News from the Shop
Here’s what’s been happening in my shop — new builds, works in progress, and stories from the workbench. I post when there’s something worth sharing.
Tele vs. Strat: What I Tell People Who Ask
Should I get a Tele or a Strat? Here's my honest answer — and why the best guitar is the one you can't put down.
Stone, Water, and Patience: Building Outdoor Spaces That Last
Anybody can stack rocks. Building stonework that stays stacked through freeze, thaw, and twenty years of rain — that's a different thing.
A Yard Should Feel Like It Belongs
Cookie-cutter landscaping looks tidy but feels like nothing. I start with the land itself — where the water goes, where the sun falls — and build a yard that looks like it was always supposed to be there.
What Makes a Custom Guitar Worth It
A custom guitar costs more than one off the shelf. Here's what you're actually paying for.
The Squier That Became Something Else
A factory Squier Strat, stripped to bare wood and rebuilt by hand. The bones matter, but the hands matter more.
Why I Build Guitars by Hand
People ask why I don't just buy a CNC machine. Here's why: a CNC doesn't feel the wood.
A Rough Sketch on a Napkin
Most of my best projects started as a rough sketch on a napkin. Here's how a custom commission actually works — and my promise to tell you straight.
Build a House Like a Fine Instrument
Building a log home demands the same thing a fine instrument does: patience, honest materials, and respect for what the wood wants to be.
I Don’t Build Throwaway Furniture
Big-box furniture is built to be replaced. I build the other kind — solid wood, real joinery, pieces your grandkids will fight over.
From Rough Lumber to First Strum: Building the Jewel
The Jewel — my Kaylah Signature Series — started as rough lumber and ended with that first chord ringing out. Here's how a guitar goes from blank to instrument.