About
Emerson wrote, "Life is a journey, not a destination." This idea of living in the moment runs deeply through luthier Sangho Byun, and therefore is embodied in each of his instruments.
After growing up in Philadelphia, Sangho and his wife moved to California in 2004, when she started grad school. After a couple of years in the Bay Area, they ended up in Davis, California, where they've enjoyed raising their two kids in the idyllic college town.
Sangho learned the craft and art of guitar building from Harrison Phipps (owner of Fretted Strings in Davis, CA), whose mentors were Art Overholtzer (author of Classic Guitar Making) and Richmond Talbott (a master of guitar repair). What started out as a pastime quickly became a full-blown obsession, with Sangho working his day job, then spending evenings with his family, then building guitars on the kitchen counter after putting the kids to bed. 4 months and 150 hours later, his first instrument was completed and Viacali Guitars was born.
Sangho learned the craft and art of guitar building from Harrison Phipps (owner of Fretted Strings in Davis, CA), whose mentors were Art Overholtzer (author of Classic Guitar Making) and Richmond Talbott (a master of guitar repair). What started out as a pastime quickly became a full-blown obsession, with Sangho working his day job, then spending evenings with his family, then building guitars on the kitchen counter after putting the kids to bed. 4 months and 150 hours later, his first instrument was completed and Viacali Guitars was born.
What does Viacali mean?
"Viacali" is an abbreviation for Via California, because that westward move from Philly to California left an indelible mark on Sangho. Wherever life leads him in the future, Davis will be the place where he started his family and developed his passion for lutherie.