Huss & Dalton

Jeff Huss and Mark Dalton founded Huss & Dalton Guitar Company in 1995 in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Both came in with backgrounds in acoustic guitar building and repair, and the shop they opened together was small from the start — a working partnership rather than a brand exercise. The flat-top steel-strings that came out of the shop quickly built a reputation in the bluegrass and roots music world for tight construction, balanced voicing, and a quietly traditional aesthetic. The catalog is anchored in pre-war American flat-top traditions but doesn't recreate Martin originals literally. The Crossroads is the shop's flagship — a slope-shoulder dread with the broad, dry voice that flatpickers chase. The T-OO ("Triple-O") and 000-SP cover smaller-bodied territory, the TD series the traditional dreadnought, and the Statesboro model the lighter-built parlor and small-jumbo end of the line. Custom builds are common; standard configurations exist but most orders specify their own combination of tonewoods and appointments. In 2021, Brian Dickel — a long-time member of the team — took over ownership from Jeff and Mark. The transition was internal rather than external; Dickel had built and shipped guitars at Huss & Dalton for years before stepping into ownership, and the shop's build standards and aesthetic have continued under his direction. Tonewood sourcing emphasizes sustainable supply, and the shop runs at a small-shop scale with build queues running into months for custom orders.