Koll Guitar Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Musical instrument manufacturing |
| Founded | 1986 |
| Founder | Saul Koll |
| Headquarters | Portland, Oregon , United States |
| Products | Electric guitars, semi-acoustic guitars |
| Website | www |
The Koll Guitar Company is a U.S.-based manufacturer of guitars located in Portland, Oregon. Established in 1986 by Saul Koll, the company specializes in producing both electric and semi-acoustic instruments.
The firm is best known for its "Glide" lineup, which features the enhanced "Superior" variant, as well as for designing innovative instruments tailored to musicians such as David Torn, Elliott Sharp, Henry Kaiser, and Lee Ranaldo from Sonic Youth. Among its other distinguished offerings are the Troubadour and Super Cub models, which draw inspiration from guitar designs of the 1950s.
History
Saul Koll began learning guitar at age 12, inspired by Irving Sloan’s book Classic Guitar Construction. While pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in sculpture at San Diego State University, he started exploring guitar craftsmanship. Following graduation, he gained experience at The World of Strings repair shop in Long Beach, California, where he was guided by Jon Peterson and Glen Mers.
In 1986, Koll launched the Koll Guitar Company and subsequently relocated the business from Los Angeles to Portland, Oregon. Since 2015, Saul Koll has taken on the role of personally handcrafting the majority of guitars produced by the company.
Further reading
- Bench Press: Saul Koll Interview with founder Saul Koll featured in Fretboard Journal (2013)
- Koll Company News Discussion thread by Saul Koll on The Gear Page forum (2015)