Peter Oberg

Peter Oberg began studying the classical guitar at age 11, after having played the piano since he was 5 years old. He has continued his studies on and off since then, and has also studied music theory, jazz, and composition. After careers in boat building and furniture making, and a five-year period training and working as a piano tuner-technician, Mr. Oberg decided to combine his long-time love for the classical guitar and his 15 years of fine woodworking experience.

He built his first guitar in Canada with David Freeman, and then served two consecutive apprenticeships after returning to California. The first was a one-year arrangement with Berkeley luthier Ervin Somogyi. Ervin is a consummate artist and luthier with a worldwide reputation, and a dry and clever wit that was not wasted on his humble apprentice. His aesthetic sensibilities and innovative approach to guitar making were a strong influence on Mr. Oberg.

After this Peter and his wife moved to Washington State where he spent almost two years working full-time in the workshop of Robert Ruck. Together they built about 65 guitars, during which time Mr. Oberg was forced to raise his woodworking skills to another level. Mr. Ruck has built over 900 instruments, and performing artists play his guitars all over the world. Mr. Oberg was able to study instruments from the great luthiers of the past and present while working with Robert, and to date is the only person to have worked with Mr. Ruck on a full-time basis for an extended period of time. He owes a special gratitude to Robert, who changed his concept of the potential of the classical guitar, and shared generously of his knowledge and experience.

Peter works in a one-man shop in San Diego, California, building guitars one or two at a time from materials culled over a period of many years. He is an active member of the Guild of American Luthiers and the Guitar Foundation of America, and has exhibited his instruments at the annual GFA convention, the Healdsburg Guitar Festival, and the La Guitarra Festival in San Luis Obispo, California. His accomplished woodworking skills and keen sense of musicality, tone color, and acoustical properties have created a growing demand for his guitars in the United States, Canada, and in Europe.

• taken from Peter’s website.

Peter is an extremely talented builder, where his aesthetic and his musicality are clearly born from his own ability to play and compose.  A musical man that builds a musical guitar.