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PostPosted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 3:48 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2005 10:11 am
Posts: 2173
I am 49 years old.
I have been building guitars on and off (mostly on) for 30 years.
I am married for 21 years and have 6 very active children between the ages of 2 and 13. My wife homeschools all of them.
By day I am a building inspector for a municipallity.
I also build cabinets and furniture on the side.
I enjoy playing ragtime and blues on my guitar.
I love"hanging-out" in the shop.
I have sawdust in my blood!


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 3:54 pm 
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Mahogany
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Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2008 9:00 pm
Posts: 75
I am 50 yrs. old, married, one daughter who is a senior in college. bliss I have an Electrical Engineering Degree, worked for Sperry (now unisys) for ten years on main frame computer systems. Plant shutdown, got a job with Raytheon missile systems, worked there eleven years, plant shutdown gaah (story of my life) Worked for a small company that made Broadcast equipment, worked for local TV station, now I work at a nearby medium sized state university. I live on the South Fork of the Holston River in East Tennessee. Beautiful scenery and great trout fishin' right in my front yard! Started building guitars in 1993, working on number eighteen now. (just a hobby) I also have built seven f-style mandolins, an electric standup bass, one bouzouki, and one fiddle. I am lucky enough to live in the hotbed of Bluegrass music (more pickers around here than you can shake a stick at!) We pick on Tues., Wed, Fri., and Sat. I love it! Informal jam sessions among good friends. I wish that I had found OLF years ago, lots of good information here.

Thanks
Mark L.


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 3:58 pm 
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Koa
Koa
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Joined: Wed Oct 10, 2007 2:47 am
Posts: 781
Location: Wauwatosa, WI, USA
I’m 32 and starting to feel middle aged. I’m an engineer with an industrial and municipal pump manufacturer. We make the big pumps. Big, big, big pumps. I manage one of the divisions from marketing through manufacturing. Still living the bachelors life; one dog, one cat, one duplex in the near burbs and looking to add a house with a bigger shop into the mix. No wife to tell me to stop buying zoot. I don’t know if that a good thing, or a bad thing. idunno


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 4:35 pm 
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Cocobolo
Cocobolo
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Joined: Sat Nov 19, 2005 10:54 am
Posts: 378
Location: Between Bordeaux and the Atlantic. S.W.France
Apparently I'm the old fogey. I'll be 66 in April, been retired nearly a year. Where did the time go? gaah ("Inside every old man there's a young man wondering what happened"). Been an engineering draughtsman nearly all my life. 32 years gripping a pencil, 15 gripping a mouse. Worked 20 years in Sheffield, England for an industrial designer/silversmith. Learned a lot. Made models, prototypes, shop displays, built his new kitchen, changed his baby’s diaper, you name it. Met a French woman in 1985 and moved to France in 1987. Mid-life crisis and I’d had it up to here with the designer. Very lucky to be given a trial in a small firm near Bordeaux. The boss liked what I did and I stayed there until retirement. The first French woman didn’t last, but I eventually found the right one. We’ve been married 12 years and I now have an English granddaughter and a swarm of French grandchildren. They call all their other grandparents Mammy and Pappy but they call me Grandad.

Fell in love with the guitar at a tender age (Bill Haley, Lonnie Donegan, etc.) Funny, that just reminded me, the only book worth reading in our rather snotty boys-only Grammar School, was The Blackboard Jungle. Made 3 ‘wall hangings’ between the ages of about 15 and 18 but I tried to play ‘em anyway. No plans, nothing to copy apart from photos in magazines. Found a book one day by 2 English guys from Cambridge and made a real classic guitar in 1971. Then a D18 copy in 1972 and then life got in the way and I didn’t make any more. Then, about 6 years ago I found myself playing bass guitar in a little amateur French folk/ceilidh/barn-dance band and I thought ‘I could make one of these’. I’m now finishing the fourth one, they’re all different, and starting on an ABG. OK, I know they don’t work but perhaps I’ll find the miracle ingredient! And then, I’ve always liked the looks of a 12-fret 000 and parlour guitars and one of my stepsons fancies a Tele and the other one plays bass and …..


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 5:13 pm 
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Koa
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Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2008 8:05 pm
Posts: 1567
Location: San Jose, CA
First name: Dave
Last Name: Fifield
City: San Jose
State: CA
Zip/Postal Code: 95124
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
OK, I'll play.

I'm 50 and married (for 25 years - to the same woman bliss ) with 3 boys [:Y:] (ages 24, 22, 14). I'm English and I have perfect teeth :mrgreen: I moved to the USA in 1992 with my wife and two (then) small boys (the thrid was born here). There's no way you'd ever get me to move back there now.....

Professionally, I decided to follow the electronics route and get rich rather than become a poor musician. I don't regret that decision as I have done very well in electronics. Currently, I'm Principal RF Engineer for a small startup company in Santa Clara, CA. I'm the sole hardware guy here. I'm currently designing a range of new 802.11n WLAN access point products for the enterprise wireless LAN market.

Marconi Radar put me through college. After I graduated from Southampton University I stayed in the military radar industry for 11 years, the first two years of which I spent in the Sultanate of Oman installing, comissioning and repairing radars. Then, when the bottom fell out of the military market in the late 80's, I went into semiconductors on the applications side, then into the engineering/systems design side of things. In my recent past I designed WLAN routers/access points and client products for the likes of Linksys, Netgear, Buffalo, and I designed the Apple Airport Extreme WLAN card (three generations of) and their access point (the UFO looking device).

As long as I can remember, I have been a musician of sorts. I started out on the trumpet (I could have played professionally, apparently laughing6-hehe ). At 14, I taught myself to play the piano and have been mainly a keyboard player ever since. I designed and built my first music synthesizer, from scratch, in 1976. Today, I have an extensive home studio with tons of keyboards and modules as well as a set of V-drums (Jardini). I also have a several guitars: a nice Martin SWD, a PRS Santana SE, and a Dean "Edge One" (Korean) bass guitar, all of which I have so far been unsuccessful in mastering....fat fingers is my main problem idunno

I have also been a woodworker for as long as I can remember. I get it from my grandfather, who used to carve wonderful bird and animal figures. I have a really nice workshop, albeit too small by miles (Dave's Wooden Wonders) . I learned how to do marquetry about 5 years ago, and in the last 3 years have developed and refined my methods using a laser engraving machine to cut the wood. I was seeking a more interesting substrate for my marquetry work and decided that it would be guitars. So, that's how come I'm here, learning as fast as I can, and about 3/4 the way through building my first one..... :D

On top of all that, I play squash racquets 2 or 3 games a week, so if any of you are down this way and want a game, give me a holler......

Cheers,
Dave F.

Edit: I just went back and read the whole thread. Aren't we a bunch of OLd Farts! Especially Waddy....man, you are OLD!!! beehive

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Cambrian Guitars

"There goes Mister Tic-Tac out the back with some bric-brac from the knick-knack rack"


Last edited by Dave Fifield on Tue Mar 11, 2008 5:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 5:26 pm 
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Koa
Koa
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Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 11:21 am
Posts: 805
Location: United States
First name: Jim Howell
Hi all! I'm 56 years young and married. Jane and I have grown step-children each from previous marriages, but none of our own, unless you count Dickens the killer cat and Toby, our Bea-Bass Shep Hound. The puppy is a mixture of german shepard, beagle and bassett hound. Think of a german shepard with floppy ears on eight-inch legs. wow7-eyes

I left college to work for a living and became a logger in the pacific northwest. It only took two seasons to figure out that there could be better ways of working for a living than WORKING for a living. [headinwall] Slow-learner! I spent about 15 years better applying my education to the art of civil engineering design and drafting -- before cad. As computers came onto the scene I moved with them and have now been a working database programmer for the past 16 or 17 years. I mashed around with guitars in high school and like so many boomers tried to get back into them at a point in my life where I could actually afford the habit. Alas, it seems in the playing department I'm about a quart low in knack and Elderly Instruments has always been fresh out when I've asked. Our own John Hall has gotten me into the building bug with his kits and Hesh has kept a hot spark applied with his never-ending enthusiasm for getting folks together in Ann Arbor.

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Jim Howell
Charlotte, NC


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 5:27 pm 
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Walnut
Walnut

Joined: Thu Feb 14, 2008 9:01 am
Posts: 32
Location: Minnesota
Rick Johnson, 41, married with 2 children one will be 13 in April and the other just turned 3 in January. Worked in the automotive field all my life (Service and Parts) worked for Acura,Chrysler, GM and aftermarket parts stores. Got laid off in October of 06 and then decided to attend a Luthiery school and open my own business repairing and restoring guitars.

I have been a guitarist since the age of 8, and have been in bands since I was 16. Still playing almost every weekend with a band of other 40 year olds!! FUN STUFF!! Built 2 guitars from raw materials, 1 Solid body carved top and 1 acoustic single cutaway. I do all my own inaly work as well as finish work.

My business is doing well and I was just "named" a "Tanglewood" guitar service and warranty center. My first job is being sent from Ohio as we speak! [clap] . I specialize in neck repairs, broken headstocks on Les Pauls and similar. I also have a few Gibsons in the shop now needing refinishing. Also I have been busy "upgrading" the wiring on "cheaper" brand guitars to factory Gibson specs and parts.

My wife is a accountant and office manager at a Law Firm in St paul. With my business, a 3year old, my band and my son playing Hockey 12 months a year (we are the "state of hockey" ya know!) I keep VERY busy and always moving!!!!

Looking forward to the years to come for my business and getting to know people as well that share the same passion! 41 years old and I feel like I am retired (because I love the work, NOT because I have nothing to do laughing6-hehe )

Thanks for all of the past advice and support!

RjC Guitar Service and Repair


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 5:34 pm 
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Koa
Koa
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Joined: Sat Jul 01, 2006 5:55 am
Posts: 1392
Location: United States
First name: James
Last Name: Bolan
City: Nashville
State: Tennessee
Country: USA
Lance I never knew you worked in Ann Arbor.Hesh never even mentioned it.What a butthead Hesh.My daughter lives there with her doctor hubby and my baby grandaughter.I`d love to meet you next time I`m up.Anyway I`m 58,an old timer.I`ve been in building and remodeling since I was 22.I`ve had my own business here in Nashville as a remodeling contractor since the early 80`s.My son works with me and will probably take the reigns someday soon.I`ve been in and out of the music business a few times and I`ve been very fortunate to have spent some time with some very talented musicians over the years.But for me music isn`t a business it`s a part of who I am.love this thread Lance.
James W B

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 5:55 pm 
Hello All,
I'm Paul Nesmith and I've been a longtime lurker here.After seeing this post I figured it would be a good time to say hi.
I'm 48 and Happily married for 18 years.I have two high school boys and two guinee pigs.I've been a toolmaker for 31 years and by now I'm kinda bored with machining.Maybe a different four walls would help,I don't know but I'm CLOSE to paying off the house and CLOSE to finding a new career.I've been building for 6 years now and I'm starting number 10 soon.I'm really not a good player - fact is I can't sing either,count me as a bedroom noodler at best.I do like machining guitar parts though and I make all my own necks,bridges and any other part I can get my hands on and someday maybe I'd like to work as a guitar machinst someday.
I've been a competetive runner ( 5k and miler) for 25 years and can boast a 4:18 mile.I also am a assistant coach in track and cross country for my son's teams.Right now though I've got some nagging foot injuries that have kept me from running at all.
There seems to be some really cool people here and maybe I'll get to meet some of you at John Hall"s get together in MAY.I live close to John and he's been a real good guy to do buisness with.Here's a pics of one of my guitars and it's my favorite so far.
Image
Image
Image


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 6:06 pm 
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Cocobolo
Cocobolo
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Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2008 6:13 pm
Posts: 228
Location: Newtown, CT
I’m a 41 yr old dad that’s been married for 8 yrs with 3 children, a 3 yr old girl, a 6 month old boy and a step daughter in college.
I am an Electroform Engineer for a small company that makes electroformed nickel shrouds for helicopters and other aircraft. Chances are if you have flown in a prop-driven aircraft or helicopter, my parts would most likely be on it.

I started building guitars when I was 14 and have been building on and off for the past 27 yrs.
My tool acquisitions began shortly out of High school as my access to the school shop came to an end. Since then I have built up a well equipped cabinet shop that in my spare time have built several kitchens, bathrooms, custom build ins, furniture and oh yeah guitars and just about anything that can be built out of wood. Unfortunately finding time to spend in my shop is in short supply and my shop is a ½ hour away so if I have an hour to spend it would be lost in the drive. My wife doesn’t mind if I spend time in my shop as long as it’s a benefit to the family. Building guitars is not a benefit as I have too many as it is.(She hasn’t said any this but I know it to be true).
She doesn’t understand why I need to build more and more guitars, but it’s nice to know all of you understand.

My brain is always processing something or looking to process something, so in these short bits of free time, I am building tools and such as it doesn’t require the use of my shop.

For exercise I mountain bike two or three times a week and at the same time clear my mind of just about everything. It’s my way of meditation.

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Rich S

"The inconvenience of poor quality will linger long after the thrill of a bargain has been forgotten"


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 6:44 pm 
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Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2004 11:25 pm
Posts: 7202
Location: United States
Well, fortunately I look a lot younger than I am...so I won't give my age. After years and years of being a Country Music professional, writing and performing songs and cutting numerous records, (yes, records, not CD's) I retired and hung up the guitar and started to learn to build them.
Having wasted most of the money I made in the music industry, I am now a senior accountant working for a non-profit organization and also for one of the US Olympic teams.

Here's my website.





Ok, that's not really me...but it's nice sharing a name with someone of such notoriety.
bliss

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 7:05 pm 
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Mahogany
Mahogany
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Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2008 10:14 am
Posts: 81
Location: Humble, Texas
Cool thread. It's nice to know about many of the folks whose posts I have had the privilege to learn from. I am 37 and was born in El Paso Texas. I now live North of Toronto. I got here by marrying a wonderful Canadian gal. We have been married for 6 years in May. We have one son who is going to be 5 in May as well.

I got my start making guitars in El Paso at Monroe guitars. We built electric guitars for the metal crowd. That led me to Roberto Venn where I graduated in 1992. Then on to repair stints in New Mexico and Colorado. Finally I wound up in Massachusetts building harpsichords and fortepianos at Hubbard Harpsichords (my picture and bio is still on the website even though I have been gone at least 6 years!) in Sudbury Mass. I moved to Toronto and got into building gypsy guitars, archtops, flat tops and now mandolins. Here is my website.

http://www.collinsguitar.com

I am currently working on yet another DVD series for the luthier community and trying to make a living at this.
As to all of you who have answered my phone calls and my questions i give a heartfelt thanks. I have learned so much from all of you!!! :D


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 7:15 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Tue May 02, 2006 9:02 am
Posts: 2351
Location: Canada
First name: Bob
Last Name: Garrish
City: Toronto
State: Ontario
Country: Canada
Status: Professional
I'm 25 (where's the baby emoticon?) with one obnoxiously affectionate cat (think "shadow that sleeps on your pillow"), The Puff. Living in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I came here to go to university and never left!
Attachment:
thepuff.jpg


I grew up in the country and, lacking anything else to do, started reading at four or so and playing with fire [:Y:] . My father is a contractor and my mother did craft-sale woodworking until we pups were old enough to be home alone. Despite wanting me to end up as an academic of some sort, my parents were nevertheless compelled to buy me tools for Christmas every year... :D

I'd describe my academic career as apathetically successful :| . I sort of slept through 18 years of school and when I woke up I was bored with academia and most of the way through a masters in mathematics with my first two electric guitars built. So, I did the most logical thing one could: I bought a plane ticket to California, visited Kevin Ryan, bought a CNC milling machine, dropped into New Hampshire to spend a month studying with Al Carruth, and then came back to Halifax to figure out how to operate a CNC milling machine eek . The first one I ever touched was my own. The miracle in all of this was convincing my parents I should 'go be a carpenter' after seven years of university :)

I don't advocate the 'buy a Fadal CNC and teach yourself' method as particularly good life advice, though it worked for me. idunno Now I make parts for guitar makers from the bottom to the very top of the food chain. There's something interesting to note in the fact that my defense contractor clients are OK with me disclosing their names if I wish, but 90% of my luthier clients require secrecy! :?

These days, I like to relax in front of my Fadal and scratch my head with an absurdly large wrench, thinking about neat new things to do with it! When I'm not at the shop, I'm usually out playing open mics here or taking in the music scene.

Attachment:
scratch.jpg


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Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 7:38 pm 
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Cocobolo
Cocobolo

Joined: Tue Aug 15, 2006 8:03 am
Posts: 456
Location: Toronto, Canada
Hi folks, Dave White from Toronto Canada (Hi Mike, we're neighbours!).

I am the classic case of having the ultra-stress hi-tech job during the day and escaping to the shop or my guitar to relax. I'm 45 and have been with my partner Heather for 15 years, for the first nine years she would say how come you never play those guitars you have in your closet....well she doesn't say that anymore!

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David White, Toronto

"All my favourite singers can't sing."


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 7:39 pm 
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Koa
Koa
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Joined: Thu Aug 25, 2005 4:49 pm
Posts: 1209
Location: Ukiah, CA
My college sweetheart Susie and I have been married for 34 years. We have two children Rosemary 25 and Carey 23. We have lived in Ukiah, California for 28 years. We are both teachers. She teaches kindergarten and I teach first grade. I've been a lab tech and part time instructor in ceramics at the local community college. I've done set design and construction for the local theater group along with some acting and singing. I've been the volleyball coach at the high school for 17 years and for the last five years I've gotten back into guitar making after a 30 year "break."

I made my first guitar with all hand tools and the Sloane book. Now I mostly make small jumbo steel string guitars. I've shown at the last two Healdsburg Festivals and I'll be showing at Montreal. I'm looking forward to retirement and more time building and playing.

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Ken Franklin
clumsy yet persistent
https://www.kenfranklinukulele.com


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 8:02 pm 
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Cocobolo
Cocobolo
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Joined: Mon Nov 14, 2005 8:30 pm
Posts: 497
Location: United States
Status: Amateur
I’m about to be 56 years old and as of May 12th I will have been married to my beautiful wife Brenda for 35 years. My how time flies! After 15 years of racing motocross I retired from the sport. I was never good enough but really enjoyed it. There were number of different jobs through my life. Along the way I picked up a degree only to find no jobs in my chosen field. I did work as a counselor in both alcohol and drug clinics for a while. Currently I find myself as the Executive Travel Consultant for a world wide space and defense company. I also do all the internal programming for my department. I have been a certified hypnotherapist for many years and it is one of the few things that I take seriously.

I love Hawaiian music and somehow became interested in the ukulele and can almost play a little. Unfortunately, I have no musical talent but that never stopped me from plinking along. A couple of years ago while in Hawaii I stopped by Hana Lima ‘Ia ukulele building school. They sell parts there and I knew of their school. While talking to the owner’s son I said that I noticed they offered a condensed class of two week. He responded by telling me he was trying to talk his dad out of teaching that once a year class because he is getting older and its is too hard on him. The next year the course was offered and my wife said lets go for it because we may never get the chance again because of the age of the owner. With my wife’s support I attended and loved it. I surprised my self by building a very nice looking and sounding ukulele. My only previous woodworking was 7th grade woodshop. What was really funny is meeting the owner Mike Chock and finding that he was only 58 years old. We had a good laugh over him being too old. He said “Well at least my son is thinking of me”.

Although I have several builds in the future my current focus is on Poker. In fact this last weekend has been by best yet. My wife and I traveled to Reno to play in the World Poker Tour Challenge Tournament. I wanted to win my way to the main event because I can’t afford the $7,500.00 entry fee. ($10,000.00 for most like events) but didn’t win. However, they paid 27 places out of 244 entries and I finished 26th. I could have done a lot better but I took a huge hit in chips right near the end when a player I had dominated out drew me and took my chips. Along with placing in this event I am now a ranked player and have points that can help me get in high level tournaments that have entry limits.

I also played in three non WPT tournaments at three different casinos this weekend. One a shootout event (one winner) where I made the final table and finished 3rd. Then I made a final table finishing 6th and they paid 4 place. Finally, at Harrah’s I made the final table and won the tournament. Yahoo!! In 4 tournaments, I placed in a WPT event, made 3 final tables, and won one. A great poker weekend! bliss

As far as building I still have no time, skill, tools, or space. But thanks to the OLF I have confidence and support and that mean a great deal to me.

Philip

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aka konacat

If you think my playing is bad you should hear me sing!
Practice breeds confidence and confidence breeds competence. Unfortunately, I'm stuck in practice.


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 8:06 pm 
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Mahogany
Mahogany

Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2007 1:36 pm
Posts: 69
Location: lockport ,il
im 29, live in suburbs of chicago. works as a union plumber in chicago. built 2 guitars and 1 ukelele so far. building is on hold for now since im in the middle of selling and buying a house. married for 2 years in may. and im currently obsessed with checking this site for new stuff.


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 8:11 pm 
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Koa
Koa
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Joined: Sat Jan 26, 2008 12:31 pm
Posts: 510
Location: Gaithersburg MD
First name: Erik
Last Name: Hauri
State: Maryland
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Image

That's me on top of Villarica volcano in Chile (2005) with Lanin in the background. So yeah...I'm 42, a full time geochemist engaged in research on volcanoes. It's pretty good work if you can get it. University of Miami, a.k.a. "The U" (1984-1988), MIT (1988-1992), got my first real job in 1994 in Washington DC running a research program in the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism at the Carnegie Institution of Washington. It's my dream job. Married 21 years this May to the girl I met my first day of college, now we have two teenage boyz and one 10yo girl...they're all competitive swimmers, so my second job is driving the swim taxi.

I've been playing guitar since high school, totally self-taught. Evolved from Sears & Roebuck to Gibson ('84 Les Paul Custom) and Fender ('92 MIM Strat) while evolving from Fleetwood Mac to Zeppelin to The Mahavishnu Orchestra and back to Stevie Ray Vaughn. I've been the guitarist for several bands, none of which you've heard of unless you were a denizen of frat row at The U from '84-'88 (in which case those brain cells are probably dead anyway).

One day 5 years ago I put together a 12-string Strat from parts, strung up as a 6 while doing the setup. When I played it that way, a light went on. I've always had rather fat fingers for a guitar player, and could never really get the digits to keep from tripping over each other. That extra 3/16" at the nut was like being released from a prison...WOW!

So after being able to fret Bbmaj7 @#1 cleanly for the first time in my life, I decided all my guitars from that point on would have necks custom fit to my own freakish hands. And that's how I got into building....I'm still iterating on my favorite combination of nut width, neck thickness and scale length, but its getting close. Of course I could have just switched to bass guitar, but then I'd have to hang out with drummers and it's not as much fun as building (though building basses is fun too).

Lutherie is now a passion for me; it exercises the right side of the brain (which tends to wither in scientists) but there is a technical side of it that really gets the left side going (Al Carruth is my closet hero). Building stringed instruments is a great diversion now, and should keep me occupied full-time when I'm finally too old to hike up 10,000 ft volcanoes and decide to hang up my rock hammer.

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The member formerly known as erikbojerik....


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 9:36 pm 
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Cocobolo
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Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2008 7:59 am
Posts: 314
Location: Southwick,MA
City: Southwick, MA
Great Thread!

I'm 45 years old and married for two years to Tracy, the love of my life. I have two beautiful step daughters, Shauna and Sarah, and Marley, the wonder dog. I am a Software Architect by day at a company that creates custom solutions for Commercial Insurance Carriers. I have been a woodworker for about 20 years and prior to finding the passion for guitar building, I did a lot of commission furniture and cabinetry. I also teach woodworking classes [url=http:www.schoolofwoodworking.com]here.[/url]

I have only one build to my name right now, a kit guitar that was a gift for Sarah. I have build number two under way and builds 3 and 4 in the planning stages. I am trying to learn as much as I can, and draw from the well that is this forum.

I truly appreciate all the great information I see here every single day.

Here's Tracy and the girls,
Attachment:
the-girls.jpg


and of course, Marley, the wonder dog...
Attachment:
marley.jpg


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Mitch


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 9:52 pm 
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Joined: Sat Aug 25, 2007 2:05 am
Posts: 685
Location: Saint Petersburg, Florida
First name: Glenn
Last Name: LaSalle
City: Saint Petersburg
State: Florida
Status: Amateur
I am 46, married with 4 kids (and another on her way in a few months!) and live in Marlton, New Jersey (South Jersey, east of Philadelphia). Professionally, I work for a San Fransico (actually Redwood City) based software company. I work from my home office when I am not travelling to my customers, and make sure I keep a guitar in my office at all times.

I have been playing guitar for 30 years, and have been very fortunate to have studied with Dave Van Ronk and Stefan Grossman in the '80s. Both have been very instrumental (pun intended) in my musical development. I bought my first Franklin guitar after playing Stefan's and wondering why the heck his guitar sounded SOO much better than my '76 Martin M-36. I am fortunate to own 2 Franklins, and 2 '20s Stella guitars (actually 1 Stella concert, and 1 Joseph Nettuno Grand concert - a freakin' lap piano if there ever was one).

From the first few years of playing, I have always wanted to build, but never had time or space. I still don't have much time, but I have finally made space, tooled up, bought some woods, and in the middle of build number 1. This forum has been a tremendous helper as it certainly has given me alot of info to study, and experience to listen to.

Thanks to you all!

Glenn


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 9:53 pm 
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Koa
Koa

Joined: Sun Oct 28, 2007 4:40 pm
Posts: 763
Location: United States
Howdy!

Thanks for starting this. It's nice to be able to build up a better picture of who you all are. I have to agree with Grumpy about placement though.

I just turned forty here in Denver. Haven't seemed to be able to get married yet. I've bounced around a bit. Started with a math degree and worked as a researcher for a big pharmaceutical company. Went to grad school as a research shepherd looking at non chemical options for weed control. Did some manufacturing with CNC laser stuff. Finally ended up teaching 3rd grade. I make less than everyone I went to school with (though more than some luthiers I've met), but since I started teaching 10 years ago, every day I wake up and look forward to going to work. That is worth a lot.

Just finished my first build. Learned about Robbie's class at the Woodworking Show several years ago, but my schedule never worked out. I finally took the class last fall and loved it! I'm getting ready to start 2 and 3 as soon as I make a few decisions about wood and stuff. With my math and science background, I really appreciate people like Al Caruth, but I do this for fun. I can't imagine I'll build enough to "master" it, so I'm fighting my natural tendency to over analyze everything and just enjoy building stuff. Some of them will be great, like my first, but I expect others to be significantly less so.

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Mike Lindstrom


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:08 pm 
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Walnut
Walnut

Joined: Mon Feb 05, 2007 7:16 am
Posts: 31
Location: United States
54 year old with wife of 30 years and three kids. My day job is dentistry. I got into guitar building because my middle son ( age 21) wants to be a professional singer songwriter. He owns a few acoustic guitars and wanted a new Martin. Two years ago I suggested I build a guitar for him, however he was concerned the materials were coming from HomeDepot so he purchased the Martin. After seeing my first three builds, he reconsidered and is now the owner of a personalized Koa.
I have practiced dentistry for 27 years and always strived for the attention to details that guitar building demands. In fact I believe that my interest and passion for guitar building has helped my critical eye for dental care. The attached photo is a build I did to keep in a displace case in my office. Notice the teeth instead of dots on the fretboard.
John


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:33 pm 
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Walnut
Walnut

Joined: Mon Feb 05, 2007 7:16 am
Posts: 31
Location: United States
oops_sign
Tried to edit my last post by adding the photo. Hope it arrived this time.


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 11:29 pm 
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Koa
Koa

Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2007 11:58 am
Posts: 1667
Bob! You're way too young to be bald, Dude! <g> That fadal is killer, too. I first thought it was a room you built to house it in; then I looked again, and it IS the Fadal. Yikes!

The boy ain't right.... [:Y:]

I'm a few weeks short of 42, have so many interests, from cars(I still own a near mint and not necessarily ;) stock '87 Buick Grand National), to machining, to dogs, birds, trees, music(Bluegrass and Jazz, mostly) to NASCAR(devout fan since 1973), that listing them all would be impossible. I've been a heavy equipment mechanic apprentice, worked in lumber and sawmills, labs, learned and studied wood pulping down to counting and classifying individual spruce fibers, all the while with an engineer degree on the wall above my stereo.

Now I build instruments for a living, and enjoy sharing what I know, learning what I don't, and arguing with anyone if the argument is worth arguing over. We all learn from those exchanges, even if you don't agree. duh

And I'll still argue that this thread is off topic and should be in the off topics section laughing6-hehe


here's me mug shot from a couple weeks ago. Yes, that's 8+ feet of snow behind me.... yes, it's all still there, plus some more.


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 11:51 pm 
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Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood
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Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2007 3:15 pm
Posts: 2302
Location: Florida
here's me mug shot from a couple weeks ago. Yes, that's 8+ feet of snow behind me.... yes, it's all still there, plus some more.[/quote]


I would be grumpy too with 8 feet of snow and more on the way. This explains a lot about you Mario!

Somehow I had pictured you as an old fart. Heck, youre a youngin! Cheer up, we are having a heat wave with rain down here. By the way, I dont have moose in my driveway, but I have this in my pasture...close enough??
Attachment:
turkey.jpg


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Reguards,

Ken H


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