Recording King Acoustic Guitars

Originally a house brand for Montgomery Ward, Recording King acoustic guitars and banjos were developed during what many consider to be the golden age of musical instruments. The careful craftsmanship and rich sound of instruments designed during this era make them some of the most well-respected and sought-after fretted acoustic instruments available.

During the 1930’s, Recording King instruments were built by some of the most respected instrument builders in the business. Montgomery Ward made Recording King one of the most popular brands of the day by providing players of all walks of life with high value instruments at affordable prices. The popularity of these instruments was magnified by the Montgomery Ward mail-order catalog “Wish Book,” where all of America had the freedom to have professional quality products delivered to their door at value prices. Recording King built signature models for the top entertainers of the day, Nick Lucas, Ray Whitley, Carson Robison and Roy Smeck. Although it was known as a brand of the people, Recording King also earned a name as the brand of the stars.

With that respected history firmly etched in the headstock of every one of our instruments, we build each Recording King to be as carefully crafted and as historically accurate as the original models. Today, we are proud that players of all styles have found in us the same commitment to quality, value and passion for great-sounding instruments as they did 75 years ago. With every instrument we build, we strive to continue the Recording King tradition begun three quarters of a century ago, by building instruments that offer unparalleled quality and value, within the reach of every player.