First Notes & Foundations

Born in the Bronx in 1978, Adam Buchwald picked up his first guitar at age 10 and never looked back. Summers were spent at his father’s metal stamping factory, where he learned to work with machines and raw materials. In college, he studied music at UVM, dove into Vermont’s bluegrass scene, and added banjo and mandolin to his growing repertoire.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the country…
The Luthiers Mercantile which will later become Allied Lutherie, is founded by Tom Petereson and Todd Taggart - who meet in 1977 while working at Stonegate Winery in Calistoga, California

A New Calling

After graduation in 2000, Adam returned to NYC to play music and work at his father's factory. A broken banjo led him to legendary repairman Bob Jones, who, after much persuasion, took Adam on as an apprentice. It was here that his training truly began.

From Bob's shop, he moved on to Retrofret in Brooklyn, where he became head repair technician and had the privilege of working on a range of very special vintage instruments.

He founded Circle Strings in 2005 while juggling repairs, factory shifts, and an ever-growing passion for building.

In 2008, he moved to Vermont full-time to teach guitar building.

Building a Name

In 2010 Adam moved on from Vermont Instruments and took a part time job with Froggy Bottom Guitars, which led to a full time gig. That experience taught him the meaning of dedication to a craft, and further honed his guitar building skills.

Back in Burlington, Adam launched his own garage shop, focusing on custom guitars and repairs. After a legal battle with his neighbor, he rented space from another VT luthier, Creston Lea, of Creston Guitars, and began exploring CNC tools to scale production. This was also where he met Sarah Ryan, who later lent her work to special edition Iris guitars.

The work sharpened, the sound deepened, and his vision for the future came into focus.

Expansion Era

As demand for custom builds grew, so did the need for a more accessible option.

In 2018, Adam launched Iris Guitars, designed to bring vintage tone and clean design to more players. The following year, he acquired Allied Lutherie to secure a steady supply of premium tonewoods.

Around the same time, he invited Dale Fairbanks to join the team, bringing his celebrated Fairbanks Guitars into the fold. Together, they expanded the Iris line, and transformed Circle Strings into a collaborative, multi-brand shop where craftsmanship and community drive everything they do.

On the World Stage

With a growing team and a new facility in South Burlington, Circle Strings stepped into the spotlight.

Adam built custom guitars for Trey Anastasio of Phish, partnered with Paul Languedoc on the G4 electric model, and rebranded the shop’s retail arm as Circle Strings Guitar Shop.

The team grew to over 20 people, international distribution expanded, and the Circle family of brands became a global name in modern lutherie.