I have enjoyed a nearly life-long connection with wood, beginning with a kids' craft class where I completed my first wood project at the age of seven. My long association with this wondrous material has given me an intuition that guides many facets of my work.
In the 1970s, I built banjos and resurrected old guitars, banjos and mandolins in various states of neglect and disrepair, then took in repair work for several years to get through school. In 2005, after a long hiatus, I returned to the world of stringed instruments and began building guitars. To this day, my background in restoration and repair informs me about techniques to produce guitars that retain their tonal and structural integrity for years to come.
While I tend to lean towards the American steel string guitar tradition, I use modern materials and techniques where I feel they assist me in building a better instrument. As an example of using modern materials, I believe a stiff neck is paramount to, not only stability, but also good tone and sustain. To that end, I use carbon fiber neck reinforcement as a standard feature, despite the increased cost and labor. I do this because I believe it makes for a better guitar. On the other hand, I feel that some traditional materials, such as shellac, varnish and hide glue, when used appropriately, can also contribute to the creation of a fine guitar.
One of my goals as a builder is to infuse something of myself into each instrument I build. If the instrument speaks in some way to the person holding it, even without its being played, then I have succeeded in my own inner personal goal. But the ultimate goal is that my customer is delighted upon first seeing and playing the instrument. For me, that is the icing on the cake.
