LuthierCon 2026 will return to the Brooklyn Army Terminal on Sept. 12, for its third annual daylong exhibition and workshop celebrating the art of classical guitar making.
Produced by the Brooklyn Classical Guitar Society and Brooklyn guitar maker Matt Rubendall, the event will bring together guitar builders, performers, collectors and enthusiasts for a day of demonstrations, performances and hands-on experiences centered on handcrafted classical guitars.
The event will feature six master luthiers who build their instruments entirely by hand: Brooklyn's Matt Rubendall, Garrett Lee of Wayne, N.J., Lubos Naprstek of Hamburg, N.J., Brian Itzkin of Long Island, N.Y., Andy Danser of Durham, N.C. and Matt Jacobs of Shadowfax Guitars in Houston.
"LuthierCon is a unique, community-oriented event that brings together guitarists and enthusiasts with the people who build the instruments," said Matthew Kaplan, president of the Brooklyn Classical Guitar Society and a Brooklyn-based guitarist and educator.
Acclaimed guitarists Jack Hancher of the United Kingdom and New York-based Alberta Khoury will perform throughout the day using the featured instruments while discussing their experiences with them and answering audience questions.
Brooklyn-based RetroFret Vintage Guitars and Zongzheng Guitar Studio of Shenzhen, China, will also participate in the exhibition.
The event allows visitors to experience handcrafted classical guitars in person at a time when many custom-built instruments are marketed and sold online. Classical guitars use nylon strings rather than steel strings and are played in musical styles including classical, flamenco, Latin American, folk and jazz.
Throughout the day, attendees can play handcrafted guitars, meet the builders, attend demonstrations and learn more about the craft of guitar making.
Guests are also encouraged to bring their own guitars to share or sell, creating additional opportunities for musicians, collectors and enthusiasts to connect. The event is open to anyone interested in guitar music, instrument making or Brooklyn's arts community.
