Judy Threet’s Journey: The Story of a Unique Parlor Guitar and Its Famous Owner

In 1999, Judy Threet, a luthier based in Calgary, Canada, crafted a unique Model A parlor guitar featuring Sitka spruce, curly koa, and cocobolo wood. After its completion, the guitar languished in a local music shop for over six months without finding a buyer. Eventually, Threet decided to reclaim her creation. Later that year, at a trade show, she passed it to a private seller, yet it still failed to find a home.

Nearly two years after its creation, the guitar found its way to Gryphon Stringed Instruments in Palo Alto, California, thanks to Frank Ford, a co-founder who admired its craftsmanship. Judy Threet, a former philosophy professor turned luthier, had encountered Gryphon during her doctoral studies at nearby Stanford University.

In 2001, serendipity struck when Tracy Chapman, a four-time Grammy-winning artist renowned for songs like “Fast Car,” visited Gryphon Stringed Instruments seeking relief from shoulder strain caused by her dreadnought guitar.

At the store, a Gryphon employee offered Chapman Threet’s Model A, instantly capturing her attention. Chapman praised the guitar for its compact size and powerful, resonant sound, fitting her requirements perfectly.

Since then, Tracy Chapman has cherished and regularly played the Model A, praising its exquisite craftsmanship and vibrant tones. Guitarist-composer Joe Gore, who has collaborated extensively with Chapman, also admires its delicate beauty and exceptional sound quality.

In a notable return to the spotlight, Chapman performed “Fast Car” with country musician Luke Combs at the Grammy Awards, using the Model A guitar. The performance brought renewed attention to Threet’s craftsmanship, flooding her with messages and inquiries about her guitars.

Despite retiring from guitar making in 2010, Judy Threet continues to find joy in music, playing rhythm guitar in a dance band and viola in a community string orchestra. Reflecting on her career, she finds great satisfaction in knowing that her instruments, like the Model A, have become cherished companions to their owners, fulfilling the aspirations of any instrument maker.