John has been involved in the “music industry” for close to 30 years. Starting in high-school bands and continuing in a variety of “working” bands, John has shared the stage with some very talented musicians. In addition he has provided stage and sound support for some well know touring acts including, The Coasters, The Drifters, The Platters, The Marshall Tucker Band, Jon Pousette-Dart, Jonathan Edwards, John Hall, Jess Klein, Bill Morrissey, and Bill Staines.

John started to dream about building guitars as a teenager but wouldn’t have the resources to start lutherie until much later in life. He says, “I actually had the parts on order for a bass guitar in 1980, but the store I placed the order with went out of business. My road to guitar building isn’t a complicated one, but it did take many turns before I actually installed my first fret into a fingerboard.”

As a young man, John spent about 5 years working as a toolmaker. He says, “That part of my life gave me experience in tools, jigs and fixtures, that transferred to lutherie quite well.” After toolmaking, John spent a good number of years as an electronics technician and a brief stint as a software engineer prior to becoming a school teacher. “Teaching is a lot more difficult than I thought it would be, but the schedule allows me to become more involved in lutherie. During school breaks, I am able to visit and study with some really great people.”