Always wanted to build guitars and haven't done much more than repair them for years. I'm a born tinkerer, so I've been tweaking guitars for all of the 32 years that I've known them. I do my own set-ups and most of my own repairs, take in work for others, and do some odd customizing.

One of my guitar students last year suddenly decided he was gonna build the things, went and did a course, set up shop in his folk's yard and has so far done some nice work. I am waiting on a mandolin/guitar hybrid, and just today he offered to build a "lesson guitar" for me. The lesson guitar will be a delux beater designed to take the abuses of my revolving door of lessons. Cool guy doing cool things.

I've got some small shop instruments and they are all among my most favourite and valued possessions. I greatly admire Jim Moon and Marc Beneteau because of their contributions to my happiness, and their otherworldly skill and ability. Maybe by the end of the year I'll have that student friend to add to the list.

I've an old friend who is reknown for his clever (and cheap) repairs, and I marvel at his willingness to share his knowledge with me. He also builds cool things like 4 and 5 string fiddles and resonator tenor guitars and such like. Folks like him renew my faith in mankind.

In Praise of Luthiers...Alleluia!

Peace, Mooh.