Circle Strings

Circle Strings Acoustic Guitars — Burlington, Vermont's Best Kept Secret

Adam Buchwald came to lutherie the long way around, and every stop made him a better builder. He studied with luthier Bob Jones in Brooklyn, ran the repair department at Retrofret, one of New York's most celebrated vintage guitar shops, taught guitar building and repair in Vermont, and spent years at Froggy Bottom Guitars before setting up Circle Strings in Burlington in 2012. Custom orders poured in almost immediately, and the reputation has grown steadily every year since.

When Page McConnell wanted to give Trey Anastasio of Phish a birthday guitar, he came to Adam. When the Grateful Guitars Foundation wanted to commission a custom acoustic for Eggy guitarist Jake Brownstein, they came to Adam. The guitars speak for themselves.

The Wood

Adam's ownership of Allied Lutherie, which has been supplying luthiers worldwide since the 1970s and specializes in aged, old-growth, and responsibly sourced tonewoods, gives Circle Strings access to materials that money alone cannot buy. Hundred-year-old German spruce, Brazilian rosewood, old-growth sinker spruce recovered from the cold waters of Tenakee Springs in Alaska, mahogany from the legendary "The Tree" source, aged koa, cocobolo, ziricote, and figured maple are among the tonewoods that have appeared in Circle Strings instruments.

The Instruments

Circle Strings builds entirely to commission across parlor, 000, OM, dreadnought, and custom body styles, each one voiced individually for the player who ordered it. The Salvage Series offers a more accessible entry point, pairing old-growth tonewoods with classic appointments and the same meticulous construction as the fully bespoke commissions. Iris Guitars, the production line built in the same Burlington facility by the same team, rounds out the family with European spruce tops, mahogany back and sides, and the kind of playability and tone that has earned Premier Guitar's Premier Gear Award and comparisons to acoustics costing several times the price.

Browse our available Circle Strings, Iris, and Fairbanks inventory, and reach out to discuss a custom commission with Adam directly.