Headed for tone, built for sound
6/3/2026
A piece of artwork is versatile and not always displayed on a wall. For Mike Marcovis, his artwork is finely crafted, as well as functional. His artwork supports another artistic venture: creating music.
Marcovis is a luthier — a craftsman who makes handmade guitars. He cuts, sands and fashions wood into a guitar body. After the body is complete, he adds strings, frets, inlays and more for both acoustic and electric guitars. He uses jeweler’s tools to hand cut the inlay, logo and emblem.
He chooses woods such as mahogany, rosewood and other exotic imported woods. Laws limit certain imported woods, which are difficult to obtain.
“Unfortunately, I only use a few woods that are native to Iowa. I’m picky about what wood I use,” he reflects.
Once a guitar is built, it is a work of art, meant to be played or admired for a lifetime. He has made custom guitars for professional musicians and guitar collectors.
Marcovis says he has always been infatuated with guitars. As a child, he used a tennis racket as his pretend guitar. He began playing a real guitar later and wanted to own more expensive guitars.
After high school, he knew college was not in the cards. He met with Dave Plummer, a master guitar builder based in Des Moines, who suggested he attend luthier school. In 2001, he graduated from the Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery in Phoenix, where he learned how to build and repair both acoustic and electric guitars.
When he returned home to Des Moines, he built guitars as a hobby and worked for his family business, G&L Clothing. However, when G&L was sold to a larger corporation, he did not want to work for the new owners and instead devoted full-time to Marcovis Guitars.
In addition to building custom-ordered guitars, he also repairs, restores and appraises vintage guitars and performs other guitar-related maintenance.
A quality guitar stands out from store-bought guitars.
“You strum it, and it vibrates. It feels good in your hands. You can feel the shape of the neck,” he explains. “You don’t get that with mass-produced guitars. This is something that will be around 50 years and can be an heirloom that holds up, plays and sounds beautifully.”
Marcovis uses his own guitar to play in a local Des Moines band, Gut Feeling. He likes the creative process yet prefers to be behind the scenes.
“I enjoy building more than playing,” he reflects. “I like watching music created from the art that I have created.”
Marcovis is meticulous about his work, making fewer than 10 guitars a year. This year he will be displaying his artwork at the Des Moines Arts Festival June 26-28. He is one of the only — if not the first — to showcase guitars at the festival. He encourages folks to touch his guitars at the festival.
“I think most players appreciate knowing how their guitar was made from start to finish,” he reflects. “For players who buy custom guitars, it is not a need. It is a want.” ♦
Jackie Wilson has written hundreds of articles for CITYVIEW and the Iowa Living magazines. She has covered many ordinary people living extraordinary lives.
