Saul's Brief Bio Saul Koll grew up in southern California just north of Los Angeles in a town called Newhall. He always had an interest in how things were made and what made things work. While other kids were playing sports, Saul was in the garage taking expensive toys apart and gluing the components into new weird new contraptions. At 12 he started to play the guitar and his compulsive tendencies were then directed to learning the instrument. It was about this time that he found a book on guitar making at the library in Redondo Beach. It was Classic Guitar Construction by Irving Sloan. One of the earliest writings on the subject and as it turns out eventually very influential.(Notice how even at the beach, Saul was at the library!) Saul found the book intriguing but beyond his skills at age 12. He continued his guitar studies and school and all the usual teenage stuff. Saul studied art at San Diego State University and got his Bachelors degree there. He continued his "contraption" making but it was under the guise of sculpture. It was there at the library where Saul found Sloan's book again. Meanwhile he continued to practice the guitar. Saul played in the highschool jazz ensemble as well as a few rock bands. In 1984 he coformed The Charms, a highly regarded pop rock outfit. Very successful artistically, a profound failure commercially. Nevertheless the band recorded several full -length records, many singles and was featured on a few compilations. The Charms toured a bit as well. The Charms had their last shows in 1995, the same year as the birth of Saul's first child. Back to the guitar making part. In college Saul had found that book again and was determined to make a real guitar. He purchase some wood from Ed McGlinchy and began making a guitar on his kitchen table. He also did many repairs there. After one of The Charms first tours, Saul got a job at The World of Strings in Long Beach California. It was here under the tutelage of Jon Peterson and Glen Mers that Saul really began to understand how the instrument was put together. It was there that he began making guitars full time. In 1993 Saul and his partner Denise moved to Portland, Oregon. He continues to build great guitars and does some repair and restoration work at The Twelfth Fret there. Saul and Denise have two beautiful daughters. The Koll Guitar Company was founded in 1990 in Long Beach California. The very first electric guitar was The Super Stretch, a one-off solidbody made for Bill Jennings from the Charms. In 1993 Koll relocated to Portland OR, and continues to produce the finest musical instruments anywhere. In 1995 Koll Guitar company received it's first review in a national magazine. With that press, the Glide line was expanded into what we see today. In 1992 the first archtop guitars were made. 2000 brought the Bridgetown series of archtops. Koll guitars will continue to progress and evolve.