Gurian Guitars

Gurian Guitars was a manufacturer of high quality acoustic guitars based in New York City, then Hinsdale, New Hampshire and finally West Swanzey, New Hampshire, from the 1960s to 1981. The instruments were designed by luthier Michael Gurian who also supervised production of the instruments bearing his name. The company was one of the earliest "boutique" acoustic guitar makers in the U.S.A., offering an alternative product to those of the larger, factory-based makers of the day, with instruments characterized by a distinctive shape, features and sound.

The Gurian Guitar company was founded in around 1965 by luthier Michael Gurian who built first classical then steel string instruments with a number of unique design features including a more rounded body shape than those of other manufacturers, a long scale length, narrow "electric"-style neck, and an unusual fan-derived bracing system for the top of the guitar. The earliest guitars were built in various small workshops in New York City, followed by a move to larger premises in Hinsdale, New Hampshire in 1973 where the majority of guitars were built. The company suffered a disastrous fire in its Hinsdale factory in 1979 which resulted in the loss of most of the instrument stock and associated tools, but rebuilt in a new location in West Swanzey, New Hampshire until 1981-2 when it was forced to close due to prevailing economic conditions. Following the cessation of his instrument making operation, Michael Gurian returned to the supply of quality wood supplies and components for other makers, the area in which he originally started.

The main models offered were the Size 2, the Size 3 and the Jumbo steel-string instruments, as well as classical and flamenco models, with back and sides made either in mahogany (suffix "M") or rosewood (suffix "R") (the flamenco model had back and sides of cypress), or more rarely of Brazilian rosewood ("B"), maple ("M") or koa ("K"); instruments with more deluxe herringbone trim were also denoted by an additional "H" in the model number. Gurian was also one of the first makers to offer a cutaway on an otherwise full size acoustic instrument, to provide enhanced access to the higher frets, a precursor of a very popular trend in later decades.

...
Wikipedia