Amateur Luthier · Handcrafted Instruments

Built by hand
with love

Detailed build blogs documenting every step — from raw tonewoods to final setup. Steel string, classical, flamenco, and ukulele.

A Paco Chorobo playing my first Flamenco Blanca

Featured Video

The first Flamenco Blanca

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Every instrument I build carries the joy of learning — each one better than the last.

Construction Diaries

Detailed Build Blogs

01
Steel String Guitars

Steel String Guitars

Follow the full construction process from selecting tonewoods to final setup and string tension.

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02
Classical & Flamenco Guitars

Classical & Flamenco

Nylon string builds rooted in tradition — exploring both classical and flamenco construction techniques.

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03
Ukuleles

Ukuleles

Small in size, big in character. Soprano, concert, and tenor builds documented in detail.

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04
Repairs

Repairs

Restoration and repair work — bringing instruments back to life with care and craftsmanship.

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John Parchem
Luthier

Crafting instruments with love & sawdust

4+
Instrument types
Hours learning

About the Builder

Where craft meets documentation

John Parchem is an American luthier and the builder behind Harvest Moon Guitars, where he documents his instrument-building journey in meticulous detail — from raw tonewoods to final setup. He builds steel string, classical, flamenco, and ukulele instruments, with a particular passion for the science of acoustic guitar design.

He is one of the few American luthiers with deep hands-on experience in falcate bracing, the innovative system developed by Australian luthier and engineer Trevor Gore. John works closely with the Gore/Gilet methodology for plate thicknessing, resonance tuning, and carbon fibre reinforcement — applying the same engineering rigor to each build.

At Harvest Moon Guitars, John shares everything — the successes, the lessons learned, and the hard-won knowledge that comes from building by hand, with passion.

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