Meet Daniel Bjorke | Luthier, electronics engineer, music and art nerd

We had the good fortune of connecting with Daniel Bjorke and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Daniel, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My reason for starting the business was and still is purely self-expression. I have been a lifelong guitar player, and in general music appreciator. I go to guitar stores, and record shops every week, sometimes more than once a week. When I was a teenager, I would go to guitar stores and see the same things everywhere; what ended up happening to me and so many other people was to start modifying instruments to get them closer to what I needed them to be. As I began to get older (looking at colleges) I became aware of the field of lutherie. I then discovered the MSIR school in Redwing Minnesota and knew right away that I was going to learn how to make guitars and started channeling my thoughts and energy into making a guitar brand. Lil Trees Guitar Company was born when I was about sixteen years old.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Each of my instruments is entirely designed by me in every way from the ground up. I came up with these designs by combining attributes from many other instruments. I would take the scale length from this guitar, and the neck angle from that guitar, while using the wood varieties from this guitar, and then outfit the instrument with the nicest, most hi-end hardware I could get my hands on – while never turning my back on tradition. I’ve never focused on gold hardware, synthetic materials, or any of that type of snake oil. I would spend months learning how to make something myself rather than using something that could be purchased from another manufacturer. This mentality has been maintained throughout the design process of all five of my instrument models as well as my electronic devices, and guitar pickups. I eventually got to a point where the identity of my instrument’s had been fairly well mapped out; and it was at that time that I started offering some options for custom orders. I do not however let people change things too much. I do this because I feel like changing certain things will begin to turn the guitar into something that I wouldn’t personally put the Lil Trees name on, and I don’t have much interest in making guitars that I know won’t sound outstanding. I like my guitars to sound large, dynamic, warm, and woody, be fun and easy to play, and most importantly, different than something you can just go to guitar center to buy. I have zero interest in taking from people like Leo Fender, Ted Mccarty, Lloyd Loar, Seth Lover, or folks like James Ormston Burns, or Paul Reed Smith. I view these people I’ve mentioned as true pioneers. To me, They’re like the Soichiro Honda of the musical world. I’m okay with being inspired by these people, but never taking from them. I am where I am today because I have always wanted to help people discover their sound; or at least help them along their way. Sometimes this means they don’t buy my instruments, but they may want to purchase a couple of my guitar pickups, or perhaps they only need a Synesthesia Distortion Pedal. Again, I feel like us musicians are very well acquainted with what’s available from all the larger and well-established guitar brands. Lil Trees is about providing something in the same vein, but not exactly something that is for the absolute beginner. A great many of my customers are life-long guitar players; they’ve already owned a Telecaster, or a Les Paul. They’ve tried to outfit their guitars with Duncans. or Dimarzios. We’ve all had many Boss, or EHX pedals, and we all know how those items fit into our sound. Lil Trees Guitar Co. takes the time to educate and provide examples of what elements within these products have to do with the overall sound, and what changing specific parts will do to the overall sound. Sometimes things are the way they are because of some bottom line, or an increase in the difficulty in procuring a certain part in a specific quantity. Being as small of a brand as I am, I am afforded a certain luxury that permits me the freedom to do something that might be a touch more expensive, or something that might take a little bit longer to arrive. Being that I make everything myself, I never really have to deal with the realities of large overhead costs. Getting here hasn’t been necessarily easy, but it has been a necessary thing for me to do with the brand, and the identity I need for it to have. These instruments I make are each an extension of my passion, and the pursuit of music making that I have been busying myself with for my entire life. I still go out and buy things from both large and small companies. How could I not? There is a whole world of people out doing their thing and sharing it with us musicians. I am just another one of those people, a person here to help, a person who has been putting in work to help the world of music.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would first take them to Buckhead, l5p, and the East Atlanta Village. I feel like the true culture of the city can best be seen in those three places. Aurora Coffee, 529, Boggs, Sabbath brewing, Star bar, Wax ‘n Facts, Criminal records, Fantasyland records, 11th St. Studios, Little Bangkok, Music Go Round in Duluth. I would then take them to the skate park on the Beltline. If they were very lucky, I would try talking them into drinking beer at Georgia Beer Garden and going out on the M + M ride with me for a real good time.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Leo Fender The art of electronics
Robert S.
Nick K.

Website: www.liltreesguitars.com

Instagram: @liltreesguitars

Image Credits
I took each of these photos.