We recently connected with David Mathis and have shared our conversation below.

David, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?

Gallagher Guitar Co. has a great legacy that faced the possibility of becoming a historic relic. When we reopened the company in 2020 it was always clear that it was important to preserve that history legacy and to do so would require building a solid company that would continue beyond me. A solid guitar company has to have a foundation of high quality and sound so that it becomes a sought after guitar. In addition, the quality of the guitars provides an opportunity to build a financially stable and sustainable company.

When J.W. Gallagher in 1965 he had hoped to work for 10 years because he had other interests he wanted time to enjoy in like rebuilding classic cars and fishing. After 10 years the company was of such notoriety and success it begged for continued life. His son, Don, then took over and shepherd the company for 40 years. Due to health issues and the scaling back the company, its doors closed for a brief time in 2019. It is my hope that 2020 will be seen as the year that Gallagher Guitar Co. was revived and started a path of even greater accomplishment.

Gallagher Guitar Co. deserves a vibrant life rather than a footnote in history. As a Tennessee company with a rich history and heritage, there are many more guitars to be built and put in the hands of great players.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Gallagher Guitar Co. was started in the little, sleepy railroad town of Wartrace, TN. I grew up in nearby Manchester and my first guitar chords were taught by my youth minister who owned a 1967 Gallagher G-50. Even years later, his Gallagher was always the prized guitar whenever we had a chance to play it. While I was in college I was in a folk group and on one of our trips we made the journey to the Gallagher shop. That added to my desire to own a Gallagher. It was years later before I would own my first Gallagher, a Gallagher G-50, that I still have.

Over the past few years, there were a few times that my wife and I would be in the Wartrace area and I would take her by to visit the shop. However, it was never open. As I inquired it was clear that it had become inactive and then in May 2019 they announced that they had closed. It was a months later that I inquired about the possibility of purchasing the company and reviving it. Over the course of several weeks we were able to come to terms and the new chapter in Gallagher’s history was begun.

I had spent my adult life in the field of psychology and had long had a practice in Clinical Psychology in Murfreesboro. This profession has been an intrigue part of my life and identify. As of January 2023, I will be leaving that profession and be devoting myself fulltime to Gallagher Guitar Co. It is an interesting piece of history that when Don Gallagher was called upon to take over the business, he made a decision to leave his Ph.D. in psychology.

While the guitar business has been a steep learning curve, it has been an enjoyable challenge. I have assembled a wonderful team of builders and enjoy working with them as we build great guitars. I have also learned and participated in parts of building which has allowed me to enjoy another satisfying aspect of the business. I have found great joy in the relationships with customers and dealers. I have come to realize that yes we build guitars but we also build happiness. Music and guitars bring real happiness to people.

One of the all time great guitar players and artist was Doc Watson. He played Gallagher guitars throughout his career and brought great notoriety to the brand. It has been a pleasure to met so many of today’s artists and up and coming artists. There is a joy in music and the community of musicians. We take delight in seeing our guitars in the hands of capable players. We are once again seeing Gallagher guitars in the public eye through CMT, the Grand Ole Opry, MerleFest, Station Inn, the International Bluegrass Music Association, and many other stages and venues.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

When we reopened Gallagher in January 2020 there was no way to foreseeing that dark days that COVID would bring. Just as we are developing plans for bringing our guitars back out into the public, the world turned dark. All of our shows, trade shows, festivals and events evaporated. Then, we had to actually shut down the shop for a period of time. It indeed felt like a vary dark time. Even when we were able to return to the shop, everything seemed to be in slow motion. We used that time to step-back and refine our process and refocus on our quality. We are a “new” company with a storied history. As a restart, it is essential that our guitars be of the highest quality as we are building our own reputation. The trials of the COVID days and the long shadow that it cast was also an unexpected opportunity to refocus on the quality of our guitars. Having survived those early challenges is an accomplishment in itself.

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

While having been a small business owner through most of my life, entering into manufacturing was a whole new experience. I recognized from the beginning that it was essential to ensure that product would not only hold up to scrutiny but that it would also be recognized as a superior product. I don’t mean superior to all other guitars but certainly that our guitars would be seen as some of the best in the guitar world. There are factory manufactured guitars that offer good quality while also being affordable. We are in the category of what is referred to as boutique guitar builds and the expectations are that these guitars are superior in build and sound. This has been a fundamental goal from the very beginning.

As with any manufacturing, it is challenge to have high quality while also increasing efficiency. Efficiency is not about cutting corners, quite the opposite. Efficiency is about refining the building process so that we maximize our time and skills. We continue to do a lot of hand work in building our guitars. Yet, basic machinery is so important in facilitating the handwork. We make use of CNC machinery in cutting parts such as guitar necks, fretboards, bridges as well as the intricate work of inlay on fretboards. All of the parts still require the handwork and precision attention to fit them to each unique guitar. Our luthiers already have a strong skill set and over time have become more efficient in the use of their skills.

Contact Info:

• Website: GallagherGuitar.com
• Instagram: gallagherguitarco
• Facebook: @GallagherGuitar
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@gallagherguitarco.2980