent luthiers, that were way ahead of their time. Before Taylor and Collings and Santa Cruz hit the map, Gallagher was building guitars that rivaled the mainstays of Gibson and Martin. Notables such as Doc Watson were early adopters of the Gallagher “mojo” that still provides an appealing choice for guitarists around the world.”  –  Jeff Looker

With little keeping me from a custom Gallagher order, I email 3rd generation Stephen Gallagher to enquire, “Can you make a 000 short scale Doc Watson model?”  I’m surprised to get a call back so quickly, not about the order, but with additional information for this article.  Thanks, Stephen!

A few tidbits:  On the headstock is a stylized “G” for Gallagher?   That Olde English G came from the Shelby Times Gazette newspaper … pre-internet.  The Gallagher headstock design is called a French Curve.  J.W. was looking for something original.  This simple design spied on an obituary spawned another weekly installment of American Toolbox!