ABOUT

Kauffman Guitars

Klein Acoustic Guitars

Fine Acoustic Steel String Guitars

As far back as my memory takes me I’ve been passionate about working with wood. I grew up in San Francisco near Golden Gate Park during the 1960s. It was an amazing social and musical scene, and it was formative in my development both as an artist and a human being. I built my first guitar in the early ‘70s when I was still a teenager, and ever since I’ve been enthralled with lutherie.

Very early in my career I began exploring the variations which affect the guitars’ tonal qualities, such as bracing systems and wood combinations. When I met, and apprenticed with Steve Klein decades ago, I was very grateful – there are very few original things in the world – the Klein guitar is one of them. We eventually turned into collaborators; Klein the genius designer and I the master craftsman.

We worked on a number of projects together including the Taylor Bass and the TransPerformance Self-Tuning Acoustic Guitar, and all of that work has impacted my own sense of building.

I still make Klein acoustic guitars, which I love to do, and I’m increasingly enthusiastic about Kauffman guitars. My instruments are a bit more traditional-looking, yet still incorporate many of the innovative ideas of Dr. Michael Kasha and Steve Klein. Notwithstanding the model, all Kauffman guitars are typified by their beauty of tone and their incisive clarity and power. They are exceedingly efficient and built with utter precision, making for instruments that are at once sensitive and sturdy. I make each guitar one at a time by hand in my own shop here in Cottage Grove, Oregon, a method that allows me to have a deep relationship with each instrument, and that I feel produces a superior guitar.

Steven Kauffman

Quote:

“I consider Steven Kauffman to be one of the most skilled and talented luthiers in the world today. I feel grateful and honored to call him partner and friend.”

Steve Klein

Professional

Luthier Steven Kauffman has been part of the lutherie community for close to forty-five years, he's association with renowned Luthier Steve Klein is legendary, as he has built nearly one-hundred Klein Acoustics. Among professional musicians he has built guitars for a selected few: Steve Miller, Andy Summers, Bill Frisell, Peter Kaukonen, Martin Simpson, William Ackerman, author Paul Schmidt, guitar-collector Jeff Doctorow.

Specialty Instruments:

Shatki Harp, Acoustic Bass, Electrics, Harp-Guitar

He doesn’t only build acoustic guitars but also specialty instruments like a DoubleGuitar for New Yorker two-hand guitarist Scott Stenten, 32-strings Shatki Harp-Guitar for Bruce BecVar and Steve Miller.

He was also involved in making the prototypes for the Taylor/Klein acoustic basses collaboration.

He helped Steve Klein with developing tooling for the electric guitars in the early ‘90s and a semi-hollow in early 2000s.

As well as a bridge for a Harp-Guitar Prototype, a project originally intended for Michael Hedges that came to fruition and was unveiled at the Harp Guitar Gathering in October 2016 and NAMM 2017.

Also, the latest addition to the Klein Guitars a Limited Edition of only seven themed guitars called Fibonacci.