Born in Canada to a family of carpenters, cabinetmakers, and woodcarvers, Richard Brooks was already a journeyman carpenter when he made his first guitar at the age of nineteen. He began his career as a guitarist at age fourteen playing many of the popular styles of music in the 60's but it wasn't until he heard a recording of Andres Segovia in 1968 that his passion for the guitar really took hold. In the early seventies, he began studying with concert guitarist Stanley Watson. This five year association inspired a career in music as a classical guitar teacher at Hochstein School of Music and Professor of Guitar at Eisenhower College in upstate New York. Through Stanley Watson, he met guitar makers Heinz Rosner and Augustine Ramos who showed him the basics of classical guitar making. Building on the techniques he learned from these luthiers he has spent the last thirty years developing his craft. Richard makes a limited number of guitars each year staying true to the Spanish Tradition. He now lives in Southern California with his wife and children.