Richard Roth is a luthier, which means he makes and repairs stringed instruments. He learned the craft in college when he worked for Paul Reed Smith, a master luthier who founded the Maryland company PRS Guitars. Roth applies more than 40 coats of lacquer to a vintage Fender Telecaster he’s refurbishing for a friend. Roth says he prefers lacquer to polyurethane because it doesn’t deaden the resonance of the wood. Roth, who lives in Yarmouth, says he loves rebuilding high-quality vintage guitars but hates the high prices charged by dealers.

 

 

 

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