A Luthier's Resume´

 

 

Master Luthier George Goumas has been involved in the art of stringed instrument construction and restoration since the early 1960’s. He received instruction and mentoring from four acknowledged masters and opened The Fretworks Custom Guitar Service, T/A The Fretshop in Woodbridge, New Jersey during the mid 1970’s. In 2009, The Fretworks relocated to the beautiful historic section of South Orange, New Jersey, where Mr. Goumas continues to provide specialized stringed instrument service and repairs to professional musicians and collectors by appointment.

 

 

During the early 1980’s, Mr. Goumas and the late renowned Luthier, Robert Ruggiero partnered as technical and training consultants to the Guild, Gibson, Fender, Kramer, Spector, Dean, and Evets (Danelectro) Guitar companies. The pairing of the two master craftsmen quickly brought the Fretworks into the limelight of the music industry, and by mid 1980’s, Goumas and Ruggiero had generated a who’s who clientele of internationally acclaimed performers, including Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi), Elliot Easton, Joe Pass, Roberta Flack, Blue Oyster Cult, Kiss, Edward Van Halen, Twisted Sister, Buddy Guy, Dave Van Ronk, Sonny Rhodes and others. Several of these celebrities sent their personal stringed instrument technicians to Goumas and Ruggiero for advanced training. Sadly, Robert Ruggiero past away before the year 2000 and is missed both as a great friend, and a talented guitar builder.

For over forty years George Goumas has been an active participant in the preservation of American Roots Music and has provided Lutherie services to a host of Jazz, Latin, R&B, Oldies and blues music legends including, The Drifters, The Platters, The Coasters, Little Anthony, The Marvelettes, The Shirelles, Hubert Sumlin, Otis Rush, Anson Funderburgh, Ronnie Earl, Junior Watson, J.W. Jones, Bobby Murray (Etta James),Ervin Perez (Mark Anthony/Jennifer Lopez), Sonny Rhodes, and late music celebrities Albert Collins, Michael Bloomfield, Johnny Copeland, Jimmy Rogers, Son Seals, Jerome “Jay” Isaac Owens, and Dr. Ted Dunbar (Rutgers University Jazz Studies).

George Goumas has been performing as a touring and session musician for over forty years, having provided repertoire, arrangement, guitar, steel guitar and bass instrumentation for many acclaimed Blues and R&B artists, including Albert Collins, Otis Rush, Son Seals, Hubert Sumlin, Jimmy Rogers, Pine Top Perkins, Sonny Rhodes, Frankie Lee and Finis Tasby. George has also sat in as a guest performer with Ronnie Earl, Jerry Portnoy, Anson Funderburgh, Jerome Issac "Jay" Owens and others.

George can usually be found at West Orange, New Jersey's Franklin Tavern on Wednesday evenings where he participates in the metropolitan area's finest Roots Music open mic. It's not uncommon to find many of the east coast's top session and touring musicians jamming at the Franklin, including internationally acclaimed R&B and Soul chanteuse Betty Lavette who usually holds court there when she's not touring or recording.





When time permits, Mr. Goumas still performs as a guitarist, steel guitarist and session musician with several blues, R&B and gospel groups.