Bozo Podunavac
6980 Seamist Drive
East Englewood, Florida 33981
Telephone: 941-473-9020
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Bozo Podunavac
Bozo Podunavac
(pronounced bo-zho pod oo nav ack) is a Serbian born master luthier / guitar
builder who emigrated to the U.S. in 1959.
He was raised in Belgrade, Yugoslavia and served his apprenticeship with
master luthier Milutin Mladenovic and graduated in 1950. He moved to Chicago, when he came to the US
and for a time worked in the repair department of a musical instruments dealer
and manufacturer. In 1964 he opened his own shop and began building
guitars with his name "Bozo" on the peghead. Bozo apprenticed in the old world tradition
of his homeland, and relishes building highly ornate instruments.
Whether plain or fancy, his
guitars have a very distinctive "voice," and tone. They are particularly well balanced and have
a commanding presence. He is best known
for building a few guitars (6 & 12 strings) for Leo Kottke back in the
early 70's.
Bozo left the Chicago area
in the mid 70's and moved to Southern California and opened up his shop in San
Diego along with a school of lutherie.
During this time he "licensed" several of his designs to a
Japanese firm that proceeded to build several hundred "Bozo" guitars,
some with laminated back and sides, some all solid wood construction.
Bozo had some health
problems and stopped building his handcrafted instruments. He was then "rumored" to have died
in the early 1980's, and as the Mark Twain saying goes, the rumors of his death
were greatly exaggerated. Bozo is now in his 70's, and lives in Lindenhurst,
Illinois with his wife, Mirjana. He has
resumed building custom order guitars again, both ornate and plain, all with
that unique "Bozo" sound.
Many of his guitars,
especially from the 1960's and early 1970's were Brazilian Rosewood, of course.
Now he prefers to build with East Indian Rosewood or some beautiful Koa from
one of his old students now in Hawaii.
He builds 6 to 8 guitars a year and his hand built masterpieces now
number over 500 and each is unique and wonderful.
The
works of a great master will live on.
His instruments are already treasured by collectors and players for their
quality, style and design. They are
truly playable works of art.
This Webpage and Inventory was
Updated on: March 15th, 2006
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