About Maxwell Custom Guitars
Maxwell Custom Guitars is the workshop of New Zealand luthier Glenn Maxwell, where bespoke electric, acoustic and bass guitars are designed and built one instrument at a time — from the tonewood up — in Aotearoa.
Hand-built in Aotearoa
Every Maxwell guitar begins as a conversation. We discuss the music you play, the feel you chase, the instruments you already love, and the ones you wish existed. From that conversation comes a build sheet, then a body blank, then — many hours of careful work later — an instrument that belongs to no one else but you.
Working from a small workshop in Auckland, Glenn cuts, shapes, voices and finishes every guitar by hand. There is no production line. There is one luthier, one bench, one instrument at a time.
What we build
Custom electric guitars — offsets, T-styles,
S-styles, originals, semi-hollows.
Custom acoustic guitars — voiced for your
playing dynamic and chosen tonewoods.
Custom bass guitars — 4, 5 and 6 string,
passive or active, fretted or fretless.
Set-ups & repairs for serious players.
The luthier — Glenn Maxwell
Glenn Maxwell is a self-taught luthier who has been building bespoke guitars in Aotearoa, New Zealand for over a decade. His work has shipped to players across New Zealand, Australia and further afield, with each instrument made to the player’s own specification — never a model number, never an off-the-shelf spec sheet.
Glenn’s focus is the relationship between the player’s hands and the instrument’s voice: weight, neck profile, fret size, scale length, pickup choice, finish thickness — every variable is dialled in for the person who’ll be playing it.
Why bespoke
Off-the-shelf guitars are remarkable instruments — but they are designed for an average player who does not exist. A Maxwell build exists only for you. The result is an instrument that feels like an extension of your hands the moment you pick it up, and keeps revealing more the longer you play it.
Get in touch
Ready to talk about a build? Visit our contact page, send a message through Instagram or Facebook, or email [email protected].