About
Bell Guitars started life in a city apartment, where I did most of my work from a very small bedroom and a very small balcony. At the time I was working as a joiner and I was lucky enough to be allowed to use the workshop for the really messy work – but it was in that little apartment that I did my first build and the magic began to happen!
I was born and raised on our family farm in New Zealand, and take a lot of pride in being raised a country boy. As well as living in the countryside I grew up listening to country music, which became a huge influence in my life. My guitars are designed around country music and the country music sound, whether you’re playing in your bedroom or on a big stage to thousands of fans.
Both of my standard models are well-equipped with massive stage presence in both looks and sound, hence my motto: “clarity and sound as clear as a Bell“!
I take huge pride in the guitars that I produce. With well over a decade of extensive experience in woodwork and joinery I know how to get the best possible sound and performance out of every piece of wood I touch.
Of course, no luthier knows everything there is to know about guitars. But I believe the key to making the best possible guitar for a customer involves many different aspects – researching, testing and choosing the best timber combinations, getting to know the client, natural woodworking skills, and listening to what a specific piece of timber is telling you that it wants to do. And patience. Lots of patience!
You can think you know everything about building guitars, but every piece of wood is different – even from the same tree – so it has its own sound and needs to be treated accordingly.
The two models I currently offer are both named after my Grandfather, Walter, who lived and farmed to the ripe old age of 100. He went to church every Sunday for his entire life, and the cross on the end graft of every Bell guitar honours this – a very special and unique touch to add to the uniqueness of Bell guitars.
I believe that if you take care of your Bell guitar it will be more than just another guitar. It is a strikingly beautiful art piece with a beautiful sound that will become a very special family heirloom to be passed down through the generations for a hundred years or more…
Mike Bell, New Zealand