Reece Fourt, Farr Out Instruments: The Stargazer

Reece Fourt, a Carrboro-based luthier and founder of Farr Out Instruments, makes guitars.  His primary offering, the Stargazer, is a gorgeous, meticulously-designed instrument. He builds them for working musicians who want a guitar that is crafted to their individual style of playing and can also survive an active touring and performing schedule.

Reece developed his guitar-building skills and exceptional instrument design over decades studying lutherie and working in repair shops. The design of his instruments comes from the functional and aesthetic observations of the hundreds of guitars he has repaired over the years. He wanted to create something new rather than follow in the well-worn path that many current guitar brands had trod with their imitations of classic guitar models like Stratocasters and Telecasters. He developed a design that is visually interesting and reminiscent of vintage guitars. “I want something that feels familiar. Something that you think maybe is some oddball guitar from the 60s that you remember seeing.”

The design and quality of Reece’s guitars are rooted in his history and path from the small southern town of Bentonville, Arkansas. Bentonville is home to the world-famous Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, upscale restaurants gathered on its famous A Street, and of course, the business whose earnings and funding made Bentonville a tourist destination, Walmart.  Bentonville developed after Reece moved away.  “When I was there, it was just tiny town nobody cared about. It’s bizarre to have my dinky little hometown being a destination.” 

The town and its famous corporate resident seem to have influenced the philosophy behind his craft. He said, “to build an instrument that will outlive you is the goal. In modern society, a lot of stuff is very disposable and has a short shelf life. So, it’s cool to work on stuff like a Martin from the1890s that is still fully functional. It’s possible to make something that is going to live multiple lifetimes.”

He learns the lessons that guitars teach after they’ve had many years of use. “The best guitars are the ones that have been played a lot – the ones that are beat up and had stuff replaced, broken, and re-glued.”

Reece started playing guitar when he was 12 years old and was heavily influenced by Nirvana and the punk scene of his early teens. In high school, he started building theater sets and discovered a talent for woodworking. When he was around 18, a friend, noticing his talent, asked why he didn’t combine his interests and build a guitar. It was a life-changing moment. Reece said, “Seems logical, right? But it never occurred to me as a thing I could do.”

Reece spent the next few years immersed in all aspects of guitar making and repair at the luthier school at Minnesota State College in Red Wing, Minnesota.  He also took his skills to Norway, where he located his workshop most recently before moving to Carrboro.

In addition to making guitars, Reece has worked in repair shops where he has seen everything from instruments made over 150 years ago to the latest fads in guitar design and construction. He has studied what works and what doesn’t work. “You see things that look cool but break in five years. You see different neck joints and things that don’t stand up to road use.”

Accordingly, the Stargazer utilizes neck and body construction that provide for clear string tone without creating angles in the neck and body that often lead to breaks. It’s a guitar that will work for a touring musician now and that musician’s kids and grandkids in future rock-star generations.

You can try out Reece’s guitars by making an appointment through his website at Farr Out Instruments, or by visiting him at Twin House Music at 116 W. Main Street in Carrboro where he currently works and keeps guitars he has made in stock.