What makes us tick?
Mariner® Guitars is a family firm, dedicated to enriching the musical
creativity of the players of its instruments. We love doing what we do and we’re simply mad about guitars.
Ken Achard, the founder of Mariner Guitars, has forty-seven years of experience in the musical instrument industry. A guitar
fanatic and historian, his book The History and Development of the American Guitar was a pioneering work of reference
when it was published back in 1978. Over the years he has worked with or distributed instruments created by many of the influential
twentieth-century guitar designers.
Over the past few years the company has devoted its energies to developing
the use of more sustainable woods for the production of its instruments. Acutely aware of the increasing annihilation
of the world's rainforests, Mariner has embraced the use of Paulownia as a substitute for endangered species
of timbers, such as mahogany and rosewood, traditionally employed by the musical instrument industry. It has also incorporated
sustainably plantation grown varieties such as Sonokeling and Nato.
Mariner guitars are designed in Great Britain
and were brought to life by a Master Luthier who had been making fine guitars for almost five decades in Korea. Now built by
a skilled group of artisans in a dedicated solid wood acoustic guitar factory in China, our instruments reflect
a combined expertise spanning many years.
There is a passion at Mariner Guitars that manifests itself in our range
of instruments designed for discerning musicians. At home on stage, in the studio or merely when playing for personal pleasure,
Mariner guitars exhibit a remarkable tonal balance and powerful performance, whatever the genre. Our instruments are distilled
from the finest sustainable materials, elegant proportions, artisan construction and stylish good looks. Your ears and eyes
will recognize value – the holy grail of performance, quality and affordability. Mariner guitars aspire to combine the
time-tested construction techniques of past masters with a respect for modern production methods and innovation.
We are musicians at Mariner. We understand musicians and that special relationship
between them and their instruments - that tough to define relationship between ears, eye, hand, fret and string. We dedicate
our efforts to you and a beautiful guitar relationship.
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Pursuing excellence
The DNA at the heart of a musical instrument is all about the materials and the care with which they are fashioned. From start
to finish; raw timber to the final polish; assessing quality at every stage is fundamental in our endeavours. We know
that a fine guitar need not cost the earth, so long as careful selection of grade and grain are uncompromised.
The seasoning process in the factory's wood store is a critical part of ensuring your new guitar will cope with a
life exposed to variations of temperature and humidity - the main enemies of a premium solid wood acoustic. (See Support
page - "Caring for your guitar"). By ensuring the moisture content is coorect before construction, the guitar will
mature over time and develop its personality. Mariner prefers to use indigenous species of sustainably plantation grown timber
from Asia. Reducing the carbon footprint between tree and factory pleases us and the vulnerable exotic hardwood
forests appreciate it too! In manufacture, we believe technology and innovation in production techniques can
sit comfortably alongside traditional craftsmanship to ensure consistancy and quality. At the end of the line however, it
is the skill and artistry of our artisans who hand-craft the instruments.
Our pursuit of excellence makes the choice
of components vital too. We currently factory fit D'Addario® strings for this reason and install Fishman® electronics
to our electro models. We are constantly reviewing these choices to maintain the highest specifications and top value. 
left: Arthur Achard inspects a Sitka spruce top in the factory
below left: Raw cut parts ready
for processing.
below right: Gluing bridges
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