Guitar maker Kenny Hill first joined the GAL in the ’70s. Now thirty-seven years into his lutherie career, he designs and builds classical guitars, manages Hill Guitar Co. in the USA and New World Guitar Co. in China, writes for several publications, and occasionally teaches guitar making. He keeps up his classical guitar chops and is a pretty fair pipe organist, too.
▪ bio current as of 2009
2009
AL#98 p.66
Kenny Hill
▪ Kenny Hill presents an illustrated demonstration of retrofitting a finished guitar with soundports.
2009
AL#98 p.3 read this article
Kenny Hill
▪ Hill’s letter is a response to R. M. Mottola’s article in AL #96 about sound ports, which found that they were ineffective in changing the volume or tone of a guitar to the player or listener. Hill maintains that the science and his personal experience are at odds, and that he is willing to stand by his personal experience. Well, we love a good argument, especially when both sides make their case so eloquently. To be continued. . . .
2007
AL#90 p.32
Cyndy Burton Kenny Hill
▪ Hill is an amazing man who has been a classical performer, a harvester of his own tonewood, a teacher of prisoners, an entrepreneur who has opened guitar factories in three countries, and a really nice guy. And more! Truly a fascinating individual. With 9 photos.
2006
AL#87 p.6
Kenny Hill
▪ Hill has made guitars for eons, harvested his own wood, taught lutherie in a prison, and opened shops in Mexico and China. Not to mention that he’s a fine guitarist. The man has been around. This piece is part biography, part how-to, and all interesting. He’s led an interesting life, and he’s not that old. With 9 photos.
This article has been nominated as one of the Guild’s best articles published before 2010.
1996
AL#47 p.60 BRB4 p.471
Kenny Hill
▪ This book, printed only in Spanish, describes guitar making in Ecuador. The reviewer finds that the Ecuadorian guitar as described in this book is crudely fashioned, and that the text is incomplete. Nevertheless, he enjoys it as a look into another culture.