Bio
I have worked with wood since I can remember. Under the tutelage of my father, I built my first guitar at an early age. I think I was 12 years old at the time. Dad saw plans for a Gibson-style dreadnought in a magazine – Popular Mechanics I do believe.
As my father was confined to a wheelchair, I was required to do anything he could not. I built a machine to dry and fluff stump socks, changed the transmission in the family car from manual to automatic, and built and installed hand controls for that same car so he could continue to drive.
Most projects involved some aspect of working with wood, and under his direction, I built a 24-foot cabin cruiser and several other boats. He taught me to be innovative, thorough and always, always, do nothing less than my best. While I did not enjoy it at the time, I have my father to thank for my early start in working wood.
My career in the wood products industry has encompassed many facets including residential construction & renovation, and custom millwork. At the University of British Columbia (UBC), I set up and managed North American’s first university-level laboratory dedicated to the wood products industry. For 13 years I was responsible for machinery procurement and installation, scheduling, safety and a host of other duties at its Centre for Advanced Wood Processing.
The lutherie bug surfaced in 1989 when the gift of a book on dulcimer construction rekindled my interest. I have slowly been honing my skills since. I am now fortunate to be able to build performance, quality, custom instruments for discerning musicians and collectors, and would like to express my gratitude to my wife Linda, my family and many friends for their encouragement and support. Most importantly, I want to thank the customers that have put their faith in me to build the guitars of their dreams.
My mission is to build guitars that are world class- both sonically and aesthetically – while continuously exploring and innovating. My methods include traditional hand work where it is required to get the best sonic result and I reserve the use of modern technologies for processes that benefit from the extreme accuracy of computer numerical control (CNC). I use materials that are environmentally responsible wherever possible, and continuously experiment with domestic woods that are sustainably harvested. I will write more on this topic as my web site evolves.
I hope you enjoy exploring our new web site and find the information and links interesting and entertaining.
There is always so much to discover and learn!
