Sometimes I think of myself as a toolmaker more than a luthier. What I build is designed to do a job, a musical one of course. That musical work can be private or public, skilled or clumsy, for pay or not, but it serves to build up a community like any useful tool. Certain tools have reputations as well made, beautiful and useful, with those in the know coveting them and passing them down. The Delta Unisaw, the Willy’s Jeep, Stanley No 5 jack plane, Fender Telecaster, Zippo lighter, etc...

All of these have been updated and copied, but the basic design is classic and solid with a well earned reputation.

It seems the walnut tenor scale banjo uke is currently my most popular tool, sent all over the world to be useful and beautiful for any style of music by any sort of player. This one, like all it’s comrades, uses the same materials: Oregon walnut, California Pistachio and brass from North Carolina. If you look closer, it is unique of course, with its own special details, but still contained with in its (hopefully someday) classic form.