Inside Master Guitar Builder John Carruthers’ Legendary 7th Street Guitars (2006)

Behind the scenes at 7th Street Guitars in Venice, California with John Carruthers.. **From raw wood to rock-and-roll history.** Step inside master luthier John Carruthers’ workshop for a rare, start-to-finish look at how an electric guitar is built by hand — from the first cut of wood to the final setup. This behind-the-scenes process piece was originally created for the Disney kids series Miles and Mazzy’s Musiquarium, a show that was sold but (like so many in TV) never made it to air. John Carruthers’ path to becoming one of the most respected guitar builders and repair experts in the world started with a basement woodshop and a love of music. After moving to Los Angeles in the late 1960s, he began repairing guitars at Westwood Music — where his reputation quickly spread. Over the decades, Carruthers has worked on instruments for an astonishing roster of artists including The Rolling Stones, Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, Eric Clapton, Elvis Presley, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Frank Zappa, Steely Dan, and Bob Dylan, among many others. A trusted innovator and educator, Carruthers has collaborated with and influenced some of the most important names in guitar manufacturing. He worked alongside C.F. Martin IV early in both of their careers, advised Bob Taylor, consulted for Yamaha on guitar and bass design, and later joined Fender, where he helped develop signature and vintage reissue models for artists like Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck. Leo Fender himself sought Carruthers’ expertise on the Music Man StingRay and Sabre instruments, and Carruthers later contributed to designs for Ibanez and G&L. Beyond building and repairing instruments, John founded the Guitar Craft program at Musicians Institute, passing on more than five decades of knowledge to new generations of builders and technicians. This film captures Carruthers doing what he does best: shaping wood, metal, and sound into an instrument that will eventually end up in someone’s hands — and maybe, on a stage somewhere. A small piece of a never-aired Disney music show… and a big look inside the craft behind the music.

Added 3 Jun 2026