Guitar maker and intricate inlay artist, David “Dave” R. Nichols, 81, of Malone, NY passed away on January 22, 2025 at Champlain Valley Hospital, Plattsburgh with his family by his side. Dave was born on April 22, 1943 to the late Marvin and Ruth (Heatherington) Nichols, in Massena, NY.
After an extended tour in Vietnam and receiving his Doctorate in Psychiatry, Nichols worked at St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center. Always fascinated by inlay he started his own hobbyist shop, Custom Pearl Inlay. Shortly after this, Nichols met Mike Longworth, Martin’s guitar inlay guru. It was Longworth who convinced Nichols to work for Martin Guitar where he spent time developing his luthiery, and delicate inlay designs. For the next 40 years, all custom pearl inlay for the Martin company went through Nichols’ shop.
Over the years, Nichols has worked on thousands of instruments and claimed that he could inlay anything into anything. The list of inlay hobbyists and famous bluegrass and country musicians he did work for includes Del McCoury, David Grisman, Merle Haggard, and Johnny Cash. They also included BB King, ZZ Top, and Aerosmith.
He also played in his own regional bluegrass group, Dave Nichols & Spare Change.
In later years, Nichols worked from his own well-oiled shop in Malone, N.Y, giving weeklong building workshops, offering advice to other luthiers, and dealing with the everyday affairs of running a thriving business. His shop offered a perfect example of controlled chaos. The list of other luthiers and inlay artist with whom he worked is long, and included small builders like John Hall and Mike Franks and the Hall of Blues Creek Guitars.
In addition to building and inlaying guitars, Nichols devoted time to the Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans, the American Woodworking Society, and the Northeastern Woodworkers Association. He was a commander of Sons of Amvets in Malone, was a member of the SUNY Canton Hall of Fame, and attended Malone’s Baptist Church.
Those who knew Nichols well remember that he was quick to joke and liked a good prank. Dick Boak, who held many titles at Martin Guitar, worked closely with Nichols and described him as a generous person. He says, “That innate generosity extends to his students and colleagues. For Nichols it is not about business, but about his personal relationships with people. That personal approach is what his students and mentees appreciated the most about Dave as a mentor and teacher.”
Nichols is survived by his son, Matthew, and daughter-in-law, Jackie, of Madrid, and his brother, Michael; Michael, Phil, and Connie of Oregon, along with his three granddaughters, Justine, Taylor, and Brooke. Dave is predeceased by his parents and a son, Mark.
Per his request, there will be no services. Donations in Dave’s memory can be made to:
Malone Amvets Post 8
1474 CR # 25
Malone, NY 12953
Condolences can be posted at Frary Funeral Home online.
