Our Story
Built by hand. Built to last.
Jon Hill has spent decades learning that a great guitar is not designed — it is discovered, one decision at a time, in the shop.
The beginning
Where it begins
Bootleg Guitars started the way most things worth doing start — with an obsession that refused to stay quiet. Jon Hill began building custom instruments because he couldn't find what he was looking for anywhere else. Not the tone, not the feel, not the kind of instrument that becomes part of a player's identity.
Every guitar that leaves this shop is a custom order. There is no production line, no catalog model pulled off a shelf. You start with a conversation, choose from a wide range of proven designs, and then make it yours — tonewoods, pickups, hardware, inlays, finish. If you want something not on the list, ask. The answer is usually yes.
Most scratch builds take six to nine months. Neck-through constructions and more complex commissions can take up to a year. That timeline is not a delay — it is the work.
Craft
The philosophy
Responsibly sourced hardwoods
Every piece of wood in a Hill guitar is responsibly sourced, properly dried, and seasoned before it is touched. Tone begins in the tree. We take that seriously.
Handmade pickups
Bootleg offers an exclusive line of finely crafted pickups wound in-house for both guitar and bass. When you control the pickup, you control the voice.
Neck construction
Nothing is more important than how a neck is made. Quarter-sawn eastern rock maple, properly cut and seasoned, shaped by hand — every step taken to ensure stability and tonal response for a lifetime.
A lifelong investment
Every Bootleg guitar is built to be a lifelong investment. Not a purchase. Not a transaction. An instrument that will outlast trends, outlast fashion, and keep getting better.
Legacy
A guitar for Joe Walsh
Among the instruments Jon Hill is most proud of is a custom BURD built for Joe Walsh. It was a great honor to build a guitar for such an incredible icon. The commission required everything the shop had — the right tonewoods, the right hardware, the right voice for a player who has heard everything.
That guitar now lives with one of rock's most enduring figures. It is a reminder of what this work is for.
Ready to start a conversation?
Every Hill guitar begins with a discussion about what you're looking for. Reach out and we'll talk through what's possible.