My interest in making things out of wood came  from growing up in a farming community in central  Indiana where  we were  surrounded by stands of open fields punctuated by hardwood forest . Every farm it seemed  had  a woods. I spent a lot of time  in those  woods growing up. Both my Grandfather and Father had small wood working shops  on their properties. I spent many  hours  watching them work and making things myself.  Most of my adult life has been spent working with wood, building and remodeling houses as my Father had. Over the years I have become more focused  on the finer details of finish work, cabinetry and furniture  As a result the  transition from carpenter to  fine woodworker to luthier is  a plausible one.

I was inspired  to build guitars by John Walsh of Cimarron Guitars who had a shop In Ridgeway Colorado when I met him. It was really just a chance  encounter. My wife and I were on our way to Ouray for a Yoga workshop and we stopped  in Ridgeway  on the way down to visit a friend of hers who had an Herb Shop there. John’s shop was next door and I wandered in.  I had started  playing guitar again after  putting it down for several years  so  there  was some interest there.  Next year same thing and  the more we talked the more the idea that this was something I could do took hold.

At present I have a small shop located  in Eagle Colorado . My focus is on building Steel String Guitars, Old -Time Banjos and Ukuleles. I build using natural materials  wood, shell,  bone, utilizing there natural colors and textures to  provide  balance  and simplicity of design. My intention is to craft both an instrument which provides a clear rich tone  is  easy to look at and  enjoyable to play.