What do you like best about your line of work?

I built a custom guitar for Roy Ponce, a guitarist for the band Brainchild, out of Peoria, IL. It was rewarding because it started with a drawing he sent and materialized into a one-of-a-kind custom instrument. This is something I really enjoy: holding up the concept on paper next to the completed tangible instrument. And if that is not enough, seeing your client on stage with the guitar is a most rewarding feeling. It would be comparable to a fine oil painter sitting in a corner of a gallery watching people understand and enjoy his/her art. Brainchild came to Breckenridge and Denver in 2011 and I had the incredible time seeing them preform. To see Roy’s guitar in person head to the 2014 Summer C amp Music Festival, in Chillicothe, IL May 23-25. There is a great lineup this year! Adding personal touches to clients’ guitars is really fun and is another gratifying element I enjoy about building. I have included a figure from a fine art painting into the head stock, made from abalone and pearl as a surprise for a client (his own artwork). A Microbiology professional got a small strand of DNA on his 12th fret. My Dad, a navy retiree, got a ship’s wheel inlayed into the headstock of his acoustic. I like to inlay pearl inside of f-holes so there’s a little secret in there for the player to see. That’s the best part. It is a way to connect players to their instruments.

What distinguishes you from other businesses in your category?

The biggest difference is other businesses probably make a profit. I’ll get there one day! Maybe another difference is my willingness to try materials that may not fit the traditional mold. In 2009, I acquired a board of blue stain beetle kill ponderosa pine. I thought it had potential to make a cool guitar top. It turned out great! It is a real Colorado guitar. I used Douglas fir as an acoustic top material (when spruce is the more popular choice) and it sounds wonderful too. I think I was inspired to do use these kinds of materials by Bob Benedetto. He is a world renowned guitar builder and in his book he took the time to build a construction grade pine topped archtop jazz guitar. Said it sounded and played just as good as any of his other guitars made from choice tone woods. I like that out of the box thinking and creativity.

How did you get involved in guitar building?

Most guitar players and enthusiasts envision creating an instrument at some point, but most do not because the task seems impossible. When you hold an amazing instrument it seems like it was built in space then beamed down to your favorite store. That is how I felt, anyway. After many years of playing and tinkering, I was able to get started. I attended a two month guitar building course in 1999, after graduating from college. There I built an archtop jazz guitar and it helped me to realize it could be done. However, it was not until 2006, when I moved to Colorado that I really got into it. I became involved as a student and teacher assistant at Red Rocks Community College Department of Fine Woodworking. There I was able to create, study and trade ideas with a very talented pool of guitar builders, woodworkers and artists. I am still involved with the school today. And this is how I became involved in guitar building.

Fun Bass Project

My Grandpa gave me this bass a while back. I have used it for recording for years but never took the time to give it the TLC it needed. The neck was sound but the body all beat up. I had a 8quarter poplar board just sitting around so I decided to make a new body for this bass. Should be fun!

Finishing Touches

Attempting to inlay an actual Mountain Pine Beetle into to the control cavity cover plate of the Beetle Kill Electric: Routed the tunnel and then set it place with a little bit of epoxy. Will go back in later and fill with clear epoxy. Hopefully, it will give this guitar a unique finishing touch.

The Beetle Kill Electric featured on Outside Magazine Online!

It is really cool to see how everyone is creating with this unfortunate, but beautful wood. Thanks to the staff of Outside Magazine and Maddie Oatman for the interest on our work! Go to the "Links" down to the right and you can see the article.

Beetle Kill Electric and how it got started

This one is just about finished. It has a couple of Gibson pickups (490 R and 498T) and should shred. This guitar features a walnut neck and body, ponderosa beetle kill blue stain top and ebony fretboard and headstock. Background: In 2008, I was working for a Natural Resource Management team conducting forestry projects in Colorado’s front-range forests. The Ponderosa Pine trees are one of the main inhabitants. The main objective was to remove pine beetle infected trees. I spent about six months with a chainsaw in hand and pine pitch stuck to my face and clothes getting to know this material. Not many guitar builders get this kind of opportunity to work with trees at this early stage. The Ponderosa has some beautiful characteristics: The grace they possess in occupying space in a healthy forest, the sweet aroma, and the way the bark on older trees has a rich red color. Bacteria associated with the Pine Beetle leaves the wood with “blue stain” adding another element to perk my interest in creating an instrument out of it. And it is satisfying when you can use a regional material, really creating a Colorado guitar. I was able to find a nice piece locally and began to plan the beetle kill electric.