Joseph Jesselli

Who is Joseph Jesselli?

Joseph Jesselli is an American guitar maker and luthier currently living and working in East Northport, NY on Long Island. He has been making guitars since about 1978. He has been described as the “Stradivari of Huntington" by the New York Times. He is also the maternal uncle of Anthony Cumia of the Opie and Anthony radio show.

Joe Jesselli makes artisan quality electric hollow-body guitars. His instruments have distinct Art Deco and Art Nouveau influences. His guitars are owned by a number of notable musicians. A Jesselli "Rifle Guitar", owned by Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones, was once featured in guitar world magazine.. Jesselli guitars were used to record "Undercover of the Night" and "Too Much Blood" from the The Rolling Stones album Undercover. Richards can be seen playing an electric Jesselli Archtop guitar in the music videos for those songs.

Jesselli was the only in-studio apprentice to Jimmy D'Aquisto, the Huntington, NY luthier famous for elite arch-top type guitars popular among Jazz musicians. Jesselli worked in D'Aquisto's workshop for over six years, from 1973 until about 1980. Prior to that, Jesselli apprenticed under Marcos Baiter, an Argentinian-born master wood carver and furniture maker who maintained a Long Island workshop in Huntington, NY.