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I'm thinking about building another guitar. I don't need another guitar. I'm at the point where they are taking over my office space, and my Parkinson's disease has progressed to the point that I can't really play a guitar much anyway.
It's also not clear I have the energy to build another one.
I'm attempting to rationalize the idea by saying I'd build the guitar for my friend Jud. That would mean it wouldn't add to the overflowing pile of guitars in my office. Of course, it would add to Jud's overflowing pile of guitars, but that' s not my problem. :-)
Jud is a professional musician. He already has some outstanding guitars. If I built a guitar for him, I'd want it to be one the he'd want to play. What are the odds?
I guess the first step is to see if Jud would be interested in having me build him a guitar.
If he is, then I can decide if I have the energy to do it.

To me, the answer is easy: If there is a guitar inside you, you need to get it out. Go for it!

Pro musicians seem to get a special charge out of having a custom guitar built for them. They seem to absolutely love having their name inside the guitar on the label and stamped into the neck block.

One of my pro friends put it this way. He said, even a brand new factory guitar has to "become yours" as you get to know it and coax songs out of it. But his custom build that he watched being built was "his" even as a pile of raw parts. He felt it was an old friend on day one with stories and history that you could never get from guitar that you met for the 1st time on a store rack. That was a really cool way to look at it.

If nothing else, already having too many guitars slows me down and lets me focus on learning to do it right. I was in such a rush on my 1st builds.

Steve, make it. You know i have Parkinsons too, not as advanced as you. I have an idea of how difficult it can be. I'm always here to help in any way I can.

You could always donate a build to Guitars for Vets. If you decide to do that, contact me. I'll help you with the appropriate contacts.

But, build it! You're too talented not to...

do what you can as long as you can the best you can
we are here to support you my friend

You have my hopes that whatever choices you make, you will rest easy with them.

I'm watching myself, as best I can, for deterioration (age 76) in execution that means my next guitar won't be as good as my last guitar.

Thanks for speaking up. You're sure not alone.

Well, I just ordered $219 worth of wood so I guess I'm doing something, even if I'm not sure what it is yet.

Steve I'm sure something will come to mind on how to use that wood when it arrives.
Good for you! Let us know what it's going to be.

Kevin

I agree that if you get pleasure from building, you should build. It may come more slowly because of the Parkinson's, but it's the journey, not the destination, that gives you joy.

I have more guitars and other instruments than I can use. I've donated some of them to charities for them to sell. Others I've donated to schools or youth orchestras. Somewhere there is a place that needs a guitar.

What we lose in motor dexterity we gain in patience and enjoyment of what we do. I am looking forward to this build. Good luck with it, MaineGeezer!