Official Luthiers Forum!

hi all and great “to meet ya”
Outlined some of this in my post early this month “hi from scotland”.
Raised in the west of Scotland on the Mull of Galloway .
Played in bands in my teens in Edinburgh, Liverpool and London (60’s).
Settled in my 20’s, married (my wife Joan has become my “life coach”, which I need) with one daughter Sovay (a great blessing).
Worked in the chemical industry (pigments) for 35 years.
Retire next month.
Take up a two year diploma course in stringed instrument building at the end of August (can’t wait). If I can build a guitar that's playable I’ll be happy.
Play guitar (mostly acoustic, twenty+ year old G Lowden) and write the occasional tune, do the occasional gig and write stuff on computer/synths etc. This can be heard on myspace - see below and please have a listen.
Quiet a few here from an engineering type background as am I, coincidentally I “try my hand on he uilleann (Irish) bagpipes and a noticeable number have similar backgrounds.
best wishes
Geordie

_________________
some tunes on acoustic and guitar synth.
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheGeordieAdams
http://www.myspace.com/geordieadams

Larry Drover...Labrador City,NL Canada...Moved here to the Great White North in 1976...Worked With IOCC for thirty years and retired...Got interested and addicted to guitar building shortly after retiring...My grandfather was a master carpenter and I am very pleased that he has passed on the love for woods and building to me....This forum has been and will continue to be a great asset to me and in fact any new builders who have the fortune of finding this place...I read the forum everyday,,I don't answer many posts,,,I leave that to the experts here...I would also like to take the opportunity now to thank all the guys you have happily given their help over the past two years...Thank you....Larry

Hi Folks!

My Name is Glenn LaSalle. I work in software industry as a Professional Services Manager. I am married, and have 4 children - and a 5th due any day now!!

I have played guitar for 30 years, and have been fortunate to study with Dave Van Ronk and Stefan Grossman. I play mainly 20's/30's fingerstyle blues, and own several outstanding guitars. I have ALWAYS wanted to build, and am working on my 1st. This forum has been a fantastic resource for me, and I doubt I would have gotten as far as I am now without it. My goals are to complete the OM I am working on, and make an L-00 and Prairie State guitar.

Glenn

I'm Gary Lee, 43 years old living near New York City. I've been extremely lucky to pursue my passions full-tilt, first as a plant biochemist and now transitioning full-time to lutherie primarily building classical guitars. I've played classical guitar since the age of nine but this year I made up my mind to take my playing to a new level by dedicating my spare time to serious technical and musical development. At times it's been very difficult to pull myself away from the workbench to practice but at the same time it has given me new inspiration to push every ounce of potential out of each instrument I build. I'm incredibly lucky to have an amazing wife who is always there to encourage me in all my endeavors.

Flori F.
Los Angeles, California.

I'm a writer, getting married in October. Just started building. I find it relaxing and fulfilling, especially because I work in an industry that often demands compromise. With luthier, it's just me and the wood. Inspired to start building by the Collings OM and 12 fret series...and a good dose of hubris.

I’m John Graham 54

Born out in the Oklahoma Panhandle, spent most of my adult life, since 21, working in agriculture in Latin America, aside from a stretch in Oregon. For the past 18 years in the southern Baja peninsula of Mexico working with organic growers to produce vegetables, fruits and culinary herbs for export. I try to manage a 2 1/2 acre garden, but mostly turn it over to a fine team of Mexican youngsters. I’ve been a guitar player since childhood and have played a lot of different styles of music in all kinds of different capacities but seem to always go back to hillbilly music that I rebelled from as a kid - have recently been accused of selling out by going electric. It doesn’t matter much because no matter what I play, my Mexican neighbors are usually scratching their heads thinking it’s just about the oddest collection of noise they can imagine.

I have 2 children - a 23 year old son, graduate of the University of Oregon, currently working one the island of St. Croix and a 13 year old daughter who will be a become a teenager, 13, tomorrow. Both great kids.

I got into the wannabe guitar builder syndrome through both my love of guitars and of wood, carpentry, tools, etc.. I grew up around a lot of carpenters and woodworkers and have always dabbled with it and occasionally actually worked doing it. About 10 years ago, I was in a car accident which left me in a wheelchair so I pretty much had to give up the carpentry, except for yelling at other people to do it. By and by, I figured that since guitars are made out of little pieces of wood, I’d give that a shot. I’ve inched into it
to the degree that now I think about it when I’m supposed to be working and spend
a ridiculous amount of time & money on the addiction.

Most of what I’m doing know is putting together instruments of various kinds for myself and to give away as a means of learning the craft. I’m also called upon to fix up old battered, abused guitars that
Mexican kids bring me (which has taught me a lot about what can go wrong) and set up guitars for a few more advanced folks. In spurts, over the years, on the way back from my annual pilgrimage up to the states, I’ve brought back inexpensive guitars to give out to Mexican kids an so have become infamous around San Jose Viejo as ‘el gringo guitarrero’.

As the guitar clutter started piling up and taking up more space, I got thrown out of the house. So, I took over a vacant room in my compound like residence, but recently that got taken over by some people requiring shelter – so I’m in the process of building a workroom with hopes finding a place to keep this economic disaster of a hobby going.

I can’t say how much I appreciate the OLF and all of you who share your knowledge and spirit for this wonderful art & craft.

Glenn,

All the best with the birth of your fifth child!!!

Ok, I'm Samantha Price (prefer to be called Sam.)

I'm 34 years old, wife of 12 years & mother of three sprogs, living in Old Blighty, UK, much prefer to live in Wales or Ireland but this rural corner of England will do.

General manager of an Arts and Crafts college (recent promotion), lifelong artist, guitarist and craftsman, took up guitar building exactly 20 years after my woodwork teacher said if I didn't end up working with wood, it would be the crime of the century. (true!! )

Had to sacrifice my passion for painting, as I don't have time for both, and I ran out of inspiration anyway. Might end up getting the canvasses out again later on in life...

Nearly finished guitar #3, Mrytle/Englemann OM, and God willing, #4 will be a special one...

Hi all
Rick Schuwerk from Dayton, Ohio. Almost 50 years young, played guitar since age 8, professionally toured the USA and CA for several years. I started building aeolian harps 5 years ago and moved up to classical guitars 2 years ago. I've completed 2 and finally have my shop together. I've started a dread and an acoustic bass and have collected wood for several more steel strings. I hope to get commissions rolling by the end of the year, and will build full time when I retire from the graphics industry in 5 or 6 years. I wish I had started sooner, I love this stuff. He who dies with the most zoot wins. Many thanks to the selfless members that share their vast knowledge. I hope I can help out too, as I progress.

Okay, you asked.
Dave Rickard here 55 years old. I’ve been a Tool and Die maker for over 30 years. I live in North Newton Kansas with my wife Sandy, who is a second grade teacher. We have a wonderful daughter named Brandy, she has blessed us with 2 grand children, one Boy and one girl, 3 and 2 with another girl on the way. I’m currently working on number 10. My first commission. I should be dropping it off this summer. I got into building after I cut the flexor tendon for the middle finger on my left hand. I wanted to stay close to the local music scene and give me something to do when I retire.

_________________
Say what you do, Do what you say.

Hello All

My name is Patrick Mailloux. I am a classical guitarmaker from Québec City, Qc. I am a retired Army officer who has been playing the guitar since 1984. I started taking interest in lutherie in 2001 when I visited the shop of Montreal luthier René Wilhelmy, and finally took a guitar making course in 2003. I opened my own shop in January 2004 and have been making guitars full time since. I did not have any woodworking experience prior to becoming a luthier but in the 1990's I took a golf clubmaking course in the USA and worked on custom clubmaking and repairs during my spare time for a few years, so I had at least a bit of experience on how to run a small workshop. Woodworking is thus quite a challenge, but I am definitly starting to get the hang of it!

I only make classical guitars, mostly on commissions.

Cheers,

Stan Thomison 59 for a few more months anyway.

Branson, MO. Previously lived in Bartlesville, OK.

Went to Galloup School in 2002 when retired.

Most of my working life in law enforcement (very large Colo. city) then attached organized crime task forces in other places. Also ret. from USMC with both active and reserve status over years.

After school built 13 guitars. Worked for major builder in Maine for a few months and then Bill Moll (who I consider the boss and main influence and friend) about 2 years. Now on my own and again building up shop and at it again. In last year have built only 4 guitars on my own as I built up shop and equipment. Scheduling to build maybe 10 or few more a year starting this summer. I do mostly for Vets or their kids or Vet organizations as fund raiser instruments on my own cost. Call it what one wants, I call it my calling so that is where I am headed. I do though have a few clients and 2 stores lined up to pay for that work, because as we know building ain't cheap.

Bill has been very, very involved in this by giving me instruction, more help than I can ever repay him for and above all patience with me. Not always easy on me or my work, but always for the best and making me keep my head in the game and do the best I can. He always encouraged me to see the problem and then have me or encourage me to figure out how to fix it or make it work. I got off track for awhile, but back into it with fire in the belly. Thanks Boss, your a pro's, pro.

Alain Desforges

Curran, Ontario, Canada (Just 50 km's East of Ottawa).

I work full time on Parliament Hill for the Security Services and I wish I could build guitars full time. I've been building for close to three years now and I would put my prodigal output at around 1.3 guitars/anum...

I have two beautiful children that I adore, my oldest, Zak turns 7 in June and my youngest, Katya, turns 3 in June too!

I love to play as much as I like building and I try to divide my free time between the two, what little of it there is...

_________________
I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

My name is Andy Zimmerman and I am a luthiholic.
Denial is stage 1. Acceptance is stage 2. I am happy in stage 2

I have been building for 3 years thanks to this place.....Love the OLF.
Currently I am on #22 which is a Lutz/Ziricote OLF SJ for a customer in Toronto Canada.
My brand is Lazy Dog Guitars and I have 2 great and rotten dogs Lucy and Cooper.

I live in the best place in the US....La Jolla CA. Perfect weather everyday. I am very happily married to
Susanne who is an artist. In the daytime, I am a Pediatric Anesthesiologist who specializes in children with
congenital heart disease. A very intense, and rewarding day "job"

_________________
Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

Jamie Burgess - 43 - Ottawa ( I went to Tommy Emmanuel and chatted Tony's ear off he was great and offered a lot of good advice - beautiful guitars too).
I am working on my first (SJ) with the kindness and direction of Alain Desforges at his shop in Curran. We both work on Parliament Hill. I am in a political office doing a hack-of-all-trades admin/communications...job. I have also taught English in Japan for a few years and was a fishing guide in Northern Ontario (I'm originally from Sault Ste. Marie).
I play a ton of guitar and the need for a neck re-set on my old Flambeau got me surfing sites for how-to information. That is where I found this site - around the same time as I met Alain.
Although I am on my first, I can tell this will be a serious addiction. I have already dismantled my fly-tying bench to make a workspace.
I have two boys 5 and 7 and a great and supportive wife (she let me tan a cariboo skin in the garage in July, what more can I tell you?)
I have lurked on the board for a long time but have never posted before. This is a great resource and thanks to all who keep the posts rolling. I read them all.

Chuck Hutchison here,
I live in beautiful Southern Illinois where all the ducks and geese migrate though in the winter and I try my best to thin 'em out as they pass thru. My moto is, "You gotta hunt 'em like you hate 'em."
Never inherited the sports gene so I just hunt and fish. I also make appox 100 gallons of wine a year. I’m 51 yrs old and been divorced about eight years. Haven’t had a girl friend in about two years so all my money I can devote to tooling up for my new guitar building hobby.
I’ve always been the kind of guy that wants to know what makes things tick, so at age 14 I decided my Hagstrom 12 sting needed a new paint job. I took put a disk of sandpaper on a drill and ate all that beautiful finish off the guitar and with a can of black spray paint went to work. Turned out beautiful except for all the swirl marks from the sandpaper.
I love to play Texas style progression chords to Old Time Fiddle and banjo players. I can saw out a few tunes on the fiddle and pick a few tunes on the banjo, but playing second with a guitar is my first love.
I’m also a member of Williamson County Emergency Management Agency as special underwater dive team. Been certified scuba for about 24 years now.
I’m pretty close to finishing my first guitar. I think I finally got all the tools to Get ‘er Done!

_________________
"After forty-nine years of violin building, I have decided that the search for a varnish is similar to the fox hunt. The fun is in the hunt."
Jack Batts Maker and Repairer of Fine Violins

Steven Wheeler.
I live 30 miles due west of Chicago. I'm a self employed carpenter and cabinet maker.
I've always loved music and thought guitars were pretty cool, but never played one. Last September a friend was complianing about the action and the bridge pulling up on his guitar, so I fixed it. I thought, wouldn't it be cool to build one of these.
#1 was a serviced LMI kit, 2,3&4 are COTS (clean out the shop). #5 is on order with LMI. No servicing though, I do everything on my own now.
Saving up for a bigger bandsaw and a thickness sander so I can stop buying my buddy beer to use his tools.

Hi
Bob Bailey, I am 61 and a retired environmental health and safety professional. I live in Felton, California, not far from Santa Cruz. We are gifted with so many luthiers in the area, Kenny Hill, Santa Cruz guitars, Jeff Traugott and Rick Turner to name a few. I built my first guitar almost 20 years ago from some brazilian rosewood I found. Then didn't build anything else for 15 years when I built a dulcimer. About 4 years ago I got into building ukuleles. I added a 10 by 20 shop onto my garage and I have completed about 18 ukes to this point with more wood sets sitting in the shop. In addition to building ukes I enjoy cooking, fencing and pool playing. I have a 1918 Brunswick table I picked up for $165 and then refurbished it. I hope to see some of you at the GAL. I have my tickets and reservations made.
Cheers

Steve Reeves, Gilbert, SC. I'm about 25 miles West of Columbia, SC. I'm happily married for almost twelve years, have a six year old son and a 15 month old little girl. We live on a commercial poultry farm and my day job is working as a field supervisor for a major poultry company as well.

I've been messing with guitars since my best friend Olin Davis of Rattlesnake mandolins started his venture. I did a lot of repair work throughout the late 90's and into about 2004. I concentrated then on fretjobs and setup for guitar, banjo and mandolin. It was then I decided to quit repair and concentrate on building. Right now I build about 4-6 guitars per year and am seriously considering "retiring" from my day job to build fulltime. I'm also a state licensed homebuilder and do trim and decks so I would have that to fall back on.

I love old Martins and parlour guitars and love trying to replicate the vintage feel/spirit of those old instruments.

I love this forum. Thanks for all the input folks.

_________________
"We might not be big but we sure are slow"

Bob Cefalu alias Zootman
66 years old til August
Married 44 years to Rosie
4 children 2 & 2
8 Grandchildren 3 boys 5 girls
Retired engineer from the Buffalo Sewer Authority.
Woodworking in some form for close to 50 years.
No more time for guitar building. Too busy finding, cutting and selling tonewood.
Wow what a retirement.

_________________
Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

Brad Tucker, 38, flight paramedic full time, guitar building when I'm off, and enjoying it. I live in the state of Confusion, but reside in good ol' Georgia, about an hour west of Augusta Looks like we are neighbors, Reeves!!
I have a wife of 15 years and 11 year old son. My father built mandos for several years, and I've learned all my woodworking skill from him, since my childhood. Guitarbuilding has been the most rewarding, though. I started about 2 years ago when a few folks saw one I built, and 24 guitars later, I'm still going, and hope to keep on keepin' on!!! If I didn't have this "hobby" I'd go nuts. I gave up a 220 gallon saltwater aquarium with REAL coral to get into something I could at least break even on!!!

_________________
Brad Tucker

Hi, everyone,

My name is John Shannon, 57. No kids, but 2 Corgis, 1 Lab, 1 rescue dog of diverse parentage, and 3 horses. I've lived in Cincinnati for the past 9 years, where I'm a Professor of Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. The 20 years prior to that I lived in the Denver area, after growing up in San Jose, CA. I've always liked guitars, and have played for 40+ years. One of my earliest memories is of sitting with my brother and a Sears catalog, trying to figure out how to swing getting a Silvertone that we could play. That never worked out, but I managed to acquire some nice instruments over the years. But I always thought it would be pretty special to play an instrument you made yourself. My work requires that I be pretty good at working with my hands (like a number of folks on this forum, I built lots of planes when I was a kid). I built a dulcimer when I was in graduate school (which I still have), but was a bit overwhelmed and intimidated at the prospect of trying a guitar. After discovering this site and some others about 6 months ago, I found out that there are a lot of people like me who took the plunge, so I decided to dive in too. I'm the consummate newbie, being in the middle of my first kit. However, I'm sure that I'll build more. This site has been a incredible source of information-- what to do, what not to do, and how to fix what you just did. The thing I'm most impressed with, however, is high level of support and camradarie among all the posters. It may not be unique, but it's sure a pleasant place to visit!

I've been building instruments for nearly 10 years. Back then, Don Williams and I emailed daily. It was great fun.

I've built acoustic and electric guitars, guitar amps, a few drum kits, and a 1/2" solid zebrawood snare drum.

But I've never taken a commission. I like it that way. Right now I currently have two amps underway for some of our pro's here, a friend may or may not get the acoustic I have going right now (depending on how much I like it , etc. I like the projects to be social objects.

I'm a resource specialist in an elementary school. I'm a member of the special education team and develop education programs for students with cognitive disabilities. This is my first year, and right now things are a bit overwhelming with end of the year things.

Hi, I'm Matt Bouchie. I live in Manchester, NH. I'm a case manager for a non-profit that provides subsidized housing and supportive services for homeless people. Prior to that, I was a case manager and then a homeless outreach worker for a couple of community mental health centers. I began playing the guitar about 15 years ago when I was 23. I'm now 38 and not much better than I was then! About 10 years ago, I was taking some classes for a Masters Degree in counseling. One of them was a class on career counseling. We had to do a project researching any career we would like. I had heard the term "luthier" before and knew what they did, so that's what I chose. After that, I started finding myself thinking "I wonder if I could do that?" About 2 years ago, I started to think more and more about it. I bought a couple of books (that appear to be the usual subjects) and read them twice each. There were lots of parts that I thought "I'd bet I can do that" and many other parts where I thought "what the heck are they talking about?" So, I started looking into classes thinking that might be a lot better idea than jumping in on my own, especially with all the money you need for tools!

I'm currently working on my first guitar. I attend Alan Carruth's classes a bit north of here in NH. I'm building an OM out of BC Euro Spruce and EIR with bloodwood bindings. I'm a long way from being done. Last time I worked on tuning the top with Chladni patterns, which was really cool. This Saturday, we'll be doing the back. I'd never done any woodworking prior to this and am greatly enjoying it. So much that I'm hoping to build another one with Alan, although I haven't talked to him about it yet! After that, or maybe at the same time, I plan on building one here at home. I've been saving up money, including my economic stimulus package, to get some tools of my own. I have a little space in the basement of my apartment that the landlord has told me I can use for whatever I want, so it might as well be a workshop, right? I know I've got a lot to learn, especially since I'd never used any of the tools before setting foot in Alan's workshop. As Alan keeps saying, by the time I really get the hang of doing a certain task, I'm done! Hopefully, a second one will go a little more quickly and easily. I hope to eventually build a guitar for each of my 2 brothers and a couple of my friends, as well as an acoustic bass for my sister-in-law. Then maybe more for me! I don't foresee this being more than a hobby.

I've been lurking on this forum for a couple of months and am really impressed with how willing everyone is in sharing information and advice. I've also been impressed with the very nice looking guitars, too! It's comforting to know that all this help is available for when I'm trying to build one on my own. I know I'll need it.

I'm Jon Nixon, and I live in Markham, Virginia which is about 50 miles west of DC. Very rural area with rolling hills, near paradise this time of year.
I studied with Charles Fox at Earthworks in Vermont in 1977. I built and did repairs for a few years, but later decided to pursue a carreer in medicine. After many years of study, two self-built houses, a daughter and lots more I was finally able to start building again several years ago. I have a great basement shop which is well-lit and climate controlled and is my sancuary from chaos. I have a nice sound system and love to listen to XM and NPR.
I hope to retire from my day job (cardiology)in the next few years and possibly build full time, but I am dealing with some rather troublesome health issues and really don't know how it will all play out.
I am very greatfull for this forum with all it's wit and wisdom !!

_________________
It's not the miles ahead, it's the stone in your shoe


In Markham,Virginia

Hi All

Dave Taylor - 42
Dundas ON Canada
Married with 3 kids 12, 10 & 8.
Self employed as an illustrator & photo retoucher, working mainly on food packaging.

Currently working on a prototype for my second guitar - based on a Gretsch Brian Setzer hollowbody - creating all the plans from scratch (which is about half the work!). First build was a chambered electric based on a single cut LP Special - which is my main guitar.

Started playing guitar about 6 years ago and have been playing (rehearsing) in a band for about 8 months.