In 2008, after the superb results of a one year evaluation of the first generation Conti Archtop, Robert commissioned Peerless Guitars (considered by several major brands as absolutely the highest quality OEM in South Korea) to manufacture the first generation of Conti Guitars to his specs. Those guitars entered into global circulation in the late spring of 2009.  As evidenced by numerous user photos and written commentaries, the Conti Equity Edition was well received by the jazz guitar community.  In an effort to bring the Conti Equity Model to the consumer at a price under $2,000.00, Robert committed to a large production volume of instruments, as that business decision served to offset the continually rising cost of raw materials for the duration of the first production run. The last guitars of the first generation instruments were all acquired by owners in the mid part of 2015.

In late 2015, Robert was once again faced with the task of addressing many requests for design additions and other specifications. In an ongoing commitment to offer high quality guitars to consumers at affordable prices, it is imperative for a successful manufacturer to stay abreast of the continuously changing costs of labor and raw materials in various international manufacturing sectors.

After finalizing the new model designs, Robert entered into seemingly endless negotiations, as the manufacturing environment had changed substantially since 2007-08, prior to the production of the first generation Conti Guitars. More specifically, during that period of time, many major brands either bought the best foreign factories, or in lieu of purchasing a factory, they simply bought the entire annual production capacity of a factory.

In our continuous effort to produce a high quality instrument, at a competitive price point, we must acquire the highest quality components available from skilled artisans in every corner of the world. Unfinished Necks (Eastern Europe), UK, Japan (Gotoh hardware), the world’s best Ebony comes from Cameroon & India, unfinished bodies (South Korea). To answer your question, there is no single country where our guitars are “made,” as finishing and quality control transpires here in the United States.

An Unscrupulous Dentist

A few years ago Robert instituted a policy wherein we do not disclose the names of our private OEM builders. Reason #1: they prefer the steady employment we offer rather than dealing with the public. Reason #2: in 2017, an unscrupulous dentist in New Jersey, copied Robert’s design and specs, then he attempted to have our builders make the guitar for him at a cheap price. As he was unsuccessful in that attempt, he apparently found some Chinese factory to build him a cheap copy. While unwrapping the shipping carton, he then had the audacity to post a video on Youtube, clearly stating something to the effect of: “I finally got my Conti Guitar with a Gibson name on the headstock!” (see video below, which was archived from Youtube for evidence):

A reading of our Conti Guitar Owner Comments/Photos will demonstrate that we provide high quality instruments at affordable pricing, with some owners having acquired two, and even three Conti Guitars over the years. Additionally, there are over 4,800 stellar patron commentaries as to the super high quality products (learning resources, lessons and guitars) produced by Robert Conti.