In 2006 I left Penn State and moved to rural Michigan to study at the Galloup school of lutherie. After my program was complete, I then accepted an apprenticeship opportunity at Galloup and stayed for an additional year and a half as Bryan Galloup’s apprentice and assistant instructor for the school.
In 2008 I accepted a job with famed arch top guitar maker Tom Ribbecke. I worked and studying under tom for the next 5 years spending about 3 of those years as his right-hand man and private shop foreman. Building many instruments almost entirely by myself as well as supervising and running the shop of 1 to 2 other luthiers this time period represented the “feet on the fire” part of my career. Building world class instruments with the pressure of an intense 15 instrument per year schedule while upholding the caliber of instrument that a 45-year reputation like Tom Ribbecke’s demands. I was instrumental in the construction of around 75 Ribbecke instruments in my time with Tom.
I hope to have an engine of content creation working hard to bring educational, inspiring and entertaining content to a wider audience then typically pays attention to luthier. I want to be highlighting not just my work, but all of my great contemporaries work as well. I’d like to explore interesting and often undervalued topics relating to lutherie, craftwork, art, design and other crafts. I’d like to be doing a lot more teaching and offering my expertise beyond the walls of my own business.