Zoe Jet
Guitar Maker

The job of the instrument maker is that of tool maker to the musician—crafting lifeless wood and metal into resonance, singing tools for musicians. Zoe Jet is a musician's essential craftsperson.

Based In Geyserville, Sonoma County, Zoe has found her way into craft through her love of music and art. She grew up with artist parents. They were her examples of makers who created a living from their art. Zoe first encountered music as a child through percussion and drumming and this grew into her lifelong passion for music. As an adult, she continued to dive even deeper into music, honing her ear and mind by studying music theory—studying percussion, concert piano, and eventually classical composition. However Zoe missed making things and was drawn to the physicality of bringing tactile art into the world.

Since this shift, Zoe has spent the last decade pursuing guitar craft, learning her trade initially through the time-honored tradition of apprenticeship (under Barry Grzebik of Grez Guitars). Instrument making is at its simplest the process of re-making previous patterns, with famous shapes dominating the lineups of brands and bespoke makers alike. However the true pinnacle of making any instrument, comes from designing and innovating one's own pattern. Unlike traditional acoustic instruments, electric guitars achieve volume through amplification, which leaves far more room for sculptural styling and shaping. While honing her craft working on previously designed guitars, a part of her always wanted to make something of her own, and after putting in her 10,000 hours she began bringing her own design into the world. Her very own Model Z became that contribution to the world of electric guitar.

The Model Z is a guitar which screams playability and individuality, with its broad cutaway and hourglass shape, begging to be played. Zoe spent years designing the guitar, and finding a shape and feel, which was unique yet inviting. Through its design, the model Z is a canvas for personality, echoing Zoe’s main focus as a luthier—being the conduit for players to have their style realized in an instrument. Unlike many luthiers who primarily focus on the guitar's construction, Zoe works through the entire process of shaping, and wiring, all the way to final finishing.

Zoe’s excitement over unique materials can be seen in her inventory of vintage Italian plastics for pickguards and switch covers, or the California sourced tempered basswoods for her guitar bodies. Like all great guitar makers from Leo Fender to Travis Bean, the joy for innovation comes through in her work.

In her guitar Zoe has created a platform for a unique aesthetic which continues the heritage of electric guitars being at the vanguard for experimentation and expression in the world of instrument making and craft. Like a classic American muscle car, electric guitars hold a place in the myth making of the West—the culmination of innovation, and taste.

Zoe Jet Guitars