Our annual Fretboard Summit is a unique event where we spare no expense. For three days, attendees participate in workshops, panel discussions, jaw-droppingly great concerts and hands-on exhibits, along with one of the world’s largest showcases of modern guitarmaking. It’s like no other public guitar gathering out there.

We are grateful for all the attendees – literally from around the world – who show up to support this weekend. We also want our annual guitar gathering to be as diverse as possible and to inspire the next generation of luthiers, players and students.

With that in mind, we’re pleased to launch the Summit’s inaugural Pay It Forward program, a sponsorship program that will grant full, all-access passes to individuals who want to participate in the Summit but can’t due to financial hardship. (Note: We unfortunately cannot cover airfare, hotel or travel expenses.)

To apply for the program, simply fill out this questionnaire.

Thanks to a generous sponsorship from The Music Emporium, we’ll be granting ten full-access, three-day passes to players, builders, students or content creators in 2026. The Summit is a once-in-a-lifetime weekend where you can meet the leaders of the gear space and some truly inspiring artists. Connections get made in truly impactful ways. We’d love for you to be a part of our community.

Our team will review all the applicants and notify the recipients by May 15, 2o26.