From Guitars to Golf Clubs: Behind James Carbonetti‘s Extremely Limited Brooklyn Putter
In James Carbonetti’s shop, guitars adorn the white walls, red Persian rugs line dark wood floors and vinyl spins on a turntable. No corner is empty and the workspaces are messy yet orderly. It’s a music lover’s paradise, and yet glimpses of another obsession are present.
A Golden Tee arcade machine, a set of Ben Hogan irons, an iPad playing the ’86 Masters and a long strip of “turf.” Carbonetti grabs his putter and strokes a ball down the green runway. He holds the club in his hands as if it were a newborn child. As the owner of Carbonetti Guitars, he has made instruments for musicians like Richard Fortus of Guns N’ Roses, Matt Sweeney of Chavez and Willie Weeks of Joe Walsh’s band, but this putter is one of his proudest creations.
When you’re holding a Carbonetti Brooklyn putter, you’re literally holding a piece of New York.
The Carbonetti Brooklyn putter released in a small batch on November 17, some of which are on the open market for thousands. It's a collaboration with Toulon Design and an ode to Carbonetti’s love for music, golf, and New York City. It’s based off Toulon’s Atlanta model, but comparing the two putters side by side you’ll notice a number of changes, the most striking of which is the sole plate where steel has been swapped out for wood. “It’s that thing with guitars of how the integration between metal and organic wood if done right can just look really rich,” says Carbonetti. “It's like an old Rolls Royce or something with the wood dash.”
Carbonetti, 36, shares The Guitar Shop NYC with La Bella Strings and Mas Hino who's a master luthier, or maker of stringed instruments. It’s located in Sunset Park, an area in south Brooklyn split by the Belt Parkway and enveloped by the New York harbor on one side and the Green-Wood Cemetery on the other. The MTA’s BMT line runs subterraneously through the neighborhood, and less than five minutes away from the 36th Street station on an unassuming residential block is The Guitar Shop NYC. Apart from running his business out of the shop, Carbonetti also plays guitar for the band Caveman which has toured with The War on Drugs and Weezer and performed at the likes of Coachella, Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo and more.
He grew up on Manhattan's Roosevelt Island, and has since lived in just about every borough. “I like the weird stuff of New York and I guess growing up on Roosevelt Island was the weirdest,” says the luthier. His grandmother introduced him to the game along with his grandfather, who was a skilled woodworker as well as a scratch golfer. "I guess golf and woodworking is in my blood. I just added guitars to the picture."
“I’ve always been obsessed with going down the rabbit hole looking for the story of like what's the meaning or who made it. It doesn't always have to be mainstream to bring your soul into it.”
About two years ago, when Carbonetti met the founders of Toulon Design, Sean and Tony Toulon, at a friend’s bar in Manhattan he discovered they shared a passion for golf and music. Fast forward and this putter is now the second that the two have collaborated on, and there are more in the pipeline. And just like his guitars, it is at once a work of art and a finely tuned instrument of performance. Carbonetti has always had a love for vintage curiosities, and the things he makes are meant to look wise beyond their years. “I’ve always been obsessed with going down the rabbit hole looking for the story of like what's the meaning or who made it. And it doesn't always have to be mainstream to bring your soul into it.”
The story of the Carbonetti Brooklyn putter begins in 1870 when a European Elm tree was planted in Prospect Park, one of New York City's most beloved urban retreats. 150 years later when the grand Elm had to be taken down, the guitar builder was able to acquire it and integrate it into his latest collaboration with Toulon. Which means when you’re holding a Carbonetti Brooklyn putter, you’re literally holding a piece of New York.
That’s not the only nod to New York history. A special mill pattern is used on the face to evoke the suspension cables of the Brooklyn Bridge, while a rose gold finish matching the hues of the Elm wood is preferred to the normal black finish. There are other meaningful touches like a pack of La Bella guitar strings with a photograph of Prospect Park from the 1860's, as well as an original New York subway token as a ball marker.
Together, all of these considerations combine to tell the story of the New York golfer who plays at the local muni, who takes the train to the course, who tags along with the one friend who owns a car. Carbonetti knows because he’s one of them. You really have to love the game to play in New York. “It's about 50/50 right now with golf and guitars in my brain,” says Carbonetti. He wouldn’t have it any other way.
In other golf related news, Nike is preparing the release of the Air Max 1 Golf in "Sport Red."
