There's been a guitar within reach for as long as I can recall.  The earliest one would be an all mahogany Favilla F-5 belonging to my Dad and was swiftly tossed out upon realizing the cost to reset a severely detached neck.  Perhaps a lesson worth paying a bit closer to at the time however in 7th grade the decision was not mine. A second hand drum set took its place and in high school the six string returned in the form of a Martin DXM sill played regularly to this day.

 In 2010 while working while bouncing around between a couple entry level jobs, a conversation occurred suggesting I look into luthiery. Later that same year, a Southwest flight touched down in Phoenix Arizona and I found myself in a dusty quonset hut enrolled in a six month program focused on acoustic and electric guitar construction. The cericulum offered an entry level introduction to several skill sets required to study in order to master the craft. Most of the learning is done and will continue to be done one project at a time.

Luthiery school was followed by two years of high end manufacturing and apprenticeships along side established craftsman in the profession. These experiences early on were vital in development. Instilling a quality standard and enriching a fledgling skill set.