Official Luthiers Forum!

You mean he's doing this without a license?

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

I’m Loren Schulte and I’m actually not a Canadian. (I almost became one in November of 2004, but let’s not discuss that.) Married 40 years to a beautiful woman. Dropped out of the corporate rat race and retired 4 years ago at 57, moved from Phoenix, AZ to Battle Ground, WA just across the Columbia River from Portland, OR - where our daughters had moved - to live among them and the new grandkids.

Started building in 1994 with kits from the now defunct Kit Factory out of San Diego. After 3 OM kits, I was sure I could build an F-5 Mando from scratch; so, I did. It turned out pretty good, but I swore I’d never do it again. After that ill-advised experiment, a scratch-built guitar looked really easy! I’m now doing the setup on instrument #27, with #28 waiting to be buffed out. Most of these have been acoustic guitars, but I’ve also built 3 or 4 mandolins, a couple electric guitars, some acoustic and electric Weissenborns (“-style”…for the purists), and some ukes. You could say I’m an addict.

Playing guitar and mandolin for over 40 years, I’m also a fingerstyle country blues performer and songwriter. Was thrilled to be included in a show in March 2008 that featured Doug Smith, Mark Hanson, John Standefer and Mary Flower. Please note: my playing is NOT quite at that level. Just released my second CD of all original songs, which seems to have departed a bit from the blues idiom.

I’m an infrequent contributor to online forums (fora?) I guess because I always feel like I’ve still got so much to learn. Which I do. I just might send some pics of my latest guitar though – it’s a cute and sexy little devil!

My name is Craig Szabadics. I am 48 years old . I am married and have one daughter who is finishing high school . I am an electrician by trade and live in Canberra Australia.
I have played steel string acoustic guitar on and off for the past 24 years but probably around four years ago had the desire to actually build one of my own. I completed No 1 last year and currently working on No 2
There is a lot more to building that I first imagined but I am mostly enjoying the experience so far. Ok I’ll be honest I’m totally hooked !!! and will, Lord willing, continue to build until I breath my last.. My goal is to finish at least 1 instrument a year as time and commitments permit, until I retire from mainstream work life .
My other Interests are in Christian ministry (doing a correspondence course in pastoral care / counselling) and golf.
I would like to echo the sentiments of others in saying that I genuinely appreciate the willingness of members of this forum sharing so generously their experiences in building . It really takes a lot of stress out of launching into the unknown. I think the main prerequisite for Luthiers is a good sense of humour.


Regards

Craig Szabadics.

My wife and I live in Seattle. Our daughter recently returned home after completing her freshman year of college. She'll be returning to school in the fall. I work in film and video production as a writer/producer/director. I've been lurking here for a while and only became a member a couple of weeks ago. I made my way here from the Kit Guitar Forum. I'm currently finishing my first build; a 00-sized 12 fretter with red spruce over mahogany. I purchased my kit from John Hall. Life and work have made my progress go more slowly that I had hoped, but it's been great fun and a remarkably rewarding experience. I'm very pleased with the way my guitar is turning out and I plan to start my second build this summer. I have fantasies about retiring someday and building myself a small shop where I can do set ups and repairs and maybe sell a guitar or two, but mostly just hang around with my buddies and play guitars all day. Hey, a guy can dream, can't he?

George :-)

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George :-)

Okay...after much debate, I'll jump in.

Jamie, 34 yrs old, married to a great wife for the past 9 years, but with her for 14. Can't really say I'm from Nova Scotia, (yeah Canada!!) seeing as I've lived all over the country. Most recently just shy of 10 years in the Yukon - about 90 minutes from Alaska.

I've always been into building and after I wanted to buy rafts of wood to start building my wife talked some sense into me and suggested I buy a kit first. One Martin OM kit later I was entirely hooked. The guitar was built in my rec room on the freezer, but it turned out quite good - sounded better than it looked. I've since built another Sm Jumbo and worked with a well known builder here in Nova Scotia. Looks and sounds beautiful. Well, now I have enough wood, (including some very nice Brazilian for 3 guitars), to last me quite a while, not to mention Bob Garrish is about 15 minutes away with a ton of wood.

Anyway, I'll keep it short, but will add that in my real life I'm a red-suited Fascist...see who can figure that one out...

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Jamie M

So are you Santa Claus or a Mountie?

Jamie B

A Mountie...but with all the joy I bring to people I feel like Santa!!

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Jamie M

I'm late on the Ypsi tower, but had to throw in some post cards if you haven't seen them.







Driving past it the other week for my daughter's eye appointment, we had the discussion about why they made it shaped like a morel mushroom. They sure make it hard to protect a child's innocence in this town.....

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Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.

I always take a different route when ever possible and not go near that thing - when I do I feel inadequate for the rest of the day.....

I'm sure you get many offers, daily, to solve that inadequacy feeling, Hesh. I know I do!

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

I don't worry about such things. Kids see what makes sense to them. Do a google image search on "Message of love from the Dolphins". Prepubescent kids see leaping dolphins in the picture. Adults see something else. They had this picture up at the Boston Science Museum. I went there with some scouts a few years back. The ten year olds saw dolphins and the 12 year olds giggled.

I don't know - I just google that and asked my 4 year old daughter over. Though she could find dolphins after I asked if she saw any, here first answer was "a ballet...... but they don't have anything on them" (which I thought was a pretty cool response actually).

Just wait till Viagra comes around to shoot a new commercial. That oughta put Ypsilanti on the map, eh?

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Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.

Craig Losekamp.
Married 16 years to beloved wife Michelle, two girls, 9 & 12. The kids are awesome.
Live in Bowling Green, Kentucky, came here to have a farm with horses.
My animal and guitar habit is financed by my vocation as a Family Physician.

Have been building guitars for 3 years, currently working on builds # 3 through 8. I find that batching the tasks is a great way to do it; setting up a jig or process once not only makes it more quick, but I can be more precise and consistent in each individual step. I would eventually like to market guitars with an emphasis on sustainable woods and also use of inlay. Right now, it's all practice.

I grew up all over the place; my dad was in finance. Spent three years in Singapore from age 10-13, also lived in Texas, Ohio and Chicago. My parents lived in Brussels, Belgium for 5 years, so I visted them quite a bit when they lived there. The farm here is my home and here I will die. All wanderlust has been crushed out of my system.

On the farm we have three horses, one of whom is a rescued Thoroughbred. We also have 3 regular goats and three Tennessee Fainting Goats (They are real-google on them!). They are all pets, basically 4-H leftovers that we can't bear to sell. We also have a bunch o' chickens, the population of which is ever in flux. My girls hitch the goats up to a wagon and go down the street with it selling eggs. Man, sometimes we about drown in eggs. I once made a 9 egg omelet simply because I could. We decorated 48 eggs one year for Easter. Sometimes I'll walk my dogs and the girls walk the goats. It's really weird to see.

Have a bunch of parrots, ranging from conures to an Orange Winged Amazon and cockatiels. They are outrageously fun, very affectionate and LOUD. My sun conure literally will dance to any music with a good beat, bopping up and down in time and spinning around. He likes to sit on my shoulder when I play guitar, and he sits there attentively. Often he'll climb into my shirt and just stay there.

I was wondering if there were any other OLFers who live in the Bluegrass State or near Nashville? Friends are vaguely interested in my guitar building, but I don't really have anyone to share the passion of Lutherie with in person. Thank goodness for the OLF, even if I mostly lurk!

Howdy All,

My Name is Andy Birko

Live in Rochester Hills, MI
Work for Medtronic in the Surgical Navigation division selling surgical navigation and imaging products. Prior to that I worked in the auto industry for about 10 years in engineering and B2B sales positions.

I build Banduras, a Ukrainian instrument. I finished my first one about 8 years ago and have managed to finish 3 of them and had to re-top one of them in that time (don't laugh too hard, I also moved in Michigan and moved to Germany for a year in that time frame in addition to having two kids!). I use a lot of guitar techniques on my instruments because guitar luthiers seem to be the most open in sharing ideas. I'm planning on building an acoustic guitar from a kit (haven't decided whether it will be SM or LMI yet) at some point because I do play a little guitar too.

Looking forward to meeting up with other Michigan luthiers to up my game.

Attached is a pic of my latest instrument for those of you (which is probably most) who have no idea what a bandura is.

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http://www.birkonium.com CNC Products for Luthiers
http://banduramaker.blogspot.com

Hi Andy and welcome to the OLF my friend!

We have a fairly active group here in Michigan and we seem to get together at least a couple times a year now. Nothing formal mind you just a lot of sharing and playing each others instruments.

Keep an eye out because we will probably be meeting up again in September to coincide with a visit from Bob Connor from Oz.

Great to have you here and your Banduras look great!

Welcome to OLF, Andy.

Very interesting instruments you are building, there.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

I suppose I should chime in here.
Coe Franklin- just another working stiff serving my time in the trenches of luthiery.
2 Acoustics (OM`S), 2 electrics, an archtop in the works as well as another OM, and occasional repairs on a few no-name gitters here and there.
Located in Pleasant Mills, IN. That`s just south of FT Wayne, IN.
I`m really enjoying this venture, but my 3rd shift job keeps me from really getting anywhere with it. Little did I know when I started out, that it would be a full time job/obsession. After rounding up all my resources and studying (which I`m still not done with yet), I came to the conclusion that I probably should have started out taking a professional course or two.
Ah well, I`m in deep enough that it won`t be easy to get rid of me now.
Cheers,
Coe

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Give me 50 cents worth of regular.
Check my oil too, if you don`t mind,,,

Al Pepling, Kittanning, PA, age 67, Licensed Land Surveyor. 18 years with first wife, 1 girl, 2 boys, remarried to a neighbor, (17 years to her first husband, 1 boy, 1 girl) combined family for 27 years, in our 28th now. Lost her son at 31 to cancer and one of my sons at 40 to an auto accident. Have 5 grandsons and 1 grandaughter. Worked 2 years part time with Auggie LoPrinzi and 6 months full time about 30 years ago. Built an electric for my son then. I thought it was great at the time, but know better now. Still working at Land Surveying full time and wood working sparodically. I rejoined the GAL and want to build full time upon full retirement in a year or two. Will do repairs and maintenance part time until then, mostly for my family members and their friends. I plan to give my work away to music ministries and aspiring, fiscally restrained, guitarists. I mostly listen to "smooth jazz" and wil build a few guitars for my second oldest grandson who is in his second year at the University of North Texas music program to become a Jazz Guitarist. This forum is the a phenomenal place and I've been lurking for a couple of years now. I love guitar music but can not play worth a lick, so I found out I like to build. I want to thank all of your for your posts and sharing of your knowledge. Hopefully I will contribute too! There, I am out of the closet now!

I am Ack, I'm from Denver-ado.

Currently a student at Penn in Philly. I haven't actually built a guitar yet, but I'm staring at some pieces thinking about what can be.

Al and Ack a big welcome to the OLF to ya my friends!

It always amazes me that people lurk here, sometimes for years, and never feel the urge to say something. I could not imagine that.........

It's great to have you both here.

I keep checking this thread, but just haven't had time lately to respond. So here goes...

Wes McMillian here. Born and raised Texas boy and wanna-be guitar builder extraordinaire living about 45 minutes west of Fort Worth. My background is in industrial construction as a pipefitter but have been operating power plants for the last 11 years or so. Good pay, good work, but the rotating 12-hour shift work gets kinda old. Currently have builds #2 & 3 in the shop, getting about ready to close the box on #2, an Englemann/EIRW OM basically using the OLF plans with a little tweaking here and there. Right behind that is my #3, Adi/EIRW DREAD. (Yep, I like dreads and ain't ashamed of it!) This guitar building thing has quickly become a passion for me (as many of y'all can relate) and something I hope to progress through the hobbiest stage to semi-professional to full time at retirement. I've had multiple commission offers from my first but I keep turning them down, explaining that I am serious about pursuing this and I want to get my build quality nailed down before I put 'em out there. Everyone has been appreciative of that so far.

My build direction tends to be in the more traditinal vein. I like and appreciate innovative design and am not opposed to incorporating new ideas and technologies, but my current approach is to latch on to a handful of basic designs and keep working at those until I get a consistent signature tone I like.

Musically, I appreciate several styles, but I'm personally a dyed-in-the-wool bluegrass nut. And a big fan of classic country (the real stuff!). This goes hand in hand with my traditional approach to guitars, I guess... I'm a moderate flatpicker and pick around the local circles when I can and play and sing the local Oprys where I do classic country, bluegrass, gospel - many of them songs I have written, as well as playing and signing in our local church. I've been approached about putting together a CD, but I just don't seem to have the time. Between work, remodeling a house, clearing and landscaping/fencing my 10 acre place it's all I can do to find time to get in the shop and build guitars sometimes.

Personally, I've been married 14 1/2 years to my wonderful wife Laura, have two kids by marriage (but I raised 'em so I claim 'em, they're mine) and I'm a born-again Christian by the Grace of God. I love this life and wouldn't go back for anything you could offer me. Yep, life is good...

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Wes McMillian
Santo, TX
http://www.wesmcmillian.com

Chris Blizzard
23, from the UK, married with beautiful daughter. not made any guitars yet, but i'm starting pretty soon. hopeully i'll be able to play on my attempts, there are some wonderful examples on here.

Hi. I'm John Mayes and I'm a looser..er uh Luthier. ("Hi John" says the crowd)

I'm 29 soon to be over the hill and 30 (July 24 is coming way too fast)

I have a 5 year old Daughter Faith, a 2 year old Son Sawyer, and a one little girl on the way in October.

I've been building for 12 years now. Worked for Dana Bourgeois, myself for 8 years (not all it's cracked up to be) and now I'm working for McPherson Guitars. I'm also building some of my own electrics again (I'm a glutton for punishment) I've built/helped build in the range of 800 guitars-ish, and I still feel I got a long way to go.

I also have filmed and "starred" in luthier instructional DVD's ( search for "Mayes Guitars" on ebay...geez that's a shameless plug) I say starred cause it's more like "was a goofball while trying to show a thing or two along the way"

Yeah. That's me. ("Thanks for sharing John")

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

Hi Chris and welcome to the OLF!

I am sure that you will be able to play your first guitar and the big secret that we know here is that you will probably find out that your first guitar sounds as good or better than any guitar you ever owned. This is the amazing thing about guitar building.

Great to have you here.

Ed Rice
Lubbock, TX

I am a Sr. Site Executive for Perot Systems, working at a hospital system here in West Texas, managing IT. Originally from Bergen County, NJ where I started playing my first guitar in 1973. Guild D-40 from Manny's in the Village. (still play it!)

Got the lutherie bug about 2 years ago, and am now proud to be an alumnus of the Luthiers School International (http://www.fleishmaninstruments.com/) and a student of the renowned Harry Fleischman.

I have one steel string acoustic (final touches) under my belt and have two electric in progress. A flamed maple strat, pretty basic, and my newest challenge, an SG, the body is made from Malaysian Monkeypod, compliments of my friend Jeff Yong, who shipped the rough cut body to me! Thanks Jeff!

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Ed Rice
Lubbock, Tx