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Allan Gittler -- who became known by his preferred Jewish name, Avraham Bar Rashi, after 1982 -- was an established guitar virtuoso in New York City during the early '60s; he also worked as a film editor, in addition to directing and producing one short film of his own. Born in New York City around 1930, Gittler's musical aspirations dated from the '40s. His early influences came from such figures as the late swing-era guitarist Remo Palmieri, pianist Gil Evans, and bebop drummer Elvin Jones. He also worked extensively for a time with flautists Lloyd McNeil and Genji Ito. He was good enough to be cast as a guitar virtuoso in one key scene of a 1962 episode of Naked City ("Hold for Gloria Christmas"). Gittler was also employed in the movie business in New York during the 1960s and '70s as a film editor. In addition, he patented several devices (including a photographic printer and various reels and containers for motion pictures), wrote and published a novel (The Rose-Colored View), and made a short film comprised of his own stills, New York, New York, New York, set to a soundtrack by Gittler and Elvin Jones. He later became famous in music circles for the electric guitars that he designed, which were unique in their time for abandoning the unnecessary adherence to traditional acoustic guitar designs and structures. Purchasers of his instruments included such luminaries as rock guitarist/film composer Andy Summers. In 1982, Gittler moved to Israel and changed his name to Avraham Bar Rashi. He died in 2003.