Boxing has many meanings to Billy Joel. Growing up he learned to box to help him defeat bullies and it has symbolism for fighting in the music industry to become one of the world’s greatest. The pickguard is made of black phenolic. Phenolic can take seasonal changes without cracking. My Father (Dr. Phil Petillo) used […]
I worked all night till 3am getting this guitar ready for the 2012 Grammy Awards. Rick “Chainsaw” Lapointe brought it in the night before leaving for the west coast. Rick is a sweetheart and a veteran in the music business. I was so happy Patti enjoyed the guitar after my restoration for the Grammys. I’m […]
This was a project that took a while. The guitar was built for Mike Flynn, a blues/fusion guitarist who has played all over the Jersey Shore and is currently on tour. Mike and I spoke for hours about the overall tone of this instrument as well as the lacquer thickness and cavity depth. The neck […]
Steve Forbert’s 1949 SJ Gibson restoration. Steve has been a longtime dear friend of my Father (Dr. Phil Petillo). This guitar has been through hell in a good way. So many shows and also travelled the world. The frets needed some attention. A lot of repair guys/techs would recommend a refret in its present state […]
This guitar took a year and a half of work, love and long nights. The fingerboard consists of 13 layers of mother of pearl, clam shell, abalone, 24k gold dust, stone and glass. The body is made of German quilted maple, Spanish cedar, Nigerian ebony and French walnut. The 11 piece neck laminations are layered […]
Happy St. Patrick’s Day 2021! A round of pics of our longtime friend Joe Finn’s custom made PETILLO acoustic guitar made in 1994, serial #679! Joe was a close friend to my Dad (Dr. Phil Petillo) and myself. Joe was known around the Jersey Shore as “The Irish Balladeer” and he had such a rich […]
HAPPY EASTER to all! To celebrate the day I’m posting some religious Judeo-Christian artwork I have done through the years. The Last Supper plaque is made of all wood veneer inlay with a parkay sycamore wood floor design. The hand of Adam almost touching the hand of God is from Michangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling painting […]
