Fatherwood Guitar & Co. started after Tom Staber moved to Florida to be closer to his father, Dave. They started building acoustic guitars together about five years ago in their Bonita Springs studio.

But really, it started much longer ago than that.

The Stabers are originally from Sioux City, Iowa. Dave is a professional woodworker and actually built a guitar from scratch for Tom in the late ’90s. He made more over the years, each time adding some personal touches to the otherwise textbook designs.

When Tom moved south, they started perfecting their craft. Dave actually has more woodworking experience and Tom has the ear for music, so he can tell when an acoustic guitar sounds just right. “We really complement each other well,” Tom says.

Photo By Brian Tietz

They have a social media presence and sell online, but they’re growing the business largely by word of mouth; they’ve been getting into high-end arts and crafts events, and have donated custom guitar work for the Naples Winter Wine Festival Auction the last two years.

It’s not just about music; they craft furniture and other woodwork, and Tom has started The true North Way, a company that makes hats with custom patches. But Fatherwood is a passion project for them both, a way to build a bond between generations. They even have two models of guitars named after Tom’s daughters: the Clare and the Addie.

“It’s fun to have family around,” Dave says. “That was the ultimate goal in all of this—to bring family together.”