Official Luthiers Forum!

   I built my first electric guitar in 1973 in my grandfather's well tooled machine and wood shops. 15,000 plus electric bodies and necks for sale to individual customers and several large manufacturers who bought the Maple overlaid bodies that we were making. I always built acoustic guitars on a more limited basis then, but was intent on increasing my efforts in that direction. Sold that shop in NJ in 1988 and moved to the Poconos of northeast PA. I started Omega Guitars(Kevin Gallagher Guitars) in 1993 after leaving Martin Guitars in Nazareth, PA and will pass the 500 guitar mark this year if all goes well. I'm serial numbered out to about 625 right now, but am still working on the guitars approaching #500.

   The only Omega I currently own is my #0001. It's been well layed and is well worn, has been stolen once, taken to Europe without my permission and returned six months later with a cracked headstock and has been borrowed by countless artists who come through our area and visit the shop. I've retired it and it seldom sees the light outside of its case now. It has a thousand great stories it could tell.

Kevin Gallagher/Omega Guitars

Started at a school in 2003 (I think) 12 on my own and like John M a bunch at Pantheon. In a not doing much, but with an offer from Paul and another friend hope back at it in short time

I did mostly (is that a word) bodies and also some of the work on the pre made necks but it is mostly assembly work

Wow - quite a diverse bunch here, from the pros to the addicted who build 9 in one year on a part time basis while holding down a day job - and I thought I was alone.

I am going to get my wife involved in this forum - you guys would be taking the pressure off me (ha ha ha)

I started with dulcimers in 1971, got into building and repairing guitars around '73, and branched out into a range of folk instruments, some early stuff, and violin family. I've only built about 90 guitars, but have also made about 150 mountain dulcimers, 40 harps, 40 hammered dulcimers, 25 violin family instruments, and a bunch of one-offs or oddballs like an English guittar, some hurdy-gurdies, and so on. I figured out once that if I made one of every model of everything I've made it would be 35 instruments.

Since 1990 and still counting..................

Started in 1991 with a Martin HD-28 kit [which took 8 years to complete]. I have been building from scratch since then and a lot more agresively I might add My serial numbers are in the mid 50's now which doesn't include all of the restoration and repair work.

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

Been building for just over a year, #2 a (jumbo parlor) is underway, but I only seem to be able to squeeze in about an afternoon each month to build guitars at the moment. Too busy renovating the house, I was trying to do both but the house project was dragging on for too long so I need to make that my priority and get it finished - I figure I'll be building guitars for the rest of my life anyway...

I've got two friends who want me to build guitars for them, they'll probably be #4 & #5, a jumbo and a dread.

Been making four guitars in school(classical 6 & 8-string, two flattop steelstrings) and two before school(steelstring and electric), right now im in the finishing stage of #7 which is a flamenco.

Its fun to see that theres such a wide range here, from hobbyists to real proffessionals. This is such a great place in cyberspace!

Built two banjos a long time ago while playing in a string band. Bought
cheap guitars to work on, experiment with, take apart, learn setups, neck
resets, etc. Found two trashed Gibson acoustics at a flea market and
managed to rebuild them into quite nice guitars. Took in repairs for awhile
for income while going to school and planned to build an acoustic guitar one
day. Here I am 30 years later, just started on my first about a month ago, an
LMI serviced RW OM kit. It's going quite well, though my renewed interest in
playing and the building have demonstrated that I seem to have developed
some arthritis in my fingers. Oh well. Still lots of fun,though. I'd be happy to
someday sell just enough to finance one or two builds a year.

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

My,first attempt at a guitar building was about 1977 or 1978..Several 'closet quality' guitars, but just in the past two or three years are they up to point that I would let other people look at them... I'm a slow learner, I guess

I became obsessed in 1997. built my shop in 2000

I`m up to about 40 guitars and 2 mandolins, and one very funky custom resonator.

I have met so many great people along the way.

Wow, there are some realy tired people here. At least that's what it sounds like to me.

I started in 2000 and am on #4 right now. Built a small shop this past summer to try and do 2-3 per year till it gets more serious I hope.

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My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

I've been building since 2000. I don't get into the shop as often s I would like. I've made 3 guitars( four guitar necks), 2 mandolins, and a bass kalimba.

I started in 2000 with a Martin OM kit. 27 from scratch built, 6 gifts, 4 personal, 14 paid commisions and 3...well we will call them firewood no really the were experiments in bracing, assembly procedures that did not work out.

I built my first acoustic in 1976. After several more builds, I got into repairs and restoration which helped pay the bills while going back to college. Now I build one or two guitars a year in my spare time.

Hi HEsh! Welcome to the OLF!

For me, I started planning in 2000, started cutting wood in 2001

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Hey Hesh! Welcome to the forum. Also, try french polishing instead of the toxic stuff you've been using. Just denatured alcohol and shellac. About as non-toxic as you can get. It's a bit of work doing french polish, but there is no substitute for the sound you get from a french polished instrument.

Best,

Michael

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Live to Play, Play to Live

[QUOTE=Michael McBroom] Hey Hesh! Welcome to the forum. Also, try french polishing instead of the toxic stuff you've been using. Just denatured alcohol and shellac. About as non-toxic as you can get. It's a bit of work doing french polish, but there is no substitute for the sound you get from a french polished instrument.

Best,

Michael
[/QUOTE]

What Michael said. For the hobby builder building for his own use French Polish is just about the perfect finish. There is a lot of mystique been built up around it, but it is not as difficult as rumoured. I believe it is easier to get a good French Polish finish than any of the spray- ons. Is it the perfect finish?

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

I have been building since 1977. Part time until two years ago. Built around
225 instruments, acoustic, solid body, classic and archtops, 1 dulcimer!Sylvan38629.8438194444

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Sylvan
http://www.wellsguitars.com

I trained on orcastra instruments with a brilliant man in the early 70s; the only schools at that time were in Europe, which was way beyond my reach. I became repairman at a large retail store starting in 1972. Went to a small electric guitar factory for a while, back to retail store repairs. stopped repairing for others in 1983, repairing from my home while performing. Changed carreers in 1988 (kids will do that; I didn't want to raise them in the back of a van). Started back building recently. I wanted to build when I started repairing, but didn't manage to make it happen. I've made/repaired/replaced every part of an electric or acoustic guitar and most other stringed instruments. I started building again last winter, my motivation being to make a couple quality instruments for my kids (after a few attempts to work out the bugs and get my hands to remember).

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Mark Joy

mjoy Guitars

I started back in 1980 and had a hand in building several of John Dillon's guitars in New Mexico over a three year span and also built 4 acoustic steel strings and one classical of my own. Sadly, I had to leave building guitars to build houses (and make a living) for many years. 3 years ago (2002) I got back to full time lutherie and am now working on my 24th guitar under my own name.

One good thing about leaving lutherie for a time is that it really made me realize how much I love it and need to be doing this...regardless of the money coming in (or not). I think a lot of you know what I mean.

I'm still learning too and love trying new things. Working on a baritone guitar now and have built a couple of acoustic bass guitars too.