Official Luthiers Forum!

Yes, we are!

D..

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D..

yep, i think its possible, its like the international sign of the luthier, facial hair!!

i don't really look like that all the time, but i did during my 6 month stay on vancouver island, thought i would fit in with the locals!!!

mmmmmm turnip series, what a great idea! i could do the whole vegetable thing, then give them to some of the worlds greatest guitar players,
and then i could sponsor the V8!PaddyD38782.3755324074

Paddy, you should have read the thread about the quartersawn carrot, it was a hilarious one, i looked but can't find it cuz i wanted to give the link, i hope you had a chance to read it!

Geoffrey Davis
Born in Indianapolis, Indiana on September 28, 1962
Resides Noblesville, Indiana

I’ve spent most of my life building things...furniture, small buildings, books, boats and ukuleles.

I’ve been teaching 4th and 5th grade in the public schools for 21 years. I’ve held other, part-time jobs over the years...sign painter, university instructor, retail sales.

I've been married for 15 years. In addition to a very understanding wife I have two great teenage daughters. They divide their time between 4-H, school and ukulele.

I had an opportunity to teach an elective class at my school six years ago. I designed a class teaching children about jazz using the ukulele. It’s a great way to teach kids about syncopation, rhythms and chord structures.

Little did I know that I would be bitten by the ukulele bug and have worked hard to become a player, builder and advocate for the ukulele.

In addition to directing a children’s ukulele jazz band (an outgrowth of the class mentioned above) I am the founder and director of the MidWest UkeFest, a national ukulele festival held in Indianapolis annually. This festival has brought my students into direct contact with the greatest of ukulele players and builders.

I also travel to ukulele events to teach and perform.

As I have always had a drive to build things, building ukulele was a logical step. I began self-teaching and preparing a workshop with some degree of success. I applied for and won a fellowship through the Lilly Foundation to travel to Hawaii and study ukulele construction with Mike Chock at Hana Lima ‘Ia Ukulele School in Honolulu. Through Mike I’ve developed a relationship with many island builders and players.

I produce a dozen, or so, ukuleles from my home in Noblesville, Indiana. I’m looking for larger shop space (My wife wants the parlor back) where I can set up m multiple benches and teach ukulele building to small classes. Teaching what I know is as much a drive to me as building and creating are.

www.keystrummers.org (The MidWest UkeFest and Key Strummers)
www.hoosiermaidukes.com (My Ukuleles)

Photo - Me on the left with James Hill

Hey Geoff, great bio, and I like the part about teaching kids jazz or anything. Kids need tremendous exposure to varied things in life and this is one fine opportunity you've created for them. Congrats on your interesting work. How 'bout that Hawaii. Did you meet Howard Tanaka over there?

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

Yes, I did!

I've got a uke on the next table to the right. A concert harp. Unfortunately I don't have my UGH Convention photo with me.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/mrfender/onepecspruce. jpgguess I need you show the real luthier here. am ronnie am 6 this is my dad shop but am the boss and I build guitars.   

Ronnie....

Cool little one Ron, looks like she's got character already! Thanks for sharing but about more info on ya dude!

Well am 41 I and my family live here in ventura calif
I guess I started building guitars because I have a old
gibson arch top that needed a fret job. so I took
the guitar to a music store and ask if there was a repair man the owner said yes. well ok can i talk to him
he came out and i show him the guitar and ask him if
he would sale me some fret wire.mmmm so I could repair
the board...He look at me and walk away saying you dont
known how to fix that..The look on my face ,it was like getting shot by a 357. from that day on that guy change
my life...I did take back a custom guitar that i build
and ask the same guy to install a lock on the case
when i told him that I build guitars and i have one inside the case ,,when he opened the case and I seen
the look on his face..man   there is a God...

Well make a long story short. Thats why I build guitars

after 5 years of saving I and the wife invested in a industal unit 3000sqft were we had a contrac build a office and a family so we could take our kids
to work with use. we also own 4 others home that I
do all the repairs on ,being a stay home daddy and taking the kids to school. Its fun for me finding time
to get down to the shop and build. I sure love my family kids and wife . am very happy in this part of my
life. and I think it show in my work...

thanks guys
">allspruce38782.6129513889

Allspruce, Ron Steiger, right? I found it on your website. Love that snakewood on one of your guitars.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

yes thats my web site.

   

Thanks for your great story Ron, very inspiring one and i agree with you that family is always numero uno, a loving, caring and understanding wife is also a real big plus for us guys han?

I'm dying to try one of your all spruce guitars one day my friend! They look very pretty so they must sound heavenly as well!

Hey, Geoff - I was born in Indianapolis in '63. We're kinda like almost the same person...

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

Hey, Geoff - I was born in Indianapolis in '63. We're kinda like almost the same person...

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

Got some of you's up there today - have a looksee

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Here I am holding Stephen Bennett's harp gutiar, trying to figure out how the heck he does it !!!!



Born in Sudbury northern Ontario in the early 60s, grew up on Beatles, then discovered heavier stuff like Deep Purple (Machine head was the first album I bought) Aerosmith, ZZtop, Nugent, all the 70s guitar guys. I was playing a black strat like single HB Hagstrom in grade 11 when I got the first Dimarzio PU catalog that had guitar bodies and necks in it too - that was it - they had an explorer shape in there I had to have - but no cash. No worries, I can make THAT. So off to see the wood shop teacher for a piece of mahogany big enough - 10 bucks !!! I made the body, bolted on the neck from the hagstrom and was off !!! Went to university, got an electrical engineering degree and then once out in the real world worked in telecom for 16 years, all the while making more electrics and buying better tools. Made a couple tube amps in the process as well. After visiting a solo luthier while on vacation in 1999 on Hornby Island, in BC, I figured it was time to stop collecting acoustic wood and actually make one. Its the one I reach for every day almost (I play my Dragonfly a lot too, but keep it in a case for fear of my twin almost 8 year old knocking it over, like they have the first one).

After being laid off twice in 2001, I gave up on the corporate world to stay home, do the dad thing and give making guitars a shot. After a neighbour decided I should help him build one a couple years back, I started offering to teach others as well.

Its been a fun ride, still learning or trying something new almost every day - thats whats so cool about doing this - the guitars always get better with practice and patience (something I had to learn way back, I was always in a hurry, just wanted it done !!)TonyKarol38783.727025463

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

[QUOTE=hoosierukes]   I’ve held other, part-time jobs over the years...sign painter, university instructor, retail sales.[/QUOTE]
That's the usual progression, isn't it?

Thanks Tony for sharing this, can't remember if i told you this before but i lived in Sudbury back in 80's(81-83) and worked at the " Friendly's restaurant" on Elgin?, it was a tough neighborhood back then, probably still is right?

You know Serge you would have to ask Anthony Z - he still has family there, I still have some old high school friends, but havent been back in ages. I was at McMaster from 81 to 85, and never went back afterwards. Always been in and around Toronto. Not sure if I ewver went there, but my step dad had a bud who lived right across from the arena - rough was an understatement around there !!!! First real bar I was in was the Coulson on Elgin, to see local band Half Nelson, and after sitting down with a beer for less than fifteen minutes, one drunk at the next table smashes a chair on the table accusing his other drunk bud of hitting on his girl - a real eye opener !!! Then at the first break, a huge cowboy from over in the corner walks over to the jukebox, its playing some country tune, and continually kicks the crap out of it until his tune, Clapton's 'Cocaine' comes on. Then he walks back to the corner and sits down - no one said a word. It played about 4 times in a row. Just sit down, drink your beer, and keep your mouth shut, that was my motto !!!

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

Do you want bios from members who can make no claim to being a luthier? Will there be a section for mostly bumbling idiots like me? I know some things about steel, tools and wood but I'm a hacker/hammertech now. About all I could do is take my own digital picture and describe a generally boring life history. On the other hand, I've lived it as a painfully open book and I won't match a poster at the USPO so ;why not?

Mike, yes! Its not so much a place for "luthiers" dare I say that, but rather a place to share your personal story with others here at the OLF. Like the OLF, everyone at every level is welcome!

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

I'm a Christian, husband, father, not yet 30 years old. I work as an
administrator at a liberal arts college here in Memphis. I've got a couple
of college degrees in computers and business. I grew up in the country
outside Memphis, after school lived in Charlotte, NC for a year and then
in Valley Forge, PA (right outside Philly) for nearly four years. Now I'm
back in Memphis.

I've been playing guitar since I was 16. Started with an Alvarez acoustic,
later owned an Epi Les Paul, and a Korean-made Strat. My first high-
quality guitar was a college graduation present - a Tacoma jumbo (flamed
koa b&s, spruce top); I've very much enjoyed that guitar.

Got into lutherie because I wanted a mandolin, and for some reason just
buying one didn't strike me as fun. The instrument I built was a flattop
A-style mandolin from a kit. Horribly constructed little thing, but it gets
the job done. The kit didn't come with binding, plus the sort
of spanish-heel-sorta joint didn't lend itself to binding on the back.
Since I thought that looked bad, I painted the whole thing blue metallic
sparkle! (pic below)

Second instrument was a copy of an ES-335, which is now my sole
electric (actually I built it as a gift to my son, but he's only 2, so he
doesn't mind if I play it ). Pics of it are at the very end of the "First
guitar" thread Part I.

I'm currently working on an OM style acoustic - sapele b&s, sitka top,
mahogany neck w/ ebony fingerboard and bridge. Neck is made, just
need to attach the fingerboard, and I'm working on the top and back now.

Here's a link to the page I put up

documenting the construction of the mandolin kit.

Excellent fellows, enjoyed reading about each of you. Tony that is some instrument you have in your lap. Wow.
Jay, Blue metalflake mandolin, I would have expected it on a Strat Copy but not a mandolin. Incredible stories.

Mike Tobey, what's a hacker hammertech? Photo and a few lies about yourself.... it's not that hard c'mon, man. Borrow a guitar if you have to......

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

Well,Bruce,I'll work on something. A "hammertech" is older guy(I'll be 60 in June) for a guy who when he fixes anything,a hammer,tireiron,rock,any heavy object is the first thing he reaches for.It spills over to a person who has or uses the proper tools but just is incapable of bringing craftsmanship to anything,because he doesn't care,or doesn't know the difference. A hacker is essentially the same outside of modern computer world usage. I am not really either,but as I have noted before,I may have now reached the point in the first guitar I am working on where I do more things right the first time(maybe55%)than make a real mistake. I will work on a picture and a bio.