Hi, I am glad to see you made it here! My name is Mees Hamer and I am the creator of Chickadee Guitars. Let me tell you something about myself.
I grew up in a very musically rich environment. With my dad being a multi-instrumental music therapist, I was surrounded by a variety of musical instruments from a young age. It did not take long for me to fall in love with the guitar. As a teenager I spent all my spare time making music and playing in bands, but with growing older came the realization that the racing rockstar life was not for me… Instead, I discovered the world of lutherie.
In 2015 I started a four year guitar building course at the International Luthier School Antwerpen (ILSA). ILSA focuses on the classical guitar and its traditional building methods. So as a student I learned how to do everything by hand — very much like how it was done in the olden days. Some of these methods may now be viewed as being far from efficient, but they taught me the true foundations of woodworking and deepened my love for and understanding of the craft.
From the early beginning, I knew that I wanted to build steel-string guitars. However, during my course I also grew very fond of the classical guitar and — especially — of the classical building mentality. After graduating in 2019 I started designing my own steel-string models with the same classical, more traditional attitude that had inspired me so much during my studies.
In 2023 I got the opportunity to spend three months learning from Michael Bashkin, a firmly established and incredibly skillful luthier located in Fort Collins (CO, USA). During this short, yet truly invaluable apprenticeship, I have continued to widen my skill set and learned a great deal about what it takes to build exceptional guitars.
After experimenting with bracing designs and body shapes, I now have a clear idea of what I want my instruments to sound like. I strive to build lightweight, responsive instruments with excellent clarity and note separation. Aesthetically speaking, I try to capture and maintain the vintage vibe that I love so much about old Martins and Gibsons, all the while having my own distinct instrument with its own shape and decorative features. You can recognise my guitars by their very labor intensive rosettes and their custom made purflings. Since every guitar is entirely hand made by yours truly, each instrument is unique and has their own voice.
If you are interested in purchasing a Chickadee — or if you just want to say hi — don’t be shy to drop me a message.
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