About

Koen van der Meij

 

VanderMeij Guitars is a one man custom guitar shop. Koen van der Meij (1989) started playing guitar at the age of 13. While practising much, playing in bands and trying a lot of guitars, Koen developed a critical eye and ear for the playability, looks and sound of a guitar. It was after a couple of years that he knew he wanted to make his own guitars.

 

At the age of 17 Koen started his education at a vocational school for woodworking, graduating four years later with both an acoustic and electric guitar.

 

Having fallen in love with the craft of making guitars, Koen continued to build electric guitars besides his daytime job in the wood trade. He eventually applied for an internship at a renown Dutch bass builder where he learned all ins and outs of fine instrument building.

 

After several builds led to inquiries for custom guitars and the first prize at the Dutch guitar builders meeting, Koen realized he wanted to take the leap: the smal shed he worked from was not sufficient anymore. In January 2015, Koen found a workshop in Amsterdam and VanderMeij Guitars was officially founded. The 90 square meter workshop was completed with all kinds of woodworking machines, an office/showroom and in 2016 with a professional spraybooth. Since then, all guitars were built from start to finish in Amsterdam!

 

Winter NAMM 2020 also proved to be a milestone for Koen. In order to finish all guitars for this important exhibition, he quit his parttime job in order to focus on VanderMeij Guitars fulltime. This turned out to be a good choice as the guitars and newly launched bass guitars could count on lots of enthusiasm.

 

In 2021 it became more and more clear that after amazing years in Amsterdam, VanderMeij Guitars was in need of a bigger and more professional workshop that would allow for a better production line and a bigger clean environment. In October 2021, this workshop was found in Lisse, a smaller town nearby. With a production facility downstairs and an assembly room, office and showroom upstairs, this shop will be sufficient for the next years to come!

 

 

 

 

 

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Reviews

Media

Gitarre & Bass, May 2018
Online feature on Holy Grail Guitar Show

Gitarist, November 2017:

GitaarPlus, June 2017:

Gitarist, June 2017:

Gitarist, August 2016: