My name is Judson (Jud) Riviere. From a young age I was passionate about guitars and their construction. As a teenager, I attempted to build guitar kits and do my own set up work. I was always striving to have a better playing, looking, and sounding instrument.

My passion grew, and after high school I attended luthier school, The Guitar Repair and Building Program, in Red Wing, Minnesota. It was an intensive two year program with breaks during the summer, allowing me to practice what I learned during the school year. My time spent in Red Wing gave me a strong woodworking foundation and a fundamental understanding of how to build and repair guitars and other fretted instruments. 

After graduating from luthier school, I moved to Lawrence, Kansas, and began working for Steve Mason Luthiers and Violin doing repair work. Working for Steve, I had the opportunity to work on a variety of instruments and gain a deeper understanding of how guitars function, how they can fail, and importantly, how they can be improved. Graciously, Steve also allowed me to build my own instruments when I had spare time and this gave me the opportunity to put my growing knowledge into practice.

I greatly enjoyed doing repairs, but after three years, I knew I had reached a point that I wanted to further my education so I could focus on guitar building and developing a greater understanding of how to manipulate the sound of an acoustic guitar. 

In 2019 I contacted renowned luthier, Jason Kostal. I had the opportunity to interview with Jason and show him two of my latest built instruments. After reviewing my work, and meeting me, I was offered a multi-year apprenticeship position to train under Jason, which I completed in 2022.

My time spent with Jason has been invaluable, and incredibly important to the work I do today. In that environment I was able to take my craft to new heights, pushing my skills even further. I take great pride in being able to call Jason a mentor and am grateful for the many lessons he has taught me.

In 2022 I launched Riviere Guitars. Now building instruments under my own name, I strive to make guitars that match my own ideas of exceptional sound, playability, and design.