Hugely respected luthier Levi Perry has left the Fender Custom Shop to launch his own firm, Gavilan Guitars, which he’s describing as a “full circle moment.”
With nearly two decades of Master Builder experience, and having built high-level instruments for the likes of MkGee, Buddy Guy, and Matty Healy, Perry has relocated to New Mexico for a challenge that “keeps the spirit of childhood adventure alive.”
Perry joined Fender straight out of high school and, by Casino Guitars' count, became Fender's youngest-ever Master Builder after acing his Master Builder apprenticeship just six years later.
“Gavilan Guitars is a full circle moment for me,” he says of his newly launched brand. “It brings together so many of the moments and memories that have shaped me. It’s where my childhood adventures meet my career. It’s so much more than just a name for me. It’s my home. It’s my family.”
Gavilan is the Spanish word for hawk and is also the name of Perry's childhood home in California. The Miramonte – a quirky, stunning offset that has some delicious relic'ing – is his brand's first build, with many more set to follow.
“It's important to me in a lot of ways because it has these contradictions that I like that I think show my personality,” Perry explains. “I’m an old soul in a lot of ways. I grew up pretending to be a cowboy and watching old black-and-white movies. But at the same time, I'm a ‘90s baby who loved skate videos and grunge. And so there's this feeling of something familiar and old, but at the same time it's new, and it's original.
“I wanted that to happen organically,” he adds. “I hope that you feel that sense of childhood adventure in each instrument.”
Gavilan has built a nine-strong dealer network to start with, including Casino Guitars, Chicago Music Exchange, and Andertons to ensure it has a presence on both sides of the Atlantic.
Perry follows a handful of Master Builders who have left the Fender Custom Shop roster in recent years John Cruz now works with Iconic Guitars, which has brought the Strat recipe into the year 3000 via Josh de la Victoria. Carlos Lopez, meanwhile, set up Castedosa Guitars in 2022.
It’s an exciting new chapter for Perry, who has already launched a new(ish) body shape to the market, and put his relic’ing experience to great use with these first P-90 loaded guitars.
See Gavilan Guitars for more.
