Custom Built Guitars
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My Custom Electric Guitars are crafted one at a time and each is created to the customer's exact specifications. All work is done by hand, by me, in my shop and no parts or processes are outsourced. I make guitars like the old-world craftsman; I do it all myself and each step is painstakingly performed with precision and detail.
I have been a guitar player for 39 years and I have taught guitar for 30 years. I built my first guitar in my father's woodworking shop at age 13. After high school I apprenticed for a master luthier in New Jersey for five years. |
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For me woodworking has been a life-long passion. My father was, and continues to be, a superb woodworker and furniture maker where he still works in his shop in North Carolina. He started me using hand tools when I was about 5 years old and moved me up to power tools when I was 11. It was a natural progression for me to blend my love for woodworking with my love for guitar.
If you're interested in a custom, hand-made guitar, please feel VERY comfortable emailing me. Even if you are simply in the "considering it" stage, I'd love to talk with you about it so you know what it involves and how much it will cost. I know that not everyone has money laying around to buy such a quality, precision instrument, so different types of payment options are available. |
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I don't have set prices since each instrument is different and the price depends on style, binding, inlays, electronics (pickups, custom wiring etc.) and the wood chosen for your one-of-a-kind guitar. But to give you an idea, a hand-made solid-body, electric guitar with a glued-in neck, no binding, two pickups, ebony fingerboard, maple neck and mahogany body starts at $2,200 dollars. The guitar I'm holding in the picture to the right has all of the high-end ingredients you could want and that one sells for $4,200 (Hardshell cases are included with all of my instruments, unless your body design is so out of the ordinary that it won't fit in a hardshell case).
I have a waiting list that can vary anywhere from one to three months start-time, so if you're interested in getting in line, I require a $500 deposit which enables me to purchase your wood ahead of time so that it can become acclimated to the climate of my shop by the time I start construction. Once begun, construction takes about six to eight weeks. At the time you make the deposit we'll discuss the wood you want to use for your guitar and other details that I'll need in order to get started. Once the work begins I'll keep you updated by phone or email. If you live in New Mexico, or wish to make a trip here, you can stop by to see the progress (you'll need to schedule appointments as I don't accept drop-in's). It's a really fun and exciting process! Even if you don't live in New Mexico, we can do everything over the internet and telephone. I have customers all over the country. Thanks very much for your interest. I look forward to building you your very own custom guitar! Jim |
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