Builders Poll

Post Photos and Link Us to Your Guitars!
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JJDonohue

Builders Poll

Post by JJDonohue »

As a relative newbie to the forum, I wanted to take the time to get to know the members as well as to get a feel for the levels of experience. In the process, it's possible that others might just learn a little more about each other. In the end, I think an occasional poll helps to establish a closer sense of community and friendship. As one of the charter members of the OLF, I can tell you that it was fun and helpful to get to know each other and grow together over a lot of years. Hopefully, similar positive experiences have already occurred and will continue to occur here.

Obviously, if the forum is primarily for kitbuilders then kits will probably be the primary source of building materials. Inevitably, a good number of builders will venture into scratch builds and become more creative in design and methods. At that point, the value of the more experienced builders should be even more helpful. So anyway, here's just a few elements that should get the introductions going. Feel free to add more.

1) Name
2) Location
3) Years building
4) Guitars completed
5) # of Kits plus # of scratch builds
6) Purchase or build necks, bridges, FBs, etc.
7) Other info you feel is important for all to know

OK...I'll go first since I started the thread:

1) JJ Donohue

2) Winona Lake, IN

3) I started building in 2002.

4 &5) Completed 20 acoustic and 5 electric guitars so far. My first guitar (OM) was a kit from John Hall who gave me my first taste of guitar heroin! I also built 2 acoustics which I smashed and burned...things got terribly out of whack and unrecoverable. Instead of making something that I would never be proud of, I destroyed the evidence of my early incompetence. I mention this only because these were some of my best lessons and ended up making me a better builder. I'm also interested in building mandolins and ukuleles. I've been working on an A-style mando for a year now. Hopefully I'll finish it this year. My first 10 guitars were gifted to my sons, brothers and friends. Many have now been played hard for as long as 8 years and have taught me to continue that which has worked and that which needs to be improved. As a result of that field work and feedback, I finally acquired the appropriate confidence and belief in my work and started taking commissions over a year ago.

6) I build all my own wooden components. I consider the neck to be the most intimate and important component for players and take the time to get all of the little details right. Nothing wrong with buying necks but making your own will take you to a much different level.

7) I'm here because 2 of my most influential guitar-building community friends are here. I owe so much to the effort and help from 3 people, John Hall, Bob Cefalu and Mario Proulx. All three have guitars named in their honor. I can never repay them so I honor their influence by giving forward. One of the great things about trying to help by teaching is that it forces us to question everything which helps to make us better craftsmen. In addition, every forum has its own personality and by visiting many, it prevents me from becoming stale and helps me to keep my mind open to others' experiences, methods and results.

OK...after spilling my guts, I hope others will now chime in. Thanks in advance for contributing...JJ
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