photo: Fran Dwight

My personal philosophy towards lutherie is that it requires experience, focus, artistic understanding, and an persistent critical eye to make something unique, functional, and beautiful enough for someone to cherish. I greatly enjoy being around stacks of wood, tools, machines, and my workbench. The synchronization of mind and hand puts me “in the flow”. When I am working, there are no worries. If there are worries, I stop working and sort things out. Guitarmaking requires balance just like all things. My job is to maintain the balance of my guitars and my workshop.

In addition to lutherie, I enjoy cycling, archery, and traveling around the great state of Michigan with my family and friends.  I recently took up Tai Chi, have been shooting more hoops, teaching my kid how to ride a bike, etc.

My free time is often spent driving around the rural part of west Michigan (always on the lookout for a good barn sale), going to Lake Michigan, finding live music, snowshoeing, and generally finding trails and going down them.

-Ry April 2024