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About Us
South Philly's Finest
Three dudes with one dream: Guitars For Life.
While we all took different paths to get here, it was only a matter of time before we came together. Now, we are proud to call our little corner of the BOK Building the only shop of it's kind in the area.
We are all products of the joy that comes from building and repairing instruments, and we look forward to sharing our love of the craft, and of making music, with all of you.
A little bit about the guys below...
Andy Bree
Andy is the owner of Braxton Guitars LLC, the base of our business, and the owner of the original guitar shop born and raised at the BOK Building in 2016 (just one floor up from the current Braxton & Hyde location). Before luthiery, Andy was a professional guitarist in Philadelphia.
In addition to the shop life, Andy is a full-time touring guitar & backline technician, most recently touring with Post Malone, Foster The People, Jenny Lewis, Sarah Jarosz, Kurt Vile, Ani DiFranco, and Paul Gilbert, amongst others.
Andy is from Garrett Hill, Radnor Twp, PA and resides in Philadelphia.
University of the Arts BM, Composition & Jazz Studies, 2010
Eastern School of Fretted Instrument Repair, 2016
Photo: David Gandolfo
Ryan Hyde
Ryan is the man behind the wheel for R. Hyde Guitars. A pillar and visionary in the guild of Philadelphia designers, and a long time member of the NextFab community, Ryan has taken his love for instruments to the next level, creating some of the most unique yet functional instruments around. We also make him do repairs for us too...
Before setting out on his own over a decade ago, Ryan cut his teeth in the luthier game at Ken Smith Basses in Perkasie, PA. He also served as an instructor at the University of the Arts in their Industrial Design program before institutions's closing in 2024.
Ryan is from Kennett Square, PA and resides in Philadelphia.
University of the Arts, BS Industrial Design
Photo: David Gandolfo
Kyle Laganella
Known to many as Philadelphia Fretworks, "Hurricane" Kyle ended up being the piece of the puzzle that makes our shop what it is. Before joining us in South Philly, Kyle operated out of his own space in Kensington.
Before making the jump into putting guitars on their right track full-time, Kyle spent years as a recording and touring guitarist for Philly's Spirit Of The Beehive. He is also a touring guitar tech for Japanese Breakfast as of 2025.
...he is also a certified Gibson SG fanatic. Say the word and he'll let you know.
Kyle is from Berlin, NJ and resides in Philadelphia.
The Galloup School of Lutherie, 2018
Photo: David Gandolfo