Boutique Laboratory Guitars builds one-of-a-kind instruments — each a proof of feeling, born from experimentation and story.
Boutique Laboratory Guitars builds one-of-a-kind instruments — each a proof of feeling, born from experimentation and story.
At BLG, we believe that every great instrument begins with a question, not a mold. What happens if we laminate Douglas fir and purpleheart? What if the headstock tells a story? What if the back brace bends just a little differently?
Founder Tobin Shaeffer began this journey after decades of experience in luthiery, woodworking, and design. What started as a spark in a 10x20 workshop has grown into a process-driven, story-forward instrument brand.
Somewhere in the lab, Forge Jr. watches. Our unofficial lab assistant, mascot, and avatar of experimentation, Forge Jr. may show up with a quote, a warning, or a raised eyebrow. You’ve been warned.
“The guitars I build are not a product, they are a proof of feeling.”
At Boutique Laboratory Guitars, every build is a blueprint of feeling — the intersection of resonance, resistance, and raw instinct. These aren't products. They’re experiments in sound that prove something deeper.performance.
“A workshop where mistakes teach, resonance rules, and every guitar begins as a question.”
- The BLG workspace is equal parts curiosity and craft.
- It’s a controlled chaos — where templates get tested, necks get tuned by hand, and finish schedules evolve as needed.
- The “laboratory” isn’t branding. It’s method. Everything starts on the bench, not in the catalog.
“Built for feeling, forged for function — not cloned from catalogs.”
- Yes, reclaimed and local wood plays a part — but so does intent.
- What drives the work is not sustainability marketing or recycled chic. It’s connection. A builder’s eye matching the material to the moment.
- Proof of feeling means the guitar serves the sound and the soul that asked for it — even if no one asked.
“This is where the stories get told.”
- The BLG Sound Forge is where the guitars leave the bench and meet the world.
- Instagram, blog entries, video essays, in-shop quote cards — it’s all part of building trust through transparency.
- Here, you’ll meet the builds, the myths, the scars, and Forge Jr. himself.
@BLG_soundforge
Unapologetic Results. Unreasonably Playable. These guitars are made from reclaimed, engineered, or unexpected materials. Designed for reliability and tone under pressure. Built to tour, record, or rehearse—without flinching. You don’t need to polish it. You need to play it.
Studio Class is where the work feels finished.
These guitars don’t just play well — they feel like they already know the room.
Designed through years of trial and rebuild. Tuned by instinct.
If Go To is the one you grab, and the Strain is the one that surprises you —
Studio Class is the one that plays you back.
This series is reserved for the truly unconventional. Octave scales, chambered electric guitar bodies, experimental string numbers, and other things we probably shouldn't talk about. You won’t find these in the shop every day—but when one surfaces, it tends to leave a mark.
*Where sound is tested, shaped, and forged by hand.* BLG began with acoustic guitars—longform builds refined over decades at the bench. As the questions evolved, so did the instruments. The lab now builds both acoustic and electric guitars, each treated as an individual experiment in sound, feel, and design. What hasn’t changed is the approach: listen first, then build.
This isn't a production line. It’s a craft process shaped by decades of hands-on work and long-form curiosity. scale (octave guitar).
Each BLG body is hand-shaped—sometimes classic, sometimes unexpected. Weight, balance, and feel guide the contours more than symmetry ever has. Hardware decisions follow the same path: if a custom tailpiece or floating bridge fits the design and the sound, it makes the cut.
Materials are chosen for how they work in the build—not to check a box. Whether it’s a familiar neck wood or a laminated blend that surprises me in testing, the goal is always the same: a responsive neck that invites playing, feels alive in the hand, and supports the voice of the instrument. adjustments on the fly. The bridge is floating (with the exception of Classical Style) to make minute intonation adjustments as needed. Each instrument is adorned with an integral arm bevel for comfort.
Some guitars have six strings. Others have five, or twelve, or a longer scale built for deep-range explorations. Pickups might be passive or piezo, vintage or experimental. Every decision stems from what the instrument wants to be—not what the catalog says it should.
Instruments that feel honest. Guitars that were built for a reason. That’s the work. That’s BLG.
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