About Nunnally Fine Archtop Instruments

A Legacy of Craftsmanship

“After playing many guitars over my thirty-year career in music, I can truly say this guitar is the finest instrument I have ever had the pleasure of performing with! It sounds great in live performances or in the studio recording! It is truly a work of art!”
— Chris Bellamy, Singer Songwriter

Dedication to Handcrafted Instruments

The story of Nunnally Guitars is rooted in a thirty-year fascination with the cellular nature of wood. Founded by master craftsman Mike Nunnally, the process embodies a lifetime of technical expertise channeled into a pursuit of acoustic perfection.

Before dedicating his life to lutherie, Mike spent two decades at the helm of a premier architectural millwork company. In 2006, he closed that chapter to pursue a lifelong passion for music. He quickly discovered a unique truth: while he enjoyed playing music, his true gift was in bringing the wood to life through sound.

One Instrument At A Time

Each archtop, acoustic guitar, mandolin or mandola is hand made by Mike himself, one instrument at a time.

  • "I realized I had far more talent for making instruments than for playing them. In the workshop, I don't just see a piece of spruce; I see a structural template for sound."

    —Mike Nunnally

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Every instrument is handcrafted by Mike Nunnally, a master craftsman and thirty-year veteran of the woodworking industry. Since 2010, Mike has applied his deep expertise in architectural millwork to the art of lutherie, building world-class instruments one by one.

  • Nunnally Fine Archtop Instruments is located in Wilmington, North Carolina.

  • While we specialize in high quality acoustic instruments, our Archtop Jazz Guitars are designed with either built-in or “floating” electronic pickups. Nylon and steel string acoustic models can accommodate under-saddle or under-bridge plate piezo style pickups.

  • We specialize in three core categories of hand-carved instruments:

    • Archtop Guitars: Available in 15”, 16”, and 17” models.

    • Acoustic Guitars: Including our Dreadnought and Classical models.

    • Mandolins: Including the F5 Mandolin, Jazz Mandolin, and Archtop Mandola.

    • With the exception of the F5 Mandolin and the Dreadnought Guitar, all instrument models are Mike’s own designs.

  • Nunnally Fine Archtop Instruments doesn’t typically build custom instruments. To maximize the potential of each instrument, Mike prefers to let the building process evolve on its own. As instruments are completed, they are listed for sale.

  • You can email Mike at nunnallyfai@gmail.com.