40 years of woodworking
My first string instrument
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A woodworkers journeyMy woodworking journey began when I was in high school back in the 1970's. My father bought a wood lathe to keep me out of trouble and give me something constructive to do. I turned wood bowls that my mother bought for wedding presents. In high school we had a very successful industrial arts program which built a house and all of the interior cabinets and woodwork. My interest was in the cabinetmaking/woodworking portion and I had the oppurtunity to be "shop foreman" during my junior /senior years. My twenty something years began with an interest in the Appalachian dulcimer, building one from a kit and then several more from scratch. Thus began my attraction to wooden musical instruments. After attending junior college, I transferred to Long Beach State University to earn a degree in teaching industrial arts. At the time of graduation, I.A. shop programs were on the decline. After working construction for the summer, a job as a vocational therapist for the Veterans Administration in Long Beach was offered and I took it. The work eventually took me to Oregon where I developed and managed a production wood products program for 26 years. I have a serious addiction to beautiful wood. Over the years I have focused on custom furniture and have a house full of custom pieces. My guitar building began in 2016 at the American School of Lutherie working under the teaching of master builder and teacher, Charles Fox in Portland Oregon. Today I build guitars one at a time in a basement workshop and have found my passion. Working in the guitar shop is my best quality time. Traditional time-tested construction techniques are used combining both hand tools and machine tools. The finish is hand applied and meticulously leveled and buffed. Individually selected tone woods make each guitar unique and impart amazing tone characteristics and fine-tuned playability.
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