Sam & Diana are Two Wheel Drive.

Every time we play a gig there is clearly one star that shines brighter than either of us and that's my Laughlin guitar. We have played in Vancouver and as far away as Florida and UK and places in between. At the end of each set someone nearly always comes up to us to let us know what a great sounding guitar we have and they want to know where it came from, who made it .... which we are happy to tell them.

But it is not just a great sounding guitar, it has many other fine features such as the carbon fibre reinforced neck, distinctive ribbing and premium sound woods that all contribute to it being wonderfully stable and even across all the strings in clarity of tone. Its sound is bright and crisp, distinct from many other premium brands, and capable of great projection when called on to stand out.

Thanks Bob, for such a great instrument. Sam & Diana (Two Wheel Drive)







Gerard Edery www.gerardedery.com is recognized as a leading musical folklorist and a master singer and guitarist presenting his varied programs in over 60 concerts each year. He has at his command a remarkable range of ethnic folk styles and traditions from around the world. Not only does he regularly uncover and preserve songs, stories and melodies from around the globe, he energizes these repertoires by interpreting them for contemporary audiences. He has recorded 14 CDs of his work on the Sefarad Records label and published a widely acclaimed Sephardic songbook.

Gerard's response on receiving his guitar in NYC.
[gerard no longer owns this instrument (he gave it away!) but the new owner seems to like it as well]

Played her till 2AM. Could not put her down. So many colors, so much unforced projection, the feel of a classical/flamenco, love the extra sound hole: I hear the music so well that it actually softens my attack. You know, I'm also aware that on some level, conscious or unconscious, you absorbed my style of playing and what my musical/inspirational needs might be. I am very touched by this. The tone is also SO beautiful!! She sings and sings and I'm amazed that she sounds this good so soon. I guess we picked out really great wood. BTW can you send me the exact names, dates and provenance of the woods you used.







Andy Marshall www.andymarshall.com was a Polydor recording artist and producer in the 1980s. These days he is better known as a writer on the music industry and as the owner/designer of THD Electronics, makers of the Hot Plate and UniValve guitar products. Andy is still active as a studio musician and multi-instrumentalist, playing just about anything with strings, including this guitar-bodied bouzouki.

Bob,
Every day that I play your guitar-bodied bouzouki, I fall more and more in-love with it. The sound is deep, rich, detailed and very complex. The neck is hand-filling and extremely comfortable. Your fretwork is second to none, and that is also highly related to the sound of the instrument, I feel. A great instrument with a mediocre fret job won't sound great. You are a master and I am sure that there are more of your instruments in my future.
Andy Marshall - Seattle, WA







Don Kellett & Susan Vigneux are the talented Vancouver musical (and marital) team Stringz Aloud. Don also plays with The Hot Club of Mars. They have matching Imbuya RL instruments Don's and Sue's. Here they are playing in Port Coquitlam BC.

Over the last 10 years, a number of my guitar playing friends have acquired Laughlin guitars – and I was always impressed with the balanced tone of their instruments – clear highs, warm mids and strong, but not booming basses. Then I had an opportunity to play one of Bob’s newer instruments – and I was very impressed with its sheer playability. I shared these feelings with my wife and music partner – Susan – and to my pleasant surprise, she presented me with a Laughlin for my birthday over a year ago. I really like the guitar and it has become my “general purpose” go to guitar – a daily pleasure to play. However, Susan also became enamored with the instrument, so fortunately Bob had built a sister instrument to the one I have – and we acquired it too, becoming a 2- Laughlin family! We thoroughly enjoy playing and performing with these instruments! Thank you Bob.
Don Kellett

Playing a variety of music on Bob’s guitar is a pleasure. Whether flat picking a fiddle tune or playing a Brazilian choro, the sound is always bright and full. We have K & K pickups that Bob installed and for the gigs that we play, we are very pleased with the sound. We have many friends playing Laughlin instruments, I’m glad to finally be one of the fold.
Susan Vigneux







Timothy McGuinness www.TimothyMcGuinness.com and I go back a long way, back to when he was a budding composer living rent-free with dozens of instruments in the spacious attic of an old folks home on Granville Street. Tim composes with and plays many instruments including a slew of antique synthesizers. He also has an appreciation for acoustic instruments and owns three of mine (four if you count the one his ex made off with). Tim's latest instrument is this guitar-bodied bouzouki. Here are some samples of Tim playing Laughlin instruments.

I fondly remember my introduction to Laughlin guitars. In 1979 I played a neighbour’s guitar made by Bob. It was a very early model, #3 I believe, and as I worked my way up and down the fret board, I couldn’t help but smile at what I was hearing and how it responded to my touch. Within a few months I was standing in Bob’s workshop picking out the woods for a 24 fret cutaway which I received in the summer of 1980. She’s my pride and joy! I love watching other players faces as they experience for the first time what I experience on a daily basis: fantastic tone, incredible action, balanced projection wherever you play on the neck and the best intonation of any stringed instrument I’ve ever tried. In 1999 I bought my second Laughlin, a sweet sounding nylon stringed cutaway and recently I purchased one of Bob’s bouzoukis which Bob made a special interchangeable bridge for to allow me to play it with a bow. To sum it up, Bob’s instruments do make me a better player; maybe that’s because I can’t put them down.







Fred Brumm is a talented Vancouver guitar player and all-around nice guy, versed in a variety of musical genres. Fred's a denizen of the Moveable Music School scene in Vancouver and hosts a weekly swing jam in East Van. He also composes melodious tunes on the guitar. Here's one of Fred's original compositions Full Moon played on his Laughlin guitar.

I can't say enough good things about this guitar, it never ceases to amaze me. Even though I have had it now for over two years, I'm still unlocking new secrets, new tones and dynamics. From Swing to Celtic, flatpicked or fingerstyle it has become my voice. A responsive voice that speaks with a presence, clarity, power and dynamic range across the whole fingerboard that I find truly inspirational. Words defy any attempt of a description of the sound that comes out of this box, all I can say is, I love it and thank you for an amazing instrument.
'when an instrument suits a player, it is a match made in heaven'
You are a great matchmaker, Bob!
Warmly, Fred Brumm