Joe Veillette

Who is Joe Veillette?

Joe Veillette, is a luthier and the owner of Veillette Guitars. He specializes in the crafting of unusual and innovative handmade guitars, basses, and other stringed instruments. Veillette's client list includes John Sebastian, James Taylor, Ani DiFranco, Dave Mathews, John Mayer, Kaki King, Neal Schon, and Eddie Van Halen.

Veillette is originally from Brooklyn, New York. He studied architecture at City College of New York, and was subsequently employed as an architectural designer on Park Avenue. He took a class in guitar-making in 1971, which was taught by legendary luthier Michael Gurian. Veillette's goal was to apply what he learned in the class to fix a broken headstock on his Gibson J-45. He became so interested in guitar building that he teamed up with fellow architectural student Harvey Citron, and formed Veillette-Citron in 1976.

Veillette-Citron collaborated with John Sebastian to develop and market the first production baritone guitar. Veillette-Citron pioneered neck-thru-body construction, made innovations in instrument electronics, and set new trends in modern electric bass design. Early Veillete-Citron instruments are rare and highly sought-after as a result of their excellence in craftsmanship and innovative designs. The company moved from Brooklyn to Kingston NY in 1976, but the partnership dissolved in 1983.