Ricardo’s X Mallorie
Well this came out of nowhere… or did it? As many of you know I spent 2022-2025 touring on the road as a professional guitar tech. When I look back on this time I can’t help but recall the countless friendships and brothers that became a second family to me. Touring took me to places I never had thought I would ever get to go, including Nashville becoming a second home for me.
Ricrado and I with the first full prototype!
Why??? “We thought you were going to be the one man shop in his own garage forever???”
I couldn’t keep up anymore. Between a full time job traveling and touring, my family, church life, and any other side work, I hadn't built a guitar in over 18 months. I wanted to still build a brand so I made shirts. I wanted to stay relevant so I pursued social media with the side repair work and touring content… all on the Mallorie Guitars account.
At the end of the day I had these guitar models, ideas, and even a small demand to have them built. I had to find a way. I wanted more guitars in more peoples hands. It’s not about success and becoming the biggest, baddest company around to me. It is way more than a company, it’s a community of friends who make this happen. Y’all have chosen me to bring forth awesome guitars, and I am still going to do that.
Insert Mi Hermano, Ricardo Sanchez
I had tossed around the idea of outsourcing the production process for a hot chunk of time. I looked into some places around the US, some overseas, even some employees at my current home shop. Nothing seemed to pan out at all. I don’t offer a ton of repair work at home but I had my first Ricardo’s guitar come across my bench for a setup. I was instantly blown away. The fretwork, fit and finish, overall aesthetic, and quality of this guitar was astonishing. I had to reach out to stop by his shop since he is located in the Nashville area.
We setup the visit and I was met by one of the kindest human beings. After a few hours of nerding out on builds, tools, jigs, and paint booths, we started the conversation on what the future for my company could look like including him. We landed on prototyping the Hawthorne model first as a complete CAD 3D model. Once that was done we did the same with the Asteria. The rough prototypes turned out awesome so I proceeded with placing a couple orders.
Hawthorne #1 with Ricardo.
So how does this work now?
The ordering process will all be the same. If you are interested in a build we will schedule a video call so that I can get to know you and your build ideas. After that, I will take a down payment that goes straight towards parts and labor for Ricardo. The whole process is the same. With this new adventure I get to fully embrace customer care, advertising, parts ordering, socials, and then the final assembly and setup. Ricardo will take the builds from blocks of wood to paint. Once it is in my hands I do all assembly, setup, final QC and shipment. Our current lead time is 8 months.
Okay, cool speech… so like why don’t I just buy a Ricardo’s Guitar?
PLEASE DO! Seriously, I wouldn’t have partnered with him if I didn’t believe in his own work first and foremost. If there is a model of his that you love more than mine, go for it! One of the biggest reasons that I love using Ricardo is it supports his work as much as it does mine. I hope that I can continue to give Ricardo the continued work he needs. After all, he builds guitars full-time as his main source of income. If I can give him more orders so that he can keep growing and expanding I am all in!
When you buy a Mallorie Guitar you are partaking in a journey that has been carefully curated for years and years. Ricardo has been building since 2013. I have been building since 2020 and was also shown so much perspective from touring on what a quality and amazing guitar should be. With our combined experience and professionalism, we will build your new favorite guitar!