Luthiery

Guitar building

I've been a dedicated guitar player (classical and flamenco) for many years and still practice almost every day. I've always been drawn to working with my hands and undertaking creative projects, so it seemed natural that at some point I would start building guitars.

In 2000 I enrolled in a five-week course in Ontario, Canada (outside Toronto) with five other students staying at the home of the instructor, Sergei de Jonge. I built a classical guitar.

After that I focused on fine woodworking and slowly building up my home shop, with the goal of ultimately returning back to luthiery. In 2009 I took 1.5 years off of work and completed the cabinet program at Seattle Central Community College Wood Construction Center.

In 2012 I spent five weeks in La Herradura, Granada Spain taking the course taught by Stephen Hill and his assistant Pablo Riquena. I came away with a beautiful flamenco that I still play quite frequently. Ever since I have been returning to Spain every year or two. In 2015 I enrolled in a Spanish language and flamenco school in Granada, for three months.

I finally have begun and am actively working on a flamenco negra. I can't wait to play it.

Here is a video for the Stephen Hill course.

This is section 2