Highlight Reel
Sponsor – 10th Annual LA Music Awards 2001
The Builder
I was fortunate as a child to have a mother who nurtured my need to build most of my own toys. She kept me well supplied with the tools and materials for building toy trucks,cars,airplanes,guns and forts. “Popular Mechanics” and “The Boy Mechanic” were well worn and had a prominent place on our bookshelves.
Entering adolescence I studied the cello and later took guitar lessons. I remain a guitar player but unfortunately the cello was left behind.
My short college career in engineering and architecture was supported working as an auto mechanic. That was soon followed by a six year stint as a whitewater river guide, during which time my guitar playing took a great leap forward. But my true love remained woodworking, so I settled into a career as a furniture maker and designer.
Still playing guitar, I also began collecting guitars and refining my ear as to what I believed to be a good sounding guitar. Then I had the great good fortune to meet Mark Blanchard and play his guitars, which I believe to be some of the best being built today. After following his career for several years I had the further good fortune to be able to study guitarbuilding and Chladni plate tuning with him.
Unintentionally, I had become a luthier!
Though still early in my guitar building career, I have consistently been able to achieve the sound I set out to attain, which combines a strong, pronounced bass responce, a vocal midrange, and full, singing trebles well into the upper registers.
Through meticulous record keeping I continue to refine my sound as each new guitar emerges. I find it very exciting imagining where all this will take me.