Richard Wagner has been making instruments as a profession for twenty six years.

His love for creating, however, began much earlier. His dad, affectionately known as "Poppy," began showing him how to use hand tools as early as age five.

Poppy Wagner himself was an artist and craftsman who gave up the pursuit of his own talent in order to dedicate himself to his devoted wife and four children. But Poppy passed on his talent for and love of handiwork to his children.

Indeed, Richard Wagner comes from a long line of fine craftsmen. His Grandfather, "PINK" Wagner, was one of the great shoemakers in the early part of this century-- an early pioneer in orthopedic shoe design and construction.

When Richard was about eight, his father--motivated almost as much by the will to keep his son's messes off his own workbench as by the desire to nurture his talent--gave little Richard his own shop area and bench in the family's garage.

It was here that Richard began to explore metal work, jewelry, and whitling from a young age.

Along the way, Poppy gave his young son a broad foundation for creative expression, introducing him to electronics as well as art and design.

In the mid seventies, Richard decided that the time had come to devote himself fully to his craft. He dropped a career in mental health and took a training position at Norden Music in Jacksonville, Florida. He worked for five years in the string shop there, learning the business of instrument making and repairing.

In January of 1980, Richard formed Wagner Music Co., and began devoting his life to making fine instruments.

By this time he was already using his electronics background to explore the possibilities of onboard preamps coupled with piezo pickups.

This year, Richard finally began to put to work his several years of designing and experimenting with the concept of controlling the pressure on the piezo.

Dissatisfied with the inability of current pickups to replicate the sound of the more difficult instruments, Richard made prototypes for the mandolin, the dobro, and the bass.

Pleased with the early successes, he continues to develop new applications of the concept of controlled pressure on the piezo. To about Wagner Pickups, or to see a few pictures of simply click on the respective links.

Mr. Wagner's work also demonstrates a mastery of baroque style inlay, translating the natural colors of many pieces of wood into angels, cherubim, eagles, horses--most any theme he is drawn to explore.

Many of his finest instruments feature these ornate works which lend physical beauty to the wonderful sound and playability of these guitars, violins, banjos, and other members of the string family.