Global brand design consultancy, Elmwood, has created a visual identity for Yorkshire-born acoustic guitar maker Tom Sands.

Originally from Ripon, Tom started out as a cabinet-maker producing bespoke furniture, but a lifelong fascination with guitar making led him to Oakland, California.

At 30 he secured a two-year apprenticeship with San Francisco based master craftsman Ervin Somogyi – said to be one of the world’s very first professional luthiers, who rewrote the rulebook on acoustic guitar building.

After qualifying, Tom needed his own brand identity to help establish himself as an independent luthier, and to stand out in a niche industry.

“His target market is guitar aficionados – people for whom guitar playing is more than a hobby, it’s a passion. To them, owning a bespoke and highly crafted instrument is highly important. Therefore, the identity needed to reflect the extraordinary level of craftsmanship that goes into every guitar he makes,” explain the designers.

Joe Cooke, designer at Elmwood adds, “Most of Tom’s peers have neglected to build a truly strong brand, relying on headstock and bridge shapes as brand identifiers, so there was an opportunity to craft something beautiful that can be inlaid into each finished piece.

“We used natural, flowing shapes to craft Tom’s initials into a guitar monogram, reflecting the personal, bespoke nature of his work.”

Elmwood
www.elmwood.com