Jay Pilzer

Jay Pilzer is the founder of New Hope Guitars and has been very active in the vintage guitar market for several decades.  While earning his doctorate and teaching history, Jay became fascinated with guitars.  As a musician he enjoyed playing them and as a history professor he enjoyed learning about them.  He soon gained a reputation as “the Guild Guy” and began writing about the history of guitars.  Along the way he opened his own retail company, New Hope Guitars, and focused on guitar shows and the Internet for his main business.  Over the years he has also been a friend of George Gruhn, who has hired Jay as a consultant on several projects including the massive job of moving the guitar shop to its current home on 8th Ave in Nashville.