Making things is a hard business. You have to follow your heart/brain/body as it leads you to design. Next you have to stick to the plan as you try to make it. When it’s ready you have to confidently try to market it. You also have to be ready to tweak it to follow what customers need, even if you didn’t imagine it that way.

That happened to me with the mini five string banjo, with 90% of the customers asking for a tuning/stringing that I didn’t think would work. I was wrong about that, but quickly pivoted when I figured it out. This little tenor guitar design has also proven to be more versatile than I imagined, sounding great in a wide range of tunings. In this case, it is gdae, an octave below mandolin. It rumbles and purrs but remains sweet and shimmery. I love how it sounds and feels.

The Mahogany was rescued from a Tacoma boat shop. The Walnut fretboard/headplate/bridge is from a local tree. The maple/walnut rope binding was made by me. The brass hardware is a classy touch, I think. This is off to our friend Sharon in Eastern Oregon.

“I love my new tenor guitar from Aaron. The sound is much louder than I imagined and I am heard across the room in a jam session which surprised me and others. With a shoulder replacement I am able to reach across the lower bout which I cannot do with my Martin and Harmony tenors. I am a bass player who, during medical difficulties, was replaced in jams and a band. Totally bereft, I got Aaron to build me a tenor guitar and I am so happy he helped me find a way to enjoy music again! Thanks, Aaron.
- S. P. ”